DARK HUMOR IN NETFLIX STAND-UP COMEDY SPECIALS

One of the strategies that helped people cope with trauma and grief was dark
humor. This research focused on examining dark humor in stand-up comedy,
especially as seen through the theory of the Five Stages of Grief and the Benign
Violation Theory (BVT). Three Netflix comedy specials were examined in this
study using qualitative content analysis: "Baby J" by John Mulaney, "Alive from
New York" by Pete Davidson, and "I Wish You Would" by Trevor Noah. The
jokes in these specials were categorized using the Five Stages of Grief, and their
congruence with BVT was evaluated by transcript analysis. The analysis showed
that the comedy specials covered each of the five phases of grief. While Trevor
Noah's routine predominantly addressed themes of anger and denial, John
Mulaney's performance often used self-humiliating humor to express his past
experiences. Pete Davidson's show also used self-humiliating humor and touched
on severe personal losses. Dark humor was a powerful tool for addressing social
concerns, addiction, and personal tragedy. It also helped artists engage audiences
on deeper emotional levels. Comedians managed sorrow and suffering while
interacting with their audience by using dark humor. This study emphasized the
use of humor in overcoming uncomfortable feelings and societal obstacles.