■

アップダイクのエッセイ集More Matterより、アメリカ小説におけるユーモアの変遷について述べた文章(邦訳があるかは不明)。

Secondly, the humor of Benchley and Thurber assumed a kind of generic American experience—white, Protestant, male, bourgeois, basically genteel, timid, and well intentioned—that can no longer be assumed. Much of what used to be considered funny would now seem classist, sexist, and racist, in ascending order of unfunniness. Humor draws on stereotypes, and where “stereotype” is a dirty word, the humorist will find himself washing his hands too often.

これが書かれたのは数十年前だけど、アイデンティティ・ポリティクスなる語がよく聞かれる現在、where “stereotype” is a dirty word, the humorist will find himself washing his hands too oftenという傾向はいまはさらに強まっているのではないか。どうあっても、筒井康隆の「アフリカの爆弾」をいま書くことはできない。