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Number3,2013

Introduction
Disability,HumourandComedy

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TomCoogan(bio)andRebeccaMallett(bio)
Ithasincreasinglybecomeapparentthatthestudyofhumourarounddisabilityisabout
morethanthewayacertaindiscoursetreatsacertainobject.AsRebeccaMalletthas
discussed,inmorethanonepaper,criticaltheoriesoftherepresentationofdisability
thatunproblematicallypositionnondisabledlaughteratdisabilityastheproduct,the
symptom,andthecauseofnegativeanddiscriminatoryattitudes,fallshortwhenthey
attempttodealwiththecomplexitiesofhumour.Asaresponsetothis,scholarshave
searchedelsewhere,withbothMallettandTomCooganjumpingdisciplinary
boundariesinsearchofalternativecriticalapproaches.ForCoogan,thisinvolved
borrowingfromhumourtheory(inareassuchasthestudyofethnic/racisthumour)in
ordertoexaminetheuseofdisabilityinsatiricalhumour.Thepresentspecialissue
furtherdemonstratestheusefulnessofdemolishingsuchboundariesandacknowledging
thatstudiesofhumourandstudiesofdisabilityhavemuchtooffer,andtolearnfrom,
eachother.Thisisnottosaythatvaluableworkondisabilityandhumourhasnot
alreadybeenconducted,butthatitmaybetimetosubstantiallyrevisitthisareainthe
lightofrecenttheoreticaldevelopmentsinbothareasofstudy.
Thetimelinessofthisreexaminationisapparent,forexample,inthefitbetween
DavidMitchellandSharonSnydersconceptofnarrativeprosthesisandincongruity
theory,which,asMorreallpointsout,isthecurrentpreeminenttheoryofhumour.
Narrativeprosthesisidentifiesdisabilityasthecrutchuponwhichnarrativesleanfor
theirrepresentationalpowerincongruitytheory,asMorreallexplains,attributeshumour
tosituationswherethereissomethingodd,abnormaloroutofplace,whichweenjoy
insomeway(68).WehighlightedthiscongruenceintheCFPforthepresentissue,but
itrepresentsjustoneofmanyproductivejuncturesbetweendisabilityandhumour.
Disabilitystudiesandhumourstudiesshareanintriguingslipperinessofterminology,
anditistemptingtothinkthatstudyingbothintandemmightallowustogetafirmer
grasponeach.AsFrancesHaslerputsit,thebigideaofBritishdisabilitystudiesis
thesocialmodelofdisability,whichsimplyandclearlydemonstrates[EndPage247]
thedistinction(althoughopentofurtherdebate)betweensociallyconstructeddisability
andimpairment.Humourstudieswouldbenefitfromsuchattemptsatclarity:asCarmen
Moranhasobserved,humourisatermwithamultitudeofmeanings.Shedescribesit
asacognitivestyleatermforastimulus(e.g.ajoke)ortheresponsetoit(e.g.
laughter)atermforcomplexinteractionsbetweenindividuals,orforabroadersocial
processapersonalitytrait,oraninherentcharacteristicanabilitytogeneratea
response,producearesponse,ordetect/observethetwo.Toaddtothecomplexity,we
alsohavethenotionofcomedytocontendwithanotionwhichbringswithitanother
setofinterpretationsandexpectations.
Therehavebeentwoparticularlynotablevolumesofworkfocusingondisability,
humour,and/orcomedytodate:a1999issueofBodyandSocietyanda2003Disability
StudiesQuarterlysymposium.TheformercomprisesapaperbyIanStronachandJulie
Allan,andresponsesfromnotabledisabilitystudiesfiguressuchasTomShakespeare
andMairianCorker.StronachandAllanarguethat,whilethelatentlycomicis
structurallypresentinsomesituationsinvolvingdisabledpeople,thecomedyofthese
situationsisphenomenallyimpossiblebecauseofa(supposed)tabooonlaughingat
disabledpeople(39).Shakespearerefutesthis,observingthatMostpeoplewithvisible
impairmentswillhaveexperiencedpeoplelaughingdirectlyatthem.Hearguesthat
thereisnotaboothatoursociety,infactrevelsinthesharedjokeabouttheoutsider
butthatpeoplefeelembarrassedabouttheviolencewhichitperpetrates(48).This
stateofaffairsmightbeexplainedbytheworkofMichaelBillig,whonotesthatpeople
employinghumourliketobelieve,tothatpointofwilfulselfdelusion,thattheir
humourisacceptable(27).Indeed,Corkerinsiststhathumourdirectedatdisabled
peopleisaconstructeddefence,whichseekstooverwritedisabledpeoples
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Disability
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2013

