Satirical Tibet: The Politics of Humor in Contemporary Amdo

Humor has long been a key component of Tibetan life. But in recent years, alongside well-publicized struggles for religious and political freedom and cultural preservation, satirical humor has grown into a vital tool for creating meaningful and entertaining media under the vigilant eye of the Chinese state. In this talk, Tim Thurston introduces zurza, the Tibetan art of satire, from its origins in oral and literary tradition to its incorporation in modern media like televised sketch comedies and hip-hop. Both prism and funhouse mirror, recognising this media as zurza provides valuable insight into key issues and trends in Tibetan communities at different moments of the post-Mao period. 

Dr Thurston is Associate Professor in the Study of Contemporary China at the University of Leeds, where he is PI of the Tibetan Sustainable Heritage Initiative (TaSHI). He has two books forthcoming, both of which touch on topics he will discuss at Williams. The first, Satirical Tibet: The Politics of Humor in Contemporary Tibet  (University of Washington Press), examines the Tibetan arts of satire across multiple media from oral tradition to contemporary hip-hop. The second, Careful Village and Other Khashag from Tibet: The Amdo Comedies of Menla Jyab, is a first-of-its-kind bilingual edition translating 11 popular comedic scripts.