Brexit tricksters and the reconstruction of taboo. Populism, irony and satire in post-referendum Britain

Abstract

This article examines the role of irony and satire in public discourse on Brexit. It is argued that pro-Brexit discourse is structurally and textually ironic, that this irony has a significant relationship with taboo and transgression, and that this has implications for the analysis of Brexit. The article shows that an analysis of Brexit discourse must take account of Brexit irony and that this task is specifically aided by insight from critical humour studies. Alongside that, the article argues that some comedians, through some uses of satire, are uniquely able to criticise Brexit discourse in ways that are not open to ‘serious’ political commentators. The article uses political discourse from Nigel Farage and Michael Gove, and comedy from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, to highlight these points.

Keywords:

• Brexit
• comedy
• irony
• John Oliver
• populism
• satire
• racism
• xenophobia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Simon Weaver

Dr. Simon Weaver is Senior Lecturer in Media and Communications in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at Brunel University London. His research focuses on the rhetorical nature of humour and joking. This has included the rhetorical nature of racial, racist and other forms of offensive humour. He is currently studying the representation of Brexit in comedy. This includes a number of areas that include: the body in caricature; the representation of the ‘other’, migrant and racialized in political satire; the changing nature of taboo and transgression in UK society; and the relationship between irony and Brexit. He has published extensively in international journals, including the International Journal of Cultural Studies, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Sociology, and Social Semiotics. His 2011 book The Rhetoric of Racist Humour: US, UK and Global Race Joking (Ashgate) significantly contributed to debates on racist humour and joking. His work has been discussed in a variety of international media, including on BBC Radio Four.