Pushing the boundaries: an evaluation of the use of profanity and its relevance in Indian stand-up comedy

Abstract

Stand-up comedy performances in India are undergoing significant changes, marked by transformations in linguistic choices. One noteworthy shift is the inclusion of profane words in the repertoire of Indian stand-up comedians. Given the context that obscene and vulgar content in a public performance may be punishable by imprisonment under Indian laws, this development demonstrates a crucial cultural shift in a conservative society like India’s. This study employed critical discourse analysis to analyse videos (n = 82) of stand-up comedy uploaded on YouTube of Indian stand-up comedians, to understand the content delivery styles and the usage of profanity. The findings revealed that many Indian comedians purposefully incorporated Hindi and English profanity into their stand-up acts, either as an inherent part of their performance style or to amplify the impact of certain portions of their discourse. Interestingly, these videos were also published online without censoring the profanity, indicating a departure from strict self-censorship practices. The results demonstrate the integral role of profanity and its increasing relevance in the discourse of Indian stand-up comedy within the Indian urban subcultural context.

Keywords:

• Indian comedy
• stand-up comedy
• comedic discourse
• profanity
• comedy studies

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback and comments.

Disclosure statement

There is no conflict of interest.

Notes

1 FIR or First Information Report is a legal complaint that is registered at an Indian police station for further investigation. An FIR usually involves specific criminal charges against the accused.

2 PIL or Public Interest Litigation, is a legal plea accepted by Indian courts from an individual for deliberation as it may concern larger sections of the society.

3 Set: A performance of a stand-up comedian where the discourse has a beginning, middle and end. A stand-up performance may include several sets and one set may lead into another set, but one set is one complete narration. A set doesn’t have a fixed time frame for narration.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Soumyadipta Banerjee

Soumyadipta Banerjee is pursuing his PhD from Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Manipal University Jaipur. His research work focuses on news bias and cultural bias. He has worked for several reputed Indian newspapers and news websites. Email: [email protected]

Avneesh Kumar

Avneesh Kumar is working as a senior assistant professor at the Department of Journalism of Mass Communication, Manipal University Jaipur. His research interests include media and cultural practices, framing and mediated political communication. Email: [email protected]