IN ON THE JOKE The Original Queens of Standup Comedy

Before audiobooks, comedy albums were the most popular spoken-word recordings. As author Shawn Levy explains, these LPs were a rare income parity source for women stand-ups. Otherwise, comic pioneers like Phyllis Diller, Joan Rivers, Moms Mabley, and Minnie Pearl experienced pay discrimination, misogyny, and racism. Narrator Julienne Irons conveys the injustices with a controlled, polished performance. But the audiobook misfires because, as qualified as Irons is to tell the stories of Jean Carroll, Phyllis Diller, Elaine May, and others, she can't be expected to impersonate them. Alas, her forays into replicating their famous routines fall flat. Including audio samples would have converted this from a well-read set of case studies into an audiobook that genuinely exploits the medium and respects the tradition of female comedy recordings. R.W.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2022]