A Critical Discourse Analysis of Gender Stereotyping in Stand-Up Comedy: A Case Study of MC Jesse’s Churchill Live Performances

Abstract

Introduction and Background to the Study Stand-up comedy is a comic style where a stand-up comedian either performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them or the performance is sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, internet, and television. Stand-up is an art form that is openly devoted to getting immediate laughs from an audience (Crowther & Hornby, 2001). It is a cultural phenomenon in need of deep understanding and thoughtful discourse because it makes use of language which is a very powerful element and most common method of communication. A notable percentage of language used in stand-up comedy is considered prejudicial or biased in use. Stand-up comedy utilizes both literary criticism and humour studies. Stand-up comedy to some degree identifies, articulates and assesses cultural meaning for popular audiences. Particularly in Kenya, the stand-up televised comedy in the entertainment industry has pronounced itself as the centre-stage, which shapes perceptions about other groups in the society as presented in 'Churchill Live Show', thereby playing a significant role in the society. 'Churchill Live Show' is the most popular televised stand-up comedy show, aired on NTV which is one of the leading private TV channels in Kenya. The Show has two segments, presented on two different days for continuity purposes. On the one hand, there is the Churchill Show as the main segment aired on Sunday between 8 pm and 9 pm, which features the experienced comedians. On the other hand, there is the Churchill Raw aired on Thursday between 8.15 pm and 8.45 pm, which features the upcoming comedians (Ndonye 2015). Due to its popularity and uniqueness of the content, 'Churchill Live Show' has received acclaim and numerous awards as one of the best of comedy shows in Kenya, East and Central Africa. The Show has also gained momentous international interest from comedy enthusiasts in the US, the UK, India, Germany, and rest of the world. It is highly successful and has been seen as a groundbreaker in the Kenyan comedy and entertainment industry (Kenyamoja.com, 2010-2014). In early 2000 Kenyan stand-up comedy gained enormous viewership. According to consummator , "Kenyan audiences are quite hard to please this is why comedians are working hard each one trying to bring something unique