Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Dark humour'

With the invention of photography and the camera, people have been given the possibility to immortalize moments in time that evoke incongruities in everyday life and document photographic jokes laughing in the face of death or ridiculing a certain class of people or race. Therefore, the camera has served as a means for different types of laughter not always with the subject as the humourist but the photographer himself. The aim of this work is to analyse how photographic humour works and its diachronic development throughout the years with particular focus on dark humour and how the latter is processed cognitively. Furthermore, this paper seeks to answer the questions of why some pictures make us laugh more than others and how has humour shifted according to the society and times we live in.

The term ‘dark comedy’ is used by audiences, producers and academics with reference to an array of disparate texts, yet attempts to actually define it perpetuate a sense of confusion and contradiction. This suggests that although there is a kind of comedy that is common enough to be widely noted, and different enough from other types to require separation, how and why this difference can be perceived could be better understood. Accordingly, I investigate what is enabling the recognition and distinction in respect of British dark comedy programmes, and use this as a basis for considering how this type of comedy works. I argue that the programmes may be distinguished primarily by aesthetic features, placing their rise on British television in a broader context of aesthetic trends towards a display of visual detail, spectacle, and excess that puts the private and the taboo on greater show. Using the theories of Freud, Bakhtin, and Bergson about taboo, the uncanny, the grotesque, and the appearance of mechanical actions in humans, I examine in detail examples of British comedy television programmes that are typically referred to as ‘dark’, demonstrating their consistent depiction of subjects that are often repressed or avoided, particularly those around which taboo restrictions and prohibitions have evolved (such as violence and death, illness, and transgressive sexuality). These areas are strongly linked with the body and physicality, and are also ones which occasion negative feelings of unease and denial that are connected to concerns about mental and corporeal fragility and fallibility. I conclude therefore that dark comedies provide a space where viewers may confront and ultimately minimise fears surrounding the human condition, enabling a ‘safe’ exploration of them that can be enjoyed as humorous.

The present study aims at analyzing how dark humour as a cinematic genre travels cross-culturally through a specific mode of audiovisual translation, i.e. dubbing. In particular, it takes into consideration the processes involved in dubbing humour from English into Italian as observed in the English- and Italian-language versions of ten British and American dark comedies from the 1940s to the 2000s. In an attempt to identify some of the main mechanisms of the dark humour genre, the humorous content of the films was analyzed in terms of the elements on which specific scenes are based, mainly the non-verbal and verbal components. In the cases in which verbal elements were involved, i.e. the examples of verbally expressed humour, the analysis was concerned with whether they were adapted into Italian and to what effect. Quantification of the different kinds of dark humour revealed that in the sample of dark comedies verbal dark humour had a higher frequency (85.3%) than non-verbal dark humour (14.7%), which partially disconfirmed the first part of the research hypothesis. However, the significance of contextual elements in the conveying of dark humour, both in the form of Nsp VEH (54.31%) and V-V (V+VE) (21.68%), provided support for the hypothesis that, even when expressed verbally, dark humour is more closely linked to context-based rather than purely linguistic humour (4.9%). The second part of the analysis was concerned with an investigation of the strategies adopted for the translation of verbal dark humour elements from the SL (English) into the TL (Italian) through the filter of dubbing. Four translational strategies were identified as far as the rendering of verbal dark humour is concerned: i) complete omission; ii) weakening; iii) close rendering; and iv) increased effect. Complete omission was found to be the most common among these strategies, with 80.9% of dark humour examples being transposed in a way that kept the ST’s function substantially intact. Weakening of darkly humorous lines was applied in 12% of cases, whereas increased effect accounted for 4.6% and complete omission for 2.5%. The fact that for most examples of Nsp VEH (84.9%) and V-AC (V+VE) (91.4%) a close rendering effect was observed and that 12 out of 21 examples of V-AC (PL) (a combined 57%) were either omitted or weakened seemed to confirm, on the one hand, the complexity of the translation process required by cases of V-AC (PL) and V-AC (CS). On the other hand, as suggested in the second part of the research hypothesis, the data might be interpreted as indicating that lesser effort on the translator/adaptor’s part is involved in the adaptation of V-AC (Nsp VEH) and V-V (V+VE). The issue of the possible censorial intervention undergone by examples of verbal dark humour in the sample still remains unclear.

