Laughing in the Polis: Political Expression Through Stand-Up Comedy in Paris, France

Stand-up comedy is booming in Paris, attracting a predominantly young and highly diverse audience, wherein equally heterogeneous performers reflect on their 143ersonal experiences regarding topics such as race, gender, and identity. The humorous intersection of personal issues with socio-political themes motivates the following research question: How and why do comedians in Paris claim stand-up comedy as a vehicle of political expression? Drawing on qualitative methods, including participant observations and semi-structured interviews, the study finds that while political expression is an inherent aspect of stand-up comedy, not all comedians recognise the inherently political character of their actions, nor do they stress it as a driving factor. These differences were accompanied by diverging motivations for the performance of stand-up comedy in Paris, ranging from the ubiquitous ambition to make people laugh and have a great time, to educating the audience on a particular subject matter. By situating these findings within an understanding of the political, according to the work of Hannah Arendt and Nina Eliasoph, the research contributes to building an understanding of stand-up comedy as a vehicle of political expression, highlighting its role in contemporary Parisian society.