Open AccessSocially Critical Humor: Discussing Humor with Erich Fromm and Theodor W. Adorno
Author(s) -
Jarno Hietalahti
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
idéias
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2179-5525
pISSN - 0104-7876
DOI - 10.20396/ideias.v8i1.8649776
Subject(s) - laughter , offensive , criticism , critical theory , humor research , psychoanalysis , epistemology , philosophy , scope (computer science) , psychology , literature , social psychology , art , management , computer science , economics , programming language
This article brings Erich Fromm and Theodor W. Adorno back into dialogue by discussing the cultural phenomena of humor and laughter based on their theoretical writings. I argue that what is typically considered socially critical humor, like offensive jokes or harsh satire, often fails to meet the preconditions of criticism in the light of Adorno’s and Fromm’s thinking. Humor, to be socially critical, has to be life-affirmative and non-positional, and it has to challenge the limits of humor. It is also claimed that in this scope, humor cannot be instrumental.