The Uses of Humor in Stand-up Comedy Mens Rea by Pandji Pragiwaksono as a Mechanism of Social Control

Humor is an effective tool for delivering messages and building relatable communication in today’s fast-paced world. This research aims to analyze the political communication messages in Pandji Pragiwaksono’s stand-up comedy Mens Rea, which aired on Netflix, based on a paid show in August 2025 in Jakarta. The analysis is conducted by examining how Pandji uses humor to convey criticism of government policies, which have received varying responses from the public through social media. This study uses a qualitative approach, applying Teun A. van Dijk’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) method, which examines the text at the macrostructure (thematic), superstructure (schematic), and microstructure (semantic, syntactic, and stylistic) levels. To deepen the analysis of the function of humor, this study applies Henri Bergson’s Theory of Humor, specifically the concept of mechanical inelasticity. Within this framework, the government is represented as a rigid and slow-moving entity, while the wider public, especially Gen Z, is depicted as a fluid force of change. The analysis results show that Pandji uses satire and irony techniques to sharply criticize government policies, while validating the public’s anxiety—especially that of Gen Z—as a logical form of resistance, rather than mere baseless complaints (snowflakes). The humorous communication message in Mens Rea serves as a deconstructive tool to address the negative stigma held by society, particularly toward Gen Z, in the eyes of those in power. Mens Rea functions not only as entertainment but also as a form of political communication and social control through humor.