When an overzealous Christian girl attends a massive music festival, she must stop the headlining girl band, secretly a coven of witches, from opening a portal to Hell during their final encore.

Against the wishes of her domineering mother, a teen equestrian rides into the Finnish sport of hobby horsing in order to win enough money to buy her real horse back.

1987 AD. When a Satanic cult threatens to usher in Armageddon, the LAPD's top supercop manchild and his crotchety grandma of a partner must punch, kick, and shoot their way through their toughest case yet: protecting a feral 9-year-old girl who just so happens to be the Antichrist.

With the rise of feminist sentiment and the growing awareness of gender equity in China, social media has become an increasingly central space for Chinese feminist expression. However, the complex dynamics of feminist expression in these online spaces—and the role of popular culture in facilitating such discourse—are still to be fully elucidated. This dissertation delves into these understudied facets, focusing on the social media platforms Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) and Bilibili (China’s largest anime fandom hub), through a cross-platform comparative analysis of the online discussion sparked by the stand-up comedy acts of Chinese female comedians. It further narrows its focus to young (age 22-33) female audiences' engagement with these comedy routines online, probing their perceptions of the confluence between feminist discourse, humor, and social media. Drawing on a mixed-methods qualitative approach that combines content analysis of videos and comments on Douyin and Bilibili with in-depth interviews with 15 young female participants, this dissertation demonstrates how users employed the platform’s creative features to challenge everyday sexism by echoing or building upon the stand-up comedians’ gags. At the same time, the analysis also uncovers how social media is used to insult and push back against these feminist voices. Subsequently, audience analysis reflects the dual use of female comedians' humor as a tool for cultural critique and community formation, while highlighting the deterrents to engagement, such as the polarized reception, stigma surrounding feminism, and online censorship. The findings shed light on the sophisticated role of social media as a platform for digital feminist expression, and the ways in which it can amplify both feminist discourse or, conversely, give voice to misogynistic attacks. They also uncover audience perceptions regarding the influence of popular culture in enhancing female representation, albeit within a frequently binary discourse. Additionally, the study addresses broader cultural implications, including the weaponization of “Westernness” in misogynistic rhetoric and the impact of censorship on audience interaction. By situating the investigation within the context of China's digital landscape and framing stand-up comedy—a genre that resonates with millennials and Gen Z—as a unique lens through which to view feminism, this dissertation transcends mere observation of a cultural phenomenon to offer a deeply personal exploration. It aspires to enrich the literature on social media as a fertile ground for gender-related discussions and to chronicle the emergent feminist ethos of our era.

No description available.

When a submissive accessory designer discovers that his fashion elite boyfriend is stealing his designs, he teams up with the boyfriend’s arrogant ex-assistant to wreak havoc on the runway.

After moving to Los Angeles, California, polar opposite sisters Sahar and Roxana struggle to find jobs, husbands, and their Persian identity. Here’s hoping they can find the 405!

This thesis aimed to analyse slapstick comedy found in Untitled Goose Game by comparing it to early twentieth century slapstick comedy to answer the question of how Untitled Goose Game designed its slapstick comedy gags. Moments resembling classic slapstick were evaluated and tested by a formula synthesized from Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times, a cornerstone of classicslapstick comedy, and slapstick theory. The formula contained four crucial points: (a) the reliance on surprise; (b) easily understood scenarios that offered instant audience responses; (c) a build up of tension; and (d) a climactic moment to the gag. The moments were found to behave very much in accordance with the classic slapstick formula created, with small discrepancies in surprise. Through analysis and discussion, it was found that these discrepancies could be explained by the scripted nature of the humor found within the game. The answer to the research question was that Untitled Goose Game designed its humor very similar to the classic slapstick gags found in the early twentieth century using this formula, and that there was potential for more within the videogame medium. Therefore, this thesis concludes that by following this formula, video games can easily integrate slapstick humor. This insight can allow video game designers to implement the formula and therefore humor more effectively by either fulfilling or subverting the audience's expectations. / Syftet med den här studien är att analysera slapstickkomedin i Untitled Goose Game för att jämföra den med klassisk slapstickkomedi från början av 1900-talet i syfte att svara på hur spelet använde och designade sina slapstick rutiner. Spelmoment med inslag av klassiskt slapstick värdesattes och testades med hjälp av en formel syntetiserad från Charlie Chaplins Modern Times, en grundpelare i både klassisk slapstickkomedi samt slapstickteori. Formeln innehöll fyra viktiga punkter: (a) beroendet av överraskning; (b) lättförstådda scenarion vilka gav direkt respons från publiken; (c) en uppbyggnad av spänning; och (d) skämtets klimax. De analyserade momenten sågs uppföras mycket snarlikt den klassiska uppbyggnaden för en slapstick-rutin, med somliga avvikelser i (a) överraskning. Analys och diskussion visade att dessa avvikelser kan förklaras av den iscensatta naturen av humorn funnen i spelet. Svaret på studiens frågeställning var att Untitled Goose Game designade sin humor på ett sätt liknande det som återfinns i slapstick-komedi från tidigt 1900-tal genom att använda den tidigare nämnda formeln, samt att det finns vidare möjligheter att utveckla slapstick i spel-mediet. Således resulterar studien att spel kan följa denna formel för att integrera slapstick-komedi på ett enkelt sätt. Denna insikt kan tillåta speldesigners att implementera formeln, och således även humorn, på ett effektivare sätt genom att antingen fullfölja eller undergräva publikens förväntningar.

