Humor and Nonviolent Struggle in Serbia

"If I had no sense of humor, I should long ago have committed suicide," wrote

the late Mahatma Gandhi, expressing the potent power of humor to sustain and

uplift. Less obvious is humor's ability to operate as a cunning weapon in nonviolent

protest movements. Over the last few decades, activists are increasingly

incorporating subversive laughter in their protest repertoires, realizing the ways

in which it challenges the ruling elite's propaganda, defuses antagonism, and

inspires both participants and the greater population.

In this highly original and engaging work, Sombatpoonsiri explores the

nexus between humor and nonviolent protest, aiming to enhance our understanding

of the growing popularity of humor in protest movements around the

world. Drawing on insights from the pioneering Otpor activists in Serbia, she

provides a detailed account of the protesters' systematic use of humor to topple

Slobadan Milosevic' in 2000. Interviews with activists, protest newsletters, and

documentaries of the movement combine to illustrate how humor played a pivotal

role by reflecting the absurdity of the regime's propaganda and, in turn, by

delegitimizing its authority. Sombatpoonsiri highlights the Otpor activists' ability

to internationalize their nonviolent crusade, influencing youth movements in the

Ukraine, Georgia, Iran, and Egypt. Globally, Otpor's successful use of humor

became an inspiration for a later generation of protest movements.