Ironic Performativity: Amy Schumer's Big (White) Balls

Abstract

The essay examines Amy Schumer's breakout performance in the controversial Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen to unpack and theorize the workings of ironic performativity. The essay offers processual language (the doing of racism, the doing of sexism, etc.) correctives for audiencing, naming, and making sense of layered ironic performances to foster more complex audiencing practices and engage the work with greater critical scrutiny and possibility. The analysis underscores the necessity of critical self-reflexivity in the processing of ironic comedy, as audiences are co-authors and co-owners of the meanings produced in this work (whether offense, laughter, subversion, or potentiality).