Abstract
<p>The 26-year-old Tunisian street vendor, Mohammad Bouazizi set himself ablaze, sparking demonstrations and revolutions in more than one country in the Arab world. Protestors utilized all possible forms of expression to give an outlet for the long suppressed feelings, attitudes and thoughts. A new social discourse emerged where freedom of expression was imposed. Tunisia led the move and was followed by Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria. Though these revolting countries have many things in common, each has its own touch to the mosaic portrait of the new social discourse. Political satire has its place in this discourse where political humor has witnessed a tremendous boom. The present study was based on data obtained from cartoons, slogans, digital discourse and jokes. It investigated the use of humor by protesters in the Arab Spring countries, the linguistic devices employed and the role of intertextuality. The study revealed that humor was used in the Arab Spring countries to denigrate the presidents. Sources for intertextuality included proverbs, songs, poetry and commercials. Humor made use of some linguistic devices such as puns, synonyms, antonyms, lexical ambiguity and rhyme.</p>
Highlights
Humor is a significant aspect of social interaction that has been part of the behavioral repertoire of human beings for thousands of years
The present study was based on data obtained from cartoons, slogans, digital discourse and jokes. It investigated the use of humor by protesters in the Arab Spring countries, the linguistic devices employed and the role of intertextuality
The study revealed that humor was used in the Arab Spring countries to denigrate the presidents
Summary
Humor is a significant aspect of social interaction that has been part of the behavioral repertoire of human beings for thousands of years. One of the earliest historical figures associated with humor and laughter was the Greek philosopher Democritus who was known as the “laughing philosopher”. Since the spring of 2011, a wave of discontent regarding authoritarian regimes has swept across the Middle East and North Africa, where humorous discourse has been mocking the existing rules. Humor and political satire turn the world upside-down, challenging the power relations as part of the popular cultural aim to resist, revealing a counter-hegemonic discourse. It has always been used in many Arab countries even before the sudden outbreak of the Arab Spring. Countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and Syria faced their tyrannical leaders with a remarkable courage combined with patience and determination
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