Abstract
The current study used selective perception as a conceptual framework to examine how one’s
socio-cultural identification (“Hillbilly” or “Yuppie”) guides interpretations and enjoyment of
tendentious comedy. Two episodes of Squidbillies were screened- selected based on existing
narrative analysis (Bowman & Groskopf, 2010) coupled with show writer interviews suggesting
the target episodes to offer targeted-yet-humorous critiques on the “banality and absurdity of the
[Yuppie] status quo.” A causal model connecting viewer identification, character identification,
character liking, perceived humorous intent, and enjoyment demonstrate that as one’s “Yuppie”
identification increases, enjoyment suffers due to the fact that they perceive the humor as more
tendentious towards their own peer group. Results suggest that audiences might not be as open to
humorous self-critique as assumed by past research
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 16-28 |
Journal | Default journal |
State | Published - 2017 |