SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 24
Download to read offline
Race &
Humour


Race:
Conflict & Change
Week 9
Today we will
ask…
•When - if ever - is humour
 offensive?
•What is aggressive humour and
 who is allowed to tell it?
•How has what we find funny
 changed over time and why?
•Can humour be used to
 overturn stereotypes and         Priest: When will you give up
 challenge power?                    those silly dietary laws?
•Can laughter overcome racism?   Rabbi: At your wedding father.
What is humour?
          “The passion of laughter
          is nothing else but a
          sudden glory arising
          from some sudden
          conception of some
          eminency in ourselves,
          by comparison with the
          infirmities of others, or
          with our own formerly.”
                    Thomas Hobbes
Beyond a
      Joke?
“How do we negotiate
the perilous terrain
between humour and
offensiveness, or free
speech and cultural
respect, in a pluralist
society?”
     Lockyer & Pickering
Aggressive
 humour
Characteristics of
aggressive humour

3. Conflictual
4. Uses satire,
   sarcasm, parody…
Characteristics of
aggressive humour 3

 3. Stereotypical and
   caricatural
Stereotypes &
caricature
         “Humour based on
         stereotype, the
         nastiest cut, can
         emasculate,
         enfeeble, and turn
         victims into
         scapegoats.”
             Boskin & Dorinson
Antisemitic
Propaganda
Simianisati
on
The
Cartoon
Controver
sy
Consequences of
aggressive humour
Blackface
Show Time:           Blackface &
Minstrelsy
Whites:
• Blacks as lazy, stupid
  yet loveable.
• As the anti-self.
Blacks:
• Humour of
  accommodation
• Self-caricature and
  survival
The Black & White Minstrel
           Show




          BBC 1957 - 1978
Ali G: the new
             blackface?
• Who is Ali G?
• Is this racist
  stereotyping?
• … or self-
  deprecation?
• Is Ali G self-serving?
• Does common
  oppression override
  particular
  experience?
Reclaiming
humour
• The shoe on the
  other foot.
• 2 forms of self-
  deprecation.
• The humourist as
  licensed
  spokesperson.
• Beating them at
  their own game?
1. Richard Pryor
2. Goodness Gracious
        Me
3. Little Miss Jocelyn
4 Asian US-
 Americans
5. Subverting race &
      sexuality
6. Inder Manocha
Thank you.

 I hope you enjoyed
     the course

Have a good break and
  a happy new year!

More Related Content

What's hot

The Lone Ranger- A Psychological Savior?
The Lone Ranger- A Psychological Savior?The Lone Ranger- A Psychological Savior?
The Lone Ranger- A Psychological Savior?podaffer
 
Get Hip Libraries And Gangsta Lit
Get Hip   Libraries And Gangsta LitGet Hip   Libraries And Gangsta Lit
Get Hip Libraries And Gangsta LitNathan Flinchum
 
Fight club booklet
Fight club bookletFight club booklet
Fight club bookletLouise Sands
 
What has slasher movies always involved
What has slasher movies always involvedWhat has slasher movies always involved
What has slasher movies always involvedolivia prendergast
 
Masculinityinfightclub 101007044624-phpapp01
Masculinityinfightclub 101007044624-phpapp01Masculinityinfightclub 101007044624-phpapp01
Masculinityinfightclub 101007044624-phpapp01nten
 
Masculinity in fight club
Masculinity in fight clubMasculinity in fight club
Masculinity in fight clubLouise Sands
 
Action Genre
Action GenreAction Genre
Action Genresopmalone
 
Nihilism in fight club
Nihilism in fight clubNihilism in fight club
Nihilism in fight clubLouise Sands
 
Women's Bodies First. Fighting Second.
Women's Bodies First. Fighting Second.Women's Bodies First. Fighting Second.
Women's Bodies First. Fighting Second.mcheng23
 
Audience positioning
Audience positioningAudience positioning
Audience positioningmayc1
 
Evaluation Question 2
Evaluation Question 2Evaluation Question 2
Evaluation Question 2AngrySmurf1
 
Outsiders Reflection & Discussion Questions
Outsiders Reflection & Discussion QuestionsOutsiders Reflection & Discussion Questions
Outsiders Reflection & Discussion QuestionsDana Lynne Curry
 
Iconography of our chosen genre
Iconography of our chosen genreIconography of our chosen genre
Iconography of our chosen genreBaileyN27
 
Fight Club and Marxism
Fight Club and MarxismFight Club and Marxism
Fight Club and MarxismLouise Sands
 
Masculinity in Fight Club
Masculinity in Fight ClubMasculinity in Fight Club
Masculinity in Fight Clubojwoods
 

What's hot (19)

The Lone Ranger- A Psychological Savior?
The Lone Ranger- A Psychological Savior?The Lone Ranger- A Psychological Savior?
The Lone Ranger- A Psychological Savior?
 
