[Linganth] Tim Thurston on his book, Satirical Tibet

[Ilana Gershon]

Dear Colleagues,
Today on the blog, Shannon Ward asks Tim Thurston about his book, *Satirical
Tibet: The Politics of Humor in Contemporary Tibet*.

campanthropology.org

Best,
Ilana

Press blurb: What does comedy look like when the wrong punchline can land
you in jail?

Humor has long been a vital, if underrecognized, component of Tibetan life.
In recent years, alongside well-publicized struggles for religious freedom
and cultural preservation, comedians, hip-hop artists, and other creatives
have used zurza, the Tibetan art of satire, to render meaningful social and
political critique under the ever-present eye of the Chinese state. Timothy
Thurston's *Satirical Tibet* offers the first-ever look at this powerful
tool of misdirection and inversion. Focusing on the region of Amdo,
Thurston introduces the vibrant and technologically innovative comedy scene
that took shape following the death of Mao Zedong and the rise of ethnic
revival policies. He moves decade by decade to show how artists have folded
zurza into stage performances, radio broadcasts, televised sketch comedies,
and hip-hop lyrics to criticize injustices, steer popular attitudes, and
encourage the survival of Tibetan culture.

Surprising and vivid, *Satirical Tibet* shows how the ever-changing uses
and meanings of a time-honored art form allow Tibetans to shape their
society while navigating tightly controlled media channels.
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