The American Humor Studies Association (AHSA) is putting together a pre-constituted panel for submission to the 2026 Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) conference, held November 12-15, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency in Seattle, Washington. PAMLA ‘s 2026 theme is  “Our Ruling Classes: Culture, Power, Conflict.” Following this, AHSA is accepting a range of papers on “Comic Leadership.” We invite submissions that consider the role of comedy in politics. Often, comedy is used to “takedown” and “critique” those in power through satire and parody, but what can comedy offer for enacting new political paths forward?

We’re interested in comedy’s generative function—how it is or has been deployed to challenge, enforce, or transform existing structures. What is revealed when we think of comedy’s political generative function alongside its critical one? How is comedy deployed across the political spectrum? The panel “Comic Leadership” welcomes a variety of approaches, including: 

• examinations of the how modalities of humor (e.g., satire, burlesque, parody) introduce new ideological premises in American public discourse;
• comic feminist/queer/trans & BIPOC critical interventions in key historical constituents of America, including racism, heterosexism, patriarchal norms, cissexist values;
• historical and contemporary examinations of influential figures who “play the fool,” bully, or act impishly with lasting social consequences that altered social and cultural norms;
• case studies of literature, comics, film, TV, social media, video games, podcasts, stand-up, improv, media platforms, that model alternative political realities;
• analyses of how humor has been used to create new forms of cultural citizenship or modes of participation;
• articulations of the functions of humor as an important instrument for resisting or maintaining the American project or (e.g., climate change, economic inequality).

Our hope is that the papers presented at the PAMLA conference help the AHSA to continue our ongoing goal of thinking about the limitations, possibilities, and specificity of “humor” as central to the function of American politics 

Please submit a title and a 250-500 word abstract for your paper, as well as

your full name and autobiographical info on the PAMLA conference website, here:
https://pamla.ballastacademic.com/Home/S/20135

The deadline for submissions is May 25th, 2026 (though submitting earlier is highly encouraged).