The Outsiders3
The Outsiders3The Outsiders3
The Outsiders3
 
Get Hip Libraries And Gangsta Lit
Get Hip   Libraries And Gangsta LitGet Hip   Libraries And Gangsta Lit
Get Hip Libraries And Gangsta Lit
 
Fight club booklet
Fight club bookletFight club booklet
Fight club booklet
 
What has slasher movies always involved
What has slasher movies always involvedWhat has slasher movies always involved
What has slasher movies always involved
 
My hero christopher_reeve
My hero christopher_reeveMy hero christopher_reeve
My hero christopher_reeve
 
Masculinityinfightclub 101007044624-phpapp01
Masculinityinfightclub 101007044624-phpapp01Masculinityinfightclub 101007044624-phpapp01
Masculinityinfightclub 101007044624-phpapp01
 
Masculinity in fight club
Masculinity in fight clubMasculinity in fight club
Masculinity in fight club
 
Action Genre
Action GenreAction Genre
Action Genre
 
Nihilism in fight club
Nihilism in fight clubNihilism in fight club
Nihilism in fight club
 
Women's Bodies First. Fighting Second.
Women's Bodies First. Fighting Second.Women's Bodies First. Fighting Second.
Women's Bodies First. Fighting Second.
 
Audience positioning
Audience positioningAudience positioning
Audience positioning
 
Character types in comedy
Character types in comedyCharacter types in comedy
Character types in comedy
 
Evaluation Question 2
Evaluation Question 2Evaluation Question 2
Evaluation Question 2
 
Masculinity in fIght Club
Masculinity in fIght ClubMasculinity in fIght Club
Masculinity in fIght Club
 
Outsiders Reflection & Discussion Questions
Outsiders Reflection & Discussion QuestionsOutsiders Reflection & Discussion Questions
Outsiders Reflection & Discussion Questions
 
Iconography of our chosen genre
Iconography of our chosen genreIconography of our chosen genre
Iconography of our chosen genre
 
Fight Club and Marxism
Fight Club and MarxismFight Club and Marxism
Fight Club and Marxism
 
Masculinity in Fight Club
Masculinity in Fight ClubMasculinity in Fight Club
Masculinity in Fight Club
 

Viewers also liked

Polsoc week 9 slideshare
Polsoc week 9 slidesharePolsoc week 9 slideshare
Polsoc week 9 slideshareAlana Lentin
 
From theft to apology
From theft to apologyFrom theft to apology
From theft to apologyAlana Lentin
 
Decolonizing the social 2010
Decolonizing the social 2010Decolonizing the social 2010
Decolonizing the social 2010Alana Lentin
 
Ar and poco critiques
Ar and poco critiquesAr and poco critiques
Ar and poco critiquesAlana Lentin
 
Good and bad diversity latest pdf
Good and bad diversity latest pdfGood and bad diversity latest pdf
Good and bad diversity latest pdfAlana Lentin
 
Polsoc week 8 slideshare
Polsoc week 8 slidesharePolsoc week 8 slideshare
Polsoc week 8 slideshareAlana Lentin
 
Postracial Silences
Postracial Silences Postracial Silences
Postracial Silences Alana Lentin
 
10 policing the crisis
10 policing the crisis10 policing the crisis
10 policing the crisisAlana Lentin
 
Good and bad diversity: The Crises of Multiculturalism as a Crisis of Politics
Good and bad diversity: The Crises of Multiculturalism as a Crisis of PoliticsGood and bad diversity: The Crises of Multiculturalism as a Crisis of Politics
Good and bad diversity: The Crises of Multiculturalism as a Crisis of PoliticsAlana Lentin
 
It's not about race
It's not about raceIt's not about race
It's not about raceAlana Lentin
 
The Racial State Week 7: From theft to apology
The Racial State Week 7: From theft to apologyThe Racial State Week 7: From theft to apology
The Racial State Week 7: From theft to apologyAlana Lentin
 
