Abstract
In this paper, I examine the case of Indian comedian Munawar Faruqui who was jailed in India before even starting a show in January 2021. In February of 2021, Hindus for Human Rights held a solidarity event called The Right to Laugh for Faruqui and his jailed colleagues. In this paper, I consider the transnational flows and functions of comedy in a global and post-colonial context. Looking at rights discourses and using a transnational feminist approach, I ask several questions: Who has the right to laugh? Who has the right to joke? How is this right bound up in colonial histories, nationalism, race, gender, and religion?
Presenters
Joseph RichardsStudent, Ph.D., University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
Stand-Up Comedy, Comedy, Transnational Feminism, Indian Diaspora, Human Rights, Nationalism
