Sixteenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

This paper uses the concept of Stuart Hall’s understanding of interpretive codes, the Althusserian concept of interpellation, and DuBois’ notion of double consciousness to explore the work of African American comedian Richard Pryor and Jewish comedian Jackie Mason and their evocations of racial/ethnic difference. John Limon claims that stand-up comedy stands up “the abject,” that which the dominant culture excludes in order to constitute itself. This paper interrogates the notion of double consciousness, especially in its relation to the awareness and play of stereotypes, as they are articulated in the stand-up comedy of the African and Jewish diasporas. The analysis in this paper situates the comedic practices of Pryor and Mason in their socio-historical framework with special emphasis on the diasporic conditions that inform both their comedy and their receptive audiences.