In humour studies research, there have been few attempts to elucidate why black humour was such a prevalent, powerful force in late twentieth century culture and why it continues to make a profound impression in the new millennium. As Dana Polan (1991) laments: ???Rarely have there been attempts to offer material, historically specific explanations of particular manifestations of the comic???.1 This thesis offers an interdisciplinary analysis of black humour in the late twentieth century. I contend that the experience of black humour emerges from the intricacies of human beliefs and behaviours surrounding death and through the diverse rituals that shape experiences of loss. I suggest that black humour is an attempt to articulate the tension between the haunting absence and disturbing presence of death in contemporary society. Chapter 1 of this thesis offers an historical and etymological perspective on black humour. In Chapter 2, I argue that the increasing privatisation and medicalisation of death, along with the overt mediatisation of death, creates a problematic juxtaposition. I contend that these unique social conditions created, and continue to foster, an ideal environment for the creation and proliferation of black humour. In Chapters 3 and 4, I examine the structures and functions of black humour through three key theories of humour: incongruity, catharsis and superiority. Chapter 5 looks at ways in which the experience of black humour creates resolutions and forces dissonances for people entwined with loss. In this final chapter, I also consider how black humour may help people make meaning from issues surrounding death. Throughout this theoretical discussion, I interweave the analysis of a range of scenes from contemporary black comic texts (i.e. plays, screenplays and television scripts). On the whole, this thesis works towards a more complex, specific understanding of the phenomenon of black humour within a social context.

In DAYS ENDING IN WHY, interdisciplinary artist Julia Martin identifies the schism of her autobiographical practice: deep melancholia and absurd irony. The fragmentation of the works presented knowingly resist cohesion, instead, through their arrangements and the potentials of space between them, they carry on conversations with one another. Rooted in the personal narrative, the works span across multiple mediums; photography, film, installation/sculpture, and literature. Martin emphasizes both the tragic and the comedic, pacing the show as a play between the two. Also, there are cats. So many cats.

Boston University. University Professors Program Senior theses.
PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
2031-01-02

Death, dying, and the actual loss of life are some of the broadest sweeping concepts that typically evoke a wide array of emotions from sadness and anger to fear and despondence. It is unlikely that the first words associated with death are comedy, humor, or laughter. However, that is precisely what creators and comedians of dark, death, and gallows humor seek to achieve. For my senior capstone project, I have created a short fictional narrative film encompassing the traits of a dark comedy. However, noticing that few dark comedies delve into topics surrounding suicide, I wondered if it was possible to achieve the same comedic and filmic effects with suicide as dark comedies do with death. Is it possible to generate humor from suicide and desiring death? What is implied if humor is derived from the inability to reach death on one’s own volition?

The American South is a rich source of literature that combines the humorous and the horrific in its attempts to explain and expose the region's deep-seated social turmoil. One of the most prolific genres to come out of the South is southern gothic literature that, though not always humorous is known for its use of grotesque imagery and reliance on highly charged melodramatic narratives. When these works are comic, they don't merely reflect the region's strife but attempt to transform it. This dissertation looks at how southern gothic writers Beth Henley, Fannie Flagg and Flannery O'Connor use dark comedy in their works as defiant acts designed to question the status quo and reform the southern landscape by creating ruptures where marginalized people can assert themselves into the norms of American culture. Drawing on several different definitions of comedy, including Barecca's works on female narratives and linguistic theories of jokes, this work defines dark comedy and identifies where humor and horror come together in the works of these southern gothic writers to form particularly dark comic moments. Then, it uses Butler's theory of sites of rupture to explain how dark comedy can be transformative. In Giving an Account of Oneself, Butler explains Foucault's regime of truth as a system that is always both self-reflexive and social - a system where the norms that govern recognition create boundaries where subjects are formed. She goes on to conclude that ruptures can occur within the "horizon of normativity" whereby those relegated to the margins can gain entry and be encompassed within the governing norms. Dark comedy, then, occurs at or even creates that site of rupture in the individual and in the society that experiences it, and allows for the individual, and by extension society, to change its understanding of what is normal and resides within the margins. Within the text, then, dark comedy changes the governing norms to include the once marginalized oddities.

This thesis examines the Dias Gomes' play turned telenovela, O Bem-Amado, to demonstrate the use of satire and dark humor to make political commentary during the tumultuous sociopolitical era in Brazil from the early 1960s through the late-1970s. This era in Brazil is characterized by the overthrow of the leftist democratically elected civilian government by a corporate-backed hardline military dictatorship in the early part of 1964, which lasts for approximately 20 years. The result of this authoritative military rule causes many artists and intellectuals that oppose the dictatorship's repression to flee into exile abroad or adapt to the changing sociopolitical environment. Those who are not forced into exile begin to procure and find new avenues to express their dissatisfaction with the lack of free political expression. Dias Gomes becomes an accomplished playwright during the late 1950s and 1960s and uses the stage to make sociopolitical commentary and criticism. However by the late 1960s his pieces are continually being censored by the regime. At this time the television soap opera has become immensely popular in the country and the writer receives an invitation by an old colleague to begin writing telenovelas. Through this invitation, the playwright continues to make political commentary through his ability to portray the authentic Brazilian social experience. O Bem- Amado stands out as one of these authentic Brazilian portrayals of a corrupt Northeast Brazilian mayor that does anything to protect his political image. Dias Gomes employs dark humor and satire to point out the follies of the old politician, while at the same time he critiques corrupt authoritarian governments in general. This satiric humor proves to be the right aesthetic to get by the censors of the then authoritarian military regime and make public his sociopolitical criticisms.

