1. “The ironic speech situation: discursive democracy, citizenship, and humor” Sammy Basu PhD Associate Professor of Politics Willamette University Salem Oregon, USA

2. Overview I. Deliberative democracy II. What ’ s so bad about humor? III. What is humor? IV. What ’ s so bad about deliberative democracy? V. The ironic speech situation

3. I. Deliberative democracy Representative democracy and communitarian alternatives Jurgen Habermas and the Ideal Speech Situation according to which “ In the final analysis, the normative content arises from the very structure of communicative actions ” (1996:26).

5. II. What ’ s so bad about humor?

6. 1. The buffoon

7. For Habermas (1982:271), “ jokes, fictional representations, irony, games, and so on, rest on intentionally using categorical confusions which, in the wake of the differentiation of validity-claims and corresponding modes (being/illusion, is/ought, essence/appearance), are seen through as category mistakes. ”

8. 2. The cynic, or misanthrope

9. 3. The boor

10. 4. The hysteric

11. III. What is humor?

12. The essence of humor close juxtaposition of two or more phenomena, frames, etc.

13. Modes of appreciation PhysiologicalCognitive close juxtaposition of two or more phenomena, frames, etc. AffectiveEvaluative

14. Theories of Humor PhysiologicalCognitive RELIEF: pleasurable relief as pent-up nervous energy, anxiety, or sensory excitement is rapidly deflated INCONGRUITY: pleasurable recognition of relation between the familiar and what initially is unexpected and/or meaningless but subsequently proves meaningful close juxtaposition of two or more phenomena, frames, etc. RELEASE: pleasurable release of psychic energy otherwise used to regulate or repress socially taboo topics or desires SUPERIORITY: pleasurable sense of one ’ s relative eminence at the expense of someone or something aggressively downgraded Affective/Evaluative

15. Theories of Humor The Hysteric Physiological RELIEF The Buffoon Cognitive INCONGRUITY close juxtaposition of two or more phenomena, frames, etc. RELEASE Affective The Boor SUPERIORITY Evaluative The Cynic

16. Theories of Humor PhysiologicalCognitive RELIEF: pleasurable relief as pent-up nervous energy, anxiety, or sensory excitement is rapidly deflated INCONGRUITY: pleasurable recognition of the close juxtaposition of the familiar against what initially is unexpected and/or meaningless but subsequently proves compactly yet pivotally meaningful close juxtaposition of two or more phenomena, frames, etc. RELEASE: pleasurable release of psychic energy otherwise used to regulate or repress socially taboo topics or desires SUPERIORITY: pleasurable sense of one ’ s relative eminence at the expense of someone or something aggressively downgraded Affective/Evaluative

17. IV. What ’ s so bad about deliberative democracy?

18. 1. Buffoon, or capacity for Holistic critic Specific critic Linguistic critic

19. Holistic criticism: Modern Times

20. Specific Criticism

21. Linguistic criticism: Support our tropes

23. 2. Boor, or Devil’s Advocate?

24. “ It would seem that you cannot be funny without being vulgar — …. For it is not only sex that is ‘ vulgar ’. So are death, childbirth and poverty, the other three subjects upon which the best music-hall humour turns. And respect for the intellect and strong political feeling, if not actually vulgar, are looked upon as being in doubtful taste. You cannot be really funny if your main aim is to flatter the comfortable classes: it means leaving out too much. To be funny, indeed, you have got to be serious. ” Orwell (1968)

25. 3. Cynic (and misanthrope) or necessary hostility?

27. 4. Hysteria or just cracking up?

28. V. The ironic speech situation Truth ideal reasoned speech testimony Critical Disengag ement exitfoot- dragging and mumbling critical engagement through comic voice lipservice and marching loyaltyUncritical Engagement fraud force Untruth