SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF HUMOR AS SOCIAL CRITICISM IN INDONESIAN X DISCOURSE

Abstract

This study investigates how humor functions as a medium for social criticism on Indonesian X by examining the types of humor employed, the semantic strategies embedded in humorous tweets, and the social issues they address. Through qualitative analysis, the research identifies irony, satire, jokes, wordplay, and anecdotes as dominant humor types used by X users to express dissatisfaction with political leadership, economic inequality, and exploitative work culture. Semantically, these tweets rely on devices such as incongruity, metaphor, hyperbole, and implicit meanings to articulate critique in indirect yet impactful ways. These strategies enable users to engage with sensitive societal issues while avoiding overt confrontation, making humor a potent form of resistance and civic commentary. The study contributes to the field by bridging linguistic semantic analysis with socio-political discourse, demonstrating how everyday digital expressions—particularly humor—can serve as meaningful tools for public engagement. It also positions Twitter as more than a communication platform, framing it as a participatory space for civic expression and cultural resistance. However, the study is limited by its focus on textual content and the absence of multimodal data such as memes or videos. Furthermore, the anonymity of users restricts analysis of how factors like age, region, or sociolinguistic background affect humor production. Future research should include multimodal elements, cross-regional comparisons, and audience reception to deepen our understanding of humor as a dynamic form of social critique in digital spaces.