Feminist humour? a critical analysis of Michaela Coel's Chewing Gum and Hannah Gadsby's Nanette

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dc.contributor.advisorViljoen, Stellaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorPerold, Janaen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Visual Arts.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-03T14:44:45Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-26T13:54:08Z
dc.date.available2024-03-03T14:44:45Z
dc.date.available2024-04-26T13:54:08Z
dc.date.issued2024-03
dc.descriptionThesis MA (VA)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie behels ‘n analise van die (moontlike) feministiese humor van die televisuele komedies geskryf en opgevoer deur Michaela Coel en Hannah Gadsby. Die fokus van die analise is die smerige Britse sepie, Chewing Gum (2015-2017), geskryf deur Coel en Gadsby se ondermynende komiese monoloog, Nanette (2018). In Chewing Gum, stap Coel (die skrywer) in die skoene van Tracey (a jonger weergawe van haarself) soos sy haar seksuele ontwaking verken deur ‘n innemende mengsel van naïewe onwetendheid en bulderende self-vertroue. Langs Chewing Gum analiseer ek die komiese monoloog, Nanette, opgevoer deur Gadsby, wie haar gebruik van oorbeskeidenheid oorweeg en of dit dalk die homofobie wat sy geïnternaliseer het en die geweld wat sy ervaar het as a queer vrou tydens haar grootword jare in Tasmanië, Australië versterk. Beide komedies is geskryf deur vrouens wat hulle eie menswees as onderwerp gebruik om verleentheid of gelag of empatie (soms gelyktydig) in die kyker te verwek. En beide komediante gebruik, asook ‘queer’ of bevraagteken, humor as ‘n politiese en moontlike feministiese instrument. Die vraag is of humor feministies is. In ander woorde, kan humor die ‘huis afbrand’? Dit is ook ‘n vraag oor feminisme en of a ware radikale feministiese politiek beide woedend en snaaks kan wees (of woedend-snaaks). Ek argumenteer dat die ooglopende jukstaposisie tussen Chewing Gum, effektief ‘n cringe-komedie, en Nanette, ‘n komiese monoloog wat skynbaar lag saboteer in guns van ‘n spanningsvolle woede, iets van feminisme en humor onthul wat polities produktief is. Deur ‘n ontleding van spesifieke verhalende oomblikke en beelde oorweeg ek hoe die tekste dubbelsinnige affek uitlok wat die skynvertoon van lag gebruik om oomblikke van produktiewe ongemak of ernstigheid of selfs angs op te wek. Die samesmelting van verskillende affektiewe reaksies onthul die onstabiliteit van etikette soos ‘feminis’ of ‘vrou’ of selfs ‘humor’. Ek oorweeg hoe hierdie soort humor dit moontlik maak dat kategorieë ontwrig, ontbind en moontlik herbou kan word op ‘n manier wat dit steeds oophou tot ondervraging.af_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study comprises an analysis of the (possibly) feminist humour of the televisual comedies written and performed by Michaela Coel and Hannah Gadsby. The focus of the analysis is the bawdy British sitcom, Chewing Gum (2015-2017), written by Coel and Gadsby’s subversive stand-up comedy routine, Nanette (2018). Chewing Gum sees Coel (the writer) step into the shoes of Tracey (a younger version of herself) as she explores her sexual awakening through an endearing mix of naïve unknowing and blustering confidence. Alongside Chewing Gum, I analyse the stand-up comedy routine, Nanette, performed by Gadsby, who considers how her use of self-effacement might reinforce the homophobia she internalised and the violence she experienced growing up as a queer woman in Tasmania, Australia. Both comedies are written by women who use their own personhood as subject to provoke embarrassment or laughter or empathy (often at the same time) in the viewer. And both comedians use but also ‘queer’ or question humour as a political and possibly feminist tool. The question is whether humour can be considered feminist. In other words, can humour ‘burn down the house’? This is also a question about feminism and whether a truly radical feminist politics can be furious and funny (or furiously funny). I argue that the obvious juxtaposition between Chewing Gum, effectively a cringe-comedy, and Nanette, a comedy routine that seemingly sabotages laughter in favour of a tension-filled anger, reveals something about feminism and humour that is politically productive. Through a close reading of specific narrative moments and stills, I consider how the texts provoke ambiguous affect that often uses the pretence of laughter to evoke moments of productive discomfort or seriousness or even distress. The amalgamation of different affective responses reveals the instability of labels such as ‘feminist’ or ‘woman’ or even ‘humour’. I consider how this genre of humour allows categories to be disrupted, dismembered and possibly rebuilt in a way that remains open to questioning.en_ZA
dc.description.versionMastersen_ZA
dc.format.extentvii, 107 pages : illustrations
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130336
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshFeminism and humouren_ZA
dc.subject.lcshTelevision broadcasting -- Comediesen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshStand-up comedyen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshCreative writingen_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.subject.otherChewing gum comedyen_ZA
dc.subject.otherMichaela Coelen_ZA
dc.subject.otherNanette comedyen_ZA
dc.subject.otherHannah Gadsbyen_ZA
dc.titleFeminist humour? a critical analysis of Michaela Coel's Chewing Gum and Hannah Gadsby's Nanetteen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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