Happiness, humour, and satire in Denmark

Abstract

Given that happiness is a pervasive social norm in Denmark and prompted by Alenka Zupančič’s assertion that “the happiness imperative” is “hostile to the comic spirit,” this study explores humorous and satirical manifestations of this norm in three Danish television series. Drawing on socio-historic perspectives on the happiness norm in Denmark, and on management theories concerning the use of humour and irony in work contexts, the analysis demonstrates how the three series portray the darker aspects of this social norm. This is achieved by satirising the incompetence of leaders and administrators within three of the country’s largest institutions: health, culture, and politics. The satire is consistently presented from the viewpoint of an outsider, a foreigner whose presence disrupts the Danes’ typically relaxed work culture, thereby generating a series of humorous scenarios often imbued with self-irony. The nature and function of this satire, which varies across the series, will be examined through the theoretical lenses of Zupančič’s psychoanalytic approach, Dieter Declercq’s view of satire as a form of mental therapy, and Carl Fox’s argument for satire as a form of political action. The relationship between Danish society and its prevalent forms of satire is encapsulated in the ‘campfire’ metaphor. This metaphor illustrates an inward-looking, ‘we-we’ national mentality, where irony and self-irony serve as common and safe mechanisms for conforming to the Danish happiness imperative.