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Degree

Master of Arts in English, Youngstown State University, Department of English, 1998.

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to first acquaint readers with the literature on humor that will be useful in analyzing postmodern comedy from a linguistic perspective. As a genre-specific theoretical tool for viewersand readersof television texts, this thesis provides a means to an end: a way to fine tune our perception and understanding of postmodern comedy, and more importantly, provide concrete means to analyze the structure and implicitly messages of one of its primary modes of expressionthe prime time television situation comedy. Two case studies will consider linguistic and textual construction of The Simpsons and Home Improvement and show how each sitcom relies on a postmodern power play between competing interests to engage the audience, subvert, and yet also subtly reinforce some of our traditional notions of gender and family relations to a patriarchal society.

Keywords

situation comedies; sitcoms; comedy; humor; The Simpsons; Home Improvement; gender; family relations

Advisor

Sherry Linkon

Pages

vi, 98 leaves

Document number: ysu997199852
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu997199852

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