An insider’s look at the power of comedy to effect social change
From Trevor Noah’s The Daily Show and Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act, to Issa Rae’s Insecure and Corey Ryan Forrester’s Twitter feed, today’s multi-platform comedy refuses to shy away from the social issues that define our time.As more comedians lean into social justice activism, they help reshape the entertainment industry and offer creative, dynamic avenues for social change.
The Revolution Will Be Hilarious offers a compelling insider’s look at how comedy and social justice activists are working together in a revolutionary media moment. Caty Borum invites readers into an expanding, enterprising arena of participatory culture and politics through in-depth interviews with comedians, social justice leaders, and Hollywood players. Their insights shed light on questions such as: What role does comedy play in helping communities engage the public with challenging social issues? How do social justice organizations and comedians co-create entertaining comedy designed to build the civic power of marginalized groups? And how are entertainment industry leaders working with social justice organizations to launch new comedy as both entertainment and inspiration for social change?
Through this exploration, Borum argues that building creative power is crucial for marginalized groups to build civic power. The Revolution Will Be Hilarious positions the rise of social justice comedy as creative, disruptive storytelling that hilariously invites us to agitate the status quo and re-imagine social realities to come closer to the promise of equity and justice in America.

"In response to years of clear social upheaval in the United States, from renewed fights for social justice to new threats of authoritarianism, a new, diverse set of comedy voices are using humor in their activism. Caty Borum chronicles this phenomenon in her entertaining book The Revolution Will Be Hilarious." - Foreword Reviews

"An important addition to support multidisciplinary research in the social sciences and fine arts, with a wide appeal for those interested in the role of activist comedy on emerging social media platforms." - Library Journal

"The Revolution Will Be Hilarious shows how much media can emerge, converge, and use comedy as an effective tool for bringing about lasting change." - Vulture

"

It is clear from reading The Revolution Will Be Hilarious that Borum cares quite deeply about the
power of civic organizations to drive social and political change and that her active, engaged scholarship is
helping to promote a revolution that is both funny and impactful....Borum shows us just what can happen when comedians and activists work together to promote social change.

"The Revolution Will Be Hilarious emphasises the power of comedy as a force for social justice and provides practical insights into its integration with activism. [Borum] effectively shows how collaboration between the two has the power to start meaningful conversations around racism, climate change, economic disenfranchisement, addiction and more." - LSE Review of Books

"Caty Borum's The Revolution Will Be Hilarious: Comedy for Social Change and Civic Power demonstrates deep insight and years of dedication to comedy's use as a tool to further social justice movements." - Journal of Public Interest Communications