Theoretical Elaborations on the Capacity of Humor in Media to Directly Influence Society
Theoretical Elaborations on the Capacity of Humor in Media to Directly Influence Society
ABSTRACT
This study provides various theoretical explanations on the capacity of humor in
the television situational comedy and political satire Abangan ang Susunod na Kabanata,
to directly produce an intended effect in society. Guided by theoretical discussions on
humor, ridicule, and satire, a character analysis is drawn from the first five episodes of
the first season of the television program. The character analysis is used as a background
to debunk the assumption that media can produce an intended direct effect in society. The
social systems theory by Niklas Luhmann explains why the mass media as a system
cannot produce an intended effect to the political system or other systems in society.
Another objective of this study is to provide archival and historical data through the
encoding and compilation of the scripts of the first five episodes of the first season of the
television program. This study is not prescriptive. It does not offer a way of how satirical
media texts should be produced in order to effect change in the current order of things nor
does it offer a standard of what accounts for an ‘effective’ satire. The study offers
additional perspectives on viewing and processing broadcast texts on political satire and
humor.