Paper short abstract:

Subaltern/social resistance studies have interesting implications for post-1994 neoliberal South Africa, a country that achieved success on socialist ideals. Post-1994 neoliberalism entails cultural surveillance of political humour and social commentating and has grave effects for mass consciousness

Paper long abstract:

Drawing on subaltern paradigms and studies in social resistance, this discussion explores contradictions in the crafts of comedians' political laughter and social commentators as opinion makers in post-1994 neoliberal South Africa. It will be argued in the discussion that in line with post-1994 liberal theories, social commentating has become liberalized despite the growing use of indigenous languages, just as political laughter has become conformist in spite of the everyday quotidian life experiences from which its content is drawn. It is argued that as a result of these ideological and economic shifts, these crafts have by and large become mediocre as they provide stunted political interpretation and satires that explained away (mal)administration rather than arming the marginalized polity with critical vocabulary with which to challenge, demand redress and justice from the ruling elite. The only exception to the trend of political commentating in South Africa, are the views on Andile Mngxitama, whose Black Consciousness imperatives provides continuities between the struggles for social justice during apartheid and post-1994's mass call for social retribution and redress. Through a consideration of Eugene Khoza's political laughter and Andile Mngxitama's political commentaries, this discussion will demonstrate how Khoza's laughter contains and channels political opinion and how Andile Mngxitama's trenchant commentaries strike on (un)resolved historical anxieties that forces certain political discourses to be re-opened, a feat that has not been achieved by social commentaries of liberal analysts.