Week 9: Anti-Racism
Week 9: Anti-RacismWeek 9: Anti-Racism
Week 9: Anti-RacismAlana Lentin
 
The Disruption of Postracial Certainty as an Antiracist Urgency
The Disruption of Postracial Certainty as an Antiracist UrgencyThe Disruption of Postracial Certainty as an Antiracist Urgency
The Disruption of Postracial Certainty as an Antiracist UrgencyAlana Lentin
 
'Je suis pas Charlie'
'Je suis pas Charlie''Je suis pas Charlie'
'Je suis pas Charlie'Alana Lentin
 
Themes and perspectives ii
Themes and perspectives iiThemes and perspectives ii
Themes and perspectives iiAlana Lentin
 
“Free Speech and Religious Freedom after Charlie Hebdo and Section 18C” Round...
“Free Speech and Religious Freedom after Charlie Hebdo and Section 18C” Round...“Free Speech and Religious Freedom after Charlie Hebdo and Section 18C” Round...
“Free Speech and Religious Freedom after Charlie Hebdo and Section 18C” Round...Alana Lentin
 

Viewers also liked (19)

Polsoc week 9 slideshare
Polsoc week 9 slidesharePolsoc week 9 slideshare
Polsoc week 9 slideshare
 
11 asylum
11 asylum11 asylum
11 asylum
 
From theft to apology
From theft to apologyFrom theft to apology
From theft to apology
 
4 recap
4 recap4 recap
4 recap
 
Decolonizing the social 2010
Decolonizing the social 2010Decolonizing the social 2010
Decolonizing the social 2010
 
Ar and poco critiques
Ar and poco critiquesAr and poco critiques
Ar and poco critiques
 
Good and bad diversity latest pdf
Good and bad diversity latest pdfGood and bad diversity latest pdf
Good and bad diversity latest pdf
 
Polsoc week 8 slideshare
Polsoc week 8 slidesharePolsoc week 8 slideshare
Polsoc week 8 slideshare
 
Postracial Silences
Postracial Silences Postracial Silences
Postracial Silences
 
10 policing the crisis
10 policing the crisis10 policing the crisis
10 policing the crisis
 
Race, Post-Race
Race, Post-RaceRace, Post-Race
Race, Post-Race
 
Good and bad diversity: The Crises of Multiculturalism as a Crisis of Politics
Good and bad diversity: The Crises of Multiculturalism as a Crisis of PoliticsGood and bad diversity: The Crises of Multiculturalism as a Crisis of Politics
Good and bad diversity: The Crises of Multiculturalism as a Crisis of Politics
 
It's not about race
It's not about raceIt's not about race
It's not about race
 
The Racial State Week 7: From theft to apology
The Racial State Week 7: From theft to apologyThe Racial State Week 7: From theft to apology
The Racial State Week 7: From theft to apology
 
Week 9: Anti-Racism
Week 9: Anti-RacismWeek 9: Anti-Racism
Week 9: Anti-Racism
 
The Disruption of Postracial Certainty as an Antiracist Urgency
The Disruption of Postracial Certainty as an Antiracist UrgencyThe Disruption of Postracial Certainty as an Antiracist Urgency
The Disruption of Postracial Certainty as an Antiracist Urgency
 
'Je suis pas Charlie'
'Je suis pas Charlie''Je suis pas Charlie'
'Je suis pas Charlie'
 
Themes and perspectives ii
Themes and perspectives iiThemes and perspectives ii
Themes and perspectives ii
 
“Free Speech and Religious Freedom after Charlie Hebdo and Section 18C” Round...
“Free Speech and Religious Freedom after Charlie Hebdo and Section 18C” Round...“Free Speech and Religious Freedom after Charlie Hebdo and Section 18C” Round...
“Free Speech and Religious Freedom after Charlie Hebdo and Section 18C” Round...
 

