'You had to be there...': Place and the production of comedy culture

Emmerson, Phil (2015). 'You had to be there...': Place and the production of comedy culture. University of Birmingham. M.Res.

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Abstract

Comedy is an art form that has been both under theorised and studied by geographers despite the many affirmations of its usefulness to those with an interest in culture (Mintz, 1985). Live stand-up comedy in particular forms a useful epistemological means to theorise links between art, space and place due to the fact that it is both produced and received in the same moment, rather than being mediated between these events. Through an extensive ethnographic encounter with the field of stand-up comedy in the West Midlands, UK, this project thus explores the geographical implications surrounding the production of live stand-up comedy at a number of different scales. Focusing primarily on theories from Bourdieu, Butler and Deleuze and their subsidiaries - it looks at multiple aspects of the production of comedy, including: the positioning of actors within the field, creation and performance of ‘material’, and the staging of comedy shows. In doing this it highlights the often hidden power relations that are involved with producing comedy and asserts the importance of both affect and place within these relationships.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.Res.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.Res.

Supervisor(s):