6-8 february, women’s college, university of sydney unfunny · vampire in peter watts’...

22ndAUSTRALASIANHUMOURSTUDIESNETWORKCONFERENCE2016

6-8February,Women’sCollege,UniversityofSydney

UNFUNNY:THELIMITSOFHUMOUR

CoverillustrationsfromCole’sFunnyPictureBookNo.1(Melbourne:E.W.Cole,1918),firstpublished1879

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WELCOMEANDACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Wewelcomeyoutothe22ndAustralasianHumoursStudiesNetworkconference,andacknowledgeandpayrespectto

thetraditionalownersofthelandonwhichwemeet,theGadigalpeopleoftheEoraNation.Itisupontheirancestral

landsthattheUniversityofSydneyisbuilt.

WewouldliketothanktheSchoolofLetters,Art&MediaforitscontinuingsupportfortheAHSN,andAndreaYapp

forfacilitatingthesmoothprocessingofregistrations.OurthanksalsogotoWomen’sCollegeforhostingus,andtoits

eventsmanager,GinekedeHaan,forarrangingthingssowell.

Wewouldespeciallyliketothankallofyouwhoareattending,andinparticularthosewhoarepresentingandsharing

theirknowledgeandinsights.Thethemeofthisyear’sconferenceis‘Unfunny:TheLimitsofHumour’.Thisisthefirst

AHSN conference to focus on the cultural, political and ethical boundaries of humour: a subject of much debate

followingthemurdersinJanuarylastyearofstaffatthesatiricalmagazineCharlieHebdo.

Inassociationwiththisyear’sconference,RareBooksatFisherLibraryismountinganexhibitionthatshowcasesthe

historyofAustraliancomicartandcartooning. ‘LaughLinesandOtherDistractions’, iscuratedbyLindsayFoyleand

PeterKirkpatrickfromtheAHSN,withJuliePriceandMarissaCassonfromFisherLibrary.Theexhibitionisbuilt into

theconferenceprogram,andwillbelaunchedbyAlanMoir,chiefpoliticalcartoonistoftheSydneyMorningHerald,at

10.30a.m.onMondaymorning,followingtheplenarysession‘OnCartoons&Cartoonists’.Wehopethatyou’lltake

sometimeouttoexploreit.

Verybestwishesfromtheorganisingcommittee.

PeterKirkpatrick

JessicaMilnerDavis

WillVisconti

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22ndAUSTRALASIANHUMOURSTUDIESNETWORKCONFERENCE,WOMEN’SCOLLEGE,UNIVERSITYOFSYDNEY

PROGRAM

SATURDAY6FEBRUARY2016

12.30-1.15Foyer

Registration/Refreshments

1.15-1.30MainCommonRoom

Welcome:PeterKirkpatrick,onbehalfoftheorganisingcommitteeLaunch:MarkHumphriesfromABC’sTheRoast


PLENARYSESSION:KEYNOTEADDRESSMichaelEwans,Humanities&SocialSciences,UniversityofNewcastleAttheLimitsofHumour

2.30-3.00 AfternoonTea3.00-5.00MainCommonRoom

PLENARYSESSION:ONSATIREConalCondrenYesMinister:TheTheoreticalDimensionCaleBainWhat’stheNews?HowComedyandTraditionalNewsContentCompareBéatriceBijonTheCheekofCharlieHebdo:Laughter,Power,AuthorityBridgetBoyle&DavidMegarittyOnstageCouplings:ExploringtheLimitsoftheMale/FemaleComedyDuo

5.00-6.00 Drinks6.00- Conferencegoersmaketheirowndinnerarrangements

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SUNDAY7FEBRUARY2016


PLENARYSESSION:KEYNOTEADDRESSMichaelHaugh,Languages&Linguistics,GriffithUniversityJocularMockery,JocularAbuseandtheTakingofOffence

10.00-10.30 MorningTea10.30-12.00 PARALLELSESSIONSMainCommonRoom LibraryPSYCHOLOGY LITERARYSTUDIESBruceFindlayPsychologicalWell-Being:What’sHumourGottoDowithIt?

MartyMurphyWeOnlyLaughWhenItDoesn’tHurt:ComicEffectandtheAbstractionofViolenceinLiteraryComedyNarratives

AngusMcLachlanPossibleImplicationsofLaughingattheBeginning,During,orattheEndofaSpeakingTurn

ClaireDuffyRadicalisingtheFeminineGrotesque:AngelaCarter’sNightsattheCircusandMarieDarrieussecq’sPigTales

MarenRawlingsDisparagementofSelf–WhoWouldDoThat!

BenEldridge‘FlexibleEthicsforaComplexWorld’:RetrofittingtheVampireinPeterWatts’Blindsight

12.00-1.00 Lunch1.00-2.30 PARALLELSESSIONSMainCommonRoom LibraryLANGUAGE/LINGUISTICS COMMUNICATINGHUMOURCliffGoddardTheSemanticsof‘Sarcasm’

AlfredVincentTheDonkey’sTale:LaughterandItsLimitsinMedievalGreece

ScottGardnerFunctionsandFailingsofHumourinLanguageLearnerErrorCorrection

MichaelMeanyTwittering:PickingonthePowerful

KerryMullan,ChristineBéal&VéroniqueTraversoConversationalHumourinFrenchandAustralianEnglish:WhatMakesanUtteranceUnfunny?

JessicaMilnerDavisTheHumourTransaction:AConceptualModel

2.30-3.00 AfternoonTea

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PLENARYSESSION:PANELOnSatire&OffenceinSingapore,Malaysia,Indonesia&thePeople’sRepublicofChinaShumingBaiSingapore-BasedSatiricalHumour:InterpretativeAnalysisofSatireNewsfromNewNation.sgKhin-WeeChenAParliamentarianPlaystheFool:AnExaminationoftheConsequencesofTeresaKok’sSatiricalVideoAnnElizabethLever(AnnLee)‘PushMe,PullYou’:TheComplexRelationsofAudience,CensorshipandPoliticalSatiricalTheatreinMalaysiaandIndonesiaJocelynCheyCantonese‘Sardonicism’:WitandHumourinaRegionalCultureUnderThreat

5.00-6.00 Freetime6.30-Late ConferenceDinner:ThaiPothongRestaurant,Newtown(15minswalk)

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MONDAY8FEBRUARY2016

8.45-9.00 WalktoFisherLibrary9.00-10.30FisherLibrarySeminarRoom,Level2

PLENARYSESSION:ONCARTOONS&CARTOONISTSRonaldStewart‘ExtremelyRegrettable’Cartoons:TheLimitsofPoliticalCartoonsAcrossBordersintheWakeofJapan’s3.11DisasterSusanElizabethFosterThePressGang:TheRoleofEditorsintheCareersofThreeNewZealandPoliticalCartoonistsLindsayFoyleNotAlwaysUnfunny:PoliticalCartoonists

10.30-10.45FisherLibrarySeminarRoom,Level2

Launchof‘LaughLines’exhibitionofAustraliancomicart:AlanMoir,introducedbyLindsayFoyle

10.45-11.30 MorningTeaatFisher,walkbacktoWomen’sCollege11.30-1.00 PARALLELSESSIONSMainCommonRoom LibraryCOMEDY&FILM MUSICALTHEATRESung-JuSuyaLeeBridesmaids:ACriticalAnalysisoftheFarceComedyintheCaseStudyofaSuccessfulProducedScreenplay

JohnCarmodyDieMeistersingervonNürnbergasComicOpera:CanaWorkofArtbeSimultaneouslyHumorousandAnti-Semitic?

DebraAarons&MarcMierowskySarahSilverman,PublicConscienceofthe‘ChosenPeople’

ElishaMcIntyreHasaDigaBegYourPardon!Latter-daySaintResponsestoTheBookofMormonTheMusical

JoshWheatleyFilthyOpeningsandThresholds:TrashasPhilosophyinPinkFlamingos

WillViscontiThePersonalandthePoliticalinContemporaryCabaret

1.00-2.00 Lunch

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2.00-3.30 PARALLELSESSIONSMainCommonRoom LibraryHUMOUR&THEWORKPLACE PERFORMANCEDarylPeeblesThePriceofInappropriateHumourintheWorkplace

HelenWaltersAFrolicofFancyDressers:HowtoLookGoodasaPumpkin?

AnjaPabelTheDownsidesofHumourUsedDuringTourismExperiences

AntonCrouchInsultasHumorousEntertainment–TheCaseoftheDozens

SarahAttfield&LizGiuffreSurelyYouCan’tbeSerious?:ConsideringtheLimitsofUsingHumourinTeachingandCommunication

SaraTomkinsTheAmbivalenceofthe‘MegaBigot’andJewishnessintheComedyofSarahSilverman

3.30-4.00 AfternoonTea4.00-5.00MainCommonRoom

PLENARYSESSION:KEYNOTEADDRESSMoiraMarsh,IndianaUniversityBloomingtonUnlaughter,theUnfunny,andtheDreadnought

5.00-6.00 Farewelldrinks6.00-7.30 AHSNReviewPanelmeetsoverdinner

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CONFERENCEDINNER6.30Sunday7FebruaryThaiPothongRestaurant294KingSt,Newtown,closetoNewtownStation

ThaiPothong (KingStreet:15minutewalk) Women’sCollege

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Aarons,DebraUniversityofNewSouthWales

Mierowsky,MarcQueens’College,Cambridge

SarahSilverman,PublicConscienceofthe‘ChosenPeople’

InTheAtlanticmagazine(May2015)anarticlebyMeganGarbertitled,‘HowComediansBecamePublicIntellectuals’,echoedanoftenmadeclaimthatstand-upcomedyis,atitscore,culturalcriticism.IntheUSA,particularly,arenewedfieldofinterestappearstobeemerging,investigatingthisideaasaseriousacademicpursuit.InthispresentationwefocusonSarahSilverman,acomedianwhothroughouthermorethan25-yearcareerhasconsistentlyseizeduponthehypocrisiesandcontradictionsinherentinAmericanattitudestowardsreligion,sexandpoliticalculture.PremisedonthesetupthatsheisjustaninnocentJewishgirl,sheskewersbothmainstreamand,specifically,Jewish,culturalattitudesandpractices.Inthispresentation,weexamineSilverman’scontributiontopromotingconsciousnessandactivisminthedevelopmentofaprogressivepublicthroughconsiderationofherstand-upcomedy,socialmediapresence,andthepublicserviceannouncements(PSAs)shehasmadeforprogressivepoliticalcauses.Wefocus,particularly,onthewayshehastargetedanimaginedJewishaudience.

Drawingonourpreviouswork(Aarons&Mierowsky,2014)tracingthearcofoutrageousnessandlicenceinJewishcomedyassocialcriticism,wesituateSilvermanwithinarobusttraditionofranters,ravers,andkvetchers,amongstthemLennyBruce,PhilipRoth,JonStewart,andRoseanneBarr.Focusingontwoofhercomedyspecials,JesusisMagic(2005)andWeareMiracles(2013),wefirstaddressSilverman’sgeneralcritiqueofreligionandbelievers.Imaginingaconversationexplainingbelieftothehypotheticalchildofaninterfaithrelationship(herswithJimmyKimmel),sheconcludes,‘MommyisoneofthechosenpeopleandDaddybelievesJesusismagic’.Jokessuchasthisonearedirectedattwoseparatebutoverlappingpublics:thewiderpublicaudience,andamorenarrowly-focusedtarget,‘thechosenpeople’.ThefocusofSilverman’spoliticalactivismistoassaultthesensibilitiesofboththeseaudiences.WeconcentrateontheattackonherimaginedJewishaudience,‘thechosenpeople’.InSilverman’scomedythisironicusageisintendedtoactivatetheJewishconscience,aswellasdeliveringakickinthecollectiveballsofthataudience.Althoughunlikelytoseeherselfasapublicintellectual,Silverman’sperformancesbeliethis.HerPSAsaregearedtowardsawakeningpoliticalactivisminunder-representedandunder-informedcommunities.‘TheGreatSchlep’,urgingyoungJewishpeopletogettheirgrandparentstovoteforObama,wasaimedatthegrandchildrenofpoorlyinformedandunder-motivatedJewishretireesinFlorida.Intheeventthatthegoodreasonsshesuppliedfailed,sherecommendedtheysimplythreatennottovisittheirelderlygrandparents.Wieldingthemuch-mockedculturalweapon,guilt,shebroughtanimportantconstituencytoObama’scausein2008.Inthe2012presidentialcampaign,sheutilisedoutrageouslyprovocativesexualtauntingtotargetJewishbillionaireSheldonAdelsoninordertoembarrasshimfordonatingmoneytotheRepublicancandidate,MittRomney.InthePSA,‘AnIndecentProposal’,sheaddressesAdelsondirectly,offeringto‘scissorhimtofruition’ifhedonates$100milliontoObama’scampaigninstead,askinghowmanybillionairescansaythey’vebeen‘scissoredbyaniceJewishgirlwithbignaturals’.Weshowhow,alsoin2012,Silverman’scampaignagainstunfairvoterIDlawsisframedbyadeliberatelyJewishperspective.Silvermanintroducesherselfas‘yourJewishfriend,Sarah’andthecampaign’swebsitename,www.letmypeoplevote.com,invokesthebiblicalandhistoricaloppressionofJews.LikeallherPSAs,thisonereliesonthehistoricalassociationofJewishAmericanswithliberalandprogressivecauses;inthiscaseonethatralliessupportfortheelderly,poor,disabled,illiterateandotherwisedisaffectedcitizenswhomtheselawswouldfurtherdisenfranchise.Herdescriptionoftheeffectofthelawstakespoliticalbawdytonewextremes.

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WearguethatwhatmakesSilvermanmorethanacampaignerandalobbyist,ishergeniusinturningherbitingcritiqueinwards,focusingon‘thechosenpeople’.ThischangingperspectivemakespublicthoseinsularaspectsofJewishcommunityandidentitythatembodypowerful,ignorantandentitledbehaviour.Shelampoonsthesevaluesandattitudesinanapparentlylight-heartedroutinethatstabsattheculturalhypocrisyinherroutineaboutbeingrapedbyaJewishdoctor:‘Itwasabitter-sweetexperienceforaJewishgirl.’Ourprimarypurpose inthispresentation,then, istoshowhowSilverman’s ironicuseof ‘thechosenpeople’ serves to highlight the many different hypocrisies – religious, cultural and political – sheexposes.Herroleasapublicintellectualandculturalcriticismostevidentinherrelentlessmockeryofthispublic.

Bionotes

DebraAarons,Linguistics,UniversityofNewSouthWales,Sydney,Australia,isco-author,withMarcMierowsky,ofObscenity,DirtinessandLicenceinJewishComedy(2014).Hermonograph,JokesandtheLinguisticMind,waspublishedbyTaylor&Francisin2012.

MarcMierowsky,FacultyofEnglish,Queens’CollegeCambridge,Cambridge,isco-author,withDebraAarons,ofObscenity,DirtinessandLicenceinJewishComedy.Hisdoctoralthesisisonpopularsovereigntyandpoliticaleducationinseventeenthandeighteenth-centuryBritain.

