Humor in Times of War: Contextual and Psychological Aspect

Abstract

Article’s purpose is to comprehend the feasibility of comedy projects in times of war, the Russian-Ukrainian war in particular, and to determine their feasibility.

Research methodology. Include the analysis scientific-sources base on a select question, monitoring, synthesis. To identify the peculiarities of the practical functioning of foreign humour projects, we watched the relevant episodes on the online hosting platform Youtube.

Results. When war breaks out on the territory of any country, the military and other relevant structures have certain training, including mental training, which allows them to concentrate on fulfilling tasks and creating plans. The same cannot be said about citizens and society who are in shelters, in their homes or just on the street and receive a significant amount of stress and negative emotions.

So what can help improve a person’s morale, what actions can distract them and help them to tune in to a positive mood? Some people prefer to walk when it is calm, while others like to eat, socialize, spend active time with family and friends. Regardless of which option you choose, it is almost impossible to go through such a period without a certain «dose» of positive emotions, which is produced by humor.

In the article, we analyse that at the initial stage of the full-scale war, Ukrainian comedians and stand-ups sought to find a conjunctural moment to return to the audience and try to help the recipient find solace.

If we talk about humour as a mass, commonly consumed product, then in this case, the focus of our research was on foreign programs of the Late Night Show format, which are traditional and popular among Western television audiences. They are broadcasted quite regularly and are in demand among a discerning audience. Each episode of the respective show is filled with original content delivered by a professional TV presenter. In such programs, jokes and laughter are quite common. But when it comes to how such programs discussed the full-scale invasion, it is worth noting that the hosts even addressed the guests in the studio (who produce lively laughter), warning against sarcasm and ridicule towards the heroic Ukrainian people, military and other professionals who bravely resisted the invaders in the first weeks of the armed conflict.

Novelty. The article analyzes the specifics of the functioning of humorous programs (including foreign ones) in the early days of the aggressor’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The practical significance. The research results can be used during the further study of journalists in the hard period of the war.

Key words: war, humor, psychology, presenter, audience.