Comic nescience
-
Dalbir Sehmby
Abstract
This paper offers the perspective of comic nescience, an experimental theoretical approach to comical works (texts or performers who arouse laughter or amusement). The paper views traditional humour theory in a meta-theoretical manner, pointing out how traditional schools (superiority, incongruity, and relief) have been underscored by an epistemology of knowing, resulting in a tendency towards a reductive interpretive understanding of works under investigation. Critiquing Bergson through an examination of a popular Internet film, Day-O, Mr. Taliban Song and through a reflection on the popular comedian, Gracie Allen, comic nescience asserts the stance of treating some popular comical texts and performers for their interpretive uncertainty, ambiguity, and multiplicity. In addition, comic nescience offers a theory of the way popular comedy functions in the American context; in particular, comic nescience claims that American humour is an important democratic site of cultural negotiation.
Abstract
This paper offers the perspective of comic nescience, an experimental theoretical approach to comical works (texts or performers who arouse laughter or amusement). The paper views traditional humour theory in a meta-theoretical manner, pointing out how traditional schools (superiority, incongruity, and relief) have been underscored by an epistemology of knowing, resulting in a tendency towards a reductive interpretive understanding of works under investigation. Critiquing Bergson through an examination of a popular Internet film, Day-O, Mr. Taliban Song and through a reflection on the popular comedian, Gracie Allen, comic nescience asserts the stance of treating some popular comical texts and performers for their interpretive uncertainty, ambiguity, and multiplicity. In addition, comic nescience offers a theory of the way popular comedy functions in the American context; in particular, comic nescience claims that American humour is an important democratic site of cultural negotiation.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- A view on humour theory vii
-
I. New humour frameworks and extensions
- From perception of contraries to humorous incongruities 3
- Okras and the metapragmatic stereotypes of humour 25
- Signals of humor 49
- Comic nescience 75
-
II. New theoretical issues in humour studies
- Impoliteness as disaffiliative humour in film talk 105
- Giving voice to the studio audience 145
- Negotiating humorous intent 179
- Perspective clashing as a humour mechanism 211
- Phrasemes, parodies and the art of timing 235
-
III. New theoretical approaches to established forms of humour
- Decoding encoded (im)politeness 263
- When does irony tickle the hearer? 289
- Strategies and tactics for ironic subversion 321
- Salience, accessibility, and humorous potential in the comprehension of garden path jokes 341
- Televised political satire 367
- “It’s not funny out of context!” 393
- Index 423
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- A view on humour theory vii
-
I. New humour frameworks and extensions
- From perception of contraries to humorous incongruities 3
- Okras and the metapragmatic stereotypes of humour 25
- Signals of humor 49
- Comic nescience 75
-
II. New theoretical issues in humour studies
- Impoliteness as disaffiliative humour in film talk 105
- Giving voice to the studio audience 145
- Negotiating humorous intent 179
- Perspective clashing as a humour mechanism 211
- Phrasemes, parodies and the art of timing 235
-
III. New theoretical approaches to established forms of humour
- Decoding encoded (im)politeness 263
- When does irony tickle the hearer? 289
- Strategies and tactics for ironic subversion 321
- Salience, accessibility, and humorous potential in the comprehension of garden path jokes 341
- Televised political satire 367
- “It’s not funny out of context!” 393
- Index 423