Similar to Week 10: Race and Humour

Respect for all week
Respect for all weekRespect for all week
Respect for all weekGonzo24
 
Minorities in the media
Minorities in the mediaMinorities in the media
Minorities in the mediaDonna Luna
 
Race, gender & sexuality - Race Conflict and Change Week 7
Race, gender & sexuality - Race Conflict and Change Week 7Race, gender & sexuality - Race Conflict and Change Week 7
Race, gender & sexuality - Race Conflict and Change Week 7Alana Lentin
 
Elit 48 c class 18 revised
Elit 48 c class 18 revisedElit 48 c class 18 revised
Elit 48 c class 18 revisedjordanlachance
 
Essay Nasionalisme Indonesia. Online assignment writing service.
Essay Nasionalisme Indonesia. Online assignment writing service.Essay Nasionalisme Indonesia. Online assignment writing service.
Essay Nasionalisme Indonesia. Online assignment writing service.Natasha Smith
 
ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL LIFE: RACE AND ETHNICITY
ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL LIFE: RACE AND ETHNICITYELEMENTS OF SOCIAL LIFE: RACE AND ETHNICITY
ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL LIFE: RACE AND ETHNICITYDanielle Soulliere
 
Race Inequality
 Race Inequality Race Inequality
Race InequalityMark Felvus
 
Book Review Of Nemesis
Book Review Of NemesisBook Review Of Nemesis
Book Review Of NemesisKim Moore
 
African American Humor
African American HumorAfrican American Humor
African American HumorBernie DeKoven
 
AS Lesson 4 - Ethnicity
AS Lesson 4  - EthnicityAS Lesson 4  - Ethnicity
AS Lesson 4 - EthnicityElle Sullivan
 
"To Kill a Mockingbird" Intro
"To Kill a Mockingbird" Intro"To Kill a Mockingbird" Intro
"To Kill a Mockingbird" IntroLina Ell
 

Similar to Week 10: Race and Humour (20)

Respect for all week
Respect for all weekRespect for all week
Respect for all week
 
Ethnic Humor
Ethnic HumorEthnic Humor
Ethnic Humor
 
Sociology and Humor
Sociology and HumorSociology and Humor
Sociology and Humor
 
Sociology and Humor
Sociology and HumorSociology and Humor
Sociology and Humor
 
Minorities in the media
Minorities in the mediaMinorities in the media
Minorities in the media
 
Socials 9 nov 29th
Socials 9 nov 29thSocials 9 nov 29th
Socials 9 nov 29th
 
Race, gender & sexuality - Race Conflict and Change Week 7
Race, gender & sexuality - Race Conflict and Change Week 7Race, gender & sexuality - Race Conflict and Change Week 7
Race, gender & sexuality - Race Conflict and Change Week 7
 
Mississippi Masala
Mississippi MasalaMississippi Masala
Mississippi Masala
 
Ethnic humor 2
Ethnic humor 2Ethnic humor 2
Ethnic humor 2
 
via Humor sociology
via Humor sociologyvia Humor sociology
via Humor sociology
 
Racism pp
Racism ppRacism pp
Racism pp
 
Elit 48 c class 18 revised
Elit 48 c class 18 revisedElit 48 c class 18 revised
Elit 48 c class 18 revised
 
Essay Nasionalisme Indonesia. Online assignment writing service.
Essay Nasionalisme Indonesia. Online assignment writing service.Essay Nasionalisme Indonesia. Online assignment writing service.
Essay Nasionalisme Indonesia. Online assignment writing service.
 
ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL LIFE: RACE AND ETHNICITY
ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL LIFE: RACE AND ETHNICITYELEMENTS OF SOCIAL LIFE: RACE AND ETHNICITY
ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL LIFE: RACE AND ETHNICITY
 
Race Inequality
 Race Inequality Race Inequality
Race Inequality
 
Meanpeoplesuck
MeanpeoplesuckMeanpeoplesuck
Meanpeoplesuck
 
Book Review Of Nemesis
Book Review Of NemesisBook Review Of Nemesis
Book Review Of Nemesis
 
African American Humor
African American HumorAfrican American Humor
African American Humor
 
AS Lesson 4 - Ethnicity
AS Lesson 4  - EthnicityAS Lesson 4  - Ethnicity
AS Lesson 4 - Ethnicity
 
"To Kill a Mockingbird" Intro
"To Kill a Mockingbird" Intro"To Kill a Mockingbird" Intro
"To Kill a Mockingbird" Intro
 

Recently uploaded

Protein Structure - threading Protein modelling pptx
Protein Structure - threading Protein modelling pptxProtein Structure - threading Protein modelling pptx
Protein Structure - threading Protein modelling pptxvidhisharma994099
 
In - Vivo and In - Vitro Correlation.pptx
In - Vivo and In - Vitro Correlation.pptxIn - Vivo and In - Vitro Correlation.pptx
In - Vivo and In - Vitro Correlation.pptxAditiChauhan701637
 
