Curious Christian

I came across a fantastic essay by Douglas E. Cowan on the use of ridicule in social construction and religious rivalry using the South Park episode on Mormonism as a launching point. You’ll find it here:

Episode 712: South Park, Ridicule, and the Cultural Construction of Religious Rivalry

Here’s an extract:

Using a recent episode of the adult cartoon South Park, this essay explores the function of ridicule in the cultural construction of religious rivalry. Principally, this essay argues that ridicule is not a product of derision, but of the social relationships that make derision meaningful. Functionally, ridicule serves two purposes: (1) stabilization, that is, it preempts or reduces deviance within both the aggressor group and the aggressor audience; and (2) hierarchization, that is, it reflects and reinforces a dynamic of status ascription within a given domain of social interaction.

Oh dear, I find my satirical postings suddenly exposed. Yes, I am well aware of the social function of humour, satire and ridicule. Mind you, while I do have definite target groups within my sights, they often contain an element of self satire too. Unfortunately that’s an extra subtle dimension that Cowan does not explore here.