The performativity of comedic apologies

ABSTRACT

This essay examines the comedic apology ritual as a complex site of struggle over competing cultural values. First tracing the multilayered process of the categorical apology, we detail performative dimensions of apology specific to the dealing of comedy and the interpretive ambiguities of irony. Turning next to the context of the “apology epidemic,” we examine how the call for, and possible delivery of, an apology marks a performative struggle over competing norms and values. Finally, the essay traces a series of performative effects emerging from the repetition of this cultural comic apology ritual, both in its compliance and refusal.

KEYWORDS:

• Apology
• performativity
• humor
• irony
• stand-up comedy

Acknowledgements

We want to recognize the many students in Dustin Goltz’s Performance of Humor classes at DePaul over the years, for their creative investigations, reflections, disagreements and ongoing discussions of comedy, offense, and audiencing of humor. We want to recognize Emma Ballish, in particular, who met with Dusty over Zoom on multiple occasions to discuss and process reactions and reflections of contemporary comedy and culture. Those conversations were exciting, hilarious, and generative in shaping many of the questions explored in this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 In the Performance of Humor course Dusty teaches, students both study irony and satire from existing comics, and then are tasked with constructing ironic and satiric work themselves in order to gain embodied and experiential knowledge of how ironic twice-ness and audience meaning negotiation takes place moment by moment, such as in a layered pause and through a variety of nonverbal channels. Much of the class discusses current and past comedians, and with each subsequent term, students have moved further and further away from comedians who push at discussions that stray from cultural sensitivity. The boundaries for how those lines are drawn are discussed in the final section.

2 Following Chapelle’s 2022 SNL appearance, wherein many found his opening monologue antisemitic, Silverman discussed this set at length on her podcast. She said she found the set funny and brilliant and also found parts to be antisemitic in ways she took issue with. Central to her discussion was the awareness that as a Jew, she would be scrutinized for criticizing antisemitic comedy (but would not be if it were not an identity she shared). She also expected the blackface controversy would be thrown back in her face, even though she has worked for years to engage and own it. She landed in a place of frustration for how Dave heaped suspicion and a narrative of corrupt power on “The Jews,” being reckless with his influence, the cultural moment we are in, and the bolstering of antisemitic myths currently happening. Rather than call for an apology for his comedy, her response was nuanced, kind and frustrated. She acknowledged strong disagreement with some of what his work was doing, while also marking her love and respect for him, and reaffirming there are consequences for “complete and total freedom of speech and you gotta suck it up and take it, like I do. And maybe even take it in.” However, in a playful end to the segment, she marked how maybe this has led to the return of no holds barred comedy. “We are back baby! We are back to anything goes, and if anyone has a problem with it, with our art, with our truth telling, you can blame the Jews,” followed by an amused chuckle.