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The Dynamics of Interactional Humor: Creating and negotiating humor in everyday encounters
Edited by Villy Tsakona and Jan Chovanec
[Topics in Humor Research 7] 2018
► pp. 229–256

Chapter 10
Online joint fictionalization

 | Democritus University of Thrace
Genres are dynamic discoursal structures which are frequently subject to change so as to adapt to speakers’ new communicative goals and exigencies. The present paper explores the particularities of a quite recent genre of humor, online joint fictionalization, which seems to have emerged from oral joint fictionalization involving the collaborative construction of humorous fictional scenarios in informal face-to-face interactions among peers. The present case study reveals significant similarities between the new digital genre and the initial oral one. Furthermore, it appears that the new genre incorporates other humorous genres such as memes, which are typical of online communication and, in this new context, contribute to the construction of the fictional scenario at hand.
Keywords: humor, joint fictionalization, genre, online interaction, Facebook, fictional scenarios, meme, status update, online networks
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Joint fictionalization as a humorous genre
  • 3.Humor in online contexts
  • 4.The data of the study
  • 5.The analysis of the data
    • 5.1The structure of online joint fictionalization
    • 5.2Constructing Sifis the Cretan crocodile and his story
  • 6.Discussion and conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Primary sources
  • References
Published online: 5 January 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/thr.7.10tsa
References (64)
Primary sources
Facebook communities [in Greek]
Manolios [Ο Μανωλιός] (2015). Retrieved from [URL]
Sifis Crocodilakis [Σήφης Κροκοδειλάκης] (2015). Retrieved from [URL]
Sifis the Crocodile [Σήφης ο κροκόδειλος] (2015). Retrieved from [URL]
Sifis the Crocodile and His Friends [Ο Σήφης ο κροκόδειλος και οι φίλοι του] (2015). Retrieved from [URL]
The Crocodile of Amari Should Remain in the Potami Dam [Να παραμείνει ο κροκόδειλος του Αμαρίου στο Φράγμα των Ποταμών] (2015). Retrieved from [URL]
News articles cited in the study
Crete: “Sifis” originates in the Nile and he is… well-fed (2014). Skai.gr, August 29th. Retrieved from [URL] [in Greek]
Crete’s crocodile found dead after cold snap (2015). Sky News, March 30th. Retrieved from [URL]
Crocodile almost two meters long in a dam in Crete (2014). To Vima, July 4th. Retrieved from [URL] [in Greek]
Herpetologist Olivier Behra is here for Sifis the crocodile (2014). Newsbomb.gr, August 26th. Retrieved from [URL] [in Greek]
In Crete stays “Sifis” the crocodile (?), who may not be alone (2014). Skai.gr, July 10th. Retrieved from [URL] [in Greek]
Mystery 6ft crocodile appears in middle of Greek lake – leaving local farmers terrified (2014). The Independent, July 9th. Retrieved from [URL]
Mystery croc turns up in Greek lake in Crete (2014). News.com.au, July 9th. Retrieved from [URL]
Sifis the Cretan crocodile is found dead – defying his hunters to the last (2015). The Guardian, March 30th. Retrieved from [URL]
Sifis the crocodile to be part of Epiphany celebration on Crete (2015). Independent, January 5th. Retrieved from [URL]
Tokyo is interested in the crocodile of Crete (2014). Real.gr, July 18th. Retrieved from [URL] [in Greek]
Tourist snap: Crocodile on the loose in Crete sparks visitor rush to island (2014). The Guardian, July 9th. Retrieved from [URL]
“Uncatchable” crocodile who terrorized Greek island and evaded world’s greatest hunters is found dead (2015). Mirror, March 30th. Retrieved from [URL]
“World’s greatest crocodile hunter” fails to catch “Sifis” – Crete’s fugitive reptile (2014). The Guardian, September 2nd. Retrieved from [URL]
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