Past and present clashes as a source of humor

2025
journal article
article
dc.abstract.enThis paper aims to illustrate the semiotic and pragmatic basis of the humorous opposition between past and present scripts, which underlie many examples of multimodal humor. Highly popular among Polish viewers, the Netflix series 1670 (produced in 2023) is taken under scrutiny as a good illustration of the possibilities that the historical mockumentary as a broadly conceived genre offers to comment on contemporary global conflicts, especially between liberalism (cosmopolitanism) and conservatism (patriotism), and specifically on the political and ideological situation in Poland. The main characters of the series are depicted in rural contexts, which serve as an environment to mock the class system, different ethnic groups and religions in Old Poland, gender roles, social attitudes, technology of the past and present, and the stereotypically Polish communication style, which we discuss based on representative examples. Past topics, historical events, and stereotypes recur as vehicles for current debates, while catchy comments by characters make dialogs memorable and allow the screenplay to avoid predictability. The series tends to assume a grotesque or even farcical nature and thrives in simplifying and stereotyping Polish tradition to resonate with the audience. As contemporary problems are dressed in historical costumes, the twenty-first-century socio-political context is then viewed from a fresh point of view that allows the reinterpretation of tradition and is a good source of humor at the same time.
dc.affiliationWydział Filologiczny : Instytut Filologii Angielskiej
dc.contributor.authorBrzozowska, Dorota
dc.contributor.authorChłopicki, Władysław - 127526
dc.date.accession2025-11-18
dc.date.accessioned2025-11-21T07:47:10Z
dc.date.available2025-11-21T07:47:10Z
dc.date.createdat2025-11-18T09:56:21Zen
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.openaccess0
dc.description.accesstimew momencie opublikowania
dc.description.additionalBibliogr. s. 91-93
dc.description.number1
dc.description.physical73-93
dc.description.versionostateczna wersja wydawcy
dc.description.volume11
dc.identifier.doi10.18680/hss.2025.0004pl
dc.identifier.eissn2459-2943
dc.identifier.projectDRC AI
dc.identifier.urihttps://ruj.uj.edu.pl/handle/item/565802
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://punctum.gr/volume-11-issue-01-2025-humor-as-resemiotization/2025-0004/
dc.languageeng
dc.language.containereng
dc.rightsUdzielam licencji. Uznanie autorstwa - Użycie niekomercyjne - Bez utworów zależnych 4.0 Międzynarodowa
dc.rights.licenceCC-BY-NC-ND
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode.pl
dc.share.typeotwarte czasopismo
dc.subject.enincongruity
dc.subject.enhumour
dc.subject.enNetflix
dc.subject.enPoland
dc.subject.entradition
dc.subject.enpast and present
dc.subject.enmockumentary
dc.subject.endialog
dc.subject.engender
dc.subject.enreligion
dc.subject.enconservatism
dc.subtypeArticle
dc.titlePast and present clashes as a source of humor
dc.title.journalPunctum International Journal of Semiotics
dc.title.volumeHumor as resemiotization
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typePublicationen
dc.abstract.en
This paper aims to illustrate the semiotic and pragmatic basis of the humorous opposition between past and present scripts, which underlie many examples of multimodal humor. Highly popular among Polish viewers, the Netflix series 1670 (produced in 2023) is taken under scrutiny as a good illustration of the possibilities that the historical mockumentary as a broadly conceived genre offers to comment on contemporary global conflicts, especially between liberalism (cosmopolitanism) and conservatism (patriotism), and specifically on the political and ideological situation in Poland. The main characters of the series are depicted in rural contexts, which serve as an environment to mock the class system, different ethnic groups and religions in Old Poland, gender roles, social attitudes, technology of the past and present, and the stereotypically Polish communication style, which we discuss based on representative examples. Past topics, historical events, and stereotypes recur as vehicles for current debates, while catchy comments by characters make dialogs memorable and allow the screenplay to avoid predictability. The series tends to assume a grotesque or even farcical nature and thrives in simplifying and stereotyping Polish tradition to resonate with the audience. As contemporary problems are dressed in historical costumes, the twenty-first-century socio-political context is then viewed from a fresh point of view that allows the reinterpretation of tradition and is a good source of humor at the same time.
dc.affiliation
Wydział Filologiczny : Instytut Filologii Angielskiej
dc.contributor.author
Brzozowska, Dorota
dc.contributor.author
Chłopicki, Władysław - 127526
dc.date.accession
2025-11-18
dc.date.accessioned
2025-11-21T07:47:10Z
dc.date.available
2025-11-21T07:47:10Z
dc.date.createdaten
2025-11-18T09:56:21Z
dc.date.issued
2025
dc.date.openaccess
0
dc.description.accesstime
w momencie opublikowania
dc.description.additional
Bibliogr. s. 91-93
dc.description.number
1
dc.description.physical
73-93
dc.description.version
ostateczna wersja wydawcy
dc.description.volume
11
dc.identifier.doipl
10.18680/hss.2025.0004
dc.identifier.eissn
2459-2943
dc.identifier.project
DRC AI
dc.identifier.uri
https://ruj.uj.edu.pl/handle/item/565802
dc.identifier.weblink
https://punctum.gr/volume-11-issue-01-2025-humor-as-resemiotization/2025-0004/
dc.language
eng
dc.language.container
eng
dc.rights
Udzielam licencji. Uznanie autorstwa - Użycie niekomercyjne - Bez utworów zależnych 4.0 Międzynarodowa
dc.rights.licence
CC-BY-NC-ND
dc.rights.uri
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode.pl
dc.share.type
otwarte czasopismo
dc.subject.en
incongruity
dc.subject.en
humour
dc.subject.en
Netflix
dc.subject.en
Poland
dc.subject.en
tradition
dc.subject.en
past and present
dc.subject.en
mockumentary
dc.subject.en
dialog
dc.subject.en
gender
dc.subject.en
religion
dc.subject.en
conservatism
dc.subtype
Article
dc.title
Past and present clashes as a source of humor
dc.title.journal
Punctum International Journal of Semiotics
dc.title.volume
Humor as resemiotization
dc.type
JournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeen
Publication
Affiliations

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