How do various forms of comedy - including stand-up, satire, and film and television - transform contemporary invocations of nationalism and citizenship in youth cultures? And how are attitudes about gender, race, and sexuality transformed through comedic performances on social media? This book seeks to answer these questions by examining comedic performances by Chris Rock and Louis C.K., news parodies like the 'The Daily Show' and 'The Colbert Report', the role of satire in the Arab Spring, and the groundbreaking performances by women in 'Bridesmaids'. Breaking with the usual cultural studies debates over how to conceptualize youth, the book instead focuses on the comedic cultural and political scripts that frame affective strategies post-9/11.