230558 Humour studies - Structures and Participation Frameworks of TV Comedies (BS) (SoSe 2015)

We know a sitcom when we see one, or so it seems. TV viewers seem to have an intuitive understanding of the characteristic features of sitcoms, standup-comedy, panel shows, and sketch comedy. But there are some shows that defy classification, and they are often the most interesting cases.
In this course, we look at (mostly) linguistic structures that characterise various comedy genres and formats. Among other things we analyse incongruities and aggression which constitute humour. A main concern is also to reconstruct the participation structure of different comedies, i.e. who talks to whom on what level of the ongoing discourse? Who witnesses comic failures? Who is the victim of a humorous put-down? And finally: What is the role of the TV viewer in all this?

The course is mainly empirical: We read theoretical texts, but we also watch and analyse a healthy variety of comedies, and participants are invited to bring and present their own examples.

Bibliography

Drew, Paul/Anthony Wootton (Eds.) (1988). Erving Goffman. Exploring the Interaction Order. Oxford: Polity
Dynel, Marta (2011). "You talking to me?" The viewer as a Ratified Listener to Film discourse. Journal of Pragmatics 43, 1628-1644.
Goffman, Erving (1981). Forms of Talk. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Lewisohn, Mark (1998). Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy. London: BBC Worldwide.
Wilmut, Roger (1981). From Fringe to Flying Circus: Celebrating a Unique Generation of Comedy 1960-1980. London: Book Club Associates.