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ProjectMUSEIntroduction:Disability,HumourandComedy

experienceswiththedisembodiedsocial,epistemological,textualandcognitive
structuresofthenondisabled.StronachandAllansconceptionoftransgression,which
Corkerseesasthecomicdiscourseofprojectedridicule,is,infact,pittedagainst
truetransgression,epitomizedforherbyBakhtinsinsideoutcarnivalesque
subversion(80).
Corkerdoesnotdenyhumourspotentialintermsoftruetransgression.Indeed,she
observesthatmoreknowledgefromthecollectiveworldofdisabledpeoplemight
haveyieldedadifferentinterpretationforStronachandAllansworkondisabilityand
humour(78).Forher,atrulysubversivehumourofdisabilityisdefinedbyits
inscriptionbydisabledpeopleandtheparticularwayinwhichitjokeswithdisability
(81).Whilesheconcedesthatsuchhumourmayretainagrotesquerealism,and
contaminationbyableistdiscourses,itisdefinedbyanemancipatorypraxis.She
warns,[EndPage248]however,thatsuchcomicnarrativescanbedisembodied
from[a]senseofsolidaritythroughdecontextualization(81).Thispointfitswith
AlbertRobillardscriticismofStronachandAllansrelianceonliteraryanalysisfor
evidence.Hecallsforanalysisofrecordedspecimensofactualhumorousinteraction
fromactuallayandprofessionaldisabledcomediansinrealtime,todeterminehow
humourisusedtointegratedisabledpeopleintotheongoingsocialsurround(6163).
Withoutthis,heinsists,wouldbeanalystsofdisabilityhumoursimplyimagineor
deduce,producingvaguemetastatements(64).Indeed,whentheinductive,
empiricalresearchherecommendsisconductedinnondisabilityhumourcontexts,such
asHowittandOwusuBempahorBaumgartnerandMorris,theresultsare
illuminatinglycounterintuitive.
TheentiretyoftheDisabilityStudiesQuarterlysymposium,DisabilityandHumor,
editedbyBethHallerandSueRalph,isessentialreadingforscholarsofdisability,
humour,andcomedy,butlimitedspacepermitsustofocusonlyonthetwoarticlesmost
pertinenttothisintroductionsthemeofundertheorization:BethMeszarossdiscussion
ofdisabilityandblackcomedy,andCarmenMoransanalysisofhumourasacoping
strategyfordisabledpeople.Arguably,Meszarossworkpointstoawayinwhichwe
mightreconfigureblackcomedyintosomethingtrulysubversive.Sheobservesthatit
hasnotruckatallwithdecorumorsentiment,andisdiscordant,subversive,
impolite,addressingsubjectsthatareusuallyofflimits.WemightlinkMeszaross
worktothatofJerryPalmer.Palmerusesthetermdecorumtodescribethebalance
betweentheaestheticandtheethicalinparody,definingitasadecisionabouttheform
ofexpressionwhichispubliclyjudgedappropriateforagivensettingandtheme(82
83).Decorum,then,canbepositionedasnormativeassumptionsabouthumour.Black
comedydisruptsdecorum.Meszarosarguesthatthenoncompliant,subversive
[disabled]bodyisathomeintheequallynoncompliantmodalityknownasblack
comedy.Thelaughterproducedhereisnottherestorativelaughterofcomedy.
Rather,explicitlyevokingtherehabilitativeterminologyofamedicalviewofdisability,
sheobservesthatthelaughterinblackcomedyarounddisabilityneithertranscends
norcures.Instead,itprovidesamechanismwherebyanaudienceisluredinto
grapplingwithmattersithasheretoforedeemedunthinkable.Inessence,blackcomedy
isaliteratureofintenseengagementthatpretendstodootherwise.Thelegitimacyof
Meszarossfocusonblackcomedyarounddisabilityisfurtherborneoutbythefactthat,
amongthehandfulofreferencestohumourinkeytextsindisabilitystudiesinthe
humanities,blackcomedyisoftenmentioned,butseldomanalysed.InMitchelland
Snyders[EndPage249]NarrativeProsthesis,theauthorsdescribeKatherineDunns
GeekLoveasamacabrecomedythatsatirizesthesensationalismoffetishistic
capitalismandliteraryspectacle,NietzschesZarathustraasadarkcomedy,and
MobyDickasablackcomedy(12,80,147).G.ThomasCouserremarksuponthe
blackhumourofJeanDominiqueBaubysTheDivingBellandtheButterfly.More
recently,MichaelDavidsondescribesLeslieMarmonSilkosAlmanacoftheDeadasa
darkcomedyoftransnationalbiopower(219).Arguably,opportunitiestounderstand
therolethatthisformofhumourplaysindisabilityschallengetothenormalarenot
beingfullyexplored.

