Sexist Humor In TikTok: Content Strategies and The Normalization of Patriarchy in Digital Spaces

Abstract

This article discusses the phenomenon of sexist humor in TikTok content and its contribution to the normalization of patriarchal values in the digital space. This research uses a qualitative approach with a critical discourse analysis (CDA) method to explore how sexist humor is represented, produced, and consumed on the short video-based social media platform. The research data comprised ten popular TikTok videos containing sexist humor, focusing on narrative structure, language, visual symbols, and audience responses. The research findings show that sexist humor in TikTok often reproduces gender stereotypes through simple narratives full of patriarchal bias. Representations such as husbands fearing wives, emotional wives, or the traditional division of domestic roles are dominant themes. The humor is wrapped in light entertainment formats, such as text overlays, dramatic expressions, and upbeat music, making it difficult to recognize as a form of gender inequality. However, behind its comedic appearance, this humor reinforces patriarchal ideology by placing men at the center of the narrative, while women are reduced to emotional, manipulative, or subordinate objects. In the discourse practice dimension, the production strategy of sexist humor content is designed to be viral and relevant to the audience's daily experience. TikTok's algorithm that supports high engagement also amplifies the distribution of this content, creating a cycle in which gender stereotypes are continuously reproduced and normalized. As primary consumers, young audiences tend to internalize these messages as social truths, impacting the shaping of gender perceptions and behaviors beyond digital platforms. Theoretically, this research draws on the framework of patriarchy, gender performativity, and the concept of symbolic violence to explain how sexist humor works as a subtle ideological tool that maintains patriarchal hegemony. The article emphasizes the importance of gender-based critical media literacy in developing public awareness about the negative impact of sexist humor. This research contributes to academic and practical discussions on the relationship between digital culture, humor, and gender dynamics and the need for social interventions to create more inclusive and equitable digital spaces.