Halal? Ha! LOL: an examination of Muslim online comedy as counter-narrative

Abstract

In 2012 the BBC first broadcast the situation comedy Citizen Khan, described by its writer, Adil Ray, as offering a counter-narrative to representations of Muslims as extremists. However, it is argued that Citizen Khan while offering an important challenge to the representations of Muslims as humourless and extremist also often reinforces Islamaphobic stereotypes. The Internet, however, is offering more vibrant, contemporary and relevant challenges to biased media representations of Muslims. Examining a number of online postings, but focussing the American online situation comedy, Halal in the Family, and the British comedy drama Internet series, Diary of Badman, it is shown how humour is being used to counter the most common Islamaphobic representations.