Humor and identity in the performance of a stand-up comedian with disability

Nirel Angwen Wisley Tan; Mike Pratiwi Wijaya; Nina Setyaningsih

doi:10.21070/jees.v7i2.1685

(1) Nirel Angwen Wisley Tan Universitas Dian Nuswantoro
Indonesia
(2) Mike Pratiwi Wijaya Universitas Dian Nuswantoro
Indonesia
(3) * Nina Setyaningsih Universitas Dian Nuswantoro
Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21070/jees.v7i2.1685

Abstract

Being a stand-up comedian with medical issue requires the ability to apply certain techniques to create humor when performing stand-up comedy. Josh Blue (JB) is one of those well-known stand-up comedians diagnosed with cerebral palsy. This study aims to investigate the linguistics aspects applied by JB in delivering his jokes and how these aspects relate to identity JB wants to present. This research employed a qualitative descriptive method to analyze the data. The results reveal that JB uses irony in his stand-up comedy. In terms of linguistic features, JB mostly applies silent pause, while in joke technique JB applies self-ridicule. These findings suggest that the linguistics aspects used by JB present that disability can be a special identity that affects people’s perception and their ways of interaction with other people. JB linked each of his experience of being disabled by wrapping it well as his joke technique. JB has privilege in processing his disability into a primacy in joke technique without sounding condescending and even sarcastic.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Irony is the language feature commonly used by Josh Blue as he often shares his experiences implicitly.
Ridicule is the most dominant joke technique used by Josh Blue since most topics that he shares are about his condition of being disabled.
The linguistics aspects used by Josh Blue demonstrates that disability identity can be a special phenomenon that affects people’s perception and their ways of interaction with other people.

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Author Biographies

Nirel Angwen Wisley Tan, Universitas Dian Nuswantoro

Tan, Nirel Angwen Wisley is a student of the English Department of Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Dian Nuswantoro, Indonesia. She is interested in linguistics, culture, and humor studies.

Mike Pratiwi Wijaya, Universitas Dian Nuswantoro

Mike Pratiwi Wijaya is now studying at the English Department of Faculty of Humanities, Universitas
Dian Nuswantoro, Indonesia. She is interested in linguistics especially pragmatics.

Nina Setyaningsih, Universitas Dian Nuswantoro

Nina Setyaningsih is currently teaching at the English Department of Faculty of Humanities,
Universitas Dian Nuswantoro, Indonesia. Her research interests include linguistic anthropology,
sociolinguistics, humor studies, and language and culture.

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