Abstract
Carroll, in his work on humor, posits the notion that comedy is inherently bound to the cultural environment in which it originates, suggesting that its resonance may be confined to specific societies and struggle to transcend national boundaries. This assertion invites exploration within the context of Nollywood, Nigeria film industry renowned for its prolific output of movies across various genres. Nollywood presents a compelling case study for investigating Carroll’s assertion due to its vast size enabling the exploration of diverse comedic styles. Nollywood is one of the largest film industries in the world, this sheer volume allows for a wide variety of comedic styles and themes to be explored within the industry. Also, Nigeria is a highly diverse country with over 250 ethnic groups, each with its own languages, traditions, and comedic sensibilities. Nollywood reflects this diversity by incorporating elements from various cultures into its comedic narratives. Nollywood’s audience is not only diverse in terms of cultural backgrounds but also in terms of socioeconomic status and education levels. Hence, Nigeria’s unique combination of a large and diverse film industry, a heterogeneous audience base, makes Nollywood an ideal case study for examining cultural specificity in her films. The question arises, to what extent does Nollywood comedies adhere to Carroll’s notion of cultural specificity in comedy. Therefore, this paper delves into the intricacies of cultural specificity in two Nollywood films; The Wedding party Part One (2016) directed by Kemi Adetiba and Aki and Pawpaw (2021) directed by Biodun Stephen.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Nigerian comedy, Cultural specificity, Humor in film, Nollywood, Cross-cultural humor
