Laughing at Power: Humour, Satire and the Critique of Corruption in Ghanaian Popular Culture.
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: This paper examines humour as a form of indirect political speech in Ghanaian popular culture, focusing specifically on satire as a critique of corruption. Drawing on Simon Critchley’s concept of ethical interruption, Achille Mbembe’s reflections on postcolonial popular hilarity, and Mikhail Bakhtin's carnivalesque, the study analyses how satirical expressions expose and negotiate experiences of corruption without resorting to direct confrontation. The analysis centres on two core case studies: Barima Sidney's satirical songs Africa Money and Obiaa Nnye Obiaa from the album Ghana Awake (2011), and the televised courtroom parody Kejetia vs. Makola. By comparing narrative musical satire and performative broadcast humour, the paper argues that the political force of Ghanaian satire lies in its cultural specificity, shared codes, and localised registers of meaning, functioning ultimately as a vital mode of political endurance and everyday commentary.
Author: Nyamekye-Frimpong, Helina
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225644592
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: