Satirical Tibet : the politics of humor in contemporary Amdo / Timothy Thurston.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Thurston, Timothy, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Popular culture--China.

Popular culture.

Tibetan wit and humor.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxiii, 207 pages)

Place of Publication:

Seattle : University of Washington Press, 2025.

Summary:

"Humor has long been a vital, if underrecognized, component of Tibetan life. In recent years, alongside well-publicized struggles for religious freedom and cultural preservation, comedians, hip-hop artists, and other creatives have used zurza, the Tibetan art of satire, to render meaningful social and political critique under the ever-present eye of the Chinese state. Here, Timothy Thurston offers the first-ever look at this powerful tool of misdirection and inversion. Focusing on the region of Amdo, Thurston introduces the vibrant and technologically innovative comedy scene that took shape following the death of Mao Zedong and the rise of ethnic revival policies. He moves decade by decade to show how artists have folded zurza into stage performances, radio broadcasts, televised sketch comedies, and hip-hop lyrics to criticize injustices, steer popular attitudes, and encourage the survival of Tibetan culture"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction : doing zurza

Dokwa : "Eating the sides" in oral and literary traditions

Khashag : language, print, and ethnic pride in the 1980s

Khashag on air : solving social ills by radio in the 1990s

Garchung : televised sketches and a cultural turn in the 2000s

Zheematam : Tibetan hip-hop in the digital world

Conclusion : the irrepressible trickster.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.