Open Collections

Maestrini, Gabriella

University of British Columbia

Through a comic poetic narrative, this dissertation tells the story of my inquiry as a magpie researcher into different facets and functions of humor with a particular focus on disaster humor and its pedagogical possibilities. I begin with an invitation to the reader to join me on this journey through my narrative approach in which my poetry and photographs figure prominently. Then I offer up some stories of my life to share with readers about my comic worldview. Following these stories, I review humor-related theoretical literature, my own comic worldview, disaster humor and particularly Mexican humor in response to disasters. Examining the function, form and theories of humor also involved engaging with the performances of several select stand-up comedians. My exploration of Mexican disaster humor was further enriched when I travelled to Mexico City where I taught a course on the cultural, social, and political functions of humor at UNAM, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Carrying through the theme of disaster humor, at the end of this dissertation, I briefly examine the humor emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic. This was a rather unexpected exploration; as a magpie researcher, it was an opportunity I could not ignore. As a result of this meandering inquiry, I believe that the pedagogical possibilities of humor require an engagement with discomfort, courage, and vulnerability. When we stop in these moments and spaces of discomfort, courage, and vulnerability, even for a brief moment to consider ourselves and others, a form of distanced intimacy develops. These stops then can reveal to us mechanisms of othering which paradoxically may create inclusions or exclusions. The recognition of this paradox involves a process of distancing which may also produce laughter. In these uncomfortable, at times, fleeting moments lies the possibility of rebellious change.

Text

2022-07-15

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/82151

Educational Studies

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/