Joseph Boskin is professor emeritus of history and ethnic and urban studies at Boston University.
His interests include American social history, popular culture, ethnicity, conflict and violence, and humor research.
Other professional associations include Director, Institute on Law and Urban Studies, Los Angeles, 1970-1971 and Editorial board of the International Journal of Humor Research.
Boskin related how the jester passed an edict calling for absurdity on that day and the custom became an annual event.
Boskin explained the jester's role as being able to put serious matters into perspective with humor.