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Attfield,Sarah

Giuffre,LizUniversityofTechnologySydney

SurelyYouCan’tbeSerious?:ConsideringtheLimitsofUsingHumourinTeachingandCommunication

Thereisagrowingbodyofresearchworknowdedicatedtoeffectiveuseofcomedyasamodeofaddressbeyondthecreativeindustries.Comedycanserveasausefulicebreakerin‘serious’communicationsettingssuchasformalprofession-basedtrainingandworkshopsessions,aswellasalegitimatemethodofdeliveringotherwise‘difficult’contentineducationalsettings(Gamer,2006;Banasetal.,2011;Chongetal.,2015).Buildingonthisbodyofworkweexplorethelimitsofusinghumourinthisway,particularlyinrelationtoteachinginhighereducationtoadiversestudentcohort.Therearecertainuniversalitiesthatareimpliedwiththeuseofhumourasaformofcommunication(forexample,theuseofabasictechniquesuchasinversionwhichcanbeemployedasacomedicdevicetoengagestudentswhomaybeotherwisefrustratedoruninterestedinadifficulttopic),howeverthereremainissuesinusingthesewhenitcomestoknowinghowto‘pitch’toagroupofstudentswhomayhaveavarietyofexpectationsoftheteacher/studentrelationshipandhavevaryingtypesofexistingculturalcapital(Cheng,2003).Nearly100yearsagosarcasmwasisolatedasaparticularlyineffective,ifnotdetrimentalformofclassroomengagement(Briggs,1928),butotherdevicesliketheunexpecteduseof‘inappropriate’languagehavebeennotedasrelativelyusefulaswaystobridgeotherwisedifficultgapsinotherwiseformallearningspaces(Generousetal.,2014;Wanzeretal,2006).Weofferawork-in-progressexaminationoftheutilityofusinghumourinteaching,notingcurrentexperienceswherehumourwasmoreofahindrancethanahelptoeffectivecommunication.

References

Attfield,Sarah&Giuffre,Liz(2015).‘LaughingWhileLearning:UsingComedicCommentaryandReportingintheClassroom.’InCaine,R.,Weaton,H.&Massey,L.(eds),BridgingGaps:HigherEducation,MediaandSociety.WaterhillPublishing,56-63.

Banas,JohnA.;Dunbar,Norah;Rodriguez,Dariela&Liu,Shr-Jie(2011).‘AReviewofHumorinEducationalSettings:FourDecadesofResearch.’CommunicationEducation60.1,115-144.

Briggs,ThomasH.(1928).‘Sarcasm.’TheSchoolReview36.9,685-695

Cheng,Winnie(2003).‘HumorinInterculturalConversations.’Semiotica146.1/4,287–306.

Chong,YitSean&Ahmed,PervaizK.(2015).‘StudentMotivationandthe“FeelGood”Factor:AnEmpiricalExaminationofMotivationalPredictorsofUniversityServiceQualityEvaluation.’StudiesinHigherEducation40.1,158-177.

Garner,R.L.(2006).‘HumorinPedagogy:HowHa-HaCanLeadtoAha!’CollegeTeaching54.1,177-180.

Generous,MarkA.;Frei,SethS.&Houser,MarianL.(2014).‘WhenanInstructorSwearsinClass:FunctionsandTargetsofInstructorSwearingfromCollegeStudents’RetrospectiveAccounts.’CommunicationReports,1-13.

Torok,S.E.;McMorris,R.E.&Lin,W.C.(2004).‘IsHumoranAppreciatedTeachingTool?PerceptionsofProfessors’TeachingStylesandUsesofHumor.’CollegeTeaching52.1,14-20.

Wanzer,MelissaBekelja;Frymier,AnnBainbridge;Wojtaszczyk,AnnM.,&Smith,Tony(2006).‘AppropriateandInappropriateUsesofHumorbyTeachers.’CommunicationEducation55.2,178-196.

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Bionotes

DrSarahAttfieldisanAssociateLecturerintheSchoolofCommunication,UniversityofTechnologySydney.Herresearchisfocusedonthewaysinwhichworkingclassexperienceisrepresentedinliteratureandpopularculture,andshehaswrittenonworkingclassrepresentationinBritishandAustraliancomedy.Shealsohasaninterestintheusesofcomedyineducationalsettingsandrecentlyco-authored(withLizGiuffre)apeer-reviewedchapterentitled‘LaughingWhileLearning:UsingComedicCommentaryandReportingintheClassroom’publishedinabookonhighereducationandmediabyWaterhillPublishing(USA).

DrLizGiuffreisaLecturerinCommunicationattheUniversityofTechnologySydney.Shehasresearchedandwrittenonavarietyoftopics.withpublicationsoncomedyincludingtheforthcomingco-editedcollectionMusicinComedyTelevision(Routledge),aswellaschaptersincollectionsonfilmcomedyforEquinoxPublishing,andjournalarticlesonnewformsofonlinecomedyandsound.Shehasalsowrittenoncomedy'sroleinlearningandteaching,withtheco-authoredpeerreviewedchapter,‘LaughingWhileLearning:UsingComedicCommentaryandReportingintheClassroom’.

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Bai,ShumingNationalInstituteofEducation,NanyangTechnologicalUniversity

Singapore-BasedSatiricalHumour:InterpretiveAnalysisofSatireNewsfromNewNation.sg

NewNation.sgisSingapore’sprincipalsatiricalnewswebsite.SinceDecember2010,morethan2500satiricalnewsitemshavebeenpostedbyNewNation.sg,withanaveragemonthlyuniquevisitors’countof100,000.ThelistedmissionofNewNation.sgisto‘report50%realnewsusing50%investigativejournalismfor25%factualaccuracy,withanefforttowritefunnycommentary’.However,notallsatiricalarticlesarewrittenwiththesamequalityorgainthesameappreciation.Intheyearof2014,thetop10percentileofarticleshadanaverageof5000likes,whilethebottom10percentileofarticleshadanaverageof50likes.Therearesatiricalnewsitemsinbad-tastewhichareprincipallyoffensive,aswellaswell-craftedsatiricalcontenttostimulateconstructivecriticalthinkingaboutthewiderissuesinsociety.ApplyingtheGeneralTheoryofVerbalHumour(GTVH)frameworkandcontextualinterpretativeanalysis,Ipresentacorpusofthemostpopularlylikedandleastpopularlylikedsatiricalnewsitems.Specifically,Iaimtocoverthearticleslistedbelow:

Bad-taste:

http://newnation.sg/2015/02/tanjong-pagar-grc-residents-fail-to-send-much-needed-facebook-likes-to-help-lee-kuan-yew-get-better/-43likes

http://newnation.sg/2015/04/spore-made-movie-unlucky-plaza-to-inflict-critical-thinking-on-sporeans-using-unchaste-woman-pastor-pinoy/-72likes

http://newnation.sg/2014/10/what-drinks-will-sporeans-order-at-koi-outlet-at-boon-lay-mrt/-26likes

Well-crafted:

http://newnation.sg/2014/11/economy-rice-seller-demands-sim-lim-square-scam-shop-owner-pay-1000-for-cai-png-warranty/-46,000likes:highestever

Bionote

ShumingBAIisaPhDstudentinAppliedLinguisticsatNationalInstituteofEducation,NanyangTechnologicalUniversity,Singapore.HecompletedhisBachelorofArtsinPsychologyin2014.HisdoctoraldissertationinvestigateshumourasrhetoricinthewinningToastmasters’speeches.

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Bain,CaleUniversityofTechnologySydney

What’stheNews?HowComedyandTraditionalNewsContentCompare

Comedynewsisathingforrealnow.Satiricalnewsinformscertainaudiences,insomecases,moreeffectivelythantraditionalnews(PEW2004,2008),andcomedynewsmakershaveshownalevelofprofessionalismthatisparalleltoand,insomeregards,morestringentthanthatoftraditionalnewsmakers(Bain,2015).Thislevelofprofessionalismstrengthensanaudience’strustinnewsmakers(PEW,2014)andcanincreasepoliticalengagement(Ariely,2015).Ifaudiencesareaffectedbycomedynewsinwaystheyarguablyshouldbebytraditionalnews,andifproducersareoperatinginthesameveinastraditionalnewsmakers,what,then,aretheparallelsintheactualcontentsoftraditionalandcomedynews?ThiscontentanalysiswilllookatspecificnewsitemsthattakeplaceinbothAustralianpublicandcommercialtelevisionnewsandcurrentaffairsandcomparestheirrepresentationwiththatofthenewsrepresentationsfoundincomedynewsofthesamestories.Theanalysisalsocompareswhatnewsitemsareandarenotincludedinparticulardailynewscycles.XenosandBecker(2009)haveassertedthatcomedynewscanexpandanaudience’sunderstandingofnewsandcurrenteventsbybroadeningthediscoursesaroundparticularnewsitems(Burton,2010).Thisstudyaimstoempiricallyprovethatthecontentismorein-depthandrigorousincomedynewsthantraditionalnews,andtoshowwhatthedisparitiesarebetweenthecontentsofthetwo.

Bionote

CaleBainisanacademic,journalistandcomedyimproviser.Hehasworkedinmagazines,printandradioinCanadaandAustralia.CaleistheartisticdirectorofImprovTheatreSydneyandhasbeenlecturingandteachinginmediastudiesandjournalismattheUniversityofTechnologySydneysince2009.Heiscurrentlyundertakingapart-timePhD,examingtheconfluenceofcomedyandnewsanditsimpactsondemocracy.

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Bijon,BéatriceUniversityofSaint-Etienne,Lyon,FranceWesternSydneyUniversity

TheCheekofCharlieHebdo:Laughter,Power,Authority

Blackhumourhasbeenlikenedtoacidthatdissolvesorder.Thisisthestartingpointforapaperthatexplores‘theperilousterrain…betweenhumourandoffensiveness’,referredtointhecallforpapers.Iamalong-termreaderofCharlieHebdoandwasvisitingmynativecountry,France,whenthemassmurderofthemagazine’sstaffoccurredon7January2015.WhileIofferapersonalreflectionontheplaceofCharlieHebdo’sdistinctivestyleofsatireinFrance’spoliticalculture,Iwanttoexploretherelationshipbetweenthemagazine’sirreverentvisualhumourandthescripturalauthorityitlambasted.InSuddenGlory:LaughterasSubversiveHistory(1995),BarrySanderspointedtoatendency,firstidentifiedbyPlato,inwhichwritingandliteracycentraliseauthority.Laughter,saysSanders,‘worksjusttheoppositeeffect,decentralizingpowerbysituatingitineachindividual.’InthisclosereadingofCharlieHebdocartoons,andofthenarrativessurroundingthedeathsoftheircreators,IwillconsidertheplaceofsecularisminFrenchsociety,rootedasitisintheconceptoflaicité(theseparationofstateandchurch,asenshrinedinFrenchlawsince1905).SecularismandreligiousdogmacollidedintheCharlieatrocityinawaythatrevealsmuchaboutthelimitsandpossibilitiesofhumour.

Bionote

BéatriceBijonisaSeniorLecturerattheUniversityofSaint-Etienne,Lyon,inFranceandanAdjunctFellowatWesternSydneyUniversity.SheisanEnglishliteraturescholarwithaparticularinterestinwomen’swritingandculture.ShehaspublishedwidelyonAngelaCarter,JeanetteWinterson,JanetFrame,ArundhatiRoy,andShirleyHazzard.Shehaseditedbooksonwomen’stravelnarrativesandpostcolonialliteratures.In2011,shewasHaroldWhiteFellowattheNationalLibraryofAustraliawheresheresearchedwomen’ssuffrage.HernextbookisastudyoftheBritishandAmericanwomen’ssuffragemovementtobepublishedinFrench.

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Boyle,BridgetIndependentscholar

DavidMegarittyQueenslandUniversityofTechnology

OnstageCouplings:ExploringtheLimitsoftheMale/FemaleComedyDuo

Thisperformativepaperwillexplorethelimitsofcomedyasembodiedbythemale/femalemusicalcomedyduo.Extantresearchdemonstratesthatsuchcomedyactsareanextremelyrarepairing,particularlyintermsofliveperformance.Certainpreconceptionsaboutgenderandcomedycomplicatethefield,andindeedthecomictropesofthedoubleact,makingtheheterosexualmale/femaleduosomethingofaboundary-ridingcomicproposal.

LenaandLukeWarmwaterare‘Warmwaters’,a(straight,cisgenderedfemale/male)pairofperformancepersonaethatpresentasadysfunctionalfolkduo,whosesongsallseemtobeaboutsexandotherbodilyfunctions.Theonlypeoplethatdon’tseemtogetthisaretheWarmwaters.Thiscreativepracticeasresearchhasdevelopedviaaniterativecycleofwriting,performanceandvideographyovertwoyearsinvenuesrangingfromsmallcafestotheWoodfordFolkFestival,resultinginafull-lengthperformancepremieringattheBrisbanePowerhouse’sQueenslandCabaretFestivalin2015.

ThroughperformingthreeclassicformulationsofthecomicduoastheyaremanifestedatcriticalincidentsintheWarmwaters’show,thestudyexaminesthesemomentsintermsofcomicfunctionalityandgender,whilstworkingtowardsabetterunderstandingoftherelativescarcityofthemale/femalemusicalcomedyduo.

Bionotes

BridgetBoyleisaco-founderofdebaseproductionsandteachesintheDramaDepartmentatQUT.Shehasworkedextensivelyinthefieldofclowningasadirector,performerandteacher,havingstudiedwithPhilippeGaulierin2001.Herdoctoralthesis(2015)wastitledBitsandBumps:UnderstandingGenderinContemporaryPhysicalComedy.Withdebaseproductionsshehasbeeninvolvedinthecreationofmanynewcomicworks,themostrecentbeingTheFurzeFamilyVarietyHour,whichwasstagedaspartoftheBrisbaneFestivalin2014.OtherworksincludeHurryupandWait(withLizSkitch)whichtouredJapaninaco-productionwithKazenokoTheatreCompanyin2012andLilyCan’tSleep(withLizSkitchandDavidMegarrity),whichwasrecentlyrestagedatPerth’sAwesomeFestival,andwhichtouredSingapore,KualaLumpur,MelbourneandQueenslandafterapremierseasoninQPAC’sOutoftheBoxFestival.

DrDavidMegarrityisawriter,composer,musicianandperformercreatingattheintersectionofmusic,performanceandprojectedimage.Completelyfocussedonthecreationofnewwork,oftenmusicalisingtheatreandtheatricalisingmusic,he’scompelledtoentertainwhilstinnovatinginformwithalongtrackrecordonnationalstages.RecipientofaBrisbaneLordMayor’sPerformingArtsFellowshipin1998,hisshowsforchildrenincludeBackseatDrivers(QTC’sfirstoverseastour),UkuleleMekulele(LaBoite),Show(QTC),andLilyCan’tSleep(withdebase),BearwithMeandTheEmptyCityforMetroArts.

HisproductionsplayedatvenuessuchastheSydneyOperaHouseacrossAustraliaandabroad.He’salsowrittenanumberoflarge-castscriptsforyoungpeoplesuchasBitterStreak,Gate38,andDestinations(Playlab)acollectionofthreeplays.In2012hewasafinalistintheInscriptionsEdwardAlbeeScholarship,andmanyotherworkshavebeencreativelydevelopedwiththesupportofbodiessuchastheAustraliaCouncil,ArtsQueenslandandHothouseTheatre.

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Carmody,JohnUniversityofSydney

DieMeistersingervonNürnbergasComicOpera:CanaWorkofArtbeSimultaneouslyHumorousandAnti-Semitic?

Humourcan,likebeauty,reside‘intheeyeofthebeholder’.Itmaybeemollientorcaustic,yetremainlegitimatelyfunny(orwitty).Itmaybelearnedorcaricature:politicalcartoonscancertainlybehurtfulastheyexaggeratetheirvictims’physiognomytomakesharpsocialorpoliticalcomment.

Thephysicalcharacteristicsofthosetargetsarenomoretheir‘fault’thanskincolouror‘race’,yettheexpressionofthoselattercharacteristics(andothers)isoftensubjecttolegallimitation.Sowhatofart?TherecentBillHensoncontroversyinAustraliaindicatesthatitisnotlegallyimmuneeither.When,therefore,iscruelhumourlegitimateinart?

