A Revolution of Smiles? The Function of Humor in Algerian Media During the 2019–2020 Protests

Abstract

Algeria witnessed peaceful protests between 2019 and 2020, known as the Hirak . Media were both one of the major subjects and the forums of these protests. This chapter asks what role humor played as a rhetorical device for the protestors and in which media spheres these humorous takes were circulated. It focuses on how humor was used during the Hirak , and with what implications. To this end, I use data from interviews I conducted with journalists and academics, as well as analysis of Facebook and Twitter posts, and Algerian websites. The chapter concludes that humor played an important function in three different ways: 1) in creating agency for the movement by framing the demands in an appealing and resonating way. 2) by contributing to a culture of commonality, and 3) by infusing a dimension of fun and relief into a challenging wave of mobilization over an extended period.