Jolly Fellows: Male Milieus in Nineteenth-Century America. By Richard Stott. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009. 376 pp. $55.00, ISBN 978-0-8018-9137-3.)

Extract

Numerous male subcultures coexisted in the nineteenth century, and whether they were B'hoys, sporting men, Hoosiers, or 49ers, men liked to drink too much, fight too much, and have too good a time. Richard Stott examines these jolly fellows and the male milieus where they tried to demonstrate their manliness by one-upping each other though aggressive tavern culture, brawling, and rowdy humor. The book importantly reminds readers that practical jokes played significant roles in fellows' lives and that they should be considered serious social events on their own terms. One of the keys was that today's victim might be tomorrow's perpetrator. The circular nature of practical joking contributed to feeling of unity among jolly fellows. Each town had an infamous prankster, who earned his manly stripes by fooling or humiliating others. Practical jokes could also be cruel or violent, mirroring the way that jolly fellows derived pleasure from bear baiting, cockfighting, or other animal blood sport.