Chapter 6. Teasing as audience engagement
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Sarah Seewoester Cain
Abstract
This paper explores teasing – a type of humorous play associated with intimate, everyday conversation – during televised comedy monologue performances. Thirteen teasing instances, which occurred during joke setup sequences and targeted studio audiences, were transcribed/analyzed alongside videos for: (1) what occasioned the teasing, (2) teasing sequence characteristics, and (3) their social functions. Results indicate that teasing in this genre is occasioned by discursive context (audience responses) rather than interpersonal knowledge; exploits miming/transposition, placing audiences’ words/actions on-stage; and serves to break down rather than reinforce discursive hierarchical differences (i.e. rights to performance floor), engaging studio audiences more fully into the show. Finally, audience teasing during joke setups contributes to expectations of “expecting the unexpected” (Lockyer & Myers, 2011) for media and studio comedy audiences.
Abstract
This paper explores teasing – a type of humorous play associated with intimate, everyday conversation – during televised comedy monologue performances. Thirteen teasing instances, which occurred during joke setup sequences and targeted studio audiences, were transcribed/analyzed alongside videos for: (1) what occasioned the teasing, (2) teasing sequence characteristics, and (3) their social functions. Results indicate that teasing in this genre is occasioned by discursive context (audience responses) rather than interpersonal knowledge; exploits miming/transposition, placing audiences’ words/actions on-stage; and serves to break down rather than reinforce discursive hierarchical differences (i.e. rights to performance floor), engaging studio audiences more fully into the show. Finally, audience teasing during joke setups contributes to expectations of “expecting the unexpected” (Lockyer & Myers, 2011) for media and studio comedy audiences.
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
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
