Thalia's Revenge: Ethnography and Theory of Comedy

Abstract

This article compares theories of comedy to the development of modern ethnography. The discussion begins with a review of 18th-century English satire, followed by commentary on the place of comedy in Western intellectual traditions. In considering the relationship between theories of comedy and modern ethnography, I argue that the genres have in common the regular use of literary modes of exaggeration, exceptionality, reversal, and practice. These shared modes suggest similar critical intent. Recognizing a relationship between theories of comedy and modern ethnography adds to our appreciation of the plurality of the ethnographic endeavor.