The distribution of non-sense and the cultivation of the less-than-sensible

Abstract

Ben Gerlofs’ article on the transgressive qualities of humour reminds us that it humour is a deadly serious business. Getting it wrong can be costly, even fatal. Comedians and humourists have along with journalists and academics been targeted by regimes and individuals who don’t care for interventions that expose either the nonsensical nature of regimes and/or assault cultural and religious norms. In this short intervention, some comments are offered about the popular geopolitics of humour and laughter alongside a discussion about future directions.

The limits of satire, or the reification of cultural politics

“…Satire’s conscious and critical engagement is presented as if it were the only viable manifestation of a political popular humour in a manner that excludes the broader range of politically-meaningful interventions that humour – even and especially ‘mere humour’ – can enact. For example, absurd humour can intervene in politically-meaningful disputes over what is seen to make sense and what is not (Dodds, 2022), while awkward humour can be used to encourage or forestall affective connections through the orchestration of empathy (Sawallisch, 2021). When employed in representational contexts, humour can shape and steer the articulation of identities in complex and potentially counter-intuitive ways (Davies and Ilot, 2018) or be employed to make controversial or upsetting topics both legible and palatable (Lionis, 2021).…”

Ammunition, not a ride: Humor, human geography, and the fragile absurdities of power

“…There are relatively few laboring in the light who knows the way to these corners, but the world is changing in ways that make the potency and ubiquity of humor as a tool and medium of politics increasingly difficult to deny. Dodds's (2022) account of initially discarding a dissertation chapter for fear that it wouldn't be 'taken seriously' by examiners is heartbreakingly instructive, the more so because Dodds's work remains foundational to our understanding of the spatiality and geopolitical significance of humor as well as to the growing recognition of its relevance as a topic of research in human geography. My hope is that the further development of a robust research agenda in this area will mean that the next curious party keen to grapple with the ambiguous power of humor finds a body of research and a community of researchers within easy reach, to beat back doubts on the value of their insights and the significance of such work to scholarship, politics, and everyday life.…”

“…Zelensky's rise to power was oddly presaged by his humorous television portrayal of an ordinary school teacher unexpectedly catapulted into the Ukrainian Presidency in the three-season sitcom Servant of the People (2015–2019), 1 a role commonly described as akin to Jimmy Stewart's Jefferson Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and propelled by a rather bumbling and naive dedication, generously lubricated by jokes and physical comedy. In the month or so since the Russian invasion, much has been made of what Gopnik (2022) calls Zelensky's ‘comedic courage’. Just before his election in April 2019, Zelensky told Bernard-Henri Lévy (2019; cf.…”

“…Just before his election in April 2019, Zelensky told Bernard-Henri Lévy (2019; cf. Gopnik, 2022) that he ‘wants badly to meet [Russian President Vladimir Putin] face to face’. Asked why, Zelensky replied, ‘You realize that I can make even Putin laugh?’, adding, ‘Laughter is a weapon that is fatal to men of marble’ (Gopnik, 2022; Lévy, 2019).…”

“…Gopnik, 2022) that he ‘wants badly to meet [Russian President Vladimir Putin] face to face’. Asked why, Zelensky replied, ‘You realize that I can make even Putin laugh?’, adding, ‘Laughter is a weapon that is fatal to men of marble’ (Gopnik, 2022; Lévy, 2019). Perhaps the most oft-cited remark by Zelensky since the invasion is one that has yet to be officially confirmed 2 despite its frequent attribution as the tragicomic heartbeat of a rapidly gathering oppositional zeitgeist.…”