From The Joke Files: A Comedy and Censorship Roundtable

About this episode

Comedians Dean Obeidallah and Kliph Nesteroff discuss the history and current state of censorship in comedy.

We’re living through a moment where late night jokes are next-day news, and each opening monologue feels like a litmus test for our freedom of expression. But is this dynamic anything new? This week, comedian Dean Obeidallah and writer Kliph Nesteroff join Kamau to reflect on the history—and present state—of censorship in comedy, and what makes this moment more than a callback. This episode was recorded on Monday, November 10, in the lead-up to the New York Arab American Comedy Festival, which Dean co-founded more than two decades ago. Kliph’s insights are drawn from research that he conducted for his book Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars.

People in this episode

Host: Kamau

Guests: Dean Obeidallah, Kliph Nesteroff

Topics covered

• comedy
• censorship
• freedom of expression
• cultural history
• late night jokes

Keywords

• comedy
• censorship
• freedom of expression
• late night
• New York Arab American Comedy Festival

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York Arab American Comedy Festival

Books & works: Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and the Culture Wars

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