The Stolen Bacillus by Herbert George Wells
The Stolen Bacillus by Herbert George WellsThe Stolen Bacillus by Herbert George Wells
The Stolen Bacillus by Herbert George WellsEugene Lysak
 
How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17
How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17
How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17Celine George
 
How to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 Sales
How to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 SalesHow to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 Sales
How to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 SalesCeline George
 
Quality Assurance_GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE
Quality Assurance_GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICEQuality Assurance_GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE
Quality Assurance_GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICESayali Powar
 
Ultra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptx
Ultra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptxUltra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptx
Ultra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptxDr. Asif Anas
 
Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.
Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.
Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.EnglishCEIPdeSigeiro
 
P4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdf
P4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdfP4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdf
P4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdfYu Kanazawa / Osaka University
 
10 Topics For MBA Project Report [HR].pdf
10 Topics For MBA Project Report [HR].pdf10 Topics For MBA Project Report [HR].pdf
10 Topics For MBA Project Report [HR].pdfJayanti Pande
 
SOLIDE WASTE in Cameroon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.pptx
SOLIDE WASTE in Cameroon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.pptxSOLIDE WASTE in Cameroon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.pptx
SOLIDE WASTE in Cameroon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.pptxSyedNadeemGillANi
 
Department of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdf
Department of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdfDepartment of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdf
Department of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdfMohonDas
 
How to Solve Singleton Error in the Odoo 17
How to Solve Singleton Error in the  Odoo 17How to Solve Singleton Error in the  Odoo 17
How to Solve Singleton Error in the Odoo 17Celine George
 
What is the Future of QuickBooks DeskTop?
What is the Future of QuickBooks DeskTop?What is the Future of QuickBooks DeskTop?
What is the Future of QuickBooks DeskTop?TechSoup
 
KARNAADA.pptx made by - saransh dwivedi ( SD ) - SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...
KARNAADA.pptx  made by -  saransh dwivedi ( SD ) -  SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...KARNAADA.pptx  made by -  saransh dwivedi ( SD ) -  SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...
KARNAADA.pptx made by - saransh dwivedi ( SD ) - SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...M56BOOKSTORE PRODUCT/SERVICE
 
Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....
Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....
Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....Riddhi Kevadiya
 

Recently uploaded (20)

Protein Structure - threading Protein modelling pptx
Protein Structure - threading Protein modelling pptxProtein Structure - threading Protein modelling pptx
Protein Structure - threading Protein modelling pptx
 
In - Vivo and In - Vitro Correlation.pptx
In - Vivo and In - Vitro Correlation.pptxIn - Vivo and In - Vitro Correlation.pptx
In - Vivo and In - Vitro Correlation.pptx
 
The Stolen Bacillus by Herbert George Wells
The Stolen Bacillus by Herbert George WellsThe Stolen Bacillus by Herbert George Wells
The Stolen Bacillus by Herbert George Wells
 
How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17
How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17
How to Show Error_Warning Messages in Odoo 17
 
March 2024 Directors Meeting, Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support
March 2024 Directors Meeting, Division of Student Affairs and Academic SupportMarch 2024 Directors Meeting, Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support
March 2024 Directors Meeting, Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support
 
How to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 Sales
How to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 SalesHow to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 Sales
How to Manage Cross-Selling in Odoo 17 Sales
 
Quality Assurance_GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE
Quality Assurance_GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICEQuality Assurance_GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE
Quality Assurance_GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE
 
Ultra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptx
Ultra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptxUltra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptx
Ultra structure and life cycle of Plasmodium.pptx
 
Finals of Kant get Marx 2.0 : a general politics quiz
Finals of Kant get Marx 2.0 : a general politics quizFinals of Kant get Marx 2.0 : a general politics quiz
Finals of Kant get Marx 2.0 : a general politics quiz
 
Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.
Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.
Easter in the USA presentation by Chloe.
 