This written explication deals with the integration of the forms of stand-up comedy and domestic comedy in order to create a comic text. The comic text explores issues regarding the presentation and representation of Jewish cultural identity. The integration results in both the experienced and imagined truths of the playwright to become present on stage. These were points of enquiry in the writing, directing and performing of DRIVEN: A COMEDY IN 70 MINUTES, which opened at The Intimate Theatre, Orange Street, Cape Town on the 23 November 2004. The Introduction deals with defining key terms and forms to be used and discussed in the thesis, informing the reader of the writer's purpose in creating comic text by integrating stand-up and domestic comedy. In the first chapter the generating of comic text is explored. The generating of comic text is achieved by using the comic persona. The comic persona is developed using identity, outside voice. Once the comic persona is in place it is possible to: create an authentic stage persona for the stand-up comedian and to create a 'theatrical climate' consisting of plot, characters, themes and narrative storylines. In the second chapter the idea of pastiche (borrowed elements) is explored in terms of its impact structurally and stylistically in the writing, directing and performing of DRIVEN. Structurally this impact is evident via the use of 'pastiching' the structure of situation comedy (sitcom) and stylistically through the use of Yiddish and the influence of other comedians' performance styles on the comic persona. The third chapter delves into the way Jewish cultural identity is represented through stand-up comedy and Jewish cultural identity is presented through domestic comedy. The stand-up comedian, through persona, audience relationship and other devices associated with the form, becomes the representation of Jewish cultural identity. Characters, story and situation, through the use of both comic traits (elements associated with Jewish cultural identity) and stereotypes, become the presentation of Jewish cultural identity.

This degree project aims to research if stand-up comedy has the potential to be a tool for social change, in terms of awareness-building and empowerment. It also researches if a specific comedian can be a voice and representation for multiple social movements. The research uses content analysis of stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle to also answer how he jokes and comments on social movements. The literature review and theoretical framework covers important concepts and theories regarding the background of using humor and comedy as a tool for social change, and theories regarding representation, intersectionality and stereotyping.   The research method used is content analysis to interpret segments from Chappelle’s Netflix specials and clips on YouTube, as well as online articles and social media comments from the audience of these clips. In total 9 clips were analyzed. The content analysis focuses on Chappelle’s stand-up comedy, his jokes, and comments between the jokes.    The conclusion of this research is that stand-up comedy can be a powerful tool for empowerment and spreading awareness but needs to be finely calibrated to serve its purpose and still be entertaining. Purpose, identity, representation, and an intersectional perspective are key factors for performances that can be awareness-building and empowering. Stand-up comedy has the potential to lower the threshold for important discussions in and between groups regarding sensitive and difficult issues. In regard to Chappelle, his point of view as an African American man makes his jokes on social movements and issues both empowering but also controversial. It also shows that jokes and comments are most effective when talking about issues that relates closely to the identity of the performer.   The degree project contributes to C4D by exploring stand-up comedy as a communication tool for promoting social and development issues through awareness-building and empowerment. The findings of the study can be useful for NGO’s, governments, and other actors working in the field of development and social change and in collaboration with influencers.