Far-right weaponizes humor to normalize hate speech, scholar warns
In an interview with Le Monde, researcher Denis Saint-Amand analyzes how the far right uses irony and humor on social media and in political discourse to progressively expand the boundaries of acceptable speech. He argues that laughter, when instrumentalized by the powerful, serves to mock and maintain domination rather than challenge authority. The article, published June 29, 2026, examines the strategic deployment of humor as a tool for political normalization.
Key facts
- Denis Saint-Amand is a researcher interviewed by Le Monde
- The interview was published on June 29, 2026
- Saint-Amand analyzes far-right use of irony on social media
- Humor is used to push limits of acceptable political discourse
- Instrumentalized laughter maintains domination by the powerful
- The far right claims a 'right to humor' to spread hate speech
- The article is part of Le Monde's ideas section
- Saint-Amand argues such humor mocks to entrench power imbalances
Entities
Institutions
- Le Monde