The Power of Obama's Racio-rhetorical Humor: Rethinking Black Masculinities

ABSTRACT

This article examines Obama's savvy use of humor and argues that his intentional comedic communication offers a new model of negotiating Black masculinity. The author grounds her argument by discussing the contradictions, oppressive cultural perceptions, and instabilities of gender and racial repertoires that challenge the existence of all Black men, including our president. To disrupt these challenges, she posits that Obama engages in intentional performative practices of comedy to attain and sustain his own sense of Black masculinity. Next she unpacks Obama's comedic style, further positing that the true value of his comedy lies in the purpose and effect of his rhetorical messaging. To support her theorizing, she then analyzes a variety of comedic experiences in which Obama's humorous intentionality provides an emancipatory, rearticulated paradigm for rethinking Black masculinities. Finally, the author demonstrates the ways in which Obama's racio-rhetorical style, via humor, is already influencing other Black men.

KEYTERMS:

• Obama
• humor
• Black masculinities
• performativity
• identity
• racio-rhetoric