Pragmeme of Political Humor in Selected Nigerian Political Cartoons
Abstract
Political humor is a recurring element in print media and other genres, touching various areas of Nigerian political discourse. In this study, the political humor deployed in responding to some prominent political events in 2016 is examined through content analysis. It examines the pragmeme of humor in selected 2016 political events that are re-mediated in some political cartoons. The selected political issues are Nigeria's 56th Independence Anniversary, the crusade against corruption, which Muhammadu Buhari commenced when he became the President of Nigeria, and the alleged 2016 budget padding scandal which rocked the House of Representatives. The frameworks for the study comprise Flamson and Barrett's Encryption Theory of Humor and Mey's Pragmeme Theory. Six political cartoons which were subjected to discourse interpretations were culled from Aprokotoons Media; an internet-based Nigeria foremost cartoon journal with a large collection of relevant cartoons resource for print and electronic media. Results reveal that audiences who are well informed on these political activities are able to decrypt the cartoons because they share the same key (political knowledge) with the cartoonist. Thus, honest laughter is produced, and on the other hand, the cartoons' essential features are subordinated to the pragmeme of humor of otiose campaign promises and the Nigerian despairing episode at 56; self-centered leadership, lawmakers who are lawbreakers and that the worst form of corruption is selective justice. Hence, these findings enhance public perception of the country's political actors and underscore the need for rethinking the receptivity in political acts, promises, and decisions.
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