Abstract
"Chappelle's Show" is a sketch comedy series that ran from 2003-2004 and that was created by and starred comedian Dave Chappelle. Chappelle focused on the issues of racism and race as gendered and as a social construction throughout the show's two full seasons. Using content analysis, my research highlights race and masculinity as a social construction within the context of "Chappelle's Show" by focusing on specific sketches within the series that play on issues of race and gender. The overarching theme of my analysis examines the idea of comedy as resistance to dominant society, specifically to race and gender norms and thus to limited expectations and representations of black masculinity. The selected sketches exemplify how humor de-centers popular narrative and positions the world within a marginalized perspective.
Advisor
Helen Crump
Committee Member
Shannon Miller
Committee Member
Kristen Treinen
Date of Degree
2012
Language
english
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Wetterberg, L. L. (2012). Deconstructing "Chappelle's Show": Race, Masculinity,and Comedy As Resistance [Master’s thesis, Minnesota State University, Mankato]. Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds/133/
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