God, Laughs, and Hypocrites: How Stand-Up Comedy Became America's New Pulpit with Dr. Jerry Jaffe

Our guest is Dr. Jerry Jaffe, a Toledo native and professional stand up comic who has written a book titled "Religious Satire in the Era of New Atheism" He will introduce you to some of the ideas and examples from his research. Focused on the context of the post-9/11 American culture phenomenon, sometimes referred to as the New Atheism – as embodied by public intellectuals such as Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins – Dr, Jaffe documents the rise of comedic satire in relation to evangelical beliefs and religious dogma. Drawing on the author’s own experience of stand-up performance, he examines the comedy of figures such as Mark Maron, Bill Maher, and Ricky Gervais and presents material from interviews with comedians including Lewis Black, John Fugelsang, and Leigh Ann Lord.We also discuss the tarnishing of New Atheism because several members turned out to be problematic individuals with some holding transphobic views and others being accused of islamophobia.Dr. Jaffe discusses islamophobia in comedy and how it is better to 'punch up' rather than 'punch down'. He also argues that many comics in the US don't satire Islam because comedy works when it is relatable to the audience. He also explains it is better to make fun of the powers that be in a religion rather than the adherents.01:00 Origin of a comedian14:00 Personal favorite part of the book19:38 The fall of New Atheism31:16 Why don't we make fun of Islam?41:28 Future writing plansFull show notes & links usedSubscribe to our free newsletterCheck out our MerchDonate to our Podcast fund