On power and prejudice: Islam in French stand-up comedy

Abstract

What is a Muslim joke? While Jewish humour is a common topic for Western researchers (Davies, 1991), Muslim humour is underexplored in the Western academic field. In France, the media often use the term “Islam” to designate very different realities, not religious as such but a set of clichés about and common cultural representations of Muslims. Using the example of Islam as a topic for French comedians, this paper emphasises how the stand-up setting is suited for making fun of sensitive issues and transform the social conflicts they bear. But it also shows the sometimes-difficult stance that comedians have to take especially when they are part of Muslim minorities. Based on data collected in 2023 and 2024 from the observation of stand-up shows in France and interviews with stand-up comedians with Muslim background, it emphasises that the stand-up format fosters intimacy and enables interaction with the audience, depending on the ability and legitimacy of the joker to “mock the sacred” (Macé, 2007). The French context is especially relevant for understanding the issue of religious conflict in the public sphere and for linking this issue to humour. Humour’s potential for both social unity and transgression is here of particular interest (Quemener, 2009, 2013; Kuipers, 2009). Hence, the purpose of the comedian talking about Islam is not only to make the audience laugh, but also to debunk prejudices about being a Muslim or even to address political issues, such as racism (Spielhaus, 2013).