This thesis is comprised of a collection of short stories, most of which are set in southern, urban milieus. The fictional characters contained within deal in their own unique ways with the crises they face. Most of these sources of conflict arise from domestic complications. Six of the eight stories are written in the first person; the collection is voice-driven and concerned with the idiosyncratic points of views of the focal characters, and in this way borrows from the tradition of Southern fiction, which is in many cases laced with dark humor.

El objetivo de esta investigación se rige bajo la premisa del diseño funcional de envases ecológicos para mejorar la experiencia de compra en los usuarios de las marcas que comercializan en el “Mercado Saludable de la Molina”, una ecoferia que promueve el consumo de productos sanos y orgánicos para las personas que buscan un estilo de vida más saludable. Una de las marcas mejor establecidas dentro de este mercado es Dar Hummus, empresa peruana bioproductora que ha insertado el hummus al universo gastronómico nacional, pasando por un proceso de adaptación de esta pasta desde su origen en el Medio Oriental hacia el Perú. Sin embargo se ha observado un problema en el traslado del producto hacia el consumidor final además del fácil deterioro del hummus por ser un producto orgánico sin preservantes. Para esta investigación se aplicó la metodología de estudio de diseño del doble diamante, se utilizaron estrategias directas con los clientes y consumidores habituales tales como entrevistas, testeo y validación. Según las validaciones realizadas como resultado final se obtuvo una positiva invitación al consumidor a interactuar con el empaque, volviéndolo mucho más amigable y convirtiendo el proceso de descubrimiento de armado del packaging una experiencia nueva para el cliente. Al finalizar el proyecto se llegó a la conclusión que el empaque propuesto respondía a las necesidades del cliente como emprendedores y las necesidades de sus consumidores, potenciando además el valor de la marca creando una herramienta para compartir y siendo responsables con el medio ambiente
Trabajo de investigación

Dissertação de mestrado em Comunicação, Arte e Cultura
Este trabalho visa compreender o estado atual do humor em Portugal e, mais especificadamente, do humor negro, dada a conjuntura sociocultural que tem levado à discussão dos seus limites. A par disso, esta investigação propõe-se a explicar as motivações que levam os comediantes a defender a total liberdade de expressão no seu trabalho, para além de expor as suas opiniões em diversas temáticas ligadas ao livre-arbítrio e à sua relação com o meio humorístico. Simultaneamente, o valor das palavras no discurso humorístico entra em discussão, assim como as possíveis barreiras jurídicas à liberdade de expressão e ao humor. Para esta dissertação, optei por, através de uma análise qualitativa, identificar os principais agentes da esfera humorística nacional e agrupar as demais opiniões que permitam aferir conclusões para posterior reflexão sobre a condição atual da comédia nacional. Como objetivos mais concretos, surge a necessidade de entender o valor e possíveis consequências da transgressão no humor; perceber que assuntos têm mais probabilidade de serem vistos como ofensivos e que papel tem esse sentimento perto do público e dos humoristas; compreender se há a possibilidade da existência liberta do humor tendo em conta as particularidades que o definem; entender se o humor pode conviver no regime do politicamente correto; avaliar de que forma é que os agentes do universo humorístico lidam com os constrangimentos à liberdade de expressão que se verificam no campo do humor e aferir se o atentado em Charlie Hebdo produziu efeitos junto dos humoristas e da sua atividade. Foi possível concluir que o humor subsistirá, independentemente do meio, e que se alimenta da própria imposição de barreiras, sendo que o objetivo que rege a atividade humorista é a provocação do riso na audiência.
This essay is called “Dark humour in Portugal: freedom of speech and sociocultural boundaries” and it aims to comprehend the current state of humour in Portugal and, more specifically, dark humour, due to the sociocultural context that has led to the discussion of its boundaries. Furthermore, this investigation intends to explain the motivations that encourage comedians to defend total freedom of speech in their work, besides exposing their opinions on various issues connected to freedom and its existence in the humoristic atmosphere. Simultaneously, the worth of words in their discourse comes into discussion, as well as possible juridical boundaries that may exist when freedom of speech and humuor act as a whole. For this dissertation, I have opted, through a qualitative analysis, to identify the main agents of the national humoristic scene and to collect opinions that allow me to assess conclusions for a further reflection on the current national comedy scene. As more specific goals, I felt the urge to understand the value and possible consequences of humoristic transgressions; to comprehend which topics may be more likely to be stated as offensive and which role does that feeling represent to the audience and comedians; realize if there is a possibility for humour to exist freely taking into account the particularities that define it; to know if humour can coexist in the politically correct environment; to evaluate in which way do people connected to humour deal with the constraints on freedom of speech that occur in the humoristic field and to grasp if the Charlie Hebdo attack has influenced humorists and their activity. It was possible to conclude that humour sustains itself, independently of the environment in which it is being produced, and that it feeds itself from the very existence of boundaries, being the main purpose of comedians to generate the audience’s laughter.

