New publication: “Cynicism in Contemporary Chinese Comedy Films” (book chapter)
A chapter about Chinese comedy films in The Oxford Handbook of Screen Comedy, arguing that Cynicism is an essential feature of Mainland Chinese comedy films in the early twenty-first century, and cynical humor is symptomatic of the ideological dynamics of neoliberal capitalism, authoritarian politics, and patriarchal tradition. The chapter illustrates certain formal features of cynical humor: skepticism of the authority, self-mockery, reflexive distantiation, and conscious enjoyment of illusions.
Full text published online: https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/60834/chapter-abstract/529642149?redirectedFrom=fulltext
Posted by: Yung-Hang Bruce Lai <brucelaiyung@gmail.com>