Quiz In On the Joke Shawn Levy

In on the Joke Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

Questions

Plot and Sequence (8 questions)

  1. Multiple choice: In what year did Jackie “Moms” Mabley first adopt her signature “Moms” persona?
    A. 1920
    B. 1941
    C. 1955
    D. 1960

  2. Multiple choice: Which comedian was the first woman of her era to perform solo stand-up comedy in top venues?
    A. Belle Barth
    B. Minnie Pearl
    C. Jean Carroll
    D. Phyllis Diller

  3. Short answer: What was the name of the fictional hometown Minnie Pearl created for her character?

  4. Multiple choice: Belle Barth’s album If I Embarrass You, Tell Your Friends sold approximately how many copies?
    A. 100,000
    B. 300,000
    C. 500,000
    D. 700,000

  5. Multiple choice: Which woman coined the catchphrase “Knockers Up!”?
    A. Rusty Warren
    B. Totie Fields
    C. Joan Rivers
    D. Elaine May

  6. Multiple choice: Who inspired Phyllis Diller to pursue stand-up comedy after Diller saw her perform at a San Francisco nightclub?
    A. Jorie Remus
    B. Moms Mabley
    C. Belle Barth
    D. Pearl Williams

  7. Short answer: After the failure of her play A Matter of Position in 1962, which duo ended their legendary comedy partnership?

  8. Multiple choice: Joan Rivers made her breakthrough appearance on The Tonight Show in what year?
    A. 1960
    B. 1965
    C. 1970
    D. 1975

Character Motivation (5 questions)

  1. Short answer: According to Levy, what motivated Joan Rivers to keep performing even after repeated rejections?

  2. Multiple choice: Why did Elaine May decide to end her partnership with Mike Nichols?
    A. She wanted to pursue a solo film career
    B. She said, “I don’t know if I want to go on with this”
    C. Nichols refused to improvise anymore
    D. She received a better offer from another comedian

  3. Multiple choice: What was the primary motivation for Phyllis Diller’s husband Sherwood to encourage her comedy career?
    A. He believed she could support the family financially
    B. He wanted her to fulfill her artistic dreams
    C. He hoped to become her manager
    D. He was jealous of her previous success

  4. Short answer: According to the book, what drove Moms Mabley to use coarse language and sexual humor in her act despite criticism?

  5. Multiple choice: Why did Jean Carroll retire from comedy in the mid‑1960s?
    A. She lost her spot on The Ed Sullivan Show
    B. She chose family over fame after a tabloid scandal and her daughter’s troubles
    C. She was blacklisted for her political views
    D. She had a falling out with her husband Buddy Howe

Theme and Symbol (4 questions)

  1. Multiple choice: In the Conclusion, Levy contrasts a 1970 Bob Hope special with the 2016 Forbes list to highlight which persistent issue?
    A. The decline of live comedy
    B. Gender inequality in pay and representation
    C. The rise of insult comedy
    D. The importance of television for comedians

  2. Short answer: What does the “Moms” persona represent, according to the book?

  3. Multiple choice: The chapter on Belle Barth and Pearl Williams uses their arrests and censorship to illustrate what larger theme?
    A. The dangers of performing in Las Vegas
    B. The gender double standard in obscenity laws
    C. The success of party records
    D. The role of jazz in comedy

  4. Short answer: According to Levy, what symbolic role did women like Phyllis Diller and Totie Fields play for later generations of funny women?

Synthesis (3 questions)

  1. Multiple choice: Which statement best summarizes the legacy of the comedians profiled in In on the Joke?
    A. They were mostly forgotten and had no impact on modern comedy
    B. They created the first cracks in the glass ceiling, making it possible for later women to succeed
    C. They all achieved mainstream fame and fortune during their careers
    D. They focused solely on racial humor and ignored gender issues

  2. Short answer: Compare how Moms Mabley’s use of race and sex in her act differed from how Jean Carroll approached her material.

  3. Multiple choice: According to the Conclusion, why is Amy Schumer’s 2016 Forbes ranking significant?
    A. She earned more than any male comedian
    B. She was the first woman ever to appear on the Forbes highest‑earning comedians list
    C. She proved women are funnier than men
    D. She donated all her earnings to charity

Answer Key

  1. B. 1941 – The “Moms” persona was fully developed when she was billed as Jackie “Moms” Mabley at the Ubangi Club’s Broadway venue in late 1941.
  2. C. Jean Carroll – She became the only woman of her era to perform straight comedy solo in top venues, as described in Chapter 3.
  3. Grinder’s Switch – Minnie Pearl’s fictional hometown was Grinder’s Switch, Tennessee.
  4. D. 700,000 – Belle Barth’s album sold approximately 700,000 copies despite her arrests.
  5. A. Rusty Warren – Rusty Warren coined “Knockers Up!” and built her act around that catchphrase.
  6. A. Jorie Remus – Phyllis Diller saw Jorie Remus perform at the Purple Onion in San Francisco and thought, “If she could do it, then perhaps I could, too.”
  7. Nichols and May – The failure of A Matter of Position led to the end of the Nichols and May partnership.
  8. B. 1965 – Joan Rivers broke through on The Tonight Show in 1965 after years of struggle.
  9. Her insane drive – Joan Rivers said she knew her “insane drive” was her most valuable asset and that she never relaxed.
  10. B. She said, “I don’t know if I want to go on with this” – According to Nichols, Elaine ended the partnership with that statement.
  11. A. He believed she could support the family financially – Sherwood Diller viewed Phyllis as a “product” and wanted to bring in money.
  12. Her audience helped her make up the program – Moms tailored her language to the audience’s mood; she believed if they were in a jovial mood, anything goes.
  13. B. She chose family over fame after a tabloid scandal and her daughter’s troubles – Jean Carroll retired to focus on her family.
  14. B. Gender inequality in pay and representation – Levy uses these examples to show that women still struggle for equal pay and spots in comedy.
  15. A wise, salty grandmother persona that allowed her to speak frankly about race and sex – The “Moms” character was a mask that freed Mabley to discuss taboo subjects.
  16. B. The gender double standard in obscenity laws – Barth and Williams faced arrests and fines for material that male comedians like Lenny Bruce also performed.
  17. They blazed a trail for future funny women – Levy argues that these pioneers laid a path that later generations could follow.
  18. B. They created the first cracks in the glass ceiling, making it possible for later women to succeed – The Conclusion emphasizes that these women opened doors for others.
  19. Moms Mabley used explicit racial and sexual humor, often in a grandmotherly persona; Jean Carroll performed straight, observational comedy without racial themes, and she avoided profanity. – Moms addressed race and sex directly, while Jean Carroll’s act was more conventional and gender‑based.
  20. B. She was the first woman ever to appear on the Forbes highest‑earning comedians list – Schumer’s placement highlighted slow progress; she was the first woman on the list in sixteen years.

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