Laughter in times of distress: Pandemic humor and satire in Iran

Through analyzing Iranian humor and satire collected during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, this research investigates the potential psychological and socio-political affordances of humor and satire. By employing a cultural studies approach, the study highlights how these cultural expressions offer unique insights into societal dynamics and power structures during crises. It argues that humor was largely used for emotion-focused coping at an individual and psychological level and for problem-focused adaptation in the context of information provision, while satire primarily focused on problem-focused adaptation at a collective level. Healthcare providers mostly used humor for emotion-focused coping to help themselves, their colleagues and suffering patients navigate trying times. Meanwhile, people employed humor to combat misinformation, advocate responsible behavior, criticize political and religious authorities for their incompetence in managing the crisis and censure economic decisions that imposed further difficulties on them.