ABSTRACT
This chapter contextualizes the transgressive aesthetic of video games through Bakhtin’s theory of the carnivalesque, with specific attention to his work on Menippean satire. With reference to the experiences of the participants of our study, we discuss how the carnivalesque emerges in transgressive games, both as a central aesthetic characteristic and as a social commentary. The chapter first outlines Bakhtin’s theory of the traditional carnival as an ultimate transgressive ritual that reinforces existing norms through breaking them, before discussing the relevance of looking at transgressive video games through the lens of the carnival. The chapter offers a close reading of Grand Theft Auto in the light of the carnival before moving into how our full selection of transgressive games adapts to the Menippean satire. The chapter ends on a note arguing for how the carnivalesque is relevant for understanding ludic transgressions today.
