Claiming Comedic Immunity Or, What Do You Get When You Cross Contemporary British Comedy with Disability
Main Article Content
Keywords
comedy, cultural criticism, tolerance
Abstract
This article addresses the mechanisms by which contemporary British comedy about disability is allowed to be funny. It argues that the available academic literature on the phenomenon is scant and a critical public vocabulary missing.
References
Albrecht, G. L. (1999). Disability humour: What's in a joke? Body and Society, 5(4), 67-74.
Barnes, C. (1991). Disabling comedy and anti-discrimination legislation. Retrieved from www.leeds.ac.uk/disabilitystudies/archiveuk/archframe.htm
“Blame it on the Booties,” Mr Gee’s End of Show Poem on The Russell Brand Show, BBC Radio 2, September, 2007 (Radio series episode).
Comic Relief (2007). Grants approved Oct ‘05 to Sept ’06 UK. Retrieved from http://www.comicrelief.com/all-about-us/who-we-are/accounts/docs/uk-grant-approvals-2006.pdf
Corker, M. (1999). Disability--the unwelcome ghost at the banquet…and the conspiracy of normality. Body and Society, 5(4), 75-83.
Game, A., & Metcalfe, A. (1996). Passionate sociology. London: Sage.
Goodley, D. (2007). Towards socially just pedagogies: Deleuzoguattarian critical disability studies. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 11(3), 317-334.
Haller, B., & Ralph, S. (2003). John Callahan’s Pelswick Cartoon and a new phase of disability humour. Disability Studies Quarterly, 23(3 /4). Retrieved from http://www.dsq-sds-archives.org/_articles_html/2003/summfall/dsq_2003_summfall_02.asp
Hari, J. (2005, 22 November). Why I hate “Little Britain.” The Independent.Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-why-i-hate-little-britain-516388.html
Havens, T. (2000). The biggest show in the world: Race and global popularity of “The Cosby Show”. Media Culture and Society, 22, 371-391.
HMSO (Her Majesty’s Stationery Office) (1995). Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Retrieved from www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/1995050
HMSO (2001). Special Educational Needs and Disability Act. Retrieved from www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2001/20010010
HMSO (2005). Disability Discrimination Act 2005. Retrieved from www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2005/20050013
Mallett, R. (2007). Critical Correctness: Exploring the Capacities of Contemporary Disability-Criticism (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, UK.
Mallett, R. (2009). Choosing stereotypes: Debating the efficacy of (British) disability-criticism. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 9(1), 4-11.
McEachern, C. (1999). Comic interventions: Passion and the men’s movement in the situation comedy “Home Improvement.” Journal of Gender Studies, 8(1), 5-18.
McRuer, R. (2006). Crip theory: Cultural signs of queerness and disability. New York: New York University Press.
Medhurst, A. (2007). A national joke: Popular comedy and English cultural identities. Oxon, UK: Routledge.
Mitchell, D. T., & Snyder, S. L. (2001). Representation and its discontents: The uneasy home of disability in Literature and Film. In G. L. Albrecht, K. D. Seelman, & M. Bury (Eds.), Handbook of Disability Studies (pp.195-218). Thousand Oaks, CA/London, UK: Sage.
Oliver, M. (1990). The politics of disablement. London, UK: MacMillan.
Reid, D. K., Stoughton, E. H., & Smith, R. M. (2006). The humorous construction of disability: Stand-up comedians in the United States. Disability and Society, 21(6), 629-643.
Robillard, A. B. (1999). Wild phenomena and disability jokes. Body and Society, 5(4), 61-65.
Shakespeare, T. (1999). Joking a part. Body and Society, 5(4), 47-52.
Stott, A. (2005). Comedy. New York: Routledge.
Stronach, I., & Allan, J. (1999). Joking with disability: What's the difference between the comic and the tragic in disability discourses? Body and Society, 5(4), 31-45.
Tyler, M., & Cohen, L. (2008). Management in/as comic relief: Queer theory and gender performativity in “The Office.” Gender, Work and Organisation, 15(2), 113-128.
UPIAS (1976). Fundamental principles of disability. London: Union of Physically Impaired Against Segregation.
