![Associate Professor Nicholas Holm staff profile picture](/massey/fms/expertise/user_images/profile_100099_CE993B2C-4A3E-4468-8D7F888886965DFC.jpg)
Contact details +6449793544
Associate Professor Nicholas Holm BA(Hons), MA, PhD
Associate Professor
Doctoral Supervisor School of Humanities Media and Creative CommNick's research addresses the political nature of popular culture, in particlar the role of humour as an aesthetic category, and the interrelation of aesthetic theory, political economics and popular culture. He also likes to write about animals that nobody else likes.
His work is primarily theoretical and interreptive in nature, and he has published articles in a range of major interdisciplinary academic journals, including Cultural Studies, New Media and Society, Thesis Eleven, New Formations and The European Journal of Cultural Studies. Other major publications include a monograph on the political function of contemporary humour (Humour as Politics, 2017) and a textbook about the critical study of advertising that was re-published in a second edition in 2023. He is the editor of the journal Comedy Studies, and a book reviews editor for the journal Humor.
Nick is a regular contribtuor to news media and popular publications, including his role as a comedy reviewer for The Post and stuff.co.nz. His popular writing has appeared in NZ on Screen, LA+, RNZ, and stuff.co.nz, and he has been interviewed regarding the politics of humour for a range of national and international media outlets.
Nick is the co-ordinator of Wellington and Distance offerings of multiple couirses in the Media Studies program, including Adverting and Consumer Society (154.202), Popular Culture and the Media (154.203), Culture, Power and the Media (154.301) and Researching Media and Cultural Studies (154.704).
Nicholas Holm is an Associate Professor in Media Studies based on the Wellington campus, where he teaches courses on media and communication, popular culture, and advertising. His research explores the political role of popular culture and entertainment media, with a particular focus on humour and comedy. He is a regular commentator, writer, and reviewer on popular culture and comedy in Aotearoa New Zealand. His current research project explores the idea of fun as a political category.
Professional
Contact details
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Ph: 04 979 3544
Location: 7C 43, Block 7
Campus: Wellington
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Victoria University (2007)
- Master of Arts - McMaster University (2008)
- Doctor of Philosophy - McMaster University (2012)
Certifications and Registrations
- Licence, Supervisor, Massey University
Research Expertise
Research Interests
Humour, Comedy and Satire
Online humour and memes
Popular Culture and Entertainment
Advertising and Consumer Culture
Cultural Theory, Cultural Studies, Cultural Politics
Visual Culture and Aesthetics
Cultural Critique and Criticism
Taste and Distinction
Thematics
21st Century Citizenship
Area of Expertise
Field of research codes
Communication and Media Studies (200100):
Consumption and Everyday Life (200203):
Cultural Studies (200200):
Cultural Theory (200204):
Languages, Communication And Culture (200000):
Media Studies (200104):
Screen and Media Culture (200212)
Research Outputs
Journal
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N., Tilley, E.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
![abstract icon](/massey/app_templates/_pagetemplates/pagelets/academic_outputs/images/abstract.jpg)
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Duncan, P., Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
![abstract icon](/massey/app_templates/_pagetemplates/pagelets/academic_outputs/images/abstract.jpg)
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
![abstract icon](/massey/app_templates/_pagetemplates/pagelets/academic_outputs/images/abstract.jpg)
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
![abstract icon](/massey/app_templates/_pagetemplates/pagelets/academic_outputs/images/abstract.jpg)
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
![abstract icon](/massey/app_templates/_pagetemplates/pagelets/academic_outputs/images/abstract.jpg)
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
![abstract icon](/massey/app_templates/_pagetemplates/pagelets/academic_outputs/images/abstract.jpg)
[Book Review]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Book Review]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Book Review]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Book Review]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Book Review]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Journal article]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Book Review]Authored by: Holm, N.
Book
[Authored Book]Authored by: Holm, N.
