Abstract
This article examines the role of shared knowledge in the production of humor in the genre of stand-up comedy (henceforth, SUC) in Portugal and in the United States. Using The Encryption Theory of Humor (Flamson & Barrett 2008) as a methodological tool for the analysis, the purpose of this article is to identify the linguistic forms that activate shared knowledge present in both cultures, as well as to analyze the common objects of humor. The encryption-decryption process is seen as a binary activity, which involves the use of “knowledge device” by the speaker (van Dijk 2012) and the “key” by the listener (Flamson & Barrett 2008). Data have been collected and recorded from performances of modern comedy clubs. Upon completion of the analysis, we found that ad hominem is widely used as a means of constructing shared knowledge in the Portuguese society, whereas humor in the American SUC is mostly aimed at social activities.
| Original language | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Revista Portuguesa de Humanidades - Estudos Linguísticos |
| Subtitle of host publication | Introdução: Discurso e cognição |
| Editors | Augusto Soares da Silva , Karina Falcone |
| Place of Publication | Braga |
| Publisher | Axioma |
| Pages | 191-212 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Volume | 19-1 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978‐972‐697‐247‐1 , 978‐972‐697‐250‐1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Keywords
- Stand-up comedy
- Humor
- Shared knowledge
- The encryption theory