Abstract
This chapter examines how the cable show Tosh.0 succeeds by updating the familiar clip show format for the convergence media era, catering to the tastes and social anxieties of that key demographic: males ages 18–34. Despite the innovative ways in which host and comedian Daniel Tosh capitalizes on convergence media practices, he fits the familiar cultural role of the trickster who makes a game of violating social prohibitions. While ostensibly spending most of its time showcasing video clips featuring humiliating or disgusting content, it is shown how Tosh’s humor typically derives from anxiety about cultural change and the loss of privilege in the face of ‘political correctness’. Tosh.0 is an example of ‘post-PC’ humor that works to dismiss rather than meaningfully engage identity politics.
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Thompson, E. (2016). Tosh.0, Convergence Comedy, and the ‘Post-PC’ TV Trickster. In: Bucaria, C., Barra, L. (eds) Taboo Comedy. Palgrave Studies in Comedy. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59338-2_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59338-2_9
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