The Rhetoric of Racist Humour

US, UK and Global Race Joking

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Minority Studies
Cover of the book The Rhetoric of Racist Humour by Simon Weaver, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Simon Weaver ISBN: 9781317017820
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: February 24, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Simon Weaver
ISBN: 9781317017820
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: February 24, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

In today's multicultural and multireligious societies, humour and comedy often become the focus of controversy over alleged racist or offensive content, as shown, for instance, by the intense debate of Sacha Baron Cohen's characters Ali G and Borat, and the Prophet Muhammad cartoons published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Despite these intense debates, commentary on humour in the academy lacks a clear way of connecting the serious and the humorous, and a clear way of accounting for the serious impact of comic language. The absence of a developed 'serious' vocabulary with which to judge the humorous tends to encourage polarized debates, which fail to account for the paradoxes of humour. This book draws on the social theory of Zygmunt Baumann to examine the linguistic structure of humour, arguing that, as a form of language similar to metaphor, it is both unstable and unpredictable, and structurally prone to act rhetorically; that is, to be convincing. Deconstructing the dominant form of racism aimed at black people in the US, and that aimed at Asians in the UK, The Rhetoric of Racist Humour shows how racist humour expresses and supports racial stereotypes in the US and UK, while also exploring the forms of resistance presented by the humour of Black and Asian comedians to such stereotypes. An engaging exploration of modern, late modern and fluid or postmodern forms of humour, this book will be of interest to sociologists and scholars of cultural and media studies, as well as those working in the fields of race and ethnicity, humour and cultural theory.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In today's multicultural and multireligious societies, humour and comedy often become the focus of controversy over alleged racist or offensive content, as shown, for instance, by the intense debate of Sacha Baron Cohen's characters Ali G and Borat, and the Prophet Muhammad cartoons published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Despite these intense debates, commentary on humour in the academy lacks a clear way of connecting the serious and the humorous, and a clear way of accounting for the serious impact of comic language. The absence of a developed 'serious' vocabulary with which to judge the humorous tends to encourage polarized debates, which fail to account for the paradoxes of humour. This book draws on the social theory of Zygmunt Baumann to examine the linguistic structure of humour, arguing that, as a form of language similar to metaphor, it is both unstable and unpredictable, and structurally prone to act rhetorically; that is, to be convincing. Deconstructing the dominant form of racism aimed at black people in the US, and that aimed at Asians in the UK, The Rhetoric of Racist Humour shows how racist humour expresses and supports racial stereotypes in the US and UK, while also exploring the forms of resistance presented by the humour of Black and Asian comedians to such stereotypes. An engaging exploration of modern, late modern and fluid or postmodern forms of humour, this book will be of interest to sociologists and scholars of cultural and media studies, as well as those working in the fields of race and ethnicity, humour and cultural theory.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Mass Hate by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book A Handbook of Persuasive Tactics by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book Jews and Jewish Life in Russia and the Soviet Union by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book The Multimediated Rhetoric of the Internet by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book Environmental Victims by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book Old Loyalties, New Ties by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book Expatriate Managers by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book Latin American Business by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book Economics and Ethics? by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book Race, Gender, and Citizenship in the African Diaspora by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book Digital Business by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book The Rise of the Victorian Actor by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book Advertising and socialism: The nature and extent of consumer advertising in the Soviet Union, Poland by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book Stolen Lives by Simon Weaver
Cover of the book Gerontological Social Work in Home Health Care by Simon Weaver
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy