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ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

“This Is Generally Followed by a Blackout”: Power, Resistance, and Carnivalesque in Television Sketch Comedy

McCosham, Anthony
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1174927139

Abstract Details

2007, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Popular Culture.
This thesis offers a genre analysis of North American television sketch comedy. While aiming to offer a proper characterization of the genre as a whole, it is specifically concerned with discussing and analyzing ways the genre negotiates power relationships, especially in its use of political and racial humor. The paper's initial focus is establishing a history of the development and conventions of television sketch comedy. Overall, the genre, with its mixture of parody and irreverent humor, is positioned as an example of Bakhtin's carnivalesque. The remainder of the paper examines the genre's use of political and racial humor and how power is resisted within these comedic topics. Ultimately, despite continuing struggles with institutional limitations, resistant humor is possible in television sketch comedy through the liberating powers of the medium and an active audience's quest for such humor. Sketch shows discussed include Saturday Night Live, In Living Color, and Chappelle's Show.
Becca Cragin (Advisor)
American Studies
Sketch Comedy; Television Comedies; Saturday Night Live (Television Program); Chappelle's Show (Television Program)

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • McCosham, A. (2007). “This Is Generally Followed by a Blackout”: Power, Resistance, and Carnivalesque in Television Sketch Comedy [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1174927139

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • McCosham, Anthony. “This Is Generally Followed by a Blackout”: Power, Resistance, and Carnivalesque in Television Sketch Comedy. 2007. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1174927139.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • McCosham, Anthony. "“This Is Generally Followed by a Blackout”: Power, Resistance, and Carnivalesque in Television Sketch Comedy." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1174927139

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1174927139
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© 2007, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.