Gendering, Jeering, and COVID-19: A Feminist Critique of Social Media Humor

Abstract

This study aims to shed light on the stereotypical gender identities presented in the online humor regarding Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Pakistan. To uncover gender stereotypes, Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis provided a theoretical background for this study.The data consisted of 42 posts from social media (Facebook and WhatsApp)that were collected through purposive quota sampling during the lockdown period in Pakistan. These posts were divided into twleve thematic categories. A culturematic content analysis of the posted jokes revealed that Corona related social media humor is unanimously dedicated to creating a face-threatening image of females, especially wives. This article argues that wives are being constructed as callous, impatient, and materialistic beings through corona joke-posts.The study provides an insight into how jokes are ascribing gender identities of women, especially wives in a destructive persona.Such consistent negative representation of particular identities may result in severe emotional and psychological effects on both genders and increased marital conflicts. The study suggests that there should be balanced and positive discourses onmedia and other institutions to foster positive attitudes towards gender and marital identities in Pakistani society in specific and the world over in general.