abstract: In the time of Nazi Germany the systematic targeting of Jews for persecution and extermination was rampant. Although this was a dark time for the Jewish people in Europe, they did not simply stand idly by and let this happen to them. The Jewish people found a way to make a mockery of the situation that they wee in, as well as a way to poke fun at the people who persecuted them. The Jews used dark humor to mock the situations that they found themselves in. The interesting point here, though, is that they did not use all the aspects of dark humor that exist. The Jews used situational humor, critical humor, and gallows humor-humor about death-according to the incongruity theory of humor, to make a mockery of the plight that they were in. They did not use all of the different aspects of dark humor, but only the parts that would merge with their need to mock their situation, in order to be able to deal with the reality of what was happening in their lives. For the analysis in this thesis, I researched various collections of Jewish humor in Nazi Germany. I analyzed the jokes in relation to the different humor theories, and gave my conclusion on why these jokes were effective. Based on the evidence, I have come to several conclusions. The Jews that made these jokes only used the aspects of dark humor that would fit in with the atmosphere that they were trying to create. They would not use sexual jokes of any kind because of this. They used jokes that could be used as a shield, to comfort not only themselves but also their compatriots given their situation. The use of humor was a coping measure and a sign of defiance, that helped some of the victims of the Holocaust survive the attempted extermination of the Jews. Given the opportunity, I would widen my focus on this topic to include collective memory, as well, however the scope of such a project would be more fitting for a doctoral paper.
Dissertation/Thesis
M.A. German 2011

It is psychologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists, and philosophers who most often attempt the formal study of consciousness: it is writers who observe the impossibility of any such study. In the spirit of Joseph O'Neill, Muriel Spark, and J.K. Rowling, with reference to cross-disciplinary thinkers like Donella Meadows, Douglas Hofstadter, and Rudy Rucker, Tree of Knowledge concerns itself with the mystery of mystery and the knowledge of knowledge. This collection of short stories bespeaks the human observer's paradoxical situation in all its the diverse implications, including moral confusion, tragedy, and violence, but also comedy, beauty, and the possibility of transcendence.

What can 15th century France and heavy metal have in common? In Heavy Metal Humor, Gary Powell explores metal culture through the work of Mikael Bakhtin‘s “carnivalesque theory.” Describing the practice of inverting commonly understood notions of respectability and the increasing attempts to normalize them, Bakhtin argues that carnivals in Francois Rabelais’ work illustrate a sacrilegious uprising by the peasant classes during carnival days against dogmatic aristocrats. Powell asserts that Rabelais’ work describes cartoonish carnivals that continue in as exaggerated themes and tropes into other literary styles, such as comedy and horror that ultimately inform modern-day metal culture. To highlight the similarities of Bakhtin’s interpretation of Rabelais’ work to modern-day metal culture, Powell draw parallels to between Bakhtin’s carnivalesque theory and metal culture with two different, exemplary “humorous” metal performances, GWAR and Anal Cunt. Powell chooses “humorous” metal groups because, to achieve their humor, they exaggerate tropes, and behaviors in metal culture. To this end, Powell explores metal culture through GWAR, a costumed band who sprays their audience with fake body fluids as they decapitate effigies. He points out examples of Rabelais’ work which Bakhtin uses to describe carnivalesque tropes, and threads them to modern-day metal culture. Powell then indicates how carnivalesque performances amplify with Anal Cunt, a “satirical” hateful, grindcore group. In the band’s performance which is both serious and humorous at once, Anal Cunt draws on several carnivalesque behaviors. To dissect this band’s performance, Powell augments Bakhtin’s carnivalesque theory with Richard Schechner’s theory of “dark play” and Johan Huizinga’s “play communities” to more describe and illustrate why some aspects of modern-day metal culture do not match Bakhtin’s theory based on medieval French literature. However, carnivalesque humor becomes ambiguous and social and political problems arise as it escalates. As disrespectability is promoted, social and political tensions surface. Countering Bakhtin’s utopian notion of carnivalesque uprising, Powell highlights how socio-political turmoil presents itself in carnivalesque performance by referring to examples of confusion and concern regarding racism and sexism, something left unexplored in Bakhtin’s work. Powell suggests expanding and modernizing Bakhtin’s carnival could open pathways toward solutions to carnival culture’s socio-political ills.