Abstract
The Internet is a communication space where newly formed communities are searching for ways to reflect on their social nature. We provide a theoretical framework to demonstrate how humor was used to manipulate social groups before and after the emergence of the media. We use Critical Discourse Analysis and pragmatics to study several cases of social manipulation through humor. The two Internet communities, 2ch and Pikabu, being among the largest Russian-speaking entertainment communities, often compete and use humor as a way to manipulate their representatives for social purposes: to consolidate, fight back, reflect on the norms and values of their community. Our research shows that these communities follow the old traditions of humor and laughter in order to organize a poorly regulated information space. Although 2chers tend to use trolling more often, there is no general difference between these communities in the way they use humor to manipulate their social group.
 Keywords: humor, laughter, Internet, social cognition, Critical Discourse Analysis, pragmatics, speech act
Highlights
The opening scene of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet depicts a fight between servantsSelection and Peer-review under the responsibility of the 4th СTPE 2019 Conference Committee.of the two houses, Montague and Capulet
The current research studies how two Russian-speaking Internet communities, 2ch and Pikabu, use humor to reflect on their social group
We proceed with the description of the applied methods of Critical Discourse Analysis and pragmatics and analyze communicative practices of the two Internet communities, 2ch and Pikabu, based on a collection of texts from their sites
Summary
The opening scene of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet depicts a fight between servants. Representatives of the rivaling communities mock each other following long ago established cultural rituals. What do they do if they cannot physically access any of the competitors to start a fight?. The current research studies how two Russian-speaking Internet communities, 2ch and Pikabu, use humor to reflect on their social group. It is important that due to the agonistic nature of humor (discussed further) we compare twocompeting' communities For this purpose we chose 2ch and Pikabu. We proceed with the description of the applied methods of Critical Discourse Analysis and pragmatics and analyze communicative practices of the two Internet communities, 2ch and Pikabu, based on a collection of texts (posts and comments) from their sites. We conclude about the social grounds and communicative nature of humor in the studied texts
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