RichardWagnerhaslongbeenacontentiousfigureandmanyofhisoperas(includingDieMeistersingervonNürnberg)havebeencriticisedforanti-Semitism(thoughtheirsignificantanti-Catholicismhasbeennoticedlessoften).Thatlateoperaiscommonlycalledacomedy:Burbidge(1979)wrotethatit‘isoneofthegreatcomicmasterpiecesofthelyrictheatre’.YetMillington(1991)considersitseriouslyanti-Semitic:sodoI.Theessentialquestionofthispaperis,then:Canitreallybesucha‘comicmasterpiece’ifitisgenuinelyanti-Semitic?Acognateproblemtouchesonone’s‘approachavoidanceconflict’withtheseoperas:thefactthatthemusicissoemotionallypowerfulyettheirtextssomorallyturbid.

Millington,forinstance,drewonWagner’srebarbativeessay,DasJudentuminderMusik(1850)forthecomposer’sviewsonthemannerinwhichJews’speakandsingandanalysedtherhythmicinfelicitiesofBeckmesser’smusicwhichheconsidersamusicalrealisationofWagner’sassertions.Theimportantbackgroundisthat,almostfromtheoutset,BeckmesserwasacaricatureofEduardHanslick,thepowerfulViennesemusiccriticandWagner-antagonist,whowasJewish(thecharacterwasHansLichinearlydrafts).

Justasdisturbing,forme,isthe‘comic’climaxofAct2,where,inasceneofmayhemandmalice,thetownspeoplerepeatedlyassaultBeckmesser.HowcansuchviolencetowardsaJewishcharacterbeconsideredcomedy?

Thedisgraceful(andcrasslytopical)anti-FrenchattitudesofHansSachs’sperorationtoGermanArtinAct3arenotquiteatthatoffensivelevel,buttheparallelconclusiontoAct1isanothermatterentirely.Millingtondrewacogentparallelbetweenitstext(whichisdifficulttohearinthemusico-dramaticturbulenceatthatpoint)andtheGrimms’appallingstory,DerJudeimDorntowhich,heargues,itrefers.

Atitskernel,thisoperaisasunpleasantasitislackinginrealhumour.

References

Burbidge,P.(1979).‘RichardWagner:ManandArtist.’InTheWagnerCompanion,ed.P.Burbidge&R.Sutton.Faber&Faber.

Millington,B.(1991).‘NurembergTrial:IsthereAnti-SemitisminDieMeistersinger?.’CambridgeOperaJournal3,247-260.

Wagner,R.(1995).‘DasJudentuminderMusik’(1859;W.A.Ellis,translator).UniversityofNebraskaPress.

Bionote

JohnCarmodystudiedmedicineattheUniversityofQueensland.Duringthattime,undertheinfluenceofaninspiring(andeccentricallyentertaining)ProfessorofPhysiology,hebecameenthralledby

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physiologyasthemostwonderfulformofsciencethathehadevenencountered–aviewwhichhestillholds.Thisled,eventually,toamovetothenewly-bornFacultyofMedicineatUNSW–andmeetingJessicaMilner(anotherlife-longfriendship)–andadeepinvolvementinthewideracademiclifethere(longinvolvementswiththeAcademicBoard,theBiomedicalLibraryandthegoverningCouncil,forexample).

ThroughouthistimeatUQhewasalsocontinuouslyinvolvedwithmusic,journalismandstudentpolitics,notablyaseditorofSemperFloreat(thenewspaperoftheUniversityUnion)andco-editorofGalmahra(theliterarymagazinethere).

DuringhisyearsatUNSWhespentanumberofperiodsofsabbaticalresearchinGermanyandattendedinternational(andnational)professionalconferencesasoftenaspossible:theseallowedhimtogreatlybroadenhisknowledgeoftheoperaticandconcertrepertoire(aswellasofhistory)andemboldenedhimtoaccepttheoffer,in1978,tosucceedDavidMaloufastheoperaticwriteroftheNationalTimesnewspaper.HesubsequentlycontributedmusicreviewstotheAustralianFinancialReview,theSun-Herald,theSydneyMorningHeraldandOpera-Opera,aswellaswritingbookreviewsformostsignificantAustralianpublicationsanddoingnumerousbroadcasts(notablyonmusic,scienceandmedicine)forABCradio.HehascontributedtoOpera(UK)andOpernwelt(Germany)formanyyears.

HehashadanextensiveinvolvementwiththeAustralianDictionaryofBiographyhavingcontributedovertwenty-fiveentriestoitandhaswrittenseveralencyclopaediaarticles.

Hehaslongconsideredlecturingandwritingasaformofperformance–soanoftentangentialinvolvementwithhumourstudiesseemsalmostfated.

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Chen,Khin-WeeUniversityofCanterbury,NewZealand

AParliamentarianPlaystheFool:AnExaminationoftheConsequencesofTeresaKok’sSatiricalVideo

MalaysianoppositionMemberofParliamentTeresaKok’ssatiricalvideosonFacebookandYouTubeechoedPresidentObama’suseofhumourtocounterattackhiscritics(Frizell,2014).Obama’smediaeventissignificantbecauseitmarkedarenewedbreachoftraditionalboundariesbetweenjournalism,entertainmentandpublicaffairsfirstobservedintheadventoffauxnewsprogrammesliketheDailyShow(2012).Kok’svideo,‘ONEderfulMalaysiaCNY2014Video’,postedon28January2014,issimilarlysignificantintheMalaysiancontextbecausetraditionalboundariesherehavehithertoremainedintact.Hervideowentviral,polarisedMalaysians(includingherownsupportersandfans),anditprovidedanopportunityforherpoliticalenemiestotwistherwordsandattackher(includinglevellingaseditionchargeagainsther).However,hermulti-modalperformativityalsoallowedhertobringissuesshecouldnotofficiallyraiseinparliamentintonewpoliticalmomentsbyforcinghertargetsandmainstreammediatorespond.Theuseofhumourexcusedherfromparliamentarianorjournalisticstandardsandshecircumventedrestrictionstoexerciseconsiderablepowertocritiqueandinterrogatetherulingregime.ThevalueofthispaperwillbeinthecloseanalysisofhowKokbreachedconventionandoftheconsequencesofthisbreach.

Bionote

Khin-WeeChenisapart-timelecturerinMediaandCommunicationsattheUniversityofCanterbury,NewZealand,whereheisclosetocompletinghisPhDthesis.ThisdealswithcitizensatireinMalaysiaandSingapore,askingwhyandhowsocio-politicalhumourcommunicatesdissentonFacebook.His2010(Englishlanguage)MEdthesisatNanyangTechnologicalUniversity,Singapore,investigatedtheuseoflinguistichumouramongSingaporeyouth.Khin-Weehaspublished‘TheSingaporeMassRapidTransport:Αcasestudyoftheefficacyofademocratisedpoliticalhumourlandscapeinacriticalengagementinthepublicsphere’,TheEuropeanJournalofHumourResearch(2013:1/2)andreviewedforMediaInternationalAustralia.Hispaper,‘MalaysianKangkungPolitics:HarvestingInternetVisualMemesforRhetoricalActs’,presentedatthe2014Media,PersuasionandHumanRightsConference(BangorUniversity,UK),wonBestStudentResearchPaperAward.WithRobertPhiddianandRonStewart,heiscurrentlypreparing‘WhoDoesDisciplinedResearchintoPoliticalCartoonsandToWhatEnds?AMeta-analysisofaWidelyDisparateField’,asachapterforaforthcomingPalgraveMacmillanbookonpoliticsandsatire.

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Chey,JocelynUniversityofSydney

Cantonese‘Sardonicism’:WitandHumourinaRegionalCultureUnderThreat

ThecontinuedpopularityofCantonesehumourformsassumesextrasignificancebecausethelanguageitselfisunderthreat.ThispaperexaminesitscurrentstatusinthelightofthepresentlyfraughtrelationshipbetweenthecentralgovernmentofChinaandtheCantonese-speakingregion,recentgovernmentcampaignstorestricttheuseoflocaldialectsandlanguages,andlocalresistanceinHongKongandonthemainland.ItshouldbenotedthatwithintheSinospheretherearemanyregionalanddialectculturesofwhichCantoneseisoneofthestrongest,beingspokenbyover100millionpeopleworldwide.

Cantoneselanguagehumourmaybedescribedas‘sardonic’,usingthatterminthesenseproposedbyVladimirProppinhis1928studyofRussianfolktales:‘Laughteraccompaniesthepassagefromdeathtolife;itcreateslifeandaccompaniesbirth.Consequently,laughteraccompanyingkillingtransformsdeathintoanewbirth,nullifiesmurderassuch,andisanactofpietythattransformsdeathintoanewlife’(134).Similarly,itwillbeargued,Cantonesespeakershopethatthroughhumourtheymaybeabletogiverebirthtotheirlocalculture.

ExamplesofpopularCantonesehumourandproverbstobediscussedincludeimportantlytheformknownasxiehouyu.Thesedependonunstatedbutsharedculturalknowledgeandassuchcanonlybesharedwithotherswhobelongtothesame‘in-group’.TheyarecommonfiguresofspeechinstandardChineseandrelatedlanguagesanddialects,thetermoftenbeingtranslatedintoEnglishas‘aproverbwiththesecondpartsuspended.’

Reference

VladimirPropp(1928/1984).TheoryandHistoryofFolklore.Trans.AriadnaY.MartinandRichardP.Martin.Manchester,UK:ManchesterUniversityPress.

Bionote

JocelynCheyisaVisitingProfessorintheSchoolofLanguagesandCultures,UniversityofSydney,andaconsultantonAustralia-Chinarelations.Sheholdshermaster’sdegreefromtheUniversityofHongKongandherdoctoratefromtheUniversityofSydney.ShehasheldseniorpositionsinboththeAustraliandiplomaticserviceandacademiclife.AfterlecturinginChineseStudiesattheUniversityofSydney,in1973shejoinedtheAustralianCommonwealthPublicServiceandintheDepartmentsofTradeandForeignAffairscontributedtothedevelopmentofAustralia-Chinarelationsforovertwentyyears.ShewaspostedthreetimesinChinaandHongKong,includingasConsul-GeneralinHongKong1992-1995.AtthefoundationoftheAustralia–ChinaCouncilin1979,sheservedasExecutiveDirector,buildingitsactivitiesandreputation.DrCheyisHonoraryFellowoftheOrientalSocietyofAustralia,FellowoftheAustralianInstituteofInternationalAffairsandreceivedamedalfromtheAustralia-ChinaCouncilandmembershipoftheOrderofAustraliain2009forhercontributionstotheAustralia-Chinarelationship.

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Condren,ConalUniversityofNewSouthWales

YesMinister:TheTheoreticalDimension

Abstract

Todelineatehumourwithreferencetosocialorpoliticalacceptabilityisimportantbutprovidesanunstableandcontingentpointofreference.Morepromisingforunderstandinghumourpersemightbeitsdemarcationfromtheserious.AsTerrellCarveronceremarkedinananalysisofSomeLikeItHot,politicsistherealmoftheserious.ItiswithbeliefslikethisinmindthatIshalllookattheYesMinister/YesPrimeMinistertelevisioncomedies.Inonewaytheyareframedfromtheseriousbusinessofpolitics;butinmoreimportantonestheywerepartofthepoliticalprocessesandcultureoftheUKduringtheThatcheryears.Ishalldrawattentiontotheuseofstatisticsandgenuinepoliticalsituations;thepopularisationofcontemporarytheoriesofbureaucracyandconstitutionalconvention;andofthecomediesbeingtakenaspropagandaforpoliticalreform.Theseaspectsoftheseriestogetherwithanacuteandinformativeunderstandingofpoliticallanguageuseandsymbolism,raisethequestionofhowfaranyharddistinctionbetweenthehumorousandseriousreallyholdswater.Theresultmightbetounderminesimpleunderstandingsofhumourandenhancethoseofpolitics.

Bionote

ConalCondrenisanEmeritusScientiaProfessoratUNSWandHonoraryProfessorinTheInstituteofAdvancedStudiesintheHumanities,UniversityofQueensland.HismostrecentpublicationshavebeenonEnglishtranslationsofHomerinearlymodernEngland.Heiscurrentlyfinishingamonographonlanguagechangeinpolitics.

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Crouch,AntonIndependentscholar

InsultasHumorousEntertainment–TheCaseoftheDozens

TheoccurrenceoffemalebawdyintheblueshasemergedasathreadatrecentAHSNconferences–seeGibb,2013andAarons,2015.Thispaperconsidersalate1920sconcomitant–thesettingoftheinteractivegameofinsultsknownas‘theDozens’torecordedblues.

Dollard(1939)defines‘theDozens’as‘apatternofinteractiveinsultwhichisusedamongsomeAmericanNegroes.’Henotesthatitisguidedbywellrecognizedruleswhichatoncepermitandgoverntheemotionalexpressionandthatitisforsomeagametheonlypurposeofwhichseemstobetheamusementofparticipantsandonlookers.Denigrationofanopponent’smotheriscommonplaceandthe‘dirty’versionofthegameischaracterisedbyreferencestosexualmatterssuchasadulteryandincest.

Examplesare:

Participant1:‘IhearyourmotherplaysthirdbaseforthePhillies.’Participant2:‘Yourmotherisabricklayerandstrongerthanyourfather.’Participant1:‘Yourmothereatsshit.’Participant2:‘Yourmothereatsshitandmustard.’(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dozens)

IfyouwantaplaytheDozensPlaythemfast.I'lltellyouhowmanybull-dogsYourmammyhad.Shedidn'thaveone;Shedidn'thavetwo;ShehadninedamneddozensAndthenshehadyou.(Dollard,1939)

TheOEDOnline(2015),initsentryon‘theDozens’,givesafirstusageofthephrasein1928butmakesnoreferencetoa‘dirty’versionoranyrecordedmusicalversion.Therewereinfact9commercialgramophonerecordingsofamusicalversion,titled‘Thedirtydozen’,intheperiod1929to1940.

AlthoughtherecordedmusicalversionsareclearlyrelatedtothegamedescribedbyDollard,thereisanimportantdifference–the‘dirtiness’ofthepublished‘dirty’musicalversionsiseuphemistic,reflectingrecordcompanyavoidanceofobscenity.Thetreatmentofsexisbythestandardjazzandbluesuseofdoubleentendreandmetaphor.

Thepresentationwillbeintwoparts:a)anoverviewofthesociological/anthropologicalaccountsoftheoriginandnamingofthegame;andb)anexaminationofsomeoftheearlymusicalversions.Thecontrastbetweenthecontrolledaggressiveandinsultingnatureofthegameinasocialsettingandthehumorousandapparentlyhokumnatureofthebluesrecordingswillbeanalysed.

References

Aarons,Debra(2015).‘Blue(s)Women:BawdiesorBodies.’21stAustralasianHumourStudiesNetworkConference,FlindersInstituteforResearchintheHumanitiesandStateLibraryofSouthAustralia,4-6February2015.

Dollard,John(1939).‘TheDozens:DialecticofInsult.’AmericanImago1,3-25.

Gibb,Dirk(2013).‘“OhHeCouldGrindMyCoffee”:FemaleBawdyandthe“Hokum”TraditioninPre-WarBlues.’NineteenthColloquiumon‘HumourandCreativity’.AustralasianHumourStudiesNetwork,UniversityofNewcastle,7-9February2013.

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OxfordEnglishDictionaryOnline,June2015:‘dozen,n.’.OxfordUniversityPress(accessed20August2015).

