Beer Prakken is an interfaculty PhD candidate at the University of Groningen, affiliated with both the Department of Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy and the Department of European Literature and Culture. His research focuses on the role of play and humor in political rhetoric, with a particular interest in the ethical dimensions of their use. Beer examines contemporary political phenomena such as Trumpism, populism, and the concept of dark play as a radicalizing force in political discourse.
He is especially interested in how politicians deploy humor—and how humor, in turn, can mobilize, polarize, or radicalize political movements.
Beer’s work takes an interdisciplinary approach that bridges humor studies, game studies, political theory, cultural sociology, and cultural theory, contributing to a deeper understanding of the cultural and rhetorical dynamics of contemporary politics.
CCS Visiting Graduate Student, Spring 2025. CCS Spring Conference 2025. Currently co-authoring article with CCS Associate Director Yagmur Karakaya.