I recently heard an interview with Keith Lowell Jensen, the self-described “atheist comedian” who tours with the Coexist Comedy Tour. Their tag line: “A Muslim, a Christian, a Hindu, a Jew, an Atheist and a Buddhist Walk Into a Bar.”  Jensen describes their shtick as a volley of religious jokes and plays on identity, suggesting that perhaps “political correctness” is a form of comedy in and of itself. His troupe represents an increasing trend in comedy today—the tendency for comics to label themselves by a singular standout characteristic. Just what is comedy anyway? And what, if any, educational value might it have? Today we’re inviting five of our favorite comedians into the classroom, comics who are more than just funny; in many ways, they are historic. And yes, we’ll give you yet another reason to watch Comedy Central.

5. Bill Cosby

Chances are, if you are between 20-30 years old, the first things you think of when you hear Cosby’s name are jello and the celebrated Cosby Show. But Cosby’s repertoire goes back much further than that; this 1963 interview is a good snapshot of the underlying social issues that inspired his work. Cosby was the first African-American to co-star in a dramatic television series (I Spy), and his comedy albums have collected their fair share of notable awards, including five Grammys. Perhaps what is most revealing about his work is not his identity as a black man, nor his gentle approach to storytelling, but the wonderful way in which he blended the two in such a subtle, sometimes subversive way. Makes you want to eat some jello.

4. Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky) is, without a doubt, the true American renaissance man of the past century. He is perhaps most famous for his films (Blazing Saddles, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Young Frankenstein, and his The Producers, which he made into a smash Broadway hit in 2001), but he is also a renowned comedy writer, director, producer, and, yes, actor. His recording of The 2000-Year-Old Man with Carl Reiner is a classic example of his ability to incorporate elements of his Jewish immigrant voice into the canon of popular comedy. And yet, he had funny things to say about Christianity, too, as you’ll see in this excerpt from his famous History of the World, Part 1.

3. Margaret Cho

Margaret Cho’s personality and comedic style reflects the setting and environment where she grew up: Haight Street, San Francisco, during the 1970s. She won her first comedy competition at 16, which gave her the opportunity to open for Jerry Seinfeld, and she hasn’t really stopped since. Not only has her stand-up and one-woman shows garnered international attention (she was named the Chief of the 2008 Mardi Gras Parade in Sydney, Australia), but her messages about cultural identity have earned her honors from GLAAD, the ACLU of Northern California, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and American Women in Radio and Television. What makes her so smart? Her straight-talking style cuts through taboos on every level: she confronts racism, sexism, heterosexism, and xenophobia with a sense of humor that has, in many ways, set a precedent. Still not sure what we mean? Check out this clip, one of many featuring an impression of her Korean mother:

2. Janeane Garofalo

Janeane Garofalo is a comedian on a mission. She wants laughs, yes, but she also has an argument to make, and she’s going to find a compelling way to make it. Her film credits include The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Steal This Movie, and Reality Bites, as well as TV roles on The West Wing and 24. Garofalo is an outspoken political critic and engaged debater; in 2004 she helped found the progressive radio program Air America Radio, where she hosted the show “The Majority Report.” She was a frequent guest on national news and political talk shows during the Bush administration, thanks to her passion for honest media and her growing career as a peace activist. And yet, she has become the master of the devil’s advocate; check out this clip from her argument that money is not the root of all evil at the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Great Debate.

1. Eddie Izzard

Eddie Izzard, long identified as Britain’s top “executive transvestite  comedian,” has an established career both in the United Kingdom and in the United States. His stand-up includes Dress to Kill, Glorious, Sexie, and now Stripped; titles meant as pop facades for what his stories really are: eloquently-written, expertly-performed history lessons. Izzard is famous for his explanations of European history (“I’m from Europe, where history’s from…we’ve got castles!”), his in-depth satires of Noah’s Ark and the Anglican Church (“Welcome to the Church of England. Would you like cake or death?”), and his debunking of popular myths surrounding transvestites and sexuality (“Many male transvestites fancy women…we’re kind of like male lesbians”).  For a taste of a classic Izzard history lesson, check out this fast summary of religious history in England.