Bionote

AntonCrouchisaretiredgeologistresearchingtheapplicabilityofbiologicalclassificationtoculturalphenomena.Presentstudiesarebasedontherecognitionofsoundrecordingsasbodyfossilsofpalaeotaxaandparticularattentionisbeingpaidtotherelationshipbetweenlateninetenth-centuryvaudevilleandtheemergenceofjazzandblues.

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Duffy,ClaireDeakinUniversity,Geelong

RadicalisingtheFeminineGrotesque:AngelaCarter’sNightsattheCircusandMarieDarrieussecq’sPigTales

Thegrotesqueisinextricablylinkedtothebodyandoftentowomen’sbodies.Itisalsotypicallyassociatedwithnotonlyhorrorbutalsohumour.ThispaperwillanalysethewaysinwhichAngelaCarter’sNightsattheCircusandMarieDarrieussecq’sPigTalesproclaimthegrotesquefemalebodyasasiteofpower.Thesenovelsportrayfantasticallyandcomicallygrotesquefemalecharacters,whoblurtheboundarybetweenhumanandanimal,inapowerfulreclamationoffemalesubjectivityinapatriarchalorder.MobilisingJuliaKristeva’snotionofabjectiontotheorisethegrotesque,thispaperarguesthatthegrotesque,likeabjection,reflectsatensionbetweenthesecurityof(masculine)subjectivityandtherepulsionofthe(feminine)other.Theotherortheabject,asrepresentedingrotesquefigures,canneverbeseparatedfromtheself.Humourprovidesanavenuethroughwhichanxietyaboutthegrotesque’smonstrousreflectionsofhumansubjectivitycanbealleviated.However,thispaperalsoargues,utilisingRabelais’notionofcarnival,thatthecomicallygrotesqueworkstodisruptthepatriarchalsocialorder,accordingtowhichwomenareabject.Carter’sandDarrieussecq’sfeministtextsusegrotesquehumourinconfrontationalwaystoencouragearethinkingoffixedideasofgenderidentity.

Bionote

ClaireDuffyisaPhDcandidateatDeakinUniversity,Geelong.Sheisinterestedinthetransformativepowerofhumourinfeministliterature.Sheviewswritingasapowerfultoolforvoicingthatwhichisnotobvious,andthatwhichisnoteasy–acatalystfortransformation.Hecate,Swamp,Verandah,AntiTHESIS,InStead,IntellectualRefuge(US),andGoldDust(UK)havepublishedhershortstories.

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Eldridge,BenUniversityofSydney

‘FlexibleEthicsforaComplexWorld’:RetrofittingtheVampireinPeterWatts’Blindsight

‘WheneverIfindmywilltolivebecomingtoostrong,IreadPeterWatts’–JamesNicoll,bookcritic

ThefictionofPeterWattsisfrequentlydescribedasbleak,misanthropicanddystopian,amongstawholerangeofotherequallygrimepithets.Andindeed,PeterWatts’Blindsight(2006)is,toagreatextent,oneofthedarkestandmosthorrifyingnovelstoemergeinthelastdecade;populatedbyacastofradicallytranshumancharacters–ledbyareconstitutedbiological‘vampire’–whoaresenttoestablishfirstcontactwithanunwillingalienintelligence.But,isthisterrorasunrelentingaspopularconsensussuggests?ThroughareconsiderationofBlindsight,IwouldliketosuggestthatthereisactuallynodefinitivelinetobedrawnbetweenthepreviouslyoverlookedhumourandtheobvioushorrorinWatts’ostensiblydeterministicnovel.Thenarrativeofthenovelconstantlysubvertsrecognisablegenericandgrammaticalstructuring,andthisdisruptivetendencyisfurtherreinforcedbydestablisingparatextualmaterialofbothanepitextual(interior)andperitextual(exterior)nature.Byengagingwithelementsbothwithinthenarrative,andonitsperiphery,Iwillbegintodismantletheperceptionofthenovelasanunremittinglynihilisticpiece;Ihopetoreplacethisbluntlysombreestimationwithsomethingthatbeginstoaccountforthetext’sincredibleambiguity(andoverlookednuance)inamoreproductivemanner.Infact,itwillbecomeclearthatmuchofthehorrorisentirelyinformedbythenovel’ssatiricalextrapolationofcontemporaryscientific,technological,politicalandevenphilosophicalconstraints.However,aspreviouslyintimated,notonlydoesthebasenarrativeofnovelexistasablackenedsocialsatire,itscomplexgenericconstitutionalsosimultaneouslyharnessesandsabotagesgenericexpectations;overtlyactingtocritiquetheveryscience-fictionaltraditionwithinwhichBlindsightitselfexists.Accordingly,thispaperwillbeconcernedwiththemannerinwhichthetextblurslimits,complicatingparadigmstoultimatelycreateanextremelydisturbing(perhapsuncanny)blendofbothhumourandhorror.

Bionote

BenEldridgeisapostgraduatestudentintheDepartmentofEnglishattheUniversityofSydney.

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Ewans,MichaelUniversityofNewcastle

KeynotePresentation

AttheLimitsofHumour

Aretherelimitstowhatishumourous?Theshortansweris‘yes,buttheyareinconstantflux’.Wewillexaminesomeexamplesofworkbycomedianswhichstretchesthelimitsofhumourinaparticularsociety,andinvestigatetheissuesinvolved.

1:Rapejokes

MystudywillbeginwiththejokesmadebyTinaFeyandAmyPoehler,introducingthe2015GoldenGlobeawards,abouttheaccusationsofrapethathadthenrecentlybeenleveledagainstBillCosby.Theirperformanceraisescomplexissues.Indeedthe‘rapejoke’isproblematic;itneeds–andwillreceive–closeexamination,withparticularattentiontotheworkofAdrienneTruscott.

2:Excrementaljokes

Thenwewillfocusontwomoretypesof‘atthelimit’humour–excrementaljokes,andanti-religiousjokes.ExamplesofjokesaboutshitwillbedrawnfromAristophanes(Peace,421BCE)andTimandEricAwesomeShowGreatJob(2015).

3:Racisthumour

Thechosenexampleisafin-de-sièclecasestudy;ascenefromtheWilde/StraussoperaSalome(1905).ItsatirisesJewsmercilessly–butforwhataudience?

4:CartoonssatirisingIslam

Nextwewillskipover100yearstosomenotoriousDanishandFrenchcontemporarycartoonswhichhavebeenregardedbysomeMuslimsasnotmerelyhighlyoffensive,butdeservingofamurderousresponse.

Finallyafter(5:Summary)

In6:Conclusion

Iwilladdresstheissuewithwhichthepaperbegan,inthelightofwhatwehavelearntfromtheexamples;Iwillsuggestatentativeanswertothequestionshowandwhythelimitsofhumourareinflux.

Bionote

MichaelEwansretiredfromtheChairofDramaattheUniversityofNewcastle,Australiain2011;heisnowaConjointProfessorintheSchoolofHumanitiesandSocialScience.HiselevenbooksincludefourvolumesofGreektragedy,andtwovolumesofAristophaniccomedy,translatedforperformanceandwiththeatricalcommentaries.InhisotherresearchfieldofoperahisbooksareJanáček’sTragicOperas,WagnerandAeschylus:The‘Ring’andthe‘Oresteia’,OperafromtheGreek,andhisnewbook,tobepublishedinFebruarybyBloomsburyMethuen:PerformingOpera:aPracticalGuideforSingersandDirectors.Hehasalsopublishedmanyarticles,bookchaptersandreviewsinbothfields,andcontributedtotheEncyclopediaofHumorStudies.Hehasdirectedbothplaysandchamberoperas.HewaselectedaFellowoftheAustralianAcademyoftheHumanitiesin2005.

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Findlay,BruceSwinburneUniversityofTechnology,Melbourne

PsychologicalWell-Being:What’sHumourGottoDowithIt?

RuchandHeintz(2013)reportedonthefindingthat,oncecontrollingforpersonality,humour,assessedbytheHumourStylesQuestionnaire(HSQ),addslittletothepredictionofpsychologicalwell-being.TheyofferedtheexplanationthatperhapsthereissomuchoverlapbetweenpersonalityitemsandtheactualitemsoftheHSQthatthepersonalitymeasuresswampthehumourmeasuresinanyassessmentoftheirrelationshipwithpsychologicalwell-being.Theytestedtheirassumptionbycreatingtwoscales:oneofthepersonalitycontextineachHSQitem,andthesecondofjustthehumourpartsofeachitem,withoutcontext.Theyfound,usinghierarchicalregression,thatoncecontrollingforpersonalitycontext,thehumourscaleaddedessentiallynoextravarianceinpredictingvariousmeasuresofpsychologicalwell-being.ThecurrentpresentationwilldescribeindetailtheRuchandHeintz(2013)studies,withfurtherreferencetodiarystudiesbyGuenteretal.(2013)andCairdandMartin(2014).AconferencepresentationbyHeintz(2015)andapaperbyHeintzandRuch(2015),suggestingthattheconvergencebetweentheconceptsofthehumourstylesasdefinedbyMartinetal.(2003)andtheiroperationalisationintheHSQleavesomethingtobedesiredmayalsoshowsomelightonthesefindings.Theimplicationsofthiswillbediscussed.

Bionote

BruceFindlayisasocialpsychologistwithresearchinterestsinhumour,relationshipsandpsychologicalwell-being.Heisnowretired,butholdsanadjunctpositionatSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyinMelbourne.Heisalong-standingmemberofAHSNandiscurrentlyChairofitsReviewPanel.

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Foster,SusanElizabethIndependentscholar

ThePressGang:TheRoleofEditorsintheCareersofThreeNewZealandPoliticalCartoonists

Cancartoonistsonlybeasgoodastheireditors?Inthelate1970s/early1980s,anartdirectoratThePress(Christchurch),BillPaynter,hiredTraceHodgsonandAlNisbetasadvertisingartistsandinsodoingestablishedanunofficialnurseryofcartoontalent,aplaceofcross-fertilisationofgraphicstyles,politicalbeliefsandblack,Pythonesquehumour.Allthreehadbeendrawingsincetheywerecrawling.Eachaspiredtohavetheircartoonsandcaricaturespublished.Allsharedahatredforsocialinjustice.Althoughnotseeinganeedforaneditorialcartoonist,ThePresswaspreparedtoconsidersubmissionsonapay-for-what-was-publishedbasis.InspiredbyPaynter,whosometimesworkedallnightonacartoon,HodgsonandNisbetjoinedhiminwhatbecameanunspoken,three-waycompetitiontoscoreapublishedcartoononceortwiceaweek.Fromthecartoonstheyhadrejected,itsoonbecameclearthatanythingtoocontentious,anythingthatmightupsetthecityfathers,hadlesschanceofbeingapproved.ForeachmemberofwhatIhavedubbed‘ThePressGang’,theiropportunitytoflourishandsucceedascartoonistscamelaterinothernewspapersandmagazinesundersignificantlymoreliberaleditorships.

Thispaperlooksatthehighpointsintheircareerswheneachwasproducingsomeoftheirbestwork,andexploreshowmuchthestrengthoftheiroutputcanbeattributedtothesupport,mentoringandfreedomtoexpresstheiropinionsthattheyreceivedfromsubsequenteditors.Today,manycartoonistsarelamentinganincreasedcensorshipinchoiceoftopic,graphicstyleandapproach,captionsanddialogue.OnlyrecentlyAlNisbetwasaskedbyaneditortoreplacetheadjective‘friggin’’with‘flamin’’yetbackin1989Paynterusedwordslike‘wanker’withimpunity.Thispaperalsoexploreswhatfactorshaveinfluencedtheswingfromeditorialconservatisminthelate70s,togreaterliberalisminthe1980sand90s,andareturninrecentyearstoablander,play-safe,politically-correcttasteingraphicsatire.ThebasisofmyresearchwillbedrawnfrommaterialfromoralhistoryinterviewswithNewZealandpoliticalcartoonists,includingBillPaynter,TraceHodgsonandAlNisbet,aswellasinterviewswithformerandcurrentnewspapereditors.

Bionote

Independentscholar;oralhistorian;previouslyManager/Curator,NewZealandCartoonArchiveTrust(1992–2000),establishedacartooncollectionnowbasedintheNationalLibraryofNewZealand,developedasubstantialfundtosupporttheArchivethroughrevenue-generatingactivitiessuchasaprogrammeoftouringexhibitions;ExecutiveDirector,MuseumDirectors’Federation(1981-1991);ExhibitionOfficer,WellingtonCityArtGallery;CuratorialAssistant,RobertMcDougallArtGallery.BA(ArtHistory).Recentlypublished:Foster,S.E.,‘WhentheQuipHitstheFan:WhatCartoonComplaintsRevealaboutChangesinSiocialAttitudestoRaceandEthnicity’,TheEuropeanJournalofHumourResearch2.4(2014).

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Foyle,LindsayIndependentscholar

NotAlwaysUnfunny:PoliticalCartoonists

Politicalcartoonistshavetraditionallyfilledthevoidbetweenhumourandoffensiveness.Sometimesintentionallyandsometimestotallyunintentionally.

Theproblemhasbeenthatdefiningwhatmakespeoplelaughisnoteasy.Youcanuseadictionarydefinitionandendupwith‘anexpressionofemotion,typicallymirth’,butnobodyisgoingtolaughatthat.Nobodyisgoingtolaughatthedictionarydefinitionofacartooneither,‘adrawinginanewspaper,magazineorthelike,oftenaccompaniedbyacaptionwhichdepictsahumoroussituationormakesasatiricalcommentonasubjectofcurrentpublicinterest’.

Butthelastpartofeachdefinitionisthemostimportant–‘mirth’and‘currentpublicinterest’arethemainingredientsofsuccessfulcartoons.ThetroubleisthatpublicinterestiscontinuallyevolvingandwhatmadeAustralialaughattheturnofthecentury,orlastweekforthatmatter,isnotnecessarilygoingtogetthesameresultthisweek.

Thenthereisthedictionarydefinitionofoffence,‘anillegalact’or‘awoundingoffeelings’.Againnothingfunnyaboutthosedefinitions,howeveritispossibletomakesomepeoplelaughwhileoffendingothers.

Offencefromhumourhasbeengoingoneversincecartooniststartedmakingfunofpeopleinpoliticalcartoonsfromaroundthemiddleofthe18thcentury.

Theintentionofthispaperistolookatthehistoryofoffendingpeoplewhilebeingatthelimitsofbeingfunny.

Bionote

LindsayFoylehasbeendrawingpoliticalcartoonssince1976andwritingonthehistoryofcartooningforthreedecades.

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Gardner,ScottOkayamaUniversity,Japan

FunctionsandFailingsofHumourinLanguageLearnerErrorCorrection

Howwouldatypicalteacherrespondtoastudentpaperwiththefollowingassertioninit?

Afteropeningofthecountrytotheworld,manywesternthingsthatareessentialforourmodernlifeflewintoJapan.Sodidbicycles.

IfshewereateacherofEnglishasaForeignLanguage(EFL),shemightsimplychuckleabit,makeafewcorrectingmarks,andcontinuereading.Orperhapsshewouldpointouttheerrorwiththequestion‘Bicyclesfly?!’andasmileyfacescrawledinthemargin.Butwhatifsheweretotakethepassageasisandmakeahumorousexampleofitinclassthenextday?Wouldtherebeanyinstructionalvalueindoingso?

EFLteacherschoosetorespondtostudenterrors—spoken,written,orotherwise—indifferentways,accordingtotheirownexperience,research,andphilosophies,suchthatoneteacher’sostensiblysensitiveoreffectiveapproachtowarderrorcorrectionmaybeseenbyanotherassoftornegligent.Thusitisnotwithoutcontroversythatsometeachersmaytakestudentsamplesasmodels—goodorbad—forotherstudentstolearnfrom.