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UsuallyILoveThe
Onion,butThisTime
YouveGoneTooFar:
DisabilityHumourand
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Moransworkontheroleofhumourincopingwithdisabilityisalsoparticularly
significant.Shenotesthatthisrolehasbeendiscussedwidelyacrossthehumanities,
socialsciences,andhealth,butthattheputativehealthbenefitsofhumourhavenotbeen
reliablyestablished,andaretreatedwithscepticismbyhumourscholarsindeed,she
observes,studiesofhumourwhichavoidthisevolutionarybiasandaddress
psychologicalandsocialfeaturesofhumourmakenoaprioriassumptionthathumoris
ahealthyandapositiveformofcoping.Moransreviewofworkonlinksbetween
humourandstress,depression,andpsychoticism,amongothertopics,leadsherto
concludethataSenseofhumor[]isnotnecessarilyasimpleandpositive
personalitycharacteristic.Tellingly,Moran,likeMeszaros,linksuncriticalviewsof

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ProjectMUSEIntroduction:Disability,HumourandComedy

humourwiththediscourseofrehabilitation:humormaybeusedtomakeoneself
appeartobecoping,ratherthantocope.ShenotesShakespearesobservation,inhis
responsetoStronachandAllan,thathumourisoftendeployedtohelpnondisabled
peoplecopewithdisability.
SincetheDSQsymposium,workondisability,comedy,andhumourhasbeenscant.
D.KimReid,EdyHammondStoughton,andRobinSmithengagewithvariousaspects
oftheroleandsignificanceofpopularcomedy,humour,andjokesinthelivesof
disabledpeoplebut,asthisbriefreviewshows,thereisstillmuchworktobedone.In
particular,wewouldargue,thatthereismuchtheoreticalworktobedone,particularly
inlightofshiftswithinwiderculturaldiscoursesasdemonstratedbyMalletts
explorationofthetolerablesubjectpositionasawayofexploringtheroleof
disabilityhumourwithinneoliberalculturalcontexts.Itisourhopethatfinding
imbricationsbetweenbothareasofstudywillprovideopportunitiestoquestionbasic
assumptionsand,inthisregard,offeropeningstoundothedominanceofassumptionsin
thepopularandacademicunderstandingsofbothhumouranddisability.
Eachofthearticlesselectedforthepresentissuereflectsthisquestioningofbasic
assumptions,andtheunfoldingcomplexitiesthatafocusedstudyofdisabilityhumour
provokes.MoritzFrinksarticleontherepresentationof[EndPage250]disabilityin
TheSimpsonsservesasanexcellentexampleofthewayinwhichacriticalexamination
oftheintersectionofhumourtheoryanddisabilitytheorycanprovideanewperspective
onwhatisnowrightlyregardedasaculturalstaple.Ratherthansimplyreadinga
familiarculturalartefact,Frinkexaminesthewayinwhichcontextsofrealismand
humouraredisruptedwithinthecartoonsitcomformat,repositioningand
problematizingnotionsofmeaning,andindeed,offence.Heexploresfurtherwhether
theuseofdisabilityasanarrativeprosthesisforhumourisjustifiedifitprovokesthe
audiencetocriticalthinkingthroughthecomedicmoment.ShannonWalterswrites
abouttwocontemporaryUSsitcomswithverydifferentstyles:theinternationalhitThe
BigBangTheoryandthecriticallyacclaimedCommunity.Waltersfocusesontheways
inwhichlocatingcharacterswithcognitivedifferencesattheheartofasitcomcontext
canactuallyservicethecriticalreexaminationoffamiliarstereotypesofab/normality,
