AGGRESSIVE HUMOUR- SOCIAL NORM VIOLATIONS IN STAND-UP COMEDY
Keywords:
stand-up, humour, aggressionAbstract
This research examines the role of aggression in the frame of social norm violations in American stand-up comedy. The article includes jokes from four performances of two top-rated stand-up comedians analysed through the exclusively elaborated criteria that include the concept of ‘face’, ‘target’, frequency of use of sarcastic and ironic utterances and social norm violations. The results of the research show that social norms are extensively violated during stand-up performances, through the use of figurative language or without it in order to perceive the joke successfully. The results of the present research revealed that violating social norms can have a very positive role in the successful realisation of stand-up humour. It builds a stable face for the comedian by empowering him/her. The other very crucial function this strategy bears is the process of unintentional affiliation, caused by the act of sharing intimate thoughts and putting trust in the audience.
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