Tinnaphop Sinsomboonthong (Tintin) (they/them) (PhD Candidate, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, National University of Singapore; Assistant Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology, Thammasat University; NUS-HYI Joint Doctoral Fellowship Visiting Fellow, 2026-27)
“From Parody to Paradox: Queering Humor and Rights Talk in the Thai Online Community of “Nong””
What got you interested in your research topic?
I have long thought that if I ever did a PhD, it would have to bring together my academic interests in queer theory, political sociology, and postcolonial/decolonial theory with my personal obsessions: humor, parody, and the internet. Sharing memes, making memes, and laughing at memes are already among my favorite things to do every day, so perhaps it is no surprise that they eventually became part of my doctoral research!
I first researched Thailand’s “Nong” online community almost ten years ago and have been a member ever since. When I began my PhD journey in 2023, the community was facing criticism for its unconventional practices, including joking, sharing memes, posting sarcastic comments, ridiculing others, and discussing politics. These practices sometimes make it difficult to decide what is harmless or harmful, acceptable or unacceptable. Over the past decade, I have kept questioning both other members and myself: Why do we accept certain jokes but not others? How do we decide, and what lies behind our judgments? I was drawn to the difficult question of whether we can draw a line between justifiable and unjustifiable humor, and how the joker, the target, the audience, and the context shape those judgments.
My doctoral research now explores how Nong members use queer humor through memes, jokes, parties, and other events to negotiate what and whom they can laugh at, play with norms of gender and sexuality, and create shared worlds and forms of belonging.
Outside of work, where can we find you?
Virtually, you can usually find me on Facebook, exploring the Nong community, enjoying yet more memes, and engaging in more discussions on politics and social issues. Physically, when I am not in my office actively working hard on my dissertation and conference papers or quietly holding back my laughter at those memes I encounter during my work, you can often find me doing bodyweight training at the campus gym or joining Zumba and yoga classes in the evening.
But while Alice got lost in Wonderland, I, Tintin, got equally enchanted and lost in my own wonderland: all grocery stores around Cambridge. In these places, I find myself happily wandering from shelf to shelf, exploring different products ranging from fresh fruit and drinks to snacks and canned food, contemplating the relationship between quality and price, and occasionally putting my collection of discount coupons to good use to complete my shopping mission.
What would you want to do most as a career if you were not in academia?
Working in academia has been my dream since I was young, but I have recently developed another dream: becoming a stand-up comedian. I am passionate about all types of humorous performances, and I find stand-up comedy in the US so rich in its variety of styles, perspectives, and ways of turning everyday life into something laughable. As someone who enjoys laughing in the evening to relieve the stress of the day, I would love to try bringing that laughter to others, too. So, before arriving in the US, I made a promise to myself that during my fellowship, I would attend as many stand-up comedy shows as possible and look for a chance to try performing at a party myself.
Read Tintin’s bio on our website!