Stand-up comedies as a way of expression for Western Muslims’ identities

Abstract

Muslims have been living in the so-called Western world for generations, shaping their identity among different societies and their place in the public space. Their activity and work are becoming an important element of contemporary western culture and, at the same time, a means to express their views, identities and difficulties they are facing. One of the contemporary and increasingly popular phenomena is stand-up comedy. Muslim comedians are performing on stages in Western Europe and the US, entertaining the audience with thought-provoking, bitter irony. Using the methodology of qualitative research employed in cultural studies, this paper attempts to answer the question what content, traditions and stereotypes Muslim comedians draw on, whether they use self-irony and exoticisation, as well as whether their works fit into the post-colonial discourse. Keywords: stand-up, Muslims, Islam, West, popular culture.