Introduction to the topic
Danish humor is strange in a specific way. You are not always sure whether you are supposed to laugh, whether something is being satirized, or whether what you just watched was even meant to be a comedy. Directors such as Lars von Trier (The Kingdom), Ruben Östlund (Triangle of Sadness), and Roy Andersson (A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence) create humor that is deliberately ambiguous, unsettling, and hard to place. This project asks why that is and what it reveals about how humor functions as social and political criticism.
Project details
This research project investigates absurd humor as a form of social and political criticism in contemporary Danish and Scandinavian film and culture. It is both comparative and exploratory: comparative because it examines patterns across multiple cultural forms, and exploratory because it asks what is distinctive about the Danish and Scandinavian tradition and what it adds to existing theoretical frameworks. The project combines scholarly corpus analysis with original qualitative reception research conducted in Copenhagen, examining how audiences encounter a cultural tradition in which humor, discomfort, and irony operate as tools of social critique. The study-abroad context is not merely the setting for this research but an integral part of its methodology.
The project connects to ongoing faculty research on contemporary European cinema and absurd humor, and to a potential future exhibition partnership with STORM, Copenhagen’s museum for humor and satire.
As a Research Assistant, you will work closely with the faculty mentor across all dimensions of a live research project. The project runs across multiple semesters, and your specific tasks will depend on which phase is active when you join. These may include building a film and cultural corpus, conducting literature reviews, designing and administering qualitative research instruments, facilitating screenings and discussions, and interpreting qualitative data. You will co-present findings at a term-end event.
No prior research experience is required. The project is particularly suited to students with interests in film and media studies, cultural studies, Scandinavian studies, anthropology, philosophy, or political theory, and to those considering graduate study in the humanities.
Syllabus
Coming soon
Selected relevant publications
– McGowan, T. (2014). The barriers to a critical comedy. Crisis and Critique, 1(3), 201–221. http://www.crisiscritique.org/storage/app/media/2014-07-30/todd.pdf
– Langkjær, B. (2023). Social observation in miniature: Ruben Östlund’s short films as a model for his feature films. Studies in European Cinema 22(1) 3-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17411548.2023.2224730
– Rushton, R. (2019). Chevalier (2015) and the rules of the European game. Studies in European Cinema, 16(3), 218–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/17411548.2018.1555717
Prerequisites
Prior coursework in film studies, media studies, cultural studies, European humanities, anthropology, sociology or philosophy is an advantage but not a requirement. Curiosity about European culture and openness to unfamiliar aesthetic traditions are essential.
Additional research application required
You will need to submit an additional research application through Student Registration in order to enroll in this course.
To submit your research application, you must already be admitted to DIS.
All research application materials must be submitted on the following dates by 23:59 Central European Time:
– November 1 for spring semester applicants
– May 1 for fall semester applicants
Complete your additional research application through Student Registration.
If you are not already enrolled, use this link to apply to DIS before completing a research application.
