European Journal of Cultural Studies 1–18 © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1367549415603374 ecs.sagepub.com EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF Not just a joke: The ‘quenelle’ as a running gag masking anti-Semitic communication Sandrine Boudana Tel Aviv University, Israel Abstract Invented by French comedian Dieudonné and interpreted as an anti-Semitic gesture, the ‘quenelle’ is a running gag with worldwide circulation in public settings and social networks. This case confronts us with the challenge posed by the use of humor as a cover for racist communication. Rejecting the options of political ban and media boycott as inefficient, this article examines two alternative strategies discussed in the French public sphere: One remains in the realm of humor and consists of joking back, while the other attempts to unmask the political significance of the quenelle behind the meaning that its producers claim to give it. This article draws on theories of disparagement humor and hermeneutics to propose strategic responses to those using humor as cover for denigration and vilification. Keywords Anti-establishment, anti-Semitism, Dieudonné, disparagement humor, French politics, media boycott, political ban, political humor, public sphere When he performed the ‘quenelle’ (Figure 1) in a British stadium in December 2013, the French soccer star Nicolas Anelka exported a French controversy to the international scene. Invented by Dieudonné M’bala M’bala, a French comedian convicted eight times for anti-Semitic speech and incitement to racial hatred, 1 the quenelle has been interpreted as an inverted Nazi salute. As such, it arouses indignation and raises concerns among politicians, the media and the public in the Western world. In 5 weeks (28 December 2013–3 February 2014), the Times dedicated 27 articles and the New York Times no fewer Corresponding author: Sandrine Boudana, The Department of Communication, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel. Email: sandrine@post.tau.ac.il 603374ECS 0 0 10.1177/1367549415603374European Journal of Cultural StudiesBoudana research-article 2015 Article at Tel Aviv University on October 1, 2015 ecs.sagepub.com Downloaded from