Having a licence for offensive humour in stand-up comedy?

Abstract From a sociopragmatic approach, this article examines potentially offensive remarks in stand-up comedy performances by Romanian origin comedians acting in the United Kingdom. The analysis highlights the sociocultural allowances that enable comedians to engage in a type of verbal behaviour that diverges from socially accepted norms in most “serious” contexts. Following the idea that these performances do not affect the status quo but rather reinforce it (in a long tradition of carnivalesque), the analysis investigates how potentially offensive humour is designed and negotiated by Romanian comedians abroad: how they introduce and develop sensitive topics in the performances, audience reactions to potentially offensive comments, comedians’ awareness of the effects of their discourse, and how they co-create a style of humour that meets the expectations of the public.