Othering the Laughable

Abstract

Abstract This article reviews the incongruity, the superiority, and the relief theories of humour. Challenging the dominant notion of humour as a coping mechanism, it explores humour’s potential for positive transformation. It investigates the uses of humour in Nigeria, including its social and even unsuspected psychological functions. It also inquires into the problem of a seeming rising incidence of unhappiness among Nigerians despite their much-vaunted humorous nature and despite the relief theory of humour being the dominant perspective in humour studies. By spotlighting the synergy of activism and art in humour, subliminal tendencies, and Nigerians’ distinct comic intelligence, the article attempts a nuanced analysis of the production and consumption of humour, with an accent on the growing activist-oriented humour on social media platforms, particularly Twitter. In contrast to traditional stand-up comedy, this activist-oriented humour is found to be generally geared towards real-time impact through a combined deployment of words and actions. The research puts forward illustrative examples of how social media humour has surpassed other more orthodox comedic practices and thereby engendered remarkable social and political impacts in Nigeria.