Reconfiguring monstrous femininity: the affective transformation of Yakshi through digital humour

Abstract

This article examines the affective transformation of Yakshi from a horrific spectral figure to an object of comedy and ridicule within digital media platforms. In Kerala folklore narratives, Yakshi operates as a monstrous feminine presence who, through destructive sexuality and violence, generates anxiety and threat in patriarchal society. However, on Instagram and YouTube, Yakshi appears as comedy content in reels and shorts. The study argues that humour repositions Yakshi’s affective intensity within contemporary digital spaces by drawing from the concepts of affect, microcelebrity, and sound studies. Through digital ethnographic methods and audio-visual analysis, selected reels and short videos are examined to understand how humour, audiovisual editing, and narrative restructuring neutralise the threat Yakshi once embodied in folkloric narratives. The comments on the videos are also examined to understand the reception and consumption of digital Yakshi that sustains this reconfiguration. In tracing this transformation, the study contributes to broader discussions on folklore adaptation, affective transformation, and the reconfiguration of monstrous femininity to a comic subject within digital media.