The Gist

The Eulogy Myth

Eulogies are the best part of a funeral but maybe the least reliable.

Listen to Slate’s The Gist:

Listen to The Gist via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play

On The Gist, stop wishing Jews happy holidays if Hanukkah has already passed.

How do you explain wit? James Geary attempted to answer that question with his new book, Wit’s End: What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It, but quickly found that the only way to write about comedy is to write comedy. He joins us to discuss the difficulties of examining this subject, the various types of wit, and why Buster Keaton is a master of the form.

In the Spiel, eulogies are the best part of any funeral, particularly a president’s.

Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at Slate.com/gistplus.

Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook.

Email: thegist@slate.com
Twitter: @slategist

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Pierre Bienaimé.