Discourse analysis of SMS Jokes: a Cross-Cultural Comparison of Joke Strategies in Persian and English

Abstract

SMS is the newest, easiest, and cheapest mode of communication technology uses nowadays and SMS jokes are one of the most widespread kinds of communication opportunity for people. Through SMS jokes people express their philosophical, psychological, sociological, anthropological, and political concerns. In this study, 2400 Farsi and 1500 English SMS jokes are examined to check the underlying strategies used in them for creating fun and laughter. A typology of 20 strategies is presented, analysed, compared, and contrasted by the researchers. The results show that English uses all the 20 strategies while Farsi uses only 19 strategies. There are also similarities and differences in the way people of the two different cultures use these strategies as well as in the frequency of the use of such strategies.