Expanding the Brand

Abstract

This study examines recent Comedy Central shows hailed as progressive and feminist, such as Inside Amy Schumer, Broad City, Kroll Show, Nathan for You, and Key & Peele. It reads these programs through the framework of American post-network television, considering how the network is attempting to expand its brand identity in a cable marketplace cluttered with comedy. Although offering possibilities for marginalized cultural identities to be seen on-screen and courted as viewers, Comedy Central ultimately re-affirms presumptions about white male heteronormativity and comedy.