Barnes, C. (1991). Disabling comedy and anti-discrimination legislation. Retrieved from www.leeds.ac.uk/disabilitystudies/archiveuk/archframe.htm
“Blame it on the Booties,” Mr Gee’s End of Show Poem on The Russell Brand Show, BBC Radio 2, September, 2007 (Radio series episode).
Comic Relief (2007). Grants approved Oct ‘05 to Sept ’06 UK. Retrieved from http://www.comicrelief.com/all-about-us/who-we-are/accounts/docs/uk-grant-approvals-2006.pdf
Corker, M. (1999). Disability--the unwelcome ghost at the banquet…and the conspiracy of normality. Body and Society, 5(4), 75-83.
Game, A., & Metcalfe, A. (1996). Passionate sociology. London: Sage.
Goodley, D. (2007). Towards socially just pedagogies: Deleuzoguattarian critical disability studies. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 11(3), 317-334.
Haller, B., & Ralph, S. (2003). John Callahan’s Pelswick Cartoon and a new phase of disability humour. Disability Studies Quarterly, 23(3 /4). Retrieved from http://www.dsq-sds-archives.org/_articles_html/2003/summfall/dsq_2003_summfall_02.asp
Hari, J. (2005, 22 November). Why I hate “Little Britain.” The Independent.Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-why-i-hate-little-britain-516388.html
Havens, T. (2000). The biggest show in the world: Race and global popularity of “The Cosby Show”. Media Culture and Society, 22, 371-391.
HMSO (Her Majesty’s Stationery Office) (1995). Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Retrieved from www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/1995050
HMSO (2001). Special Educational Needs and Disability Act. Retrieved from www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2001/20010010
HMSO (2005). Disability Discrimination Act 2005. Retrieved from www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2005/20050013
Mallett, R. (2007). Critical Correctness: Exploring the Capacities of Contemporary Disability-Criticism (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Department of Geography, University of Sheffield, UK.
Mallett, R. (2009). Choosing stereotypes: Debating the efficacy of (British) disability-criticism. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 9(1), 4-11.
McEachern, C. (1999). Comic interventions: Passion and the men’s movement in the situation comedy “Home Improvement.” Journal of Gender Studies, 8(1), 5-18.
McRuer, R. (2006). Crip theory: Cultural signs of queerness and disability. New York: New York University Press.
Medhurst, A. (2007). A national joke: Popular comedy and English cultural identities. Oxon, UK: Routledge.
Mitchell, D. T., & Snyder, S. L. (2001). Representation and its discontents: The uneasy home of disability in Literature and Film. In G. L. Albrecht, K. D. Seelman, & M. Bury (Eds.), Handbook of Disability Studies (pp.195-218). Thousand Oaks, CA/London, UK: Sage.
Oliver, M. (1990). The politics of disablement. London, UK: MacMillan.
Reid, D. K., Stoughton, E. H., & Smith, R. M. (2006). The humorous construction of disability: Stand-up comedians in the United States. Disability and Society, 21(6), 629-643.
Robillard, A. B. (1999). Wild phenomena and disability jokes. Body and Society, 5(4), 61-65.
Shakespeare, T. (1999). Joking a part. Body and Society, 5(4), 47-52.
Stott, A. (2005). Comedy. New York: Routledge.
Stronach, I., & Allan, J. (1999). Joking with disability: What's the difference between the comic and the tragic in disability discourses? Body and Society, 5(4), 31-45.
Tyler, M., & Cohen, L. (2008). Management in/as comic relief: Queer theory and gender performativity in “The Office.” Gender, Work and Organisation, 15(2), 113-128.
UPIAS (1976). Fundamental principles of disability. London: Union of Physically Impaired Against Segregation.
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Nov 3, 2014
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Author Biography
Rebecca Mallett, Senior Lecturer in Disability Studies, Sheffield Hallam University
Rebecca Mallett, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer in Disability Studies at Sheffield Hallam University. She is co-founder of the Cultural Disability Studies Research Network (www.cdsrn.org.uk) and her recent work has focused on the interpretative strategies of contemporary disability criticism. She may be contacted at: [email protected].