Inthecaseofunintentionallyfunnystudenterrors,theissueisevenmorecomplicated.SomeEnglishteachershavemadelucrativewritingcareerslaughingatstudenterrors(e.g.,RichardLederer’sAnguishedEnglishseries),confirmingtheirentertainmentvalue.Butcouldteachersstrategicallyusehumorousstudentoutputasclassmaterial—nottoinsult,buttoinstruct?Andhowmucherrorexposurewouldstudentsbewillingtoallow?Theseareinterestingquestionsforanyeducator,butmaybeofparticularinteresttolanguageteachers,whosestudentsareuniquelyfocusedonthelinguisticandculturalaspectsofcommunicatinginanotherlanguage.

Inmypresentation,afterconsideringresearchinbotherrortreatmentandtherecentlysurgingareaofhumourinlanguagepedagogy(ledbyNancyBell),IwillshowmyownevolvingapproachtohumorousEFLerrorcorrectionandclassinstruction.Thisapproachusesoutsidesources,includingpopularmedia(miscommunicationinfilms,textingautocorrects,mondegreens,etc.)andmovesgentlyintostudents'ownhumorouserrors.Aprimaryconcernintheprocessislocatingthepointwherethejokingceasestobe‘playfuljudgment’(Fischer,1889,citedinFreud,1905/1960)and‘reproachoferror’(Aristotle,PoeticsII)andbecomesgratuitousridicule.Importantly,thispointcanvarybycultureandindividual.InallIhopetoshowstudentsthatrealandperceivedlanguageerrorisubiquitousamongnativespeakersaswellaslanguagelearners,andthaterrorsneednotbesomethingtoregretandsuppress,butrathersomethingtolaughatandlearnfrom.

ThisresearchispartofaJapanesegovernmentfundedprojectfindingusefulwaystoteachEnglishlanguagelearnersaboutpragmatics,politeness,and(tosomeextent)humour’sroleinEnglishlanguagecommunication.

Bionote

ScottGardnerhasbeenteachingEnglishandCommunicationatOkayamaUniversityinJapansince1998.Hismainresearchinterestsareutilisingclassroomhumour,dialogismineducation,andimprovingstudentwriting.

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Goddard,CliffGriffithUniversity,Brisbane

TheSemanticsof‘Sarcasm’

Thisstudybringslinguistictechniquesofmeaninganalysistobearonthemeaning(orrather,meanings)oftheword‘sarcasm’ineverydaycontemporaryEnglish.Dataabouttheuseofthewords‘sarcasm’and‘sarcastic’ispresentedfromlinguisticcorpora(suchasWordBanksOnline)andothersourcesofnaturally-occurringusage,andonthebasisofthisandotherevidence,severalsemanticexplicationsareproposed,accordingtotheprinciplesoftheNSM(NaturalSemanticMetalanguage)approachtomeaninganalysis(Goddard/Wierzbicka2014).Semanticexplicationsareexplanatoryparaphrasescomposedofverysimple,cross-translatablewords.Despitethelargenumberoflinguisticpragmaticstudiesintotheusesandfunctionsofsarcasminspeech,therehavebeenfew,ifany,previousattemptsatasystematiclexicalsemanticanalysis.

Althoughpinningdownthemeaningsofwordslike‘sarcasm’and‘sarcastic’indeedposesaninherentlyinterestingchallengetolexicalsemantics,theexercisehasimplicationsthatreachbeyondlinguisticsandintothecross-disciplinaryfieldofhumourstudies.First,elucidatingthemeaningsoftheseimportant‘folkterms’canhelpshedlightonsharedinsiderunderstandingsof‘humour-related’speechpracticesinmainstreamAngloculture.Second,sincetheterm‘sarcasm’isusedasadescriptiveterm-of-artinhumourstudies,clarifyingthemeaningsatplayineverydayusagecancontributetoresolving,dissolvingorcircumventingsomeofthetechnicaldefinitionaldebatessurrounding‘sarcasm’anditsevenmoreproblematicalpartnerterm‘irony’.Thirdly,‘sarcasm’is(aswillbeshown)ahighlyEnglish-specificterm,sosemanticexegesiscanhelpputhumourstudiesonafirmerfootingforcontrastivecross-culturalwork.

Selectreferences

Goddard,CliffandWierzbicka,Anna.2014.WordsandMeanings:LexicalSemanticsacrossDomains,LanguagesandCultures.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress.

Haiman,John.1998.TalkisCheap:Sarcasm,Alienation,andtheEvolutionofLanguage.Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress.

Partington,Alan.2006.TheLinguisticsofLaughter.ACorpus-AssistedStudyofLaughter-Talk.Oxford:RoutledgeStudiesinLinguistics.

Bionote

CliffGoddardisProfessorinLinguisticsatGriffithUniversity.Hisresearchliesattheintersectionoflanguage,meaning,andculture.Hehaspublishedwidelyintheoreticalanddescriptivesemantics,interculturalpragmatics,languagedescriptionandtypology,andAustralianEnglish.GoddardworksprimarilyintheNaturalSemanticMetalanguage(NSM)approachtothestudyofmeaninginlanguageandinitspragmatic‘sistertheory’,knownasethnopragmatics.HehaspublishedmanystudiesincollaborationwithAnnaWierzbicka,theoriginatoroftheNSMapproach.Hehasauthoredtwotextbooks,bothwithOxfordUniversityPress.

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Haugh,MichaelGriffithUniversity,Brisbane

KeynotePresentation

JocularMockery,JocularAbuseandtheTakingofOffence

Teasingandinsultingareoftenassociatedwithchildhood,buttheyhavebeenfoundtobeubiquitous,arisingacrossawiderangeofdifferentinteractionalsettingsindifferentlanguagesandcultures.Whiletherearevariousformsofteasingandinsulting,inthispaperIfocusontwotypes,jocularmockeryandjocularabuse.Theformerreferstoactionswherethespeakersomehowdiminishesorridiculessomethingofrelevancetoself,otheroranon-co-presentthirdpartywithinanon-serious,jocularorplayfulframe,whilethelatterrefersinstanceswherethespeakercaststhetargetintoanundesirablecategoryorashavingundesirableattributesusingaconventionallyoffensiveexpressionwithinanon-serious,jocularorplayfulframe.Inbothcases,then,participantsareinvariablymixingelementsofprovocationandnon-seriousness.Yetwhiletheyareconstruedasnon-seriousbyparticipants,oratleastostensiblyso,jocularmockeryandabusecanneverthelessgiverisetooffenceinsomeinstances.DrawingfromanalysesofinteractionsamongstAmerican,AustralianandBritishspeakersofEnglish,Iexplorethecircumstancesinwhichoffencemayberegistered,aswellasthemoralconstraintsondoingso,giventhetakingofoffenceatinstancesofjocularmockeryandabuseisitselfveryoftenasanctionableactionamongst(Anglo)speakersofEnglish.

Bionote

MichaelHaughisProfessorinLinguisticsandEnglishatGriffithUniversity.Hisresearchinterestsincludepragmatics,interculturalcommunicationandconversationanalysis,withafocustodateonanalysingkeypragmaticphenomenasuchasface,(im)politeness,teasingandhumour,intentionandimplicatureininterpersonalinteractions.HeworksinparticularwithtranscriptionsofspokeninteractionsaswellasinteractionalCMCdataacrossanumberoflanguages(English,Japanese,Chinese),asheisinterestedinthewaysinwhichpragmaticphenomenahavetheirowndistinctlocalflavoursacross(andwithin)languagesandcultures.Anareaofemergingimportanceinhisviewistherolethatcorporacanplayinpragmaticsandlinguisticanalysismorebroadly,andhasbeeninvolvedintheestablishmentoftheAustralianNationalCorpus.Hehaspublishedwidelyinjournalsandeditedvolumes,andrecentbooksincludeIm/PolitenessImplicatures(2015,MoutondeGruyter),PragmaticsandtheEnglishLanguage(2014,PalgraveMacmillan,withJonathanCulpeper),andUnderstandingPoliteness(2013,CambridgeUniversityPress,withDánielZ.Kádar).Hehasalsoco-editedanumberofbooks,includingBestPracticesforSpokenCorporainLinguisticsResearch(2014,CambridgeScholarsPress)andSituatedPoliteness(2011,Continuum),andisalsoco-EditorinChiefoftheJournalofPragmatics(Elsevier).

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Lee,Sung-JuSuyaRoyalMelbourneInstituteofTechnology(RMIT)University

Bridesmaids:ACriticalAnalysisoftheFarceComedyintheCaseStudyofaSuccessfulProducedScreenplay

Thispaperpresentsaresearch-in-progressofaPhDinfarcecomedyscreenwriting.FarcecomediescanbemoneymakerssuchastherecentBridesmaidsandTheHangoverfranchise.Yet,thereisagapintheliteratureonfarcescreenwriting,bothacademicallyandinindustry/professionaldiscourse;therearenumerousbooksandtextsoncomedytheoryandcomedywriting,andahandfulofavailablebooksonfarcetheory(i.e.,theatrical).Thereisonebookonhowtowriteafarce,butitisfortheatre(Ellis,1948).Thegapinliteratureishighlightedinordertohelpinformnotonlycomedyand/orgenreresearchers,butaswellasotherpractitioners(i.e.,futurescreenwriters).Sincethereislimitedanalysesandresearchfromscreenwritingandcomedytheorists,myresearchledmetotheatricalgenretheoristssuchasEricBentley.Bentleydividesgenresintofivecategories:comedy,melodrama,tragedy,farceandtragicomedy.Asecondarytheatricaltheorist,JohnStyan,complementsBentley’sgenretheoriesonfarce.Audiences,criticsandacademicsdonotgenerallyacknowledgewhattheyarewatchingasafarce.Mostprefertojustcategoriseitascomedy.Currenttypesoftheothercomedygenressuchasslapstick,satireandparodyhavecomponentsoffarce,andsometheoristsconsiderthesetostemfromfarceoriginally.Bentley’s10farceelementshavebeennarroweddowntosix:violenceandaggression,mocking,humour,plotandstyle,character,andfinally,paceandtempo.Inkeepingwiththisconference’sthemeof‘Unfunny:TheLimitsofHumour’,Iwillfocusmypaperpresentationonthetheme/topicof‘humour,mockeryandaggression’,whicharethefirst3ofBentley’sfarcetropeelements.EricBentley,JessicaDavisandAlbertBermelareconsideredtheeminenttheoristsonfarce.Theirtheoriesonthesefarcetropeswillbeexaminedinordertoanswerthequestionofhowtowritethefarcecomedyscreenplay.ThispaperaimstoinvestigateifBentley,Styanandtheothertheorists(genretheorists,screenwritingtheoristsandcomedytheorists)agreewiththetropes,conventionsandtechniquesoffarceinordertosufficientlylayoutaframeworkforthewould-bescreenwritertoutiliseinordertowriteafarcescreenplay.Hence,acriticalin-depthcasestudyanalysisofthethreefarcetropeelementsofthescreenplayofBridesmaidswillbepresented.

Bionote

Sung-JuSuyaLeeisaPhDCandidateatRMITUniversity.Herresearchisinfarcecomedyscreenwriting,andhercreativeprojectisafarcecomedyscreenplay.ShehasanMBA(withMerit)fromBradfordUniversitySchoolofManagement,UK,andaBFAHonours(FineArts)fromYorkUniversity,Canada.Hershortfilm,NotCommitted,wenttotheCannesFilmFestival.ShewontheOpenDoorPitchContestattheInnoversityCreativeSummit,Canada,andwonaTVdevelopmentdealwithAllianceAtlantis.Shehasbeeninnumerousplays,cabarets,radioshows,otherstageeventsandshortfilms,bothbehindandinfrontofthecamera.

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Lever,AnnElizabethLever(AnnLee)NationalUniversityofSingapore

‘PushMe,PullYou’:TheComplexRelationsofAudience,CensorshipandPoliticalSatiricalTheatreinMalaysiaandIndonesia

TakingasitsstartingpointFredricV.Bogel’sdoublestructureofsatireandapplyingthattotwopoliticalsatiricaltheatreshowsbyInstantCafétheatre(Malaysia)andTeaterKoma(Indonesia),thispaperarguesthattherelationshipbetweensatirist,subject,andaudienceisindeedcomplexandthatitcanbemoreaccuratelyseenasblurredby‘crossover’betweenthedifferentroles.Thisnecessitatesmakingmorefine-graineddistinctionsaboutaudiencethanisnormallydone,includinginthoseextendedfromStuartHall’sreceptiontheories,makingforabetterunderstandingofthedynamicsofpoliticalsatiricaltheatre.Itisproposedthatadistinctionismadefirstbetween‘theState’asaudienceand‘regular’audiencemembers,withthelattersubdividedinto‘present’,‘proximate’and‘professional’,termswhichwillbeelaboratedinpresentation.Consideringthepracticeofcensorship,differentstructures–censorshiplaws,theirinterpretationbystatebodies,andthepracticeofself-censorship–showthattheState(asbothaudienceandsubject)isoftennotasprogrammatic,consistentoreffectiveasiscommonlybelievedinitsproscribingofsatireinthecountriesbeingstudied.

Reference

FredricV.Bogel.2001.TheDifferenceSatireMakes:RhetoricandReadingfromJonsontoByron.IthacaNY:CornellUniversityPress.

Bionote

AnnElizabethLever(alsoknownasAnnLEE)isaLeeKongChianscholar,readingforherPhDinSoutheastAsianStudiesattheNationalUniversityofSingapore.SheholdsadegreeinfilmstudiesfromtheUniversityofWestminsterandherMScinHistoryofScience,MedicineandTechnologyfromtheUniversityofOxford.Annisalsoanaward-winningplaywright.Herplays,orexcerpts,havebeenperformedinKualaLumpur,Bali,MelbourneandNewYork,andarecollectedintheanthologySex,StageandState(KualiWorks,2011).ApastguestlectureratUniversitasIndonesia,AnnisaFellowoftheAsiaLeadershipFellowProgram(JapanFoundationandInternationalHouseofJapan).ShedivideshertimebetweenMalaysiaandIndonesia.

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McIntyre,ElishaUniversityofSydney

HasaDigaBegYourPardon!Latter-daySaintResponsestoTheBookofMormonTheMusical

In2011,thecreatorsofSouthParkteamedupwiththecreatorofAvenueQtocreateacomicBroadwaymusicalaboutMormons.TheBookofMormonhasbeenasmashhiteversince,winning9Tonyawardsandtoutedas‘hilarious’and/or‘blasphemous’.In2015,TheBookofMormontouredtoSaltLakeCity,wheretheheadquartersoftheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints(Mormons)islocated.Itisalsoaprominentbuttofjokeswithinthemusical.TheBookofMormonreceivedextensiveattentioninthemediauponitspremiere,whileMormonshavealsobeenveryvocalintheircommentaryontheshow.Theresponsesrangefromoutrageandboycott,throughtoenjoymentandpraise.ManyMormonsweredeeplyoffended,someuninterested,whilesomewerehappythattheywerebeingtalkedabout.RumoursspreadaboutincreasesinuptakeoftheactualBookofMormon,whilemissionariesbegantoloiteroutsidethetheatreinordertousethemusicalasaspringboardforconversion.Eventually,theofficialchurchboughtfullpageadvertisementsintheplaybillsoftheshow.MormonshaveacomplexanddiverserelationshipwithTheBookofMormonTheMusical.ThispaperusesMormonmedia(blogs,newspapersandmagazinesandsocialmedia)toexamineMormonresponsestothemusical,bothpositiveandnegative,andarguesthatthismusicalpushestheboundariesofthisgroupandthediscoursethatsurroundsitrevealsmuchaboutMormonrelationshipswithhumour,therelationshipofhumourtoblasphemyandpersecution,andmuchaboutMormoncultureingeneral.