P4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdf
P4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdfP4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdf
P4C x ELT = P4ELT: Its Theoretical Background (Kanazawa, 2024 March).pdf
 
10 Topics For MBA Project Report [HR].pdf
10 Topics For MBA Project Report [HR].pdf10 Topics For MBA Project Report [HR].pdf
10 Topics For MBA Project Report [HR].pdf
 
Personal Resilience in Project Management 2 - TV Edit 1a.pdf
Personal Resilience in Project Management 2 - TV Edit 1a.pdfPersonal Resilience in Project Management 2 - TV Edit 1a.pdf
Personal Resilience in Project Management 2 - TV Edit 1a.pdf
 
SOLIDE WASTE in Cameroon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.pptx
SOLIDE WASTE in Cameroon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.pptxSOLIDE WASTE in Cameroon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.pptx
SOLIDE WASTE in Cameroon,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.pptx
 
Department of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdf
Department of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdfDepartment of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdf
Department of Health Compounder Question ‍Solution 2022.pdf
 
Prelims of Kant get Marx 2.0: a general politics quiz
Prelims of Kant get Marx 2.0: a general politics quizPrelims of Kant get Marx 2.0: a general politics quiz
Prelims of Kant get Marx 2.0: a general politics quiz
 
How to Solve Singleton Error in the Odoo 17
How to Solve Singleton Error in the  Odoo 17How to Solve Singleton Error in the  Odoo 17
How to Solve Singleton Error in the Odoo 17
 
What is the Future of QuickBooks DeskTop?
What is the Future of QuickBooks DeskTop?What is the Future of QuickBooks DeskTop?
What is the Future of QuickBooks DeskTop?
 
KARNAADA.pptx made by - saransh dwivedi ( SD ) - SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...
KARNAADA.pptx  made by -  saransh dwivedi ( SD ) -  SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...KARNAADA.pptx  made by -  saransh dwivedi ( SD ) -  SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...
KARNAADA.pptx made by - saransh dwivedi ( SD ) - SHALAKYA TANTRA - ENT - 4...
 
Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....
Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....
Riddhi Kevadiya. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE....
 

