Stand-Up, Stand Out

This thesis examines how Netflix stand-up specials by Hasan Minhaj, Trevor Noah, and Mo Amer utilise political satire as a means to resist and negotiate identity, belonging, social hierarchies and power structures. Each comedian comes from a unique background: Minhaj is an Indian-American Muslim, Noah is a mixed-race South African, and Amer is a Palestinian refugee raised in Texas. Through their humour, they share their experiences of being marginalised whilst criticising state power, racism, Islamophobia, and the media spectacle. The primary question is: Through what discursive strategies do Hasan Minhaj, Trevor Noah, and Mohamed Amer employ humour in their Netflix stand-up specials to subvert, sustain, or reinforce stereotypes, social hierarchies and power structures, and promote solidarity, while mobilising laughter as a political act of resistance? Using Fairclough's (1995) three- dimensional Critical Discourse Analysis framework, the research examines nine Netflix specials across textual, discursive, and social levels. The findings reveal that all three comedians employ methods such as mimicry, code-switching, repetition, and satirical framing to critique systems of surveillance, colonialism, and cultural erasure. Minhaj tends to focus on moral clarity and direct political critique, Noah emphasises observational storytelling and global comparison, and Amer creates intimacy through absurdity and personal stories. While their humour often challenges dominant narratives, some moments reinforce them, such as the use of exotic language or making overgeneralisations. However, each performer actively builds solidarity by referencing shared struggles among marginalised communities. Throughout their work, laughter serves as a means to co-construct meaning with the audience, resist contradictions, reclaim narrative control, and create space for complex identities that don't fit neatly into mainstream representation. This research adds to broader discussions about the cultural impact of comedy, the limits and power of satire, and the political potential of humour from the margins. It also examines the tension between entertainment and activism within platform economies and how Netflix enables a quasi-global reach while operating within commercial systems.