Humour in the Time of the Coronavirus: A Content Analysis of Egyptian Comedic Expressions on Facebook

Abstract

One of the unique comedic expressions that evolved during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Egypt is a Facebook page called “Coronavirus”. What is exceptional about the memes published on this page is that the author adopts the persona of the coronavirus to explore issues of the pandemic in the Egyptian context. Moreover, followers of the page fully participate in this make-believe scenario that the author has established. In addition, most of the posts mock the illogical actions undertaken by both the public and the state. Memes have been created, and shared, by Facebook users, not only as comic relief but also as a means of documenting events during the pandemic. This article aims to analyse different memes created by the “Coronavirus” Facebook page in the Egyptian context. The discussion is based on content and visual analysis. Memes were contextualised in relation to real incidents or decisions criticised by the author of the page, or the meme creator. The discussion also examines the different styles and types of humour employed by the author of the page to deliver his/her message in a comic way.