Humor: arma política nos dois lados das Lutas Liberais em Portugal

This chapter considers humor as a political weapon wielded by both sides of the long struggle known as Lutas Liberais in Portugal from the revolution of 1820 until the end of the civil war in 1834, fought between the supporters of Absolute monarchy and those who intended to establish Constitutional monarchy as a new regime. On the side of the Absolutists will be presented periodicals written by José Agostinho de Macedo, a priest and a scholar endowed with an unquestionable talent and able to use literary resources such as satire, sarcasm and mockery. He used them effectively at the service of violence and obscurantism. His laughter was liberticidal. His work, especially the periodicals examined here, as well as the one by his follower who edited Aí vem o Papão (‘The Bogeyman is coming’) challenge a reflection on the limits of humor. On the opposite side, Chegou o Papão (‘The Bogeyman has arrived’) repaid with interest with jocular but also aggressive mockery – as far as its anonymous author was able. Both are examples of the use of humor in the public space of the periodical press as a weapon wielded for the conquest and political mobilization of public opinion.