SORRY, WE'RE SO FUNNY: How Canada Became a Comedy Powerhouse by KLIPH NESTEROFF - Spotlight

 

“As a child I always wondered why Canadians were so much funnier than Americans. With the publication of the epic Sorry, We’re Funny, I finally have the historical proof behind this tragedy.” —Judd Apatow

 

The definitive history of the world's most polite revolution: How Canadian comics took over the comedy world.

 

 "Canada is chock-full of broadcasting talent but hasn't a comedian worth his salt." So said the first Canadian Radio Commissioner echoing a near universal sentiment throughout most of the twentieth century: Canadians simply weren't that funny. They were too deferential, too serious, too Canadian to be funny. And yet, behind their polite exterior, Canadians were pioneering modern comedy.

     Canadians built the first Hollywood studios, produced the first comedy films and trained scores of burgeoning comedy directors, writers and actors. "You can hardly move about Hollywood and Manhattan without bumping into Canadians," wrote Variety in the 1960s, so ubiquitous were their presence in writers' rooms, studios and TV boardrooms. This wasn't because they preferred working in the US to Canada; rather, the lack of opportunity and appreciation in their home country offered them few other choices.

     But Canadian comics continued to dream of a comedy scene they could call their very own. And from Vancouver to St. John's, from one generation to the next, they began building the country's comedy infrastructure, one revue, comedy troupe and late-night sketch show at a time. Pushing back against cultural conservatism, media control and national modesty, they were inventing a new kind of comedy—sly and subversive, character-driven and absurdist, and quietly revolutionary. It was distinctly Canadian, made by and for Canadians, and it would soon take the comedy world by storm.

     Weaving together more than a century of Canada’s funniest voices, Sorry, We're Funny is the most in-depth telling yet of how—against all odds—Canada discovered its comedic voice and became a comedy powerhouse.

 

Advance Praise for Sorry, We’re Funny:

“Kliph Nesteroff, the foremost contemporary authority on comedy, has focused his skillful insight and impressive research on how Canada went from a humourless arctic wasteland to a fertile garden, producing comedic greats like my colleagues Michaels, Candy, Radner, Short, Levy, O’Hara, Thomas, Moranis, Reitman, Shuster, Shaffer and many others.” —Dan Aykroyd

“As a child I always wondered why Canadians were so much funnier than Americans. With the publication of the epic Sorry, We’re Funny, I finally have the historical proof behind this tragedy.” —Judd Apatow

“As a proud Canadian, it’s wonderful to see someone honour the prevalence of Canadians on the global comedy scene. Not only is Sorry, We’re Funny informative, but I am especially impressed with the chosen font.” —Howie Mandel

“A fascinating read with truly eye-opening lessons about how a polite nation quietly gouged its deep influence on an uproarious business.” —Brent Butt

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

KLIPH NESTEROFF is the author of three books about comedy, including The Comedians and We Had a Little Real Estate Problem. Widely considered the preeminent "historian of comedy" (The New York Times), his work has been praised by Mel Brooks, Steve Martin, and the late Norm Macdonald. A regular on WTF with Marc Maron and Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast, Nesteroff appears frequently on CNN, HBO, and Vice, and has worked on projects with Judd Apatow, Albert Brooks, and Rob Reiner. Born in Castlegar, British Columbia, he grew up watching Wayne and Shuster and The Kids in the Hall on CBC.“As a child I always wondered why Canadians were so much funnier than Americans. With the publication of the epic Sorry, We’re Funny, I finally have the historical proof behind this tragedy.” —Judd Apatow

 

The definitive history of the world's most polite revolution: How Canadian comics took over the comedy world.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

KLIPH NESTEROFF is the author of three books about comedy, including The Comedians and We Had a Little Real Estate Problem. Widely considered the preeminent "historian of comedy" (The New York Times), his work has been praised by Mel Brooks, Steve Martin, and the late Norm Macdonald. A regular on WTF with Marc Maron and Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast, Nesteroff appears frequently on CNN, HBO, and Vice, and has worked on projects with Judd Apatow, Albert Brooks, and Rob Reiner. Born in Castlegar, British Columbia, he grew up watching Wayne and Shuster and The Kids in the Hall on CBC.