Week 10: Race and Humour

Editor's Notes

  1. Hobbes’s explanation of why we laugh at others goes to the heart of the issue of the connection between racism and humour. Humour is often an outlet for making ourselves feel better in comparison with others who we deem inferior to ourselves. But masked behind this sense of superiority is the knowledge that the things we laugh at in others can just as readily be found in ourselves. Such is the power of humour - it can be turned against almost anyone in almost any direction. Therefore, it is a serious question to ask whether humour can ever really be offensive. Is it not that everything that is said in jest is merely that? We shall see how humour has been used to overturn stereotypes and challenge the supremacy that white society assumes over others. In this sense humour is layered and complex - and potentially a powerful tool.
  2. But, what IS humour? Is everything that has been understood by some people to be humorous actually so? Do we have to draw a line between what can be defined as humorous and what is simply bad taste? Is the question of what is funny always personal and subjective, or has it been harnessed to more overarching and systemic racist projects? In their book, ‘Beyond a Joke’ Sharon Lockyer and Michael Pickering examine the frontiers of humour. As they say, taking offence at a joke can be taken badly. No one wants to be seen as not having a sense of humour. But, there are jokes that offend us. So “how do we negotiate the perilous terrain between humour and offensiveness, or free speech and cultural respect, in a pluralist society? They argue that this is an important question because humour exists in all arenas of public culture and infiltrates every area of social life and interaction. It is seen as a good thing to be able to see the ‘funny side’ of things. For example, last year when Prince Harry donned a Nazi uniform for a fancy dress party, some commentators claimed that anyone who took offence needed to ‘get a life’. But, it is clear that the boundary between irony and bad taste had been crossed and Harry was severely reprimanded. The joke, so it seemed, was on him! The question of what we can laugh about is often summed up by reference to freedom of speech and frustration about the ‘politically correct brigade’. The comedian, Rowan Atkinson, has claimed that ‘there should be no subjects about which you can’t tell jokes’ and that ‘the right to offend is far more important than the right to offend.” But this implies that everyone is capable of making their own minds up about the appropriateness of a joke and dismissing a joke as being ‘just a joke’ and therefore not to be seen on the same level as something that is said in seriousness. However, this approach puts humour into another realm - separate to the rest of discourse. It therefore doesn’t take into account the fact that humour is often used alongside “serious” discourse with the intent of causing hurt.
  3. Aggressive humour is not confined to humour with racist undertones, but racist humour is often intentionally aggressive. As Freud argued, we like to think that what we find funny is witty and clever, but in fact humour often appeals to our darker side. Hence the widespread appeal of offensive or even “sick” jokes. There are two points to be made about the nature of aggressive racist humour: 1.Racist jokes are seen by some as being outside the realm of humour - they are not big, and they are not clever and they certainly aren’t funny. But as Michael Billig argues, just putting racist jokes outside the confines of humour is problematic because such jokes ARE humorous for some people (and, following Freud, some find them funny even though they don’t want to admit it!). The same joke can be told in a racist and a non-racist way, begging the question, is the joke generically funny. In ethnic jokes, such as Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman jokes, the target of the joke is often replaced depending on who does the telling. Is the joke less racist if an Irish person tells it making the English person the butt of the joke? The context - in which historically Irish people have been discriminated by the English - would assume the answer is yes. But what if there is an English person who is alone in a village in Ireland where everyone else is Irish? 2. The degree to which we can judge a racist joke to be humorous is made more complex by our understanding of who racists are. As Billig says, we often have an impression of racists as being humourless individuals. But this idea is grounded in a psychological view of bigots as having a deficient personality in comparison to the rest of us. This narrow view doesn’t take account of the fact that racist discourse is often purposefully ironic and/or humorous. Racists and fascists mock liberalism’s standards. They pander to the libertarian in all of us that wants to preserve a realm in which anything can be said or done - especially if it’s, as is claimed, just a joke. As Jean-Paul Sartre argued in his portrait of the Antisemite, racists do not necessarily believe all the outlandish claims they make about the ethnic minority groups they target. They use humour to make the statement: “look at us, unlike you liberals, we can have a laugh, even at ourselves.” The unspoken assumption is that it is minorities who are deficient because they just can’t take a joke! Let’s look now at some of the characteristics of aggressive - openly racist - humour. We will be paying attention to the historical contexts in which this kind of humour - laughing at racialised others - developed and thinking about whether this type of humour is still around, and if not, why not?
  4. The comedians. What used to be funny has undoubtedly changed over the years. The Comedians was a show on British TV which was hugely popular. It was often openly abusive of minorities, using parody to degrade them The tradition was carried on by Bernard Manning until his death earlier this year, but also by comedians such as Jim Davidson. There is certainly an audience that continues to defend this kind of humour. But even free speech campaigners may admit that the jokes being told are simply no longer funny because of changes in the type of society we now commonly envision with the increased diversity of the population.
  5. The importance of stereotype: According to G.W. Allport: “ Some stereotypes are totally unsupported by facts; others develop from a sharpening and over-generalization of facts.” But all stereotypes function by creating a lasting image that is held as a standard against which all behaviour is judged regardless of whether it is actually descriptive of a group’s real behaviour. Paying attention to a small detail about a group of people and zooming in on it, maginfying it out of all proportions, can lead to that groups becoming a scapegoat for all society’s problems. The scapegoating of Jews under nazism as being responsible for Germany’s problems in the 1920s and 1930s focused on the stereotype of all Jews being obsessed with money, but also - in sharp contrast - of all Jews as communists intent on fomenting revolution. Question: What is being shown in the caricature here? Who is being portrayed? In what context? And what stereotype is being evoked? Caricature: Aggressive, racist humour makes use of caricatures in order to draw attention to the features of racialised others. Caricatures exaggerate the physical and/or personality-based features of the racial other in order to make her appear unappealing, frightening or just plain ridiculous. Whereas, the purpose of caricatures has often been “humorous”, they have also been used as propaganda within systems of discrimination such as the Nazi “final solution” against the Jews, colonialism, slavery and segregation in the US. The Nazi image of the Jew as a rat or a cockroach was intended to imply that they were everywhere and in need of extremination! In the next slides some common caricatures…
