Sociology of Humor and a Critical Dramaturgy

Abstract

Goffman's analytic framework can provide tools useful for a critical theory of modern society. While commentators have remarked on Goffman's apparent technical neutrality, a sociology of humor can help reveal his critical thrust. Using a latent content analysis, we demonstrate how several frames found in Jerry Seinfeld's humor are both dramaturgical and covertly critical. We use these themes to illuminate the critical analyses of modern social life provided by Goffman's method.

A Mother's Value Lies in Her Sexuality:The Simpsons,Family Guy, andSouth Parkand the Preservation of Traditional Sex Roles

“…The episodes discussed were then selected based on their extensive discussions of motherhood or because they circulate in online forums, wikis, blogs, and in academic literature as examples of these characters' sexuality and/or status as mothers. This echoes other studies in the interactionist study of mass media that demonstrate how symbolic discourses are carried out in mediated form (e.g., Bonsu ; Healey ; Lio, Melzer, and Reese ; Paolucci and Richardson ; Shoshana and Teman ). Indeed, mass media is effective in no small part because it broadcasts the micro media of everyday interaction.…”

“…Yet, humor is a double‐edged sword. In opening a discursive space, there is always a chance that people will question the grounds upon which the joke is told (see also Paolucci and Richardson ). That The Simpsons , Family Guy , and South Park all choose to close their character constructions by reverting to the social norm does not mean that the rest of us need to follow.…”

Enron’s perp walk: Status degradation ceremonies as narrative

“…To guarantee the most media coverage, these narratives privilege stories of good and evil and are told in a colorful manner. Dramaturgically, humor mobilizes shared values to legitimate the targets of humor or derision (Paolucci and Richardson, 2006). Thus, both tragic and landmark narratives may entail a degree of 'entertainmentization,' which now accompanies many areas of social life, including the economy and government (see Wolf, 1999).…”

Humor at the Airport? Visualization, Exposure, and Laughter in the “War on Terror”

“…And as it made them both laugh, there must have been something funny to it. In order to get a better notion of the social dynamics behind the emergence of laughter in this particular context, we put forward a reading of the bomb joke “as a weapon, a form of attack, a means of defense” (Kuipers :372), that in conflict situations can “[poke] a hole through often‐undiscussed but official versions of everyday reality, exposing their contradictions and the arbitrary basis of their social power” (Paolucci and Richardson :334), hence the reluctance of airport security to allow such a mode of desecration of the “war on terror.” On the contrary, the seemingly harmless joking around the body scanners rather suggests a symbolic interactionist understanding of the reframing of a situation that appears uncomfortable for everyone involved.…”