Bionote

ElishaMcIntyrecompletedherPhDin2014intheDepartmentofStudiesinReligionattheUniversityofSydney.HerresearchinterestscomeunderthebroadumbrellaofreligionandpopularculturewithaparticularemphasisonreligioninthecontemporaryWesternworld.ShehaspublishedarticlesonChristianworshipmusicandChristianandMormonfilm.Herrecentresearchfocusesonreligionandhumourasexpressedinpopularreligiousentertainmentandmaterialculture.CurrentlysheisfocusingonTheChurchofJesusChristofLatter-daySaints(Mormons).ShehasthusfarmanagedtoinspireinterestinMormoncomedyfilm,andhopesthistrendwillcontinuetoearnaplaceforreligioushumourasaseriousfieldofstudywithinreligiousstudies.

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McLachlan,AngusFederationUniversity,Ballarat

PossibleImplicationsofLaughingattheBeginning,During,orattheEndofaSpeakingTurn

Thesignificanceofthespecificlocationoflaughterwithinaspeaker’sturnisonlypartlyunderstood.PotterandHepburn(2010)analysedlaughparticlesthatoccurredwithinaturnandconcludedthattheseinterpolatedaspirationswereusedtomarktheaccompanyingspeechassomewhatproblematicor‘tomodulatethenatureorstrengthoftheaction’thatwasbeingdiscussed.Theyarguedthatsuchlaughparticlesconstituteaphenomenonthatisdiscretefromthemorecoherentboutsoflaughteroccurringatthebeginningorendofaturn,asobserved,forexample,byGavioli(1995).Inthispaper,materialdrawnfromdyadicexperimentaldiscussionswillbeexaminedwithparticularreferencetothesegmentsoftalkduringwhichparticipantsestablishedwhethertheyhadagreedordisagreedwiththeirpartnerswithrespecttoanearlierdecision.ThepaperwillexploretheutilityofPotterandHepburn’sformulationinunderstandingthecuriousinstancesofinterpolatedlaughterthatoccasionallyaccompaniedspeakers’acknowledgementsthattheyagreedwiththeother,whenonemighthavethoughtthatsuchlaughterwouldhavebeenmorelikelytoaccompanydisagreement.Whydisagreementshouldbemorecloselyassociatedwithlaughterattheendoftheturnwillalsobeconsidered.

References

Potter,J.,&Hepburn,A.(2010).PuttingAspirationintoWords:‘LaughParticles’,ManagingDescriptiveTroubleandModulatingAction.JournalofPragmatics,42,1543-1555.

Gavioli,L.(1995).Turn-InitialversusTurn-FinalLaughter:TwoTechniquesforInitiatingRemedyinEnglish/ItalianBookshopServiceEncounters.DiscourseProcesses19,369-384.

Bionote

AngusMcLachlanlecturesinpsychologyatFederationUniversityAustralia.Hismainteachingareasaresocialpsychology,researchmethodology,andstatistics,whichoffershimampleopportunitytorantagainstthefailingsofhischosendiscipline.Inhisfirstyearasanundergraduatehewantedtostudyphilosophy,alongwithgeographyandanthropology,buttimetablingconstraintsmeantthatheendedupwithψinsteadofϕ.Hehasacontinuinginterestinlaughterandhumorousinteraction,extendingtonotionsofwhatitmeanstohaveasenseofhumour,whichpartlyexplainshiscontinuingappearancesatAHSNconferences.Butreallyhejustenjoysthecompany.

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Marsh,MoiraIndianaUniversityBloomington,USA

KeynotePresentation

Unlaughter,theUnfunny,andtheDreadnought

‘TheRoyalNavyisnotafitsubjectforjokes.’Thuswentoneoftheresponsestooneofthemostnotoriouspracticaljokesofthetwentiethcentury,whenagroupofprankstersdisguisedthemselvesasAbyssinianpotentatesandsuccessfullyfooledtheBritishRoyalNavyintogivingthematourofHMSDreadnought,theprideoftheBritishfleet.ThehoaxwonheadlinesonbothsidesoftheAtlantic,butitalsoprovokedcriticalquestionsinParliament,mockeryofAdmiraltyonthestreet,andritualizedphysicalpunishmentofthehoaxers.

Giventhismixtureofpositiveandnegativeresponses,wemightaskwhethertheDreadnoughthoaxwasfunnyorunfunny,andwhetheritshouldbeconsideredasuccessorafailure.Weknowfromafirst-personaccountbyoneofthegroupthatthejokersconsideredtheirescapadeagreatsuccess,inpartbecauseofthefactthatnoteveryonewaslaughing.

ThispaperexaminesthemetadiscourseoftheDreadnoughthoaxandofjokingperformancesgenerally.Jokemetadiscourseiswherepeoplerespondtojokesandargueoverwhatisfunnyorunfunny.Here,therhetoricoflaughtersignalswhatisfunny,butitsopposite,unlaughter,indicatesthepresenceoftheunfunny.‘Unlaughter’wascoinedbyMichaelBillig(2005)torefertothosemomentswhenlaughterisdesiredorexpectedbutisnotforthcoming.Ineverydaydiscoursethesimpleabsenceoflaughterisneithermeaningfulnorremarkable,butwhenitfollowsanattemptedjokeitcarriesaloadofcriticism,explicitorimplied,againstthejoker.

Supportforajokingperformancemaytakemanyformsbesidesliteralphysicallaughter.Similarly,unlaughtermaytakemanyforms,includingretaliation,threatsofretaliation,andassertionsthatthetopicofthejokeisinherentlyunfunnyandnotanappropriatesubjectforhumour.

Unlaughterdoesnotinevitablysilencelaughter.Acharacteristicfeatureofjokemetadiscourseisthatneithersidedefinitivelydefeatstheother.Unlaughteritselfoftenbecomestheobjectofhumourandridicule,andbothpositionsarereadasexpressingthemoralfailingsorpersonalityflawsofthespeakers.

‘Unfunnyhumour’wouldseemtobeanoxymoron.Yet,thedangerofbeingunfunnyisaconstantelementinhumorousperformance.Riskispartofthechallengeandappealofjokes;theloudertheunlaughter,themorecreditgoestothejokersforhavingriskedit.Unlaughterisnotalwaysunderstoodasasignoffailure.Asuccessfuljokemaybeoneinwhichunlaughterisnotavoided,butactivelycourtedandmanaged.

Takingthisobservationasteportwofurther,Billigsuggeststhat‘therhetoricalnatureoflaughterispossiblebecausethereisacorrespondingrhetoricofunlaughter’(192).Inotherwords,laughterandunlaughteraremutuallyconstitutive;theyneedeachother.TheDreadnoughthoaxsucceededasajokeonlybecausesomepeoplethoughtitwasnot.

Reference

Billig,Michael.2005.LaughterandRidicule:TowardsaSocialCritiqueofHumour.London:Sage.

Bionote

MoiraMarshisafolklorist(PhD,IndianaUniversity)whospecializesinhumourstudies.Theseinterestsbeganwithherdissertation,TheRitualHumorofStudents(1988),whichwasastudyofcappingfestivalsinNewZealanduniversities.Thesefestivalsareritualizedandtraditionalwithastrongemphasisonconstructingtown-gownidentitiesthroughhumourandplay.Morerecentlyshehasfollowedupwithseveralarticlespublishedinbothhumourstudiesandfolklorejournals.Arecurring

40

themeinherapproachtohumourstudiesistouseexamplesofpracticaljokes(agenrethatisunder-studiedinthefield)toconsiderquestionsinhumourtheorygenerally,withaspecialfocusonhowwemightunderstandthereceptionofjokes,especiallythereceptionisnegative.Thesequestionsareexploredinherrecentbook,PracticallyJoking(UtahStateUniversityPress,2015).

MoiraiscurrentlyoneofthethreebookrevieweditorsforthejournalHumor:TheInternationalJournalofHumorResearch.Hercurrentresearchtopicsincludethecross-culturalacousticsoflaughterandaneditedvolumeofarticlesonthesubjectofunlaughter–thatis,exploringthesituationsinwhichlaughterisexpectedordesired,butforavarietyofreasonsdoesnotoccur.

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Meany,MichaelUniversityofNewcastle

Twittering:PickingonthePowerful

ThispaperexplorestheuseofTwitterasaplatformfor'speakingtruthtopower'intheguiseofhumour.Itwillbearguedthe140-characterlimitimposedonTwittermessagesconstitutesatechnologicalconstraintthatfavoursironicandmetaphoricalstructures.Thisbrevityencouragestheuseofcommunicativeformsthatallowthewritertoengagewithmultiplemeaningsinasinglestatement.Further,thesestructuresallowformultiplereadingsofthetext.

Theprocessof‘speakingtruthtopower’typicallypositionsthewriterasthelesspowerful(inoneormorecontexts)andthetargetasthemorepowerful(alsocontextdependent).However,theironicstructureofa‘tweet’allowsthewriterandthetargettobe(re)positionedinvariousways.Forexample,belowisatweetthatsuggeststheQueenhasnorightsbecauseshedoesn’tpaytaxes.Further,inanextremereading,itsuggeststheQueenisananimal.

Outrageasroyalclaimsanimalsdon’thaverights‘becausetheydon'tpaytaxes’http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/princess-michael-kent-sparks-outrage-6543850#ICID=sharebar_twitter…WhatdoesthatmeanfortheQueen?(Meany,2015)

The‘power’ofthepowerful,derivedfromtheirsocial,culturalandeconomiccapital(Bourdieu,1986),makesthema‘fair’targetforahighlevelofmockeryandaggression.Powermakesthetargetpotentiallyvulnerable.Socialmediaallowsthewritertotradetheirculturalanddigitalcapital,theirabilitytowritewithinthetechnologicalconstraints,forsocialcapital.Thissocialcapital,ifonlyforthebriefestmoment,allowsthewritertoperformfromapositionofpower.

‘Twitteraffordsaplatformforcondensedyetpotentiallyrichandvariablypublicorprivateperformancesoftheself’(Papacharissi,2012,p.1989).Theseconstructionsoftheselfrunthegamutfromthesinceretotheironic.ThepaperconcludesbyarguingthattheperformancesofselfonTwitteroscillatebetweenthesincereandtheironicdueto,inpart,thetechnologicalconstraintsofthemedium.

References

Bourdieu,P.(1986).‘TheFormsofCapital.‘InJ.Richardson(Ed.),HandbookofTheoryandResearchfortheSociologyofEducation(pp.241-258).NewYork:Greenwood.

Meany,M.M.(2015).Outrageasroyalclaimsanimalsdon'thaverights‘becausetheydon'tpaytaxes’[Twitter30September,2015]Retrieved9October,2015,fromhttps://twitter.com/MichaelMeany/status/649146410823057412?lang=en

Papacharissi,Z.(2012).‘WithoutYou,I’mNothing:PerformancesoftheSelfonTwitter.’InternationalJournalofCommunication,6,1989–2006.

Bionote

DrMichaelMeanyisaSeniorLecturerinCommunicationattheUniversityofNewcastle,Australia.Michael'sbackgroundincludescareersasafreelancewriter,atypesetterandpublicationdesigner,andaplaywright.Fromthesevariedcareers,Michaelbringstohisresearchaneclecticmixofskills.Hisresearchinterestsincludecomedy,humour,creativity,scriptwritingandnarrative/interactivemediadesign.HegraduatedwithaPhDfromVictoriaUniversity,Melbourne,Australia.Thetopicofhisresearchprojectwas‘ThePerformanceofComedybyArtificialIntelligenceAgents’.

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MilnerDavis,JessicaUniversityofSydney

TheHumourTransaction:AConceptualModel

Humouriscreatedbyahumouristcombining(orrecitingapre-existingcombinationof)variablesthatincludestructure,medium,modalityandcontent.Alternatively,acombinationofelementsmayaccidentallypresentitselfready-madetoanaudience.Theso-calledthreeclassicaltheoriesofhumouridentifysomeoftheseelements,namely:superiority;festiverule-breaking;andmechanicalpatterning.Incongruity(oftencitedasatheoryinitsownright)isintegraltoallthreeandprobablytoallinstancesofhumour.However,humorousproductsvarywidelyinformandmedia,includingintheir‘comicstyle’(humoroustoneorflavour,nowrecognisedinpsychologicalresearch).

Sincesuchelementsarenothumorousinandofthemselves,itremainsmysteriouswhattransforms‘humourpotential’intoanactual‘humourproduct’recognisedasamusingbyitsaudience(asnecessaryforhumourasforanyotheraestheticexperience).Personologicalandenvironmentalfactorsalsoimpactaudiencereception.Theseandotherfactorsinformaschemawhichhasbeendevelopedoverseveralyearstodescribestagesinthistransformationalprocess.Whilethisconceptualapproachdoesnotpretendtoexplainwhyhumourishumorous,itmayassisthumourresearcherstoclarifythefocalpoint/softheirselectedstudies.ThispaperrevisitsandrefinesthinkingoriginallypresentedattheAHSNColloquiumin2003andmostrecentlyelaboratedatthe2015ISHSConferenceinSanFrancisco.

Bionote

JessicaMilnerDavisisanHonoraryAssociateintheSchoolofLetters,ArtandMediaattheUniversityofSydneyandco-ordinatestheAustralasianHumourStudiesNetworkat:http://www.sydney.edu.au/humourstudies.

ShehasbeenaVisitingScholaratBristolandStanfordUniversities,AllSoulsCollegeOxford,UniversitàdiBolognaandatClareHallCambridge,wheresheisaLifeMember.Sheresearcheshistoryandtheoryofcomedyandcross-culturalhumourandlaughter.HerbooksincludeFarce(2003)andtwoco-editedstudiesofhumourinChineseculture,aswellasUnderstandingHumorinJapan(2007),winnerofthe2008AssociationforAppliedandTherapeuticHumorhumourresearchbookprize.TwicePresidentoftheInternationalSocietyforHumorStudies(1996and2001),DrDaviswasaCommissioningEditorfortheSageEncyclopediaofHumorStudies(2014),isamemberoftheEditorialBoardforHUMOR:InternationalJournalofHumorResearchandanAffiliatedResearcherwiththeCentreforComedyStudiesResearch,BrunelUniversityUK(CCSR).

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Mullan,KerryRoyalMelbourneInstituteofTechnology(RMIT)University

Béal,ChristineUniversitéMontpellier3,France

Traverso,VéroniqueUniversitéLyon2,France

ConversationalHumourinFrenchandAustralianEnglish:WhatMakesanUtteranceUnfunny?

ThisstudyonconversationalhumourtakesplacewithintheframeworkofalargerprojectonsocialinteractioninFrenchandAustralianEnglish.TwocomparablecorporaofnaturallyoccurringconversationsduringsocialvisitsamongfriendsinFranceandAustraliawereanalysedtoinvestigatehowspeakersusehumourspontaneouslyinthecourseofsocialvisitsinthetwocultures.Thedataconsistofaudiorecordingsoftwelvevisits(withsixteenspeakers)intheAustraliancorpusandfourteenvisits(withelevenspeakers)intheFrenchcorpus.Thecorporawererecordedintwourbanenvironments(MelbourneandLyon),eachofthemmostlyinthesamelocation,i.e.thehost’shouse.Approximatelyfivehoursofconversationwererecordedineachcorpus.

