Abstract
Based on the proposition that human beings are humor beings, this article probes into Iranian society through the lens of humor. It also strives to open a window to Iranian perspectives on America. Persian online jokes as the mainstream of Iranian humor about America are focused on. The qualitative analysis of several stereotypes of these jokes offers insights into Iranian viewpoints on domestic issues as well as American society. The paper discusses three categories of jokes: “double-barrel shotgun,” “American Dream,” and “rattlesnake.” They are elaborated on against a backdrop of recent developments in Iran, Iran-US geopolitical tensions, and the social functions of humor. Iranian jokes about America chiefly serve as a secure, legitimate venue for Iranians to express their domestic concerns, permitting a discourse of resistance and awareness under the façade of humor. Such humor also reveals the tacit, socio-cultural presuppositions Iranians hold about American society. Thus, the paper can potentially shed light on how Iranian society considers its American counterpart regardless of the media propaganda and the conflicts between the respective governments. This is a notably under-explored area of research to which this article endeavors to contribute new insights.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Arthur Asa Berger, Professor Emeritus of Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts at San Francisco State University, for his encouragement and feedback on an earlier version of this manuscript. My sincere gratitude also goes to the peer reviewers and Professor Daniel Gordon, the Co-Editor-in-Chief, for his constructive comments and suggestions.
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Heidari-Shahreza, .A. When a Nation Breathes Through Humor: A Sociolinguistic Perspective on Iranian Jokes About America. Soc 58, 301–307 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-021-00608-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12115-021-00608-5