Standup Comedy as Humorous Detachment: Enlightenment Roots from Diderot and Sade
Standup Comedy as Humorous Detachment: Enlightenment Roots from Diderot and Sade

Summary/Abstract: This comparative and multidisciplinary article reveals an original perspective on Standup Comedy, proposing the Enlightenment philosophy as a possible roots for Standup Comedy. Subsequently, the Standup Comedian is presented as the most Rational and Detached type of actor. The comparative approach uses writings coming from the Enlightenment, from two very different, but equally iconic philosophers: Diderot, whose discourse focuses on acting (The Actor’s Paradox) and Sade, whose text is directed at gender issues from what we call today a very “politically incorrect” angle (the novel Justine). My theoretical attempt is multidisciplinary, being situated at the intersection between performance studies, literary studies and rhetoric.

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