The story of great comedy is still being written. This list represents a fraction of the truly smart comedians out there; we’ve left out so many obvious greats, such as Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, the Marx Brothers, Monty Python, Ellen DeGeneres, Gilda Radner, Eddie Murphy, Mike Birbiglia, Maria Bamford, and, who knows—you?

What do Jane Austen, sea monsters, high school girls, and zombies have in common? I’ll give you a hint: “bloodline” takes new meaning when classic books are re-envisioned.

In honor of Halloween, we at Eduify have decided to investigate a new phenomenon: the burgeoning popularity of dark humor in popular literature, television and film. And by dark, we are referring to the macabre, sinister, and surprisingly funny sides of human nature. Looking for a way to spruce up your latest English paper? Need a new hook for that short story you’ve always meant to submit? In our first installment of Write Like You Mean It, we offer a creative writing prompt that jumpstarts your approach to writing. Today’s concept: crafting fiction, vis-à-vis elements of humor and horror.

Take a cue from Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Grahame-Smith, whose other credits include The Spider-Man Handbook: The Ultimate Manual and The Big Book of Porn: A Penetrating Look at the World of Dirty Movies, took an original approach to the Austen classics. Grahame-Smith explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that Austen might have subconsciously outlined “the perfect groundwork for an ultraviolent bone-crushing zombie massacre.” Why not add a little flare to the otherwise polished romantic masterpiece? Novelists, playwrights and poets have made their careers by imitating great works of literature. In the great quest for originality, maybe there is some hidden genius in the injection of monsters into otherwise traditional or realistic stories.

The advent of zombie- and vampire-inspired stories has been growing in the past few decades, including such favorites as Buffy the Vampire Slayer (first films and later a television show starring Sarah Michelle Gellar), True Blood, Twilight, and the new thriller from Diablo Cody, Jennifer’s Body. Many of these stories border the line between comedy, horror, and satire. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright , writers of the self-proclaimed “zombie romantic comedy” Shaun of the Dead, are excellent examples of twenty-first century writers who embrace the relationship between horror and humor. How often do these movies take themselves seriously? Just what exactly does this say about the future of fiction? And when does gratuitous violence become outright silly?

In an interview with the Huffington Post’s Marshall Fine, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody describes her latest film, Jennifer’s Body, as a “horror-thriller-comedy mash-up.” How does one blend such different genres? And why exactly does it work?

Maybe the relationship between humor and horror has to do with an ingrained survival skill; by making light of tragedy or violence, writers like Cody or Grahame-Smith are exposing bloodshed for what it really is: an unnecessary human act.

For the first of our Eduify Write Like You Mean It prompts, we challenge you, fearless readers, to compose a farcical comedy-horror mash-up of your own. How do you do that? Here are some tips to get you started:

1. If you decide to imitate a classic, a la Grahame-Smith, keep in mind the author’s original intent. The advantage to rewriting fiction is that the characters and plot are already sketched out for you; your challenge is to add unique perspective. Maybe Sherlock Holmes’ detective instincts are actually based on a supernatural ability to sniff out vampires. Perhaps the Hunchback of Notre Dame was really just a façade for a revolutionary, flesh-eating monster. The sky’s the limit.
2. In brainstorming your own characters, focus on what each character desperately wants and fears. The link between desire and dread can make for a compelling story; one worthy of mummies or deep sea monsters.
3. Satire is an excellent mixture of knowledge and humor. When crafting a scary scene, see what elements of political or social commentary you can sneak in. It could be as simple as what brand of tennis shoes your villain wears, or what kind of cereal he or she eats for breakfast.
4. Remember that specific details add spice to your story. What color is the sky when Sherlock Holmes gets up in the morning? How many age lines are on his forehead?

Feel free to share your zom-rom-coms with us. For those of you interested in submitting your work, check out magazines such as Zombies Quarterly or 23 House.