Humour in Asian Cultures

Jessica Milner Davis PhD FRSN is an honorary research associate at both the University of Sydney, Australia, and Brunel University London’s Centre for Comedy Studies Research. She is a member of Clare Hall, Cambridge and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales. She has twice served as president of the International Society for Humor Studies (ISHS) and founded and coordinates the Australasian Humour Studies Network (AHSN: https://ahsn.org.au/). An editorial board member for leading humour research journals and book-series, her most recent books are: Satire and Politics: The Interplay of Heritage and Practice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017), and Judges, Judging and Humour (with Sharyn Roach Anleu, Palgrave/Springer, 2018). With Jocelyn Chey, she has co-edited two volumes on humour in Chinese life and culture (Hong Kong University Press, 2011 and 2013). Her 2006 book, Understanding Humor in Japan (Wayne State University Press) won the 2008 AATH book-prize for humour research. In 2018, the International Society for Humor Studies presented her with its Lifetime Achievement Award for her interdisciplinary research in humour studies.

"What amuses people across time, geography, and cultures is never easy to define and thus usually ignored in scholarship. On the heels of her numerous volumes analyzing what entertains us across borders, Milner Davis’ new edited book brings measured insight, illuminating rarely seen worlds of how we enjoy ourselves. She does this with verve and style by digging into areas not generally viewed as centres of entertainment and comedy and by covering a wide range of Asian cultures both past and present to reveal their links."Barak Kushner, Professor of East Asian History, University of Cambridge, UK “This book offers a valuable exploration of humour in Asia, an understudied area in English-language scholarship. Humour in Asian Cultures comes highly recommended for open-minded and inquisitive readers with an interest in humour practices and traditions in Asia.”Yung-Hang Bruce Lai, Asian Studies Review, UK"Humour in Asian Cultures is a rich and diverse collection. These well-researched studies of Balinese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong humour traditions are full of revelations, from Granny Mischief to the true meaning of "head like a taro", "eating sugarcane", and "SPL". And perhaps the most sublime joke is that, as a student, its eminent editor first visited Asia on the dime of the CIA."Christopher Rea, University of British Columbia, author of The Age of Irreverence: A New History of Laughter in China (California UP, 2015), Canada"To understand the humour of another culture is to grasp its essence and the subtleties of interplay between individuals and communities. This ground-breaking book throws light on the extraordinary range of humour expression in a region of complexity and rapid transformation. Some forms draw on centuries-old cultural heritage, others emerge from the new media scenes and reflect social transitions. From ancient Chinese philosophy and traditional Balinese folk drama to Korean workplace banter and Hong Kong reality TV and much else besides, this volume offers vignettes of humour in various social settings with informed analysis and commentary from acknowledged experts in their fields. The introductory chapter by Jessica Milner Davis places the work in the context of global humour studies, highlighting the interplay between continuity and change.While much scholarship that claims to be international or cross-cultural is in fact restricted to North America and Europe, this book extends intellectual horizons to include East and South-East Asia. This edited volume will be of interest to Asian Studies and Humour Studies scholars alike, and also has much to offer the general reader who is interested to gain insights into the cultures of these fast-developing regions."Jocelyn Chey, Visiting Professor, University of Sydney, Australia"this book presents different types of Asian humour in a variety of Asiancountries and regions, which provides us with an invaluable opportunity to recognise andappreciate colourful Asian humour and culture. It also serves as an excellent platform for theexchange of humour and culture, whilst it is also conducive to the preservation anddissemination of the art of humour in Asian countries."Tianli Zhou, Universiti Putra Malaysia in The European Journal of Humour Research 11 (1) 246-250, Malaysia"An inspiring and eye-opening volume based on solid methodological ground with interesting examples taken from six different places: Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia and South Korea ….. a sneak peek into these different Asian countries and their various forms of humor."Dorota Brzozowska, Institute of Linguistics, University of Opole, Opole, Poland"A comprehensive reference for those interested in the interpretation of humour based on Asian traditions and contexts. As the editor notes, the chapters in this volume illustrate the significance of grasping the interconnection between humour and a multitude of culturally specific values in the context of the contemporary era of globalised communication." Li-Chi Chen, Kazimierz Wielki University in Półrocznik Językoznawczy Tertium/Tertium Linguistic Journal, 9 (1) 309, Bydgoszcz, Poland

• 1. Humour and cultural context: Tradition and practice in six Asian cultures 2. Humour as rhetorical discourse in ancient Chinese philosophy: The Works of Mencius 3. Humour in the huaben novellas of the Ming Dynasty: The Guzhang Juechen 鼓掌絕塵 in context 4. Linguistic devices in traditional forms of Balinese humour 5. Pluri-modal poetic performance of banter: The Angama ritual on Ishigaki Island, Japan 6. Themes, cultural context and verbal exchanges in the cartoons of Machiko Hasegawa 7. The Makura of rakugo: Tradition and modernity 8. To joke or not to joke? Politeness, power and the impact of tradition in Korean workplace humour 9. Chinese conversational humour over time: Contemporary practice and tradition in Taiwanese cultures 10. We are real friends: Women constructing friendship via teasing in a Chinese reality TV show 11. My Unfair Lady: Gender, sajiao and humour in a Hong Kong TV series