“We’re Cooked”: Sarcasm, Snark, and Gallows Humor as a Cultural Tool for Political Activism

• In Event: Politics, Social Movements, and Emotions

Abstract

What are the cultural politics of humor movements during times of political crisis? How can young activists use humor as a cultural tool–simultaneously tapping into feelings of joy, anxiety, and outrage–to build and sustain the fight for social justice? While dominant approaches to humor are skeptical about the ability of humor to meaningfully challenge and change the social order in the name of social justice, some scholars have argued that humor can be a tool for change. This paper contributes to these efforts to understand the limits and potential of humor and joy as a tool for social change. To do so, I draw on 550 hours of participant observation and 90 interviews with members of two social movement organizations run by and for young people of color. Ultimately, I argue that humor–when paired with resources to support political action–can serve as a crucial cultural tool to build and sustain political activism. Certainly, these young activists use wit, sarcasm, and gallows humor as tools to relieve tension–providing an outlet for releasing anger, frustration, and outrage–but they do so in ways that imbues their work with joy and build a sense of community that allows them to mitigate burnout and continue to fight for social and political change.

Author

• Sadie M. Dempsey, University at Buffalo