Claire Shinhea (1) & Ji Hoon Park (2)
1. Lee University of Texas at Austin, Ph.D. student, shin...@utexas.edu
2. Korea University, Assistant Professor, wint...@korea.ac.kr
Abstract
South Korea has witnessed an explosion in television programs publicizing female power, however, a large number of reports suggest the persistence of gender inequality in social contexts. This study explores Nambowon, one of the most popular sketches in a live comedy series entitled Gag concert, as part of the Korean television programs that portray the emerging discourse of postfeminism. Previous studies of gender and comedy have focused on textual meanings, and relatively little work exists to explain the audience’s reception. We explore why audiences enjoy the show, whether and why male and female react to the portrayal of gender differently, and how Confucius tradition in Korea mediates the audience’s interpretation of the show. We suggest that the audience’s responses to the show provide a better understanding of how the ideological force of gender relations functions in Korea. Moreover, the study contributes to research on postfeminism and gender humor in comedy.
