Humor and satire in politics: Introducing cultural sociology to the field

The landscape of political humor and satire is changing rapidly, and it is becoming an increasingly relevant aspect of our culture. Although scholars have been actively trying to capture this change, majority of the existing frameworks for understanding humor and satire in politics still reduce these phenomena to mere genres or rhetoric tools. In addition, they provide insufficient accounts concerning the reception of humor and satire, and neglect to interpret and explain what they communicate. In the article, a general understanding of humor and satire outside of a political context, followed by an overview of studies discussing humor and satire in politics through their applications in social movements, as leadership tools, and through their manifestations in mass media has been presented. Lastly, a cultural sociological perspective to the field has been introduced. It has been argued that approaching humor and satire in politics through a structural hermeneutic method of the Strong Program will enable us to recognize and treat political humor and satire as autonomous and complex cultural systems which carry an internal power to move people.     

“Come for the period comics. Stay for the cultural awareness”: reclaiming the troll identity through feminist humor on Reddit’s /r/TrollXChromosomes

/r/TrollXChromosomes is a women-focused humor subreddit on the community site Reddit.com. This essay presents the findings of a thematic content analysis of TrollX’s top-ranked postings. Several themes emerge: that TrollX is a space for networked affective content, that postings often concern women’s embodiment and sexuality, and that they suggest feminist perspectives. These themes are all linked by the image of the troll: a remixed version of the negative, antisocial identity that disrupts and often harasses communities. The TrollX troll invokes a spirit of self-deprecation to revel in the absurdities of life and collectively celebrate women’s everyday experiences. However, this research also argues that the TrollX version of the feminist troll is only partially realized, as it tends to express ambivalence in regards to systemic, intersectional oppression.     

The Use of Humor With Older Adults Aging in Place

As more older adults seek ways to remain in their homes during their “golden years,” humor has proven to be a worthwhile intervention that reduces stress and provides a hopeful, playful, and optimistic environment. Development of creative and supportive housing situations for older adults combined with the use of modern technology (e.g., the Internet and computer devices used in the home), aid in bringing humor to the older adult. This article addresses some of the challenges that older adults face and the way that the use of humor can assist them to meet these challenges.     

Virgins,Terrorists, and Ten Children: Immigrants' Humorous Play with Ethnic Stereotypes in Bonding with Danes in the Workplace

Drawing on fieldwork in a multi‐ethnic workplace (an industrial kitchen in Denmark), this article explores immigrants' self‐directed ethnic humor in collegial relationships with Danes as it spontaneously develops and plays out in everyday work settings. Approaching ethnic humor from a symbolic interactionist perspective rather than adopting the dominant conflict approach, this article emphasizes the bonding functions of ethnic humor. The article argues that immigrants' engagement in playful behavior with ethnic stereotypes in interactions with Danes is a form of “impression management” in which they defuse ethnic stereotypes and dissociate themselves from them by building joking relationships in the workplace with Danes. A video abstract is available at https://tinyurl.com/esholdt .     

Teaching culture beyond nationalist boundaries: national identities,stereotyping, and culture in language education

The authors take a critical language pedagogy approach to examining a 2011 controversy over disparaging comments towards Mexicans made by commentators of the British Broadcasting Corporation’s automotive show Top Gear. In particular, they focus on the characterization of groups and individuals according to their nationality and examine the ubiquity of nationalism and its ability to shape our conception of culture and in turn our understandings of others as members of ‘X national culture.’ The fact that humor is often a justification for national stereotyping and that these stereotypes are also connected to racist discourse are also explored. In the second part of the article, the implications of the stereotyping debate for language classrooms are considered. The authors argue that the controversy itself can be used as a tool for critical engagement that helps students deconstruct the underlying nationalist paradigm in L2 classrooms and build greater intercultural awareness.

Español: Los autores examinan, desde una perspectiva de la pedagogía crítica del lenguaje, la controversia que surgió en el 2011 debido a los comentarios nocivos hechos hacia los mexicanos por los locutores del show automotriz del BBC, Top Gear. En particular, se enfocan en la caracterización de los grupos e individuos de acuerdo a su nacionalidad, y examinan la ubiquidad del nacionalismo y su capacidad para darle forma a nuestra conceptualización de la cultura y, a su vez, nuestra forma de ver a otros como miembros de una ‘cultural nacional X’. Los autores también exploran el hecho de que a menudo se utiliza el humor como una justificación para los estereotipos nacionales, y que estos estereotipos también están conectados al discurso racista. En la segunda parte del artículo, se consideran las implicaciones para la enseñanza de idiomas del debate sobre los estereotipos. Argumentan los autores que la controversia en sí se puede utilizar como una herramienta para promover una postura crítica que ayude a los alumnos a deconstruir el paradigma subyacente del nacionalismo en el salón de lenguas extranjeras y fomente la conciencia intercultural.     

A Mother's Value Lies in Her Sexuality: The Simpsons,Family Guy,and South Park and the Preservation of Traditional Sex Roles

This article examines the relationship between being a sexual woman and a good mother in The Simpsons, Family Guy, and South Park. Considering the sexual criticisms of women in the “Mommy Wars” which continue to be fought across the United States, we find that these three programs reproduce conservative assumptions about women's sexuality and motherhood. Through critical constructionist theories of humor and motherhood, mothers from each program are analyzed and the relationship between their sexuality and motherliness is examined in detail. We conclude with a discussion of the social constrictions of reality that humorous popular culture both exposes and reproduces.     

大学生应对幽默和社交焦虑与心理健康的关系研究

探讨大学生应对幽默、社交焦虑和心理健康之间的关系,选用应对幽默量表、社交焦虑量表和SCL-90问卷,对600名大学生进行调查,结果是应对幽默与大学生社交焦虑呈负相关,即应对幽默水平有助于减轻社交焦虑;社交焦虑水平与大学生心理健康水平相关,社交焦虑水平越高,心理健康状况越差。因此,应对幽默水平作为一种应对方式对大学生心理健康水平有正面影响。     

美剧《生活大爆炸》喜剧效果中违反合作原则的分析

为保证会话正常进行,谈话双方必须共同遵守一些基本原则,达到双方理解,共同配合。然而生活中,往往会出现违背这一系列准则的会话,阴差阳错,产生令人捧腹的幽默效果。2007年开播至今的美国情景喜剧《生活大爆炸》,赢得广大观众的喜好,其中的幽默和喜剧效果在很大程度上是违反合作原则而造成的。本文通过联系合作原则分析具体脚本,为英语爱好者提供更深层次的欣赏角度,并对字幕翻译提供一点启示。     

文化预设与汉英校园幽默言语解读

幽默言语作为一种语言现象,能从独特角度、生动地反映特定的文化内涵。为了集中反映汉英幽默言语的特点及其文化价值,把汉英幽默语料限定在校园这一语境背景之下,选取文化概念中具有鲜明特色的三个方面——风土人情、文学艺术和思维方式,结合生动的例子来着重剖析文化预设如何对汉英幽默言语的生成和解读产生影响,从而更好地理解汉英幽默言语的语用功能和文化特点,促进跨文化交际。     

庐剧的地方特色及审美价值初探

庐剧无论在语言、唱腔风格还是表演形式上,都具有鲜明的地方特色和较高的审美价值.民间艺人一方面通过庐剧诉说黎民百姓的悲苦命运,另一方面也将坚忍、豁达和乐观的性格元素融入了剧作和表演之中,于是庐剧就形成了以寒腔悲调为主,又带有某些幽默诙谐的成分和戏谑性的表演形式.