Talks by Nikos Koulopoulos
T.W.I.S.T. Conference 22-23 April 2023, Debates in Linguistics, 2023
https://weblectures.leidenuniv.nl/Mediasite/Play/fbd9227ba9824053adae557713289b491d
Conference Presentations by Nikos Koulopoulos
The arrival of Web 2.0 and social media platforms has expanded people’s participatory capabilitie... more The arrival of Web 2.0 and social media platforms has expanded people’s participatory capabilities, allowing them to openly express their opinions on current socio-political affairs, in the online environment, besides the traditional face-to-face interactions. The same applies to the satirical commentary of political reality. Social media (e.g., X and YouTube) not only have made this commentary accessible to more and more people but simultaneously have allowed them to voice their opinions on that matter, actively providing feedback on the satirists’ work. Through these platforms, online users can express their views, thoughts, and emotions about the political topic under satire, along with their (dis)agreement with the person making the satire. This multifaceted commentary, collected from the Greek YouTube channel “zaraleaksTV”, forms the focal point of the current study. Since 2012, the channel’s owner, comedian Christoforos Zaralikos, has been regularly uploading weekly videos satirizing the Greek social and, mainly, political landscapes. This research analyzes online audience commentary from 20 videos posted between January 2 and May 28, 2024. Employing Qualitative Content Analysis and, where applicable, the Discourse Theory of Humor for humorous comments, this research aims to categorize the comments according to the opinions, thoughts, and emotions expressed within them. The objective is to elucidate how online audiences position themselves around the political reality being satirized, Zaralikos as the satirist, and each other, centering around the political affairs satirized each time. In that way, multiple insights should be revealed concerning how Greek online users perceive contemporary political issues and how Greek satire does (or does not) affect their positioning and interactions.
Keywords: Greek political satire, online commentary, Qualitative Content Analysis, Discourse Theory of Humor
The present study deals with language borrowing in the language of rebetika songs. We studied 50 ... more The present study deals with language borrowing in the language of rebetika songs. We studied 50 rebetika songs written from the beginning of the music genre until 1950 and we wrote down the words and affixes which are loanwords. Our aim is to describe language borrowing (vocabulary and morphology) in the language of rebetika songs, to examine the languages of origin of these loanwords and to attempt to explain how language contact has played a role in this borrowing.
In 311 A.D. and 313 A.D., two edicts are composed, the Edict of toleration by Galerius and the Ed... more In 311 A.D. and 313 A.D., two edicts are composed, the Edict of toleration by Galerius and the Edict of Milan by Licinius and Great Constantine, respectively. These two edicts assist in turning the Christian religion from a persecuted one to the religion of the great Roman Empire. The following essay aims to contrast the two edicts by a lingual manner and consequently by a political one. There will be an attempt to find parallel words or phrases between the two edicts, and as a result, political differences or similarities, which will indicate their relationship chronologically and their accordance with the favors and the pardons that were granted to Christians.
Book Reviews by Nikos Koulopoulos
Oliver Double and Sharon Lockyer edit a volume that contributes significantly to an in-depth appr... more Oliver Double and Sharon Lockyer edit a volume that contributes significantly to an in-depth approach of alternative comedy in Britain, starting from its origins in 1979 and continuing until 2022. The volume's authors dedicate their chapters to multiple aspects of alternative comedy, including venues, performances, reception, and prospects. The volume adopts an interdisciplinary perspective on alternative comedy, approaching the genre through comedy studies, theatrical studies, communication and media studies, political science, anthropology, and sociology. Thus, the volume can be read even by readers unfamiliar with the concept of alternative comedy. The volume is organised into four parts and consists of twelve chapters. The titles of the parts are clear and concise, except for the fourth part, "Alternative Comedy Today", whose vague title does not immediately offer the readers information about the topics described therein but, along with the other three parts, prompts them to delve deeper into its chapters. The "Notes on Contributors" section at the beginning of the volume assists the readers in understanding the ways the authors have treated the subjects described. Since many of the authors of the volume are comedians, readers can expect a detailed authors' point of view about the topics described, albeit, to a certain extent, a subjective one. Furthermore, the volume contains a detailed index, with keywords about comedy, in general, and the topics discussed, in particular. It is positive that every author has included notes at the end of each chapter. The notes provide complementary information, contributing to the overall approach taken in the book and helping the readers familiarise themselves with every aspect of alternative comedy described each time. The volume begins with Chapter 1, "Alternative comedy now and then: Critical perspectives" by Oliver Double and Sharon Lockyer. The chapter presents the origins of alternative comedy, from its birth in 1979, considering the sociopolitical context of that time. The authors examine the phenomenon considering advantages and drawbacks, which helps the readers reach their conclusions about the essence of alternative comedy, differentiating it from the mainstream performance and representation of that time. A brief description of a working men's club, which is a central concept in the chapter but not a universal category, could help readers unfamiliar with British social clubs. The chapter ends with the most crucial part, namely a concise book outline describing each following chapter, thus being a reference point for them. The outline contains the book's purpose, approach, and reasoning. In that way, the readers have already been introduced to the foundations of alternative comedy and have understood what will follow. Chapter 2, "Alternative comedy timeline", by Oliver Double, presents a ten-page table containing a concise timeline of 57 years, starting with the founding of CAST, one of the biggest influencers of alternative comedy (Alternative Cabaret), and ending with the year 2022, when the current volume is published. The descriptions of the historical context, alternative comedy events, and sociopolitical events of the time help readers examine all of them in combination.
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Talks by Nikos Koulopoulos
Conference Presentations by Nikos Koulopoulos
Keywords: Greek political satire, online commentary, Qualitative Content Analysis, Discourse Theory of Humor
Book Reviews by Nikos Koulopoulos
Keywords: Greek political satire, online commentary, Qualitative Content Analysis, Discourse Theory of Humor