Meet Jeremy Vaughan, Area Chair for SWPACA’s Humor & Comedy in Popular Culture!
😄 Who are you and what do you do?
I’m a retired public school teacher of US History and US Government. I live in Tucson, AZ.
😄 What are your current research interests?
My current research interests are humor/comedy, ethnic studies, and nuclear matters.
😄 What year was your first SWPACA, and how did you get involved?
I first attended the SWPACA conference in 2007. I was invited by my friend Dr. Vaughan of Metropolitan State University. I presented my first paper here in, I think, 2009. I have shared four more papers since then.
😄 Why Humor & Comedy in Pop Culture?
I had always thought of a humor and comedy area, but only found out a few years ago that Humor Studies is actually an academic field of study. I shopped the idea around, and decided to go for it. The national conference has a permanent humor area. There are humor studies organizations. It is time now for a humor studies area here in Albuquerque. Humor and comedy “have everything” as they say.
😄 For Humor & Comedy newcomers, what is a recommendation to watch or look into?
If you are new to comedy studies, I can recommend three TV shows for you. First, Burns and Allen. The genius and hard work of Gracie Allen shines through not just in the script but in her stage “business.” Watch what she does. The show aired every TWO weeks because they required massive amounts of writing and rehearsal. Second, watch interviews of comedians on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. You can learn a lot, and from the greats. In one interview, Jonathan Winters observed that comedians can become actors, but the reverse does not happen. There’s a paper there! Third, I would recommend Seinfeld. This is the art of storytelling perfected. Finally, and particularly for comedians, I suggest you observe jazz musicians in a club. The levels of performer/audience interaction tend to be high. Just as in stand-up comedy. There is some “play” taking place.
😄 Your current pop culture passions or hobbies?
I do a lot of paper crafts. I love critters of all kinds. I also am a collector of all kinds of things. Batman toys lately. Heroclix. My passions will always be history and humor. These are my crafts. Thalia (muse of Comedy) and Clio (muse of history) seem to me so often to be inseparable. I live these things. To not appreciate the humor in “Big Village. Come quick. Bring packs. PS: Bring packs.” is to miss a great and significant story. That quote is a great line. Kind of like “Welcome to nut country.” It doesn’t get much better than that.
📢 Join Jeremy and the Humor & Comedy in Popular Culture community at #SWPACA25! Submit your proposal to SWPACA’s new Conference Portal by October 31!
