Ideological constructs through nominal choice in Nigerian stand-up comedy

Text producers employ various linguistic strategies to create mental images of characters and construct specific beliefs about them. Previous research has explored how naming and describing contribute to meaning-making in discourse, particularly in humour. However, existing studies have primarily focused on Western contexts, overlooking the nuances of African humour. A significant knowledge gap exists in understanding Nigerian stand-up comedy’s (NSC) unique deployment of naming and describing. This research gap is addressed through an examination of how NSC artistes utilise nominal choices to construct and subvert societal meanings. The analysis employs Jeffries’ Critical Stylistics framework, examining ten selected humorous exchanges from NSC performances. The methodology combines qualitative and quantitative approaches, utilising content analysis. The findings reveal that NSC artistes strategically employ naming and describing to construct specific worldviews around the political elite, social archetypes, and race. Categories of names and descriptors are identified, including full names, first names, surnames, post-modified first names, pseudonyms, honorific titles, racial descriptors, and occupational demonyms. The research contributes to the understanding of language and power dynamics in NSC, shedding light on the ways comedians shape public discourse and cultural attitudes. The outcomes have implications for linguistics, cultural studies, and communication. In conclusion, the investigation demonstrates NSC’s significance as a platform for social commentary and critique, highlighting African humour’s creative challenge to dominant narratives.