Ashasbeenshownelsewhere(Dynel2011),wefoundthattraditionalfolkcategoriesofhumoursuchasjokes,anecdotes,wordplayorteasingarenotreadilysuitedtoacomparativecross-culturaldiscourse-basedanalysisofhumour:humourisacomplexareawheremanydifferentaspectscomeintoplaysimultaneously,andwherethedifficultyliesinseparatingtheseaspects.Thisledustorevisittheanalysisofconversationalhumourusingacross-culturalandinteractionalapproach,andtoshowthattherearefourdimensionsinvolvedconcurrently:

1. Thespeaker/target/recipientinterplay

2. Thelanguagedimension:linguisticmechanismsand/ordiscursivestrategiesusedbyspeakers

3. Thedifferentpragmaticfunctions

4. Theinteractionaldimension

Ourearlierresearchhasfocussedonthepragmaticandinteractionaldimensions,showingthathumourplaysanimportantpartinnegotiatingsociallysensitivemomentsininteraction,suchasopeningrituals(BéalandTraverso2010)orvariousface-threats(BéalandMullan2013).WehavealsoshownthatAustraliansshowamarkedpreferenceforrecipient-orientedhumourinourcorpuswhereastheFrenchspeakersprefertoreinforcecomplicityattheexpenseofanabsentthirdparty.

Inthispresentationweconcentrateonseveralexamplesofwherehumourclearlydoesnotwork.Aswellasexaminingsomefailedattemptsathumourininteractionbyanalysingthelinguisticmechanismsthatrenderaparticularutteranceorexchangeunfunnytotheinterlocutordespitetheintention,wewillalsoconsidersomeexamplesofsuccessfulhumourinonelanguagethatarenotperceivedasfunnybyspeakersoftheother.Anumberofrepresentativeexamplesfromthetwocorporawillbepresentedbywayofillustrationandlinkstotheparticipants’respectiveunderlyingethosandculturalvalueswillalsobeexploredbywayofexplanation.

References

Béal,C.andMullan,K.2013.‘IssuesinConversationalHumourfromaCross-CulturalPerspective:ComparingFrenchandAustralianCorpora.’InPeeters,B.,Mullan,K.andBéal,C.(eds.).Cross-CulturallySpeaking,SpeakingCross-Culturally,pp.107-139.NewcastleuponTyne:CambridgeScholarsPublishing.

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Béal,C.andTraverso,V.(2010).‘“Hello,We’reOutrageouslyPunctual”:FrontDoorRitualsBetweenFriendsinAustraliaandFrance.’FrenchLanguageStudies20:17-29.

Dynel,M.(ed.).2011.ThePragmaticsofHumouracrossDiscourse.Domains.Amsterdam:JohnBenjamins.

Bionotes

KerryMullanisCoordinatorofFrenchStudiesatRMITUniversityandamemberoftheGlobalismResearchCentre.SheteachesFrenchasaForeignLanguageandintroductorysociolinguistics.Hermainresearchinterestsarecross-culturalcommunicationanddifferinginteractionalstyles–particularlythoseofFrenchandAustralianEnglishspeakers.Shealsoresearchesintheareasofinterculturalpragmatics,discourseanalysisandlanguageteaching.SheiscurrentlyinvestigatinghumourinFrenchandAustralianEnglishsocialinteraction.

ChristineBéalisProfessorofLinguisticsatUniversitéPaulValéryMontpellier3andamemberofPraxiling,aCNRSResearchLabspecialisinginlinguisticsandcommunication.ShecurrentlyteachesFrenchlinguistics,interactionallinguisticsandcross-culturalpragmatics.Herworkisbasedonnaturallyoccurringdata(spontaneoustalkbetweenworkcolleagues,meetings,jobinterviews,amongfriends)inFrenchandEnglish.Shehasfocussedontermsofaddress,speechacts,politeness,ritualsandroutines,turn-takingandconversationalhumour.

VéroniqueTraversoisDirectorofResearchatICAR(InteractionCorpora,ApprenticeshipRepresentations),dedicatedtothestudyofspokeninteraction.Sheteachesconversationanalysis,interactionallinguistics,andcorporaofSpokenFrenchattheUniversityLumièreLyon2.Herworkisgroundedintheanalysisofnaturallyoccurringtalk-in-interactioninFrenchand/orArabic,includingverbal,prosodicandgesturalaspectsusedbyparticipantsinavarietyofsettings:ordinaryconversationduringsocialvisitsandtalkatwork.

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Murphy,MartyWesternSydneyUniversity

WeOnlyLaughWhenItDoesn’tHurt:ComicEffectandtheAbstractionofViolenceinLiteraryComedyNarratives

Incomedy,howarecharactersprotectedfrompainandsufferingofanyconsequence?Comiccharactershealandrecoverfasterthanishumanlypossible,butcomicsignalsmaysurroundtheviolenteventevenwhencharactersreallygethurt,causingBergson’s‘momentaryanaesthesiaoftheheart’(1911)thatallowsthereadertolaugh.

InthispresentationIaskhowdiminishedempathyiscreatedinworksofliterarycomedynarrativesothatthereadermaylaughatfictionalviolencewithoutconcernforthecharactersinvolved.InhisclassicworkAnEssayontheMeaningoftheComic,Bergson’sconclusionwasthatwelaughat‘themomentarytransformationofapersonintoathing’,whichsuggestsanobjectificationofcharacteratworkinthemomentofcomicconflict.Comiceffectisachievedaroundtheviolenteventwhenitsdescriptionremovestheinjuredcharacterwithcomicdistance.Theviolentactisfocusedasaseriesofimpactstothecharacter’sbodyparts.Inasense,thecharacterisseparatedfromtheinjury.InadditiontothistreatmentofthedescriptionIargue,usingSilvanTomkins’AffectTheoryofpersonality,thatthecomiccharacter’sresponsetopainandinjuryisnecessarilyshallowsothattheviewerorreadermayexperiencethecomiceffect.

ThispaperwillexaminethecomicdistancecreatedbytheabstractionofviolenceusingcasestudiesofliterarycomedynarrativebyIanMcEwan,HilaryMantelandGeorgeSaunders.

Bionote

MartyMurphyisaLecturerattheAustralianFilm,TelevisionandRadioSchool.HeisacurrentPhDcandidate,examining‘ComicEffectsinScreenandLiteraryComedyNarratives’attheWritingandSocietyResearchCentre,WesternSydneyUniversity.

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Pabel,AnjaCentralQueenslandUniversity,Cairns

TheDownsidesofHumourUsedDuringTourismExperiences

Thesuccessfulapplicationofhumourintourismcontextscanbeachallengingtask,sincewhatexactlyisperceivedasfunnyisahighlysubjectiveexperience.Onceacrudecommentismade,itcannotbewithdrawnandthiscanbedetrimentaltotheoveralltourismexperience.Thereforeitisimportanttoensurethathumourdeliveryisdesignedappropriatelyforitstourismsettingandaudience.Thisresearchreportsonafocusgroupstudyconductedwith103participantsatfourtourismsettingstogainadeeperunderstandingofthelimitsofhumourintourismcontexts.Duringthesefocusgroupdiscussions,specialemphasiswasgiventoexploringthedownsidesofusinghumourfromtheperspectivesoftourists.Participantswereaskedwhethertheyfeltifanyofthehumourtheyencounteredactuallyoffendedthem;iftheycouldthinkofdisadvantageswhenhumourisusedduringtourismexperiences;andiftheycouldmentionanytourismsettingswheretheywouldnotwelcometheuseofhumour.Thefocusgroupdiscussionswereaudio-recodedandtranscriptsweresubjectedtoanalysiswithLeximancer,atextanalyticstoolwhichproducesvisualmapsbasedontheconnectivityofrelatedthemes.Thefindingsofthefocusgroupstudyindicatethatparticipantslikedthehumourtheyencounteredateachofthefourtourismsettings.Mostrespondentsstatedthatbeingoverlyseriousduringtourismpresentationscouldhaveundesirableoutcomesforsometourismexperiences.Theresultsalsohighlightsomeofthenegativeswhenemployinghumourintourismsettingsincludinglanguagebarrierssincetourismoftenbringstogetherpeoplefrommultipleculturesandbackgrounds.Therewerecertainsettingswhereparticipantsconsideredtheuseofhumourasunfittingsuchasplacesofhumansuffering.Essentially,thedownsidesofusinghumourintourismsettingsdependonmanyvariablesincludingtheskillofthetourismpresentertodeliverthehumour,thecontentofthehumouraswellasthetourists’owntasteandpreferenceforhumour.Tourguidesandothertourismpresentersshouldaimforabalancedapproachwherehumourisrelevantandincludedwithothereducationalmaterialtobepresentedtotourists.Inpublictouristattractionsandtours,itisimportantfortourguidestobeawareofparticularsituationsinregardstohowandwhentousehumour.

Bionote

AnjaPabelcompletedherPhDatJamesCookUniversityin2015.HerPhDresearchfocusedontheuseofhumourintourismsettings.HerresearchhasbeenpublishedinabooktitledTourismandHumourco-authoredwithProfessorPhilipPearce.PresentlysheisalecturerintourismatCentralQueenslandUniversity.Hermainresearchinterestsare:humourresearch,touristbehaviourandmarinetourism.

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Peebles,DarylUniversityofTasmania

ThePriceofInappropriateHumourintheWorkplace

Thedichotomyofopinionaroundtheuseofhumourintheworkplaceappearstostemfromalackofclarityaroundthe‘style’ofhumourbeingconsideredinaworkplacecontext.AHumourStyleQuestionnairedevelopedbyMartin,Puhlik-Doris,Larsen,GrayandWeir(2003)providedatoolforresearcherstodifferentiatethehumourstylepreferencesbeingdisplayedinworkplaces.

Alsoemergingfromthefieldofpositivepsychology,Luthans,YoussefandAvolio(2007)developedaconceptcalledpsychologicalcapital(orPsyCap)basedonthecapacitiesofself-efficacy,resilience,hopeandoptimismassociatedwithimprovedorganisationalproductivity.

Giventheseobservations,thedifferentiationbetweenpositivehumourandnegativehumourisparamountinthispaper.So,too,istheexplorationoftherelationshipbetweenPsyCapandpositivehumour.Specifically,thepaperexaminesboththeuseandstyleofhumourinworkplacesanditsrelationshipwiththePsyCapofemployees.

Italsodiscussestherelationshipbetweenpositivehumour,psychologicalcapitalandindicatorsofworkplaceproductivityfromboththeemployees'andtheemployers'perspectiveusingtheresultsofempiricalinvestigation.

Theindicatorsexaminedincludejobsatisfaction;staffturnoverintentions;loyalty,teamworkandhelpingbehaviours;creativityandinnovativethinking;discretionaryeffortandcivicvirtue;andproductivityandcontributiontoorganisationaleffectiveness.

References

Luthans,F.,Youssef,C.andAvolioB.(2007).PsychologicalCapital–DevelopingtheHumanCompetitiveEdge.NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress.

Martin,R.A.,Puhlik-Doris,P.,Larsen,G.,GrayJ.andWeir,K.(2003).‘IndividualDifferencesinUsesofHumourandTheirRelationshiptoPsychologicalWell-being:DevelopmentoftheHumourStylesQuestionnaire’.JournalofResearchinPersonality37,48-75.

Bionote

DarylPeebleshasenjoyed‘parallelcareers’workingprofessionallyinmediaandcommunicationsandasahumanresourcemanagerforboththeABCandtheTasmanianStateGovernment.Inhis‘otherlife’Darylenjoysatheatreandentertainmentcareerasbothawriterandperformer.

Sevenyearsago,Darylmergedhisprofessionalandperformingcareersandcommencedapart-timePhDstudywithintheUniversityofTasmania’sSchoolofManagementresearchingTheValueofPositiveHumourintheWorkplacefromwhichhegraduatedinDecember2015.

AspartofhisPhDresearch,Darylsurveyedsmallteamsinover50Australianorganisationsincludingtheprivateandnot-for-profitsectors,andpublicsectorteamsfromeachofthethreelevelsofgovernment.Thisresultedinover300individualsparticipating.Thestudyexaminedpatternsbetweentheuseofpositive,affirminghumourandPsychologicalCapital(PsyCap)attributessuchashope,optimism,confidenceandresilience.Daryl’sstudyfurtherdemonstratedthepotentiallyhelpfuleffectsoftheseconstructsonworkplaceproductivity.

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Rawlings,MarenSwinburneUniversityofTechnology,Melbourne

DisparagementofSelf–WhoWouldDoThat!

AGooglesearchbyJanesandOlson(2015)fortheterm‘self-deprecatinghumor’of750000hitsledtothenotionthatdisparagementofselfisnotrestrictedtominoritiesasformerlybelieved.Humourthatisintendedtoelicitamusementthroughbelittlementoftheselfisreferredtoasself-deprecatinginAustralia.Martineau(1972)analysedthein-group,theintragroupandtheintergroupsituationinwhichdisparagementhumourcanoccur,buthumourreflexiveoftheselfwasnotaddressedasaseparatephenomenon.McGhee(2010)recommendedlaughingattheselfasasignofmaturity,althoughhebelieveditwasahardhabittodevelop.TheaimofthispaperistoexaminesomepiecesofcontemporaryhumorousjournalismintheAustralianmediawithrespecttotargetsorbuttsofthehorseplay,usinganenhancedMartineaumodel.

References

Janes,L.&Olson,J.(2015).‘HumorasanAbrasiveoraLubricantinSocialSituations:MartineauRevisited.’InternationalJournalofHumorResearch28,271-288.

Martineau,W.H.(1972).‘AModeloftheSocialFunctionsofHumor.’InJ.H.Goldstein&P.E.McGhee(eds),ThePsychologyofHumor.NewYork:AcademicPress,101-125.

McGhee,P.(2010).HumorasSurvivalTrainingforaStressed-outWorld.Bloomington:AuthorHouse

Bionote

MarenRawlingswasateacheratcityandcountryschoolsinVictoriabeforea22yearstintatMethodistLadies’College,Melbourne,finishingasinauguralPsychologyCoordinatorandahousecoordinatorin2003.InadditiontoherdayjobsheheldcasuallectureshipsatRMITUniversityandtheUniversityofMelbourne(bothinpsychology)andwrotepre-degreetextbooksinPsychologywithherhusbandDavid.In2011shegraduatedwithaPhDin‘HumouratWork’atSwinburneUniversityofTechnologyandiscurrentlytutoringfirstandsecondyearinPsychologyatSwinburneUniversity.In2014,shelectured(asamaternityleavereplacement)intheinaugural‘CriticalThinkinginPsychology’infirstyearattheAustralianCatholicUniversity.

