Standing Up for a Cause. The Cathartic and Persuasive Power of Stand-Up Comedy

Stand-up comedy is an extremely versatile way of performing humour, which requires negotiation between two parties. On the one hand, the audience sits through the performance and determines the success or failure of the show. On the other hand, the comedian skilfully attempts to gear the audience’s cognitive and practical (dis)engagement through jab and punch lines, gags, etc. In addition, comedians may make use of personal testimonials or biographical events, especially if they also want to influence the audience’s beliefs, attitude and behaviour. This happens because stand-up comedy can not only deal with light-hearted topics but also serve other purposes, including social criticism and cultural awareness. It can stir debate, broaden points of view and instil change, which can be short- or even long-term. Hence, this chapter seeks to explore the cathartic and persuasive power of stand-up comedy by examining Marsha Josephine De Salvatore’s stand-up routine DM55, a one-woman show about her life as a person suffering from Beta-Thalassemia Major, an illness requiring lifelong transfusions. De Salvatore created a show to overcome her fears, challenge stereotypes and prejudice about sick people (a.k.a. ableism) and, most importantly, raise awareness about blood donation. Here, the focus is on the humorous mechanisms (coupled with audio and visual prompts) this comedian uses to persuade and influence. The linguistic analysis is also backed up by the answers provided by De Salvatore during a semi-structured interview on her creative process and the audience response.