Chapter 5. Laughing at you or laughing with you?
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Margherita Dore
Abstract
This study focuses on stand-up comedy in English at Rome’s Comedy Club and investigates how the comedians and the audience deal with humor based on stereotypes about Italians and foreigners living in Italy (e.g. culture shock, cultural differences and identity issues). Moreover, this article discusses how comedians and the audience interact (mostly in English and sometimes in Italian) and negotiate humor regarding sensitive topics. The data analysis demonstrates that the comedians consciously exploit the context and accommodate to the audience to guarantee a positive response. In turn, the audience’s sense of superiority is fulfilled by the comedian’s general disparagement (e.g. of others, celebrities) and self-disparagement (e.g. of comedians in general). Most importantly, the audience shows that it does not take audience-disparagement at face value.
Abstract
This study focuses on stand-up comedy in English at Rome’s Comedy Club and investigates how the comedians and the audience deal with humor based on stereotypes about Italians and foreigners living in Italy (e.g. culture shock, cultural differences and identity issues). Moreover, this article discusses how comedians and the audience interact (mostly in English and sometimes in Italian) and negotiate humor regarding sensitive topics. The data analysis demonstrates that the comedians consciously exploit the context and accommodate to the audience to guarantee a positive response. In turn, the audience’s sense of superiority is fulfilled by the comedian’s general disparagement (e.g. of others, celebrities) and self-disparagement (e.g. of comedians in general). Most importantly, the audience shows that it does not take audience-disparagement at face value.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Investigating the dynamics of humor 1
-
Part 1. Designing humor in oral interactions
- Chapter 2. Reactions to jab lines in conversational storytelling 29
- Chapter 3. Discourse markers as guides to understanding spontaneous humor and irony 57
- Chapter 4. The pragmatics of humor in bilingual conversations 77
- Chapter 5. Laughing at you or laughing with you? 105
- Chapter 6. Teasing as audience engagement 127
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Part 2. Designing humor in mediated interactions
- Chapter 7. Laughter and non-humorous situations in TV documentaries 155
- Chapter 8. “Cool children” and “super seniors” cross into youth language 181
- Chapter 9. No child’s play 205
- Chapter 10. Online joint fictionalization 229
- Chapter 11. On-line humorous representations of the 2015 Greek national elections 257
- Chapter 12. Positive non-humorous effects of humor on the internet 283
- List of contributors 305
- Index 311
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Investigating the dynamics of humor 1
-
Part 1. Designing humor in oral interactions
- Chapter 2. Reactions to jab lines in conversational storytelling 29
- Chapter 3. Discourse markers as guides to understanding spontaneous humor and irony 57
- Chapter 4. The pragmatics of humor in bilingual conversations 77
- Chapter 5. Laughing at you or laughing with you? 105
- Chapter 6. Teasing as audience engagement 127
-
Part 2. Designing humor in mediated interactions
- Chapter 7. Laughter and non-humorous situations in TV documentaries 155
- Chapter 8. “Cool children” and “super seniors” cross into youth language 181
- Chapter 9. No child’s play 205
- Chapter 10. Online joint fictionalization 229
- Chapter 11. On-line humorous representations of the 2015 Greek national elections 257
- Chapter 12. Positive non-humorous effects of humor on the internet 283
- List of contributors 305
- Index 311