![abstract icon](/massey/app_templates/_pagetemplates/pagelets/academic_outputs/images/abstract.jpg)
[Chapter]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Authored Book]Authored by: Holm, N.
![abstract icon](/massey/app_templates/_pagetemplates/pagelets/academic_outputs/images/abstract.jpg)
[Authored Book]Authored by: Holm, N.
![abstract icon](/massey/app_templates/_pagetemplates/pagelets/academic_outputs/images/abstract.jpg)
[Edited Book]Edited by: Holm, N., Taffel, S.
[Chapter]Authored by: Holm, N., Worthington, K.
[Chapter]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Chapter]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Chapter]Authored by: Holm, N.Edited by: Holm, N.
[Chapter]Authored by: Holm, N., Taffel, S.Edited by: Holm, N., Taffel, S.
[Discussion Paper]Authored by: Holm, N.
[Chapter]Authored by: Holm, N.
Thesis
[Doctoral Thesis]Authored by: Holm, N.
![abstract icon](/massey/app_templates/_pagetemplates/pagelets/academic_outputs/images/abstract.jpg)
Other
[Other]Authored by: Holm, N., Tilley, E.Edited by: Holm, N., Tilley, E.
![abstract icon](/massey/app_templates/_pagetemplates/pagelets/academic_outputs/images/abstract.jpg)
[Internet publication]Authored by: Holm, N.
Teaching and Supervision
Teaching Statement
As a teacher of media and cultural studies, my goal is not just to empower my students, but to provide them with the intellectual resources and skills to be responsible, considerate, and reflexive citizens in a mediated world. I want to teach them to not just ask questions, but to gather evidence and offer answers that acknowledge complexities and make room for difference. In pursuit of these ends, my teaching is informed by a belief that to not only understand our contemporary society, but to engage with it and thrive within it, my students need to understand the media. I want to challenge my students in ways that extend far beyond the classroom and will inform their professional and personal lives as media users, consumers and producers.
I am accredited as a Senior Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy.
Graduate Supervision Statement
I'm interested in supervising, or just chatting about, any projects addressing the politics of popular culture in general, and more specifically humour (and related concepts of parody, satire, irony and comedy), advertising, meme culture, aesthetic theory, fun, entertainment, popular taste, urban wildlife, cultural studies more broadly or any combination of the above.
Please note that my research is primarily theoretical and interpretive in orientation. I am therefore not able (or interested) in supervising projects that are premised in quantitative methods, or which involve substantial use of interviews, CDA, or formal content analysis.
Associate Professor Nicholas Holm is available for Masters and Doctorial supervision.
Summary of Doctoral Supervision
Position | Current | Completed |
---|---|---|
Main Supervisor | 2 | 0 |
Co-supervisor | 2 | 2 |
Current Doctoral Supervision
Main Supervisor of:
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Dan Burgess
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Doctor of Philosophy
Laughing while Māori: Humour, Culture, and Contestation in Aotearoa NZ -
Nikite Krishnamurthy
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Doctor of Philosophy
The Nation Imagined: A Critical Study of Nationhood and Identity through the Cover Art of Indian Speculative Literature.
Co-supervisor of:
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Navid Masoudnia
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Doctor of Philosophy
Anthropocene Feminism and the Cinema of James Cameron -
Jessica Pawley Copping
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Doctor of Philosophy
Learning to Love Reading in the Digital Age: Designing for social reading as a secondary literacy programme
Completed Doctoral Supervision
Co-supervisor of:
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2020
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Barirah Nazir
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Doctor of Philosophy
Brand Pakistan: A Reception oriented Study of Pakistani Anglophone Fiction -
2020
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Louisa Berry
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Doctor of Philosophy
The World Inverted: Chuck Palahniuk's fiction as a challenge to contemporary capitalism
Media and Links
Media
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01 Apr 2014 - Other
The Wheat from the Chaff
interviewed for history of Chaff Student Newspaper