  6. “ The Jewish spirit undermines the healthy powers of the German people.”
  7. This image of Irish immigrants was rife in the US in the 19th century. Similar images were seen in the UK which colonised Ireland until 1922.
  8. The cartoon of the prophet Mohammed with his head as a bomb outraged Muslims the world over. The publication of the cartoons was portrayed as an issue of free speech for those who supported the Danish newspaper that originally published them. It is clear that they were drawn and published with the express intention to provoke and potentially wound. Does this make them humorous, or is the fact that some people found them funny a by-product of their - quite serious - intention?
  9. In the States, Sarah Silverman plays with values of political correctness, openly using racially charged language and stereotypes about ethnic minorities. But is Silverman aggressively racist like the old style British comedians, or is she laughing at ‘being racist’? She says, her character herself is “ignorant and arrogant”, but this does not reflect her personal beliefs. Does she carry it off?
  10. Images of black people in the segregated US and in colonising countries were also used to advertise products. Here is a picture used to advertise a restaurant called the Coon Chicken Inn. Both the caricature of a black man in blackface and the name of the Inn are derogatory. Nevertheless these images were common until late into the 20th century. Black faces - often with smiling and naïve expressions - were used to advertise everything from drinks to shoe polish.
  11. Minstrel shows date back to before the American Civil War but became popular beyond the United States. Before the civil war, minstrelsy mainly involved white people in what was known as blackface - white people blackened up to look like caricatures of blacks. The shows that involved singing dancing and skits were hugely popular. After the civil war both blacks and whites were involved in minstrel shows. But black people too donned blackface - black makeup (made of blackened cork), white paint around the eyes and huge red lips - to become exaggerated versions of themselves. According to Boskin and Dorinson, blackface and minstrelsy performed different functions for whites and for blacks. Whites Minstrel shows portrayed blacks and whites wanted to see them - as lazy and stupid, yet often loveable people. In particular, characters like Sambo represented the jolly servile “negro boy” - ever young and innocent in the eyes of his masters. Women were portrayed by “mammy” - a fat, laughing woman, always happy to serve. The purpose of minstrelsy for whites was to the portrayal of the anti-self. The caricatures represented everything that whites were NOT, this providing reassurance of white supremacy. 2. Blacks: Boskin and Dorinson: It wasn’t possible for black people to openly laugh at white people who were in power. When black people became involved in minstrelsy, they were not forced to do so. Many blacks became famous and rich on this basis. Also, often it was a way of expressing the pain of servitude and domination through humour turned inwards - apparently against black people, but actually laughing at whites. By openly parodying themselves, blacks in blackface were in fact sending up the image of themselves that white people had - in a sense saying “we know your game”. Using humour in this way was a coping mechanism and a means of collectively surviving the hardships of a racist society.
  12. Show Black & White Minstrel Show clip
  13. Does Ali G. merely give whites what they want to see of black culture, make them laugh about a stereotype they find funny anyway, in the same way as blackface artists pandered to white sense of humour. They knew that it was the only way to make a career.
  14. (Richard Pryor) Shoe on the other foot: Are white people uncomfortable? Is it his aim to make them feel like black people felt before?
  15. 2. (Goodness Gracious me) 1st type of self-deprecation: Is this for the community itself - can outsiders understand? What is the difference between laughing at people from within your community or laughing at a whole community from the outside?
  16. 3. (Little Miss Jocelyn). Self deprecation 2 Goodness Gracious me targets the Asian community and doesn’t really mind if non-Asians don’t get the joke. Being able to have humour oriented towards the community makes a statement about the fact that Asians have gained a certain status, at least within the confined space of parts of the media. However, here it is unclear whether the joke is for black people caricatured in the skit or for others. Like Sarah Silverman, does the character of Little Miss Jocelyn manage in her aim of pointing out racist sterotypes, or does she participate in perpetuating them herself?
  17. 4. (Asian US-Americans) The humourist as a licensed spokesperson: Can point out to society what is wrong with itself through the legitimate lens of humour - this would not otherwise be permitted.
  18. 6. (Subverting race and sexuality) Here Vidur Kapur is subverting both racial stereotypes about immigrants and Indians, but also sexual stereotypes, showing how the two are interlinked.
  19. 5. (Inder Manocha) Beating them at their own game. In this clip Inder Manocha participates in the same critique of PC that white comics traditionally participate in by laughing at the ridiculous excesses of multiculturalism. This takes ethnic minority comedy to a new level - not just parodying one’s own community - proving that we can laugh at ourselves, it goes out to prove that we can laugh at everyone else too. It is an assertion of full citizenship - we have the same rights as anyone else which includes laughing at you. The final question is whether this is possible anywhere but in the realm of comedy?
  20. 5. (Inder Manocha) Beating them at their own game. In this clip Inder Manocha participates in the same critique of PC that white comics traditionally participate in by laughing at the ridiculous excesses of multiculturalism. This takes ethnic minority comedy to a new level - not just parodying one’s own community - proving that we can laugh at ourselves, it goes out to prove that we can laugh at everyone else too. It is an assertion of full citizenship - we have the same rights as anyone else which includes laughing at you. The final question is whether this is possible anywhere but in the realm of comedy?