Past Event! Note: this event has already taken place.
When: | Thursday, October 3rd, 2019 |
Time: | 12:30 pm — 2:00 pm |
Location: | Richcraft Hall, 4400 |
Audience: | Current Students, Faculty |
Presented by
Dr. Nicholas Holm
Senior Lecturer, School of English and Media Studies
Massey University, New Zealand
About the workshop
In the twenty-first century, humour has become a central part of the political process: satire is embraced as a popular form of political news coverage, comedians are granted access to the halls of power, and comedy is taken up as a legitimate form through which to engage political issues. For some, such developments reflect the erosion of seriousness essential for correct political conduct. However, for many others, this entanglement of humour and politics is increasingly hailed as a positive development: one that promises the possibility of properly critical form of popular culture.
In this workshop, Nicholas Holm will lead a discussion on the politics of humour in the contemporary moment, with particular reference to Canadian satire in the upcoming Federal election. The discussion will be carried out on the basis on his recent article, “The Political (Un)Consciousness of Contemporary American Satire,” which explores the political claims made for satire through an ideological model of culture. The workshop will consider how we might understand and assess claims made for the political efficacy of satire, account for the political function of a complex cultural form like humour, and what ways Canadian satire might be thought to depart from the American tradition.
About Nicholas Holm
Dr. Nicholas Holm is a Senior Lecturer in Media Studies at Massey University, New Zealand. His research addresses the political role of popular aesthetics, with a particular focus on humour. He is the author of Humour as Politics (2017) and Advertising and Consumer Society (2017), and has published in a range of journals including Cultural Studies, Cultural Critique and The Journal of American Studies.
Additional information
Faculty and graduate students are welcome to attend this workshop; however seating is limited. Please contact ira.wagman@carleton.ca for additional information or to indicate your interest in attending. A copy of Dr. Holm’s article will be distributed a week before the workshop.