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Stewart,RonaldPrefecturalUniversityofHiroshima,japan

‘ExtremelyRegrettable’Cartoons:TheLimitsofPoliticalCartoonsAcrossBordersintheWakeofJapan’s3.11Disaster

ThispaperwillpresentanalysisofinternalandexternalpoliticalcartoonresponsestoJapan'sMarch11,2011,or‘3.11’disaster,andattempttounderstandsomeofthelimitsofcartoonhumourindealingwithdisaster.Atthetimeofthisdisaster,shockingimagesoftheearthquake-triggeredtsunamisweepingawaywholetownsaswellasovertenthousandliveswerebroadcastacrosstheglobeandbroughtswiftresponsesfromcartoonistsnotonlyinJapan,butworldwide.Themultiplereactormeltdownsandradioactivefalloutthatfolloweddisplacingtensofthousandsmorepeople,alsodrewtheattentionofcartoonistsbothinsideandoutsideofJapan.Cartooncommentarywasusedtosupport,reflectandcriticisetheJapanesegovernment,powercompaniesandothersastheystruggledtocontrolthesituation,answerlocalandbroadersafetyconcerns,andattemptedtorebuild.InordertohighlightdifferencesinthelimitsofJapaneseandoverseascartoonsrelatedto3.11,thispaperwillfirstlygiveanoverviewofpost3.11Japanesepoliticalcartoons,followedbyabriefcomparativesketchofthemainthemesandtargetsinAnglophonepoliticalcartoonsonthedisaster.Thepaperwillthenfocusmorecloselyonfouroverseasnewspapercartoons—onefromaUSnewspaper,theNewYorkTimes,onefromaMalaysiannewspaper,BeritaHarian,andtheothertwofromaFrenchsatiricalnewspaper,LeCanardEnchaine—whichupsetmanyJapanese,andwhichdrewformalobjectionsfromtheJapaneseGovernment.Throughthisbriefcomparisonofinternalandexternalcartoons,alongwiththeexaminationofJapaneseobjectionstoanumberofforeigncartoons,thispaperseekstohighlighthowpublishingandculturalcontexts,andthetemporalandgeographicaldistanceofcartoonistsfromthedisaster,affectsandlimitsthehumourtheydeploy.

Bionote

RonaldStewartisanAssociateProfessoratthePrefecturalUniversityofHiroshima.HecompletedhisPhDinculturalhistoryatNagoyaUniversity,andhaspublishedinbothJapaneseandEnglishonJapan’scartooninghistory,latenineteenthtoearlytwentieth-centuryhumourmagazines,andvisualrepresentation.Inrecentyearshisresearchhasfocusedoncontemporarypoliticalcartooninginpost-3.11disasterJapan.

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Tomkins,SaraUniversityofSydney

TheAmbivalenceofthe‘MegaBigot’andJewishnessintheComedyofSarahSilverman

TheJewishAmericancomedianSarahSilvermaniswellknownfordealingwithsociallytabootopicsinaprovocativesatiricalstyle.Throughouthercareer,Silvermanhasshownaparticularinterestinissuesaroundracialdifferenceandhasuseda‘megabigot’personatoaddressthetopic.The‘megabigot’comicpersonaisdefinedassomeonewhobelievesthemselvestobeextremelyopenmindedandprogressivebutinsteadisjustanaivebigotwhosaysanddoesincrediblyoffensivethings.Silvermanusesthe‘megabigot’inherrace-basedcomedywiththeaimofmakingfunofbigotrybypretendingtobeabigot.

WhileSilverman’suseofthe‘megabigot’isoftenextremelyfunnyandclever,italsoentailssignificantrisk.Thereisanever-presentriskofthepersona’sfunctionbeingmisunderstoodandariskofcrossingtheunclearlinebetweenanti-racistandracisthumour.IwillconsiderhowSilvermantempersher‘mega-bigot’characterisationwithmomentswherethedistinctionbetweenherbigotedpersonaandherunderlyingsocialcritiqueismadeclear.

ThispaperisparticularlyinterestedinhowSilvermandeploysherJewishnessasadiscursiveandaestheticresourcewithinthe‘megabigot’persona.IwilllookathowSilverman’sstrategicuseofherJewishnessplaysacentralroleinreducingtherisksassociatedwithherparticularstyleofracialsatire.IwillalsoinvestigatethewaysinwhichJewishnessmakesSilverman’shumourmoresusceptibletocriticism,largelyduetotheinstabilityofJewishnessasaracial/ethniccategoryintheUnitedStates.ThroughcloseanalysisofexamplesfromSilverman’scomedy,thispaperaimstoshowhowtheambivalenceofboththe‘megabigot’personaandAmericanJewishnessallowsSilvermanaunique,butoftenfraught,positionfromwhichtoaddresstheissueofrace.

Bionote

SaraTomkinsisafinalyearPhDstudentinthedepartmentofGenderandCulturalStudiesattheUniversityofSydney.HerresearchfocusesonAfricanAmericanandJewishAmericanrelationsincontemporaryJewishAmericancomedy.Herresearchdealswithissuesaroundracialsatireandblackfaceaswellastheroleofidentitypoliticsinrace-basedhumour.SaraisalsoalecturerandtutorattheUniversityofSydneywithaparticularinterestinthefieldsofCriticalRaceStudiesandtransnationalAmericanStudies.

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Vincent,AlfredUniversityofSydney

TheDonkey’sTale:LaughterandItsLimitsinMedievalGreece

ThePleasantTaleofDonkey,FoxandWolfisaversifiedfable,ofunknownauthorship,in270rhymedcouplets,writteninanearlyformofModernGreekaround1500CE.Firstprintedin1539,itremainedforcenturiesamuch-lovedworkofpopularliterature.Ittellshowthetwopredatorstrytotrickpoor,downtroddenDonkey–butfailtorealisethatbrainsarenotamonopolyofthelearnedandpowerful.

TheTaleisthoughttohavebeenwritteninCrete,whichwasruledbyVenicefrom1211totheOttomanconquestof1645-1669.ItisareworkingofanunrhymedmedievalGreekpoem.TherhymedversioncanberelatedtoarichveinofhumourinCretanliterature,fromtheprovocativesatiresofStefanosSachlikis,acontemporaryofChaucer,totheneoclassicalcomediesofthelatesixteenthandseventeenthcenturies,whichtheTaleforeshadowsinitslivelydialogue,itscleverironyanditsneatcharacterisation.ItcanbelinkedtotheAesopictradition,toByzantinesatireandtomedievalGreekanimalpoems.ThereareobvioussimilaritieswiththeReynardtheFoxtales,butalsosignificantdifferencesintherolesofthethreeanimals.

TheTalecanbereadasamoralfable,butalso,ofcourse,asasatiricalallegoryofthethreesocialclassesorestates,circumventingthelimitsofallowablehumourinitssociety.ThecharactersofDonkey,WolfandFoxareclearlyalignedtotheseroles.Butthepoemalsosatirisesaspectsofreligiouspractice,creatingaproblemofinterpretation.TheallegoricalcodingandreceptionoftheTalehavebeenlittlestudied,andwillbediscussedinthispaper.Commentsbasedonparticipants’knowledgeofotherliterarytraditionswillbemostwelcome.

AnEnglishsummaryoftheTalewillbeprovidedinahandout,togetherwithextractsinEnglishtranslation.ThoseinterestedcanalsoreadtranslatedextractsinTheGreekPoets:HomertothePresent,ed.PeterConstantineetal.(Norton,NewYorkandLondon,2010),pp.359-362.

Bionote

AlfredVincenttaughtcoursesinModernGreekstudiesatSydneyUniversityfrom1974to1998,andisnowanaffiliatememberoftheDepartment.MuchofhisresearchhasbeenoncomedyandotherwritingfrommedievalandearlymodernGreece,andespeciallyfromtheislandofCreteunderVenetianrule.HisPhDwasacriticaleditionandstudyofthecomedyFortounatos,byMarkantoniosFoskolos(1655).AsavisitinguniversityteacherinGreece(1999and2000)hedevisedandtaughtcoursesonEuropeancomedyfromMachiavellitoMolière.HehasalsopublishedontheuseofBergson’stheoryoflaughterbythefamousnovelistandthinkerNikosKazantzakis,whowasanadmireroftheFrenchphilosopher.

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Visconti,WillUniversityofSydney

ThePersonalandthePoliticalinContemporaryCabaret

Theprimaryaimofthispaperistoexaminethefrequentblurringoreliminationofboundarieswithincontemporarycabaretandneo-burlesqueperformances.Fromthepoliticaltothepersonal;beingpositionedasempoweredorexploited,sexyorgrotesque;orthelimitsofphysicalityandtheaudience’sunderstandingoftaboosandhumour(andoftenalloftheabovecombined),performerstodayplaywiththesevariousdemarcationsforthemselvesandtheiraudiences.Themainpointsofreferencewillbetheworkofspecificcontemporaryperformers,whomIaimtosituatewithinthebroaderframeworkofthecabaretandneo-burlesquesceneintermsoftheirstyleaswellastheirpositionintermsofcabarethistoryandthelegacyofpreviousgenerationsofcabarettistes.

Ofparticularinterestispreciselywhere,why,andhowperformersdelineatebetweenthemselves,theironstagepersonae,andtheirpersonallivesorbeliefsinrelation(orcontrast)tobroaderideassuchasbodypolitics,genderrolesandcurrentaffairs.Here,theuseofhumourisakeyconcern,andlookingatspecificinstanceswherehumourisormoretellinglyisnotused,particularlywhenpairedwithothertheatricalconventionsorspecificmaterial.

Beyondtheirperformancesonstage,thereisfurtherblurringofboundariesthroughtheuseofsocialmediaandvirtualplatforms.Thiscaneithercontinueorenablediscussionabouttheirperformancesandaudienceinteraction,andinsomecasescancreatematerialforfutureperformances.

Bionote

WillVisconticompletedhisPhDinFrenchStudiesandItalianStudiesattheUniversityofSydney.histhesis,entitled‘LaGoulueandLaCasati:StudiesinthePerformanceofBelleEpoqueDecadentism’wasacomparativeanalysisofthelivesandlegaciesofthedancerLaGoulueandtheMarchesaLuisaCasati,anItalianmuseandpatronessofthearts.Will’sprimaryresearchinterestsextendfromthenineteenthcenturytothepresent,examining,amongotherthings,thelinksandcontinuitiesbetweenthepastandpresentintermsoftheartsandrepresentation.Will'sresearchbroadlyfocusesonideasofgender,art,andtransgression,withparticularemphasisonlatenineteenth-centuryParisandearlytwentieth-centuryvaudevilleandcabarettraditions.

PreviousprojectsincludeanexaminationoftheoeuvreofMaeWest,therepresentationofthecourtesaninItalianhistoricalfiction,andrepresentationsofthecancanandcancandancersduringthefin-de-siècleandincontemporarymedia.WilliscurrentlyworkingonabiographyofthedancerLaGoulue.

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Walters,HelenUniversityofSydney

AFrolicofFancyDressers:HowtoLookGoodasaPumpkin?

MypaperisanextensionofmyMastersthesis,whichinvestigatesthecomplexitiesofadultfancydressandexamineshowhumourisembodiedatfancydressparties.Mythesispositsthatfancydressforadultsisanamusingself-producedentertainmentthatisenjoyedinthecompanyofotherswhoaresimilarlyattired.

Mystartingpointisthatthepurposeofwearingfancydressatpartiesistodrawpeopletogetherinplayful,sharedcelebrationsandtohavefunandbesilly.Theexpectationisthatbywearingfunnyclothesonewillbeinahumorousframeofmind.Iaskisthehumourinthefancydresscostumesorinthemindofthewearers.Howdotheclothesmakeitfun?Itisthephysicalityofputtingoneverydayclothinginincongruouscombinationsor‘noteveryday’itemsofclothingwithunusualcoloursandshapes,texturesandfabrics,usingdisguiseorblatanttrickery,thatcannotbuthelpcreateaplaygroundforfuntimesandmakingmemories.Fancydressisalsoadresscodethatispartofthecontinuumofclothingandfashionetiquettethathasboundariesofexpectationandacceptance.Therearemanymanifestationsandinterpretationsofwhatconstitutesandisexperiencedasa‘funtime’atafancydressparty.Howeveritisworthconsideringthatforothersfancydressisuncomfortable,embarrassingandinvokesfeelingsofcoercion–itistheantithesisoffun.Fancydressisnotaonehatfitsallscenarioandthatispartofitscomplexityandmakesitabeguilingtopictostudy.

AspartofmyresearchIhavebeencollectingnewsstoriesonfancydress,andwhatoftenmakestheheadlinesiswhenfancydresscrossesthelineofpoliticalorculturalcorrectness.Forexample,duringinvestigationsintothesexualmisconductandpedophiliaactivitiesofthenowdeceasedUKpersonalityJimmySaville,therewasoutrageinBritainwhenagroupofrevelersdressedasSavilleatafancydressfunction.Itwasanexampleofthepoweroftheimageandhowfancydresscanbeadisruptiveforcethatchallengestheculturalmoresandpushestheboundariesofpublicdecency.Whatwasdoneinhumourasacommentaryonadisturbingpublicstorythroughthemediumoffancydresswasatthelimitsofhumourandseenashighlydistastefulbythepublic.

Bionote

HelenWaltershasjustcompletedaMastersofArtsResearchdegreeintheDepartmentofGenderandCulturalStudiesattheUniversityofSydney.Sheinvestigatedadultfancydresspracticeasaformofsocialisation,individualexpressionandlivedexperience.Itwasherlong-termparticipationwithfancydressinhersocialgroupthatledhertolookinwardandembarkonanethnographicstudyofthisgroupofBabyBoomers’dynamicfancydresscostumesandparties.

HelenhaspresentedatalkontheroleofphotographyatfancydresseventsfortheHistoryCouncilofNSWin2013andparticipatedatPopcaanzinBrisbanein2013.ShestudiedfashionandtextilesatBrightonUniversityandhasanHonoursdegreeinEnglishandCulturalstudiesfromMacquarieUniversity.Shealsohasapassionforexperimentalembroideryandcrochet.

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Wheatley,JoshUniversityofSydney

FilthyOpeningsandThresholds:TrashasPhilosophyinPinkFlamingos

ThispresentationwillexploreconceptsoftrashincinemathroughJohnWaters’notoriouscultfilm,PinkFlamingos(1972).Brandedbyonecriticatthetimeofitsrelease,‘Likeaseptictankexplosion,ithastobeseentobebelieved!’thefilmisacelebrationoffilthandbadtaste,followingthewarpedcompetitionofBaltimorewhite-trashoutsiderstoclaimthetitleof‘FilthiestPersonAlive’.Thisindependentlyproduced,low-fifilmhasbecomeoneofthemostnotoriousgross-outcomedyfilmsinAmericancinema,litteredwithspectacularsequencesofsymbolictransgressionsandbodilyopenings,ofsingingassholesandchickenf**kers,closingwithacoprophilicset-piecethathascementedthefilm’slegacyofpurebadtaste.PinkFlamingosisnotonlyafilmabouttrash,butitisalsoanobjectoftrash–andpresentsuswithanopportunitytoexploredimensionsofatrashaestheticincinema,throughthematerialandsymbolicnetworksofthe‘trash’film.

Thispresentationwillsituatetheculturalandformalcontextsofthefilm’sproduction,andpresentananalysisoftherelationshiptotrashandcomicphilosophythroughPinkFlamingos.ThepresentationwilldrawfromBakhtin’sanalysisofRabelais,andconceptsofthecarnivalesquegrotesquebody,themonstrous,andthelower-bodily-stratum.Ofparticularinterestarethewaysinwhichtrashcanbeexploredasaliminalspace,wherematerialassemblagesoverturnculturalhierarchiesandrenewtheworldthroughfestivity.Developingthisanalysis,IwillexaminetheaestheticcompositionofPinkFlamingosas‘badfilm’assemblage,andthewaysinwhichcounter-aestheticsintrashcinemacanprovideatemporaryspaceofcarnivalinthecultfilmtheatre.InexploringthematerialandsymbolicrelationsproducedinWaters’film,wecanconsiderthewaysinwhichtrashaestheticsandcomedycanserveasacritiqueofact,image,andworld.

Bionote

JoshWheatleyiscurrentlyundertakinghisPhDattheUniversityofSydney.HisareaofresearchistrashaestheticsincontemporaryAmericancinema.Histhesisengagespostmodernandecocriticalapproachestotrashmaterialitiesinfilm,examiningnetworksofvalue,wasteandtheimage.

6-8 february, women’s college, university of sydney unfunny · vampire in peter watts’...

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