| Unit name | German Humour |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GERM30056 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Allinson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites | |
| Co-requisites | |
| School/department | Department of German |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Students will be sent home after week 1. Everyone knows that Germans have no sense of humour. Just kidding. They do. And this unit explores some of the ways in which it is expressed. The four main areas the unit will look at are full-length comedy films (Loriot, Gerhard Polt); stand-up comedy (Bülent Ceylan, Pigor und Eichhorn); op-ed cartoons on current affairs, both national and international (Behrendt, Greser und Lenz); and satirical cartoon books about National Socialism (Walter Moers). In addition to close textual and visual analyses students will explore the often controversial reception of these works, thus gaining an appreciation of the interests of public audiences and of particular sensitivities with regard to both content (class, race, region, ideology) and language (political correctness, dialects, jargon).
The aim of this unit is to gain an overview of humourous works in different media which deal with a whole range of different topics. The unit is thus a kind of introduction to current social and political issues in Germany. While not being “a joke” itself, the unit will hopefully also be entertaining.
Students will benefit from this course on three levels: by gaining a greater appreciation of the complexities (i.e., the potential for misunderstandings and for humouristic resolution) inherent in a number of key issues in German society; by developing analytical tools for humouristic works; and by increasing their ability to assess the interplay between specific media and their respective audiences.
Two weekly taught hours, comprising informal lectures and seminar discussions.
Introductions to issues, artists, works, and certain language issues will be provided by the instructor. Textual ambiguities and the nature of ensuing controversies will be explored in a seminar format.
Corresponding to the first learning outcome, 5 short homework essays summarising, in no more than 500 words, the signicance of a particular topic. (25 %)
And a presentation on a work: the presenter will introduce the topic, providing background information and information on recent or otherwise notable developments in the area. The aim is to highlight what is at stake, who is invested, and where there is a potential for misunderstandings and surprises. This part should be researched on the basis of reliable journalistic and scholarly sources. The presenter will then briefly introduce the artist, providing biographical data as well as information on major works and their critical reception, drawing on the artist’s web site and the internet presence of the artist’s representative (publisher, etc.) and on reviews in both reputable media outlets and online forums. (15 %)
Corresponding to the second learning outcome, 5 short translation exercises, dealing with around 100 words of text each. The aim here is not to arrive at a polished English version of what might a complex German text, but to discuss – and explore creatively – textual ambiguities that are exploited for humourous effects. (20 %)
Corresponding to the third learning outcome, a research paper of around 2,500 words analysing and assessing the critical reception of one of the works studied in the course. (40 %)
Bülent Ceylan: Ganz schön turbülent SWR3: Jogis Jungs Oliver Polak: Ich darf das, ich bin Jude Walters Moers: Adolf Gerhart Polt: Man spricht deutsh Katz und Goldt: Rumpfkluft
