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In:The Dynamics of Interactional Humor: Creating and negotiating humor in everyday encounters
Edited by Villy Tsakona and Jan Chovanec
[Topics in Humor Research 7] 2018
► pp. 127–152

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Chapter 6
Teasing as audience engagement

Setting up the unexpected during television comedy monologues

 | Rice University, Houston
Published online: 5 January 2018
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/thr.7.06see
Abstract
This paper explores teasing – a type of humorous play associated with intimate, everyday conversation – during televised comedy monologue performances. Thirteen teasing instances, which occurred during joke setup sequences and targeted studio audiences, were transcribed/analyzed alongside videos for: (1) what occasioned the teasing, (2) teasing sequence characteristics, and (3) their social functions. Results indicate that teasing in this genre is occasioned by discursive context (audience responses) rather than interpersonal knowledge; exploits miming/transposition, placing audiences’ words/actions on-stage; and serves to break down rather than reinforce discursive hierarchical differences (i.e. rights to performance floor), engaging studio audiences more fully into the show. Finally, audience teasing during joke setups contributes to expectations of “expecting the unexpected” (Lockyer & Myers, 2011) for media and studio comedy audiences.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Humor and comedian – audience interaction in stand-up comedy
  • 3.What is teasing
  • 4.Methodology
  • 5.Data analysis
    • 5.1Teasing occasioned by silence/delayed responses
    • 5.2Teasing occasioned by applause/cheers
    • 5.3Teasing occasioned by mixed response
  • 6.Discussion
  • Acknowledgments
  • References
  • Appendix
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