ONLINE: What makes the French laugh? Would people from other countries react in the same way? We will explore this question through excerpts from French plays, selected caricatures, comic strips, stand-up comedians’ shows, radio programs, movies, and television shows. Throughout the centuries, French humor has become more democratic, but still remains based on the subtlety of language, social and political satire, and human failings. Liberty of expression is a fundamental right rooted in France's 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, but it is not absolute and is considered a "supervised freedom" (liberté surveillée), with strict legal limits prohibiting hate speech, Holocaust denial, and public insults based on origin, religion, or orientation. The background to historical, societal, or idiomatic expressions will be posted on the website to allow students to fully grasp the humor behind each document. The course is taught entirely in French. | Facilitated discussion.
Max enrollment: 15.
Class sessions are recorded.
