Universität Wien

124264 KO Critical Media Analysis (2025S)

The Power of Punchlines: The Politics of Humour in Media

6.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle
Th 05.06. 14:15-15:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 30 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Thursday 06.03. 14:15 - 15:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Thursday 13.03. 14:15 - 15:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Thursday 20.03. 14:15 - 15:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Thursday 27.03. 14:15 - 15:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Thursday 03.04. 14:15 - 15:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Thursday 10.04. 14:15 - 15:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Thursday 08.05. 14:15 - 15:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Thursday 15.05. 14:15 - 15:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Thursday 22.05. 14:15 - 15:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Thursday 12.06. 14:15 - 15:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21
  • Thursday 26.06. 14:15 - 15:45 Helene-Richter-Saal UniCampus Hof 8 3G-EG-21

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it." - E. B. White

In this class, we're not going to be dissecting any actual frogs, so no worries there, but we will be taking a critical look at humour in Anglophone media. Humour plays, and always has played, a crucial role in cultures around the world. Plato saw humour as a lowbrow form of cruelty, an expression of superiority, a kind of pleasure mixed with malice. Contemporary comics and humorists like John Oliver, Wanda Sykes, Stephen Colbert, George Saunders or Patricia Lockwood might say humour is a tool for dismantling hypocrisy and cultural forms of oppression, and one of the most effective modes of removing moral blind spots and promoting democratic debate. Tig Notaro, Patton Oswalt, and Mel Brooks might argue that humour helps us to endure rather than to suffer, to laugh at death, tragedy, and senseless brutality instead of becoming overwhelmed with dread and victimhood. And Hannah Gadsby or Lynda Barry might say that humour is the very gateway into confronting avoidance; a kick in the pants to come clean with who we are and who we want to become. In this course, we will study traditional and nontraditional theories of humour, and look at different examples from the various media at our disposal: films, television shows, stand-up comedy and, of course, memes.

The goal is to offer a comprehensive overview of the different theories of humour, ranging from Bergson and Freud all the way to contemporary theorists like Nicholas Holm.

The main methods of this class will be close reading in context and critical discourse analysis.

At the end of this course:
• You should be able to express core aspects of Humour theories.
• You should be able to closely read and interpret different media texts based on content and style as well as be able to discuss and evaluate them both in spoken word and the written word.
• You should be able to recognise and critically evaluate discourses and their representation in different forms of media texts.
• You should enhance your academic writing skills as well as your ability to critically evaluate other’s writing and give productive feedback on such.
• You should be able to compose small analyses and essays, knowing the necessary formal constraints and the particularities to each.
• You should be able to easily connect theoretical concepts to concrete audiovisual examples and assess the consequences.

Assessment and permitted materials

1. Participation and Attendance (10pts):
o Active engagement in class discussions, screenings, and group activities.
o Regular attendance is mandatory, as the course relies heavily on in-class interactions and media analysis.
2. Reflections (30 pts):
o Writing at minimum 5 session reflections in the course Moodle and 3 responses to others (each ca. 100-150 words).
o Reflections should demonstrate critical thinking, personal engagement with the material, and connections to broader themes in humour
studies.
3. Midterm Essay (30pts):
o A 1000-word essay analysing the humour in a British or American media text of your choice (e.g., a TV show, film, stand-up special, or digital
content).
o The essay should apply at least one humour theory (which we will discuss in class) and discuss how the humour reflects or challenges
cultural norms, identities, or power dynamics.
o Due by Week 7.
4. Final Essay (30pts):
o A 2000-word final essay that elaborates on a specific topic related to humour in British or American media.
o Students may choose to expand on their midterm essay topic or explore a new area of interest.
o The essay should include:
- A clear thesis statement.
- Analysis of primary media texts (e.g., TV shows, films, stand-up comedy, memes).
- Engagement with at least two humour theories and relevant academic sources.
- A conclusion that reflects on the cultural significance of the chosen topic.
o Due by the end of Week 13.

Note that a late submission will result in deducted points.

The plagiarism detection software Turnitin will be used on the written assignments. The use of AI to create or improve your writing is strictly forbidden. As one of the goals of this class is to build and improve your academic writing skills, you would be doing both yourself a disservice, by robbing yourself of the joyous process of writing, and me, by making me read and grade a machine’s predictive text.

If you find yourself rolling your eyes at me here, I urge you to watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKrfCgWM3Tk

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Students must fulfill and pass each of the 4 course requirements (regular attendance and participation, reflections, midterm essay, final essay) and score at least 60 points altogether in order to pass this course.
Grading scale:
1: 100-90 points
2: 89-80 points
3: 79-70 points
4: 69-60 points
5: 59-0 points

The course requirements will be discussed in detail during the first session.

Examination topics

This is an interactive course with continuous assessment (“prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung”). In addition to handing in a written portfolio, participants are expected to read all set texts and actively participate in class throughout the semester as well as hand in tasks and assignments on time.
There will be no written exam.

Reading list

For each session, I will expect you to read relevant texts of the session in preparation for class so that we can then discuss it in detail and answer any and all questions that come up. These will be noted and available on Moodle.

In general, the following literature will be of import:

Bergson, Henri. Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic. Floating Press, [1900]
2008.
Davies, Helen, and Sarah Ilott, editors. Comedy and the Politics of Representation:
Mocking the Weak. Springer International Publishing, 2018.
Freud, Sigmund. The Joke and Its Relation to the Unconscious, trans. Joyce Crick.
London: Penguin, [1905] 2002.
Holm, Nicholas. Humour as Politics. Springer International Publishing, 2017.
Irwin, Mary, and Jill Marshall, editors. UK and Irish Television Comedy: Representations
of Region, Nation, and Identity. Springer International Publishing, 2023.
Kamm, Jürgen, and Birgit Neumann, editors. British TV Comedies. Palgrave Macmillan
UK, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137552952.
Lockyer, Sharon. Beyond a Joke : The Limits of Humour. 1. publ., 2. [print.], Palgrave
Macmillan, 2006.
Mills, Brett. The Sitcom. Repr., Edinburgh Univ. Press, 2011.
Minor, Laura. Reclaiming Female Authorship in Contemporary UK Television Comedy,
Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2024.
Oring, Elliott. Joking Asides : The Theory, Analysis, and Aesthetics of Humor. Utah State
University Press, 2016.

Association in the course directory

Studium: BA 612, BEd 046/407
Code/Modul: BA07.3; BEd 08a.2, BEd 08b.1
Lehrinhalt: 12-4260

Last modified: Th 13.02.2025 10:26