Perceptions of Humour and Aggressive Humour in Stand-Up Comedy Video on Social Media

Stand-up comedy has gained immense popularity in contemporary society for its ability to bring joy and laughter. However, humour is subjective because it depends on the context. As time has passed, various types of comedy have developed, including satirical, ironic, memetic and aggressive. Different individuals may have diverse reactions to what they find amusing.The purposes of this study are to understand the perception of humour and aggressive humour in stand-up comedy videos on social media among different ethnic university students in Malaysia. Moreover, this research will explore the reason why different ethnic university students consume stand-up comedy videos on social media. The research utilises qualitative methods and interviews as data collection. Six participants among university students from different ethnicities were involved as research participants. The findings of this study show that the perception of humour is positive and harmless, while aggressive humour is sometimes not funny at all; it can be offensive and hurtful at times. The findings indicate that humour in stand-up comedy videos is consumed and engaged more by participants compared to aggressive humour. Therefore, this research serves as guidelines for stand-up comedians, content creators and meme makers to produce jokes that are more appropriate and culturally sensitive.