Pidgin Comedy in Hawai’i: The Queer Resignification of Settler Culture

In 1970s Hawai’i, Pidgin, also known as Hawai’i Creole english, was the major medium of comedy because it was the language, visual culture, and attitude of the islands, a stark contrast to imported U.S. settle norms. Rap Reiplinger was a household name with his 1982 TV special Rap’s Hawaii, which addressed local culture, politics, and tourism. Analyzing Reiplinger’s TV special, I claim that his Pidgin comedy resignifies settler culture and in doing so, queers dominant settler norms. Reiplinger’s comedy thus becomes a place where Pidgin values are embodied through queer performative-it reiterates to critique.

Friday Forum Spring quarter 2017 Schedule:

Fridays 12:30-2pm
Humanities 1 Room 202

A weekly interdisciplinary colloquium series for sharing graduate research across the humanities. Join us for light refreshments and weekly presentations by your fellow graduate students.

April 21, 2017: Jaclyn N. Schultz, History

April 28, 2017: Baizhu Chen, Economics

May 5, 2017: Danielle Crawford, Literature

May 12, 2017: Kristen Laciste, HAVC

May 19, 2017: Kara Hisatake, Literature

May 26, 2017: Yuki Obayashi, Literature

June 2, 2017: Angela Nguyen, Psychology