Laughter and Shame in the Polish Comedy Series “The Chairman’s Ear” (Ucho Prezesa): Who Is Being Mocked and Who Is Laughing?

Abstract

Building on the contrast between laughter and shame proposed by philosopher Leonid Karasev, the author examines how humour in the Polish comedy series Ucho Prezesa (“The Chairman’s Ear”) mirrors societal perceptions of power, political practices, and management mechanisms that defined the era of the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) (2015–2023). The main character, PiS chairman Jarosław Kaczyński, is surrounded by cowardly, foolish, and hypocritical allies who lack self-reflection and do not feel shame for their actions. The chairman’s laughter at his subordinates and opposition figures reinforces his sense of superiority; he delights in the failures of others and, essentially, despises everyone. Although he is not unfamiliar with the feeling of shame, he consciously suppresses it. “The Chairman’s Ear” ridicules both the representatives of the ruling party and the opposition. The political competitors of PiS are depicted negatively; they are viewed as hypocritical, occasionally vulgar, and foolish, prioritising their own well-being and the quest for power. The creators of the series ironize the absurdity of Poland’s de facto two-party system, where for the past twenty years, both PiS and the Civic Platform (PO), after winning elections, have cancelled their predecessors’ decisions, transforming the political process into an endless closed loop. Laughter thus serves as a means to express public discontent with the ongoing political conflict, commonly referred to as the “Polish-Polish war.” This conflict reduces the political process to a battle over personal interests, depriving society of the essential changes it needs.

Received: 28.03.2025.
Revised: 22.07.2025.
Accepted: 16.09.2025.

Citation
Lagno A. R. Laughter and Shame in the Polish Comedy Series “The Chairman’s Ear” (Ucho Prezesa): Who Is Being Mocked and Who Is Laughing? // Slavic Almanac. 2025. No 3–4. P. 296–318 (in Russian). DOI: 10.31168/2073-5731.2025.3-4.15