Abstract
This chapter examines the ableist rhetoric, or “disability humor” within the political debate and press surrounding Brexit—Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union. Although humor and satire are common rhetorical strategies in political debates and editorials, this chapter examines how those on both sides of the issue use “humorous” claims to suggest their opponents are disabled, and this constitutes a form of latent violence. This chapter applies disability studies lens to critique disability humor in public debate and discuss its implications for the disability justice movement.
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Burdett, E. (2023). “Kept in a Padded Black Cell in Case He Accidently Said ‘Piccaninny’”: Disability as Humor in Brexit Rhetoric. In: Jeffress, M.S., Cypher, J.M., Ferris, J., Scott-Pollock, JA. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Disability and Communication. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14447-9_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14447-9_19
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