Yes, I Can Say That: When They Come for the Comedians We Are All in Trouble

Comedian Gold addresses censorship, freedom of speech, and telling jokes in the social media age in this amusing, f-bomb–filled book. The author has a clear message for those engaged in cancel culture: “stop taking yourself so seriously.” Gold—a six-foot-two Jewish lesbian from New Jersey—writes about being bullied as a kid in the 1970s, an experience that sharpened her sense of humor, then discusses comedy today, during a time of heightened sensitivity in which she argues the “so-called progressive left” is silencing comedians: “people have begun to allow themselves to get triggered any time a marginalized person or group is even mentioned in a comedy bit.” Gold highlights comedians who fought against censors (George Carlin, Richard Pryor) and entertainingly honors “brash, outspoken” female comics such as Jean Carroll and Joan Rivers, who spoke candidly about motherhood and marriage in their comedy. Gold knocks Trump (“People like Trump take jokes about themselves as attacks”) and tells people to avoid “knee-jerk” responses on social media: “Stop reacting to every ping on your phone. Read a fucking book.” Gold’s defense of comedy, filled with great jokes and stories of censored comics, is a reminder that freedom of speech is no laughing matter. (July)