invitingtheviewertoreconsiderwho,orwhat,isincongruous,andthereforewhat
countsashumour.ForWalters,contemporaryUSsitcomhumourismoreabout
possibilitiesforchangethanitisaboutmaintainingthestatusquo.Sheobservesthat,in
thenewgenerationofUSsitcoms,thelackofalaughtrackallowstheviewermore
leewayininterpretingandrespondingtothehumour,oreventoexperiencehumour
withoutlaughter.Theideaofcomedywithoutlaughterisalsoexplored,todifferent
effect,inDarrylSmithsarticleonthedozens/capping,theblackcombativehumor
thatarosefromslaverysprohibitionoffighting(lesthumanpropertybedamaged).
Smithspieceexploreshumoursplaceinonespecifichistoricalcontextofoppression
andsubversionestablishedthroughmyth,folklore,andmodernfiction.Indoingso,he
revealsanotheraspectofthetransgressivepowerofdisabilityhumour,highlightedby
CorkerandMeszaros.ThisinterestisalsoapparentinCynthiaBarounissarticleon
disabilityhumourinanunexpectedcontextthedark,ultraseriousworldof
ChristopherNolansTheDarkKnight.Shedescribeshowthefilmsprimaryantagonist,
TheJoker,extendscampintodisability,destabilizingthefamiliartropesthatproduce
disablinghumourfromobjectivizedimpairment,andturningtheminsteadtoa
performativetransgressionthatisflexible,adaptive,andresistanttoimposed
narrativization.Next,BrettMillsoffersananalysisoftheuneasymixtureofcomedy
andsentimentalityintheUKtelevisiondocumentarySpecialNeedsPets.Aswellas
exploringtransgressioninhumouroncemore,thispiecetiesinbothtotheideaoftaboo
andtheideaofcopingmentionedintheearlierdiscussion.Subsequently,AlanShain
shareshisexperienceofwritingandperformingcomedyfrom,andwith,adisability
perspective,inacommentfromthefieldthatoffersinsightsintothepracticeofcomedy
from[EndPage251]thepointofviewofapractitioner,asperRobillards
recommendationsforabetterunderstandingofdisabilityhumour.
TomCoogan
UniversityofBirmingham
RebeccaMallett
SheffieldHallamUniversity

TomCoogan
TomCoogan(t.a.coogan@bham.ac.uk)isaTeachingFellowinManagementattheUniversityofBirminghamsBusiness
School.HecurrentlyteachesontheBSc(Hons)inBusinessManagementandtheMScinInternationalBusinessat
BirminghamBusinessSchool,aswellastheMAinMedicalHumanitiesandtheMAinMassCommunicationsatthe
UniversityofLeicester.Hisinterdisciplinaryresearchindisabilitystudieshasincludedworkonliterarystudies,cultural
studies,sociology,marketing,andmanagement.
RebeccaMallett

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ProjectMUSEIntroduction:Disability,HumourandComedy
RebeccaMallett(R.Mallett@shu.ac.uk)isSeniorLecturerinEducationandDisabilityStudiesandisalliedwiththe
Cultural,Communication,andComputingResearchInstituteatSheffieldHallamUniversity,UK.SheleadstheBA(Hons)
EducationandDisabilityStudiesandiscoordinatorfortheDisabilityResearchForum.Hermainareasofresearchinclude
disabilityinpopularculture,interpretativestrategieswithinculturaldisabilitystudies,andthecommodificationof
impairment.

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JournalofLiterary&CulturalDisabilityStudies7.1(2013):117.Print.
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Copyright2013LiverpoolUniversityPress

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