Female Voices of Comic Resistance in Arab-American Stand-up Comedy

This thesis will explore the implications of performances by female Arab-American stand-up comics in the United States since the beginning of the 21st century. By examining the subversive ways in which these comics tackle issues of identity through their art, this exploration draws conclusions on how this performance platform creates unique challenges and opportunities for female comics that are not experienced by their male counterparts. It will identify the cultural and sociological sources of challenge for female agency, whether internal or external and theorize ways in which they are overcome. This thesis utilizes qualitative analysis of live and recorded performances through the theoretical lens of social interaction. The analysis is supplemented by in person and documentary film interviews with Arab-American female comics as well as research on reviews, articles and archives of performances. While previous scholarship on the subject of Arab-American stand-up comedy has mostly taken into account the male voices, this thesis focuses exclusively on female comics and the significance of their performance of comic resistance to their agency.

While previous scholarship on the subject of Arab-American stand-up comedy has mostly taken into account the male voices, this thesis focuses exclusively on female comics and the significance of their performance of comic resistance to ...