WATERSTONES' BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2023: PUZZLES AND HUMOUR Whether it was Harry talking about his todger in his controversial autobiography, or celebrities from Gary Lineker to Phillip Schofield and Huw Edwards dominating the news agenda, plus strikes, inflation, wildfires, the Wagner group performing the briefest mutiny of all time, an ill-fated trip to the Titanic, and - as usual - a stack of scandals leaking out of the Cabinet, 2023 has had just as many newsworthy things you'd like to forget as any other year. Before you can do that though, this book is going to quiz you on them. There's the missing words round, odd one outs, stolen formats from other quiz books, word searches, crosswords, mazes, and - as a word of warning - some close-up photographs of Michael Fabricant. With over 1,000 questions on everything from politics to pop culture, Have I Got News for You: The Quiz of 2023 promises hours of entertainment and is probably the only sardonic souvenir of 2023 going.

Whatever word you'd care to apply to 2022, no one can deny it's been eventful. Russia invaded Ukraine, Boris Johnson resigned, the Queen passed the baton to Charles after a 70-year reign, heat records were broken, food and energy bills went through the roof, fading celebrities discovered that libel laws are a great way to generate publicity, Liz Truss spent more money in her first week as PM than anyone since the war, and - as usual - most of the biggest stories broke while HIGNFY was off the air. What better way, then, to commemorate a year most of us probably want to forget than with over 1,000 quiz questions about it? There's the Missing Words Round, the Odd One Out Round, loads of rounds that we've nicked from other puzzle books, and for any insomniacs out there, there's even one on the Labour Party. With questions on everything from politics to pop culture, and Paul Merton and Ian Hislop's predictions for 2023, Have I Got News For You: The Quiz of 2022 promises hours of entertainment (albeit probably by candlelight) and will serve as the ultimate souvenir of a rollercoaster year.

This edited volume concentrates on the period from the 1940s to the present, exploring how popular music forms such as blues, disco, reggae, hip hop, grime, metal and punk evolved and transformed as they traversed time and space. Within this framework, the collection traces how music and subcultures travel through, to and from democracies, autocracies and anocracies. The chosen approach is multidisciplinary and deliberately diverse. Using both archival sources and oral testimony from a wide variety of musicians, promoters, critics and members of the audience, contributors from a range of academic disciplines explore music and subcultural forms in countries across Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America and Africa. They investigate how far the meaning of music and associated subcultures change as they move from one context to another and consider whether they transcend or blur parameters of class, race, gender and sexuality.

Based on research focusing on the experience of having confused speech and being with confused speakers, this book begins with everyday, commonly understood ideas such as "talking too much" and examines how confused speech is "brought off" as a collaborative activity by the people involved. The author became involved in this project because she was interested in how "confusion" seemed to be something that everyone is not only involved in but also recognizes as part of ordinary life. At the same time, "confusion" is a word that is used somewhat as a blanket category for some people considered permanently incompetent and "set apart" from ordinary members of society. Her study analyzes how talk between confused and normal speakers throws light on this tension.

Makes sense of truthmaking in law, media, politics, and courts of popular opinion including on transgender controversies and cancel culture.

We’re accustomed to seeing humour as a diversion from the serious side of life, but humour also permeates some of the most troubling political developments in recent years. From the resurgence of white nationalism to the erosion of democratic norms, jokes force-feed us objectionable ideologies while we gasp and splutter at all the side-splitting shenanigans. This book explores the relationship between humour and offensiveness in contemporary society. Drawing on examples from philosophical thinkers and popular culture, it invites readers to consider the dark side of humour. Weaving together cultural analysis, political discussion and philosophical reflection, the book provides an antidote to positive thinking about laughter and a roadmap for navigating different types of offensive humour.

In this new edition of The Television Genre Book, leading international scholars have come together to offer an accessible and comprehensive update to the debates, issues and concerns of the field. As television continues to evolve rapidly, this new edition reflects the ways in which TV has transformed in recent years, particularly with the emergence of online streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and Amazon Prime. It also includes a new chapter on sports TV, and expanded coverage of horror, political thrillers, Nordic noir, historical documentary and docu-drama. With analyses of popular shows like Stranger Things, Killing Eve, The Crown, Chernobyl, Black Mirror, Fleabag, Breaking Bad and RuPaul's Drag Race, this book offers a comprehensive understanding of television genre for scholars and students alike.