Digital Carnivalesque Power Discourse and Counter Narratives in Singapore Social Media

This book challenges the framing of comedic acts as apolitical and it adopts a multimodal critical discourse approach to interrogate the performance of comedy as a form of power. It proposes using Bakhtin’s carnivalesque as the analytic tool to distil for readers key differences between humour as banal and humour as critical (and political) in today’s social media.

Drawing from critical theory and cultural studies, this book takes an interdisciplinary approach in formulating a contemporary view of power that reflects social realities not only in the digital economy but also in a world that is increasingly authoritarian. With the proposition of newer theoretical lenses in this book, scholars and social scientists can then find a way to shift the conversation to uncover the evolving voices of (existing and newer) power holders in the shared digital space; and to view current social realities as a continual project in unpacking and understanding the adaptive ways of the human spirit.

1. Power as Performance in the 21st Century Digital Playground.- 2. Power.- 3. Digital Times.- 4. Politics and Social Media in Singapore.- 5. Carnivalesque as Theoretical Framework.- 6. mrbrown Show: who say we Smelly?.- 7. Anton Casey’s mistake (Singlish 55).- 8. Power as Constantly Reconstituting & the Prospects of Carnivalesque Politics.

Katy Kan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics. Her PhD examined the carnivalisation of social relations as a form of power in the digital vernacular discourse. The diverse educational pathways that she has taken over the last 30 years speak for her curiosity to explore the social world in a multi-faceted manner.

In this regard, the career choices that she has pursued demonstrate her deep interest in problematising complexities in social relations in various domains: teaching, research and the corporate world. She has 15 years of experience teaching communication at various institutes of higher learning in Singapore. In the area of educational research, she has worked on four projects commissioned by the National Institute of Education. Lastly, she has eight years of corporate experience with various MNCs.