ISHS2018

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS


Trevor J. Blank (State University of New York at Potsdam)	Jessica Milner Davis (University of Sydney)	Elliott Oring (California State University, Los Angeles)	Limor Shifman (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
"How the Mighty Have Fallen: American Celebrity Scandals and Humor Dynamics Online"	"The Politics and Satire Project: Scrutinising Satire from a Transdisciplinary Perspective"	"Opposition and Overlap: GTVH Once Again"	"The Promises and Perils of Internet Memes"

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Trevor J. Blank (State University of New York at Potsdam)
Jessica Milner Davis (University of Sydney)
Elliott Oring (California State University, Los Angeles)
Limor Shifman (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

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CONTACT US

Contact the conference office: ishsconference2018 (at) gmail.com.

Conference chair: Liisi Laineste (Estonian Literary Museum),
Conference secretary: Anastasiya Fiadotava (University of Tartu).
See the full list of the organising committee here.

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The Politics and Satire Project: Scrutinising Satire from a Transdisciplinary Perspective

Satire is a multifaceted mode of creative humorous practice that dates back in the West to Graeco-Roman times and is also a time-honoured tradition in many other cultures. It is a contested term, lacking precise definition, but can be reliably identified by the presence of critical intention (Condren, et al 2008a and 2008b). English Augustan writers such as Swift believed they were putting into practice Lucian of Samosata’s concept of serio in ludere (playful seriousness) (Milner Davis 2016). Despite this, satire today has become an umbrella term for any and all mocking humour, disregarding seriousness of purpose.

For marginal voices, satire depends on some freedom of expression at least and therefore is prized in times of struggle. Many think of it as being essentially of the left, a liberating force giving voice to oppressed minorities, even starting a revolution or two. In practice, satire acknowledges no particular political allegiance. It can just as easily serve the conservative right as the progressive left, the majority as the minority. Large claims are made for its ability to bring about social and political change but as with all humour, these are difficult to test. Common sense tells us that jokes and joking are insufficient to topple dictators, but can they help change behaviour and beliefs? And if not, why is the tradition of political satire so resilient? Since the 18th century, politics and satire have been inextricably linked (Rolfe 2017). It expresses a disgust with the ways of elected politicians that is now almost universal.

Questions about why contemporary political satire abounds and what its effects might be do not easily find convincing answers via literary and cultural studies, although these are important. Adopting a multi-disciplinary approach can help produce firmer answers. A group of Australasian humour scholars with backgrounds that include social science, politics, media studies, literary history, visual arts and performative humour, undertook to examine the nexus between satire and politics in contemporary British, American and Australian satirical media. Impact on political life and voter intention was a particular focus as was their rhetorical and persuasive methodology. This presentation reviews the project’s processes and results to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of a trans-disciplinary approach to humour. The resulting book is Satire and Politics: The Interplay of Heritage and Tradition (ed. Jessica Milner Davis, London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2107).

Jessica Milner Davis PhD FRSN is a member of Clare Hall, Cambridge, UK, and a research associate at the University of Sydney and at Brunel University’s Centre for Comedy Studies Research. Twice president of the International Society for Humor Studies, she co-ordinates the Australasian Humour Studies Network. Her books deal with farce, satire and cross-cultural studies of humour in Australia, the UK, Japan and China.

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RECENT NEWS

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Trevor J. Blank
(State University of New York at Potsdam)

Jessica Milner Davis
(University of Sydney)

Elliott Oring
(California State University, Los Angeles)

Limor Shifman
(Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

CONTACT US

THANK YOU!

RECENT NEWS

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Trevor J. Blank (State University of New York at Potsdam)

Jessica Milner Davis (University of Sydney)

Elliott Oring (California State University, Los Angeles)

Limor Shifman (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

CONTACT US

Trevor J. Blank
(State University of New York at Potsdam)

Jessica Milner Davis
(University of Sydney)

Elliott Oring
(California State University, Los Angeles)

Limor Shifman
(Hebrew University of Jerusalem)