International Pragmatics Association (IPrA) (Stallone & Haugh)

This is a presentation of a paper I am now writing with the genius Michael Haugh. It was presented at the humour panel of IPrA 14th conference in Belgium. Check it out.

Transcript

1. Letícia Stallone (Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro) and Michael Haugh (Griffith University, Brisbane) Fantasy humour and relating in Brazilian Portuguese interactions
2. On friendship • “If we were all given by magic the power to read each other’s thoughts, I suppose the first effect would be almost all friendships would be dissolved; the second effect, however, might be excellent, for a world without any friends would be felt to be intolerable, and we should learn to like each other without needing a veil of illusion to conceal from ourselves that we did not think each other absolutely perfect.” (Bertrand Russell 1930, The Conquest of Happiness)
3. 1. Fantasy humour • Variously called “fantasy humour” (Hay 2001), “joint fantasising” (Kotthoff 2007), “fantasy layering” (Dynel 2011)
4. 1. Fantasy humour • Variously called “fantasy humour” (Hay 2001), “joint fantasising” (Kotthoff 2007), “fantasy layering” (Dynel 2011) • Co-construction of an improbable or impossible scenario (Hay 2000, 2001)
5. 1. Fantasy humour • Variously called “fantasy humour” (Hay 2001), “joint fantasising” (Kotthoff 2007), “fantasy layering” (Dynel 2011) • Co-construction of an improbable or impossible scenario (Hay 2000, 2001) • Follows its own internal logic (“développement d’une logique interne”) (Priego-Valverde 2003: 91)
6. 1. Fantasy humour • Variously called “fantasy humour” (Hay 2001), “joint fantasising” (Kotthoff 2007), “fantasy layering” (Dynel 2011) • Co-construction of an improbable or impossible scenario (Hay 2000, 2001) • Follows its own internal logic (“développement d’une logique interne”) (Priego-Valverde 2003: 91) • Often involves incremental structuring and rapid escalation (Kotthoff 2007)
7. 1. Fantasy humour • Variously called “fantasy humour” (Hay 2001), “joint fantasising” (Kotthoff 2007), “fantasy layering” (Dynel 2011) • Co-construction of an improbable or impossible scenario (Hay 2000, 2001) • Follows its own internal logic (“développement d’une logique interne”) (Priego-Valverde 2003: 91) • Often involves incremental structuring and rapid escalation (Kotthoff 2007) • A form of jocular language play (combining elements of fun and enjoyment with pretence) (Haugh forthcoming)
8. Previous studies of fantasy humour • New Zealand English (Hay 1995, 2000, 2001; Holmes and Marra 2002) • Australian English versus French (Béal and Mullan 2013) • French (Bertrand and Priego-Valverde 2011) • German (Kotthoff 2007)
9. Previous studies of fantasy humour • New Zealand English (Hay 1995, 2000, 2001; Holmes and Marra 2002) • Australian English versus French (Béal and Mullan 2013) • French (Bertrand and Priego-Valverde 2011) • German (Kotthoff 2007) Cultural (dis)preferences for fantasy humour? (Béal and Mullan 2013)
10. Functions of fantasy humour • “enjoyment or relaxation” (Béal and Mullan 2013; Kotthoff 2007) • “establishing solidarity” (Hay 2001; Dynel 2011) • showing “speaker’s wit and intelligence” (Dynel 2011) • modulating or disguising sensitive social actions (Haugh forthcoming)
11. Functions of fantasy humour • “enjoyment or relaxation” (Béal and Mullan 2013; Kotthoff 2007) • “establishing solidarity” (Hay 2001; Dynel 2011) • showing “speaker’s wit and intelligence” (Dynel 2011) • modulating or disguising sensitive social actions (Haugh forthcoming) fantasy humour is thus a fundamentally relational phenomenon
12. Functions of fantasy humour • “enjoyment or relaxation” (Béal and Mullan 2013; Kotthoff 2007) • “establishing solidarity” (Hay 2001; Dynel 2011) • showing “speaker’s wit and intelligence” (Dynel 2011) • modulating or disguising sensitive social actions (Haugh forthcoming) fantasy humour is thus a fundamentally relational phenomenon But how does it contribute to the co-constitution of relationships?
13. 2. Dataset • All the data analyzed was taken from a Brazilian Portuguese-speaking group of ten close friends who meet at least once a month for long lunches. The meetings take place in the city of Rio de Janeiro, always at the home of one of the participants. • The participants are five couples. They have known each other for over 10 years.
14. Candidate collection • We mapped out a collection of candidate episodes of fantasy humour where through the (co-)constitution of imaginary worlds with their own logic participants engage in a form of jocular language play (Hay, 2000, 2001).
15. Candidate collection • We mapped out a collection of candidate episodes of fantasy humour where through the (co-)constitution of imaginary worlds with their own logic participants engage in a form of jocular language play (Hay, 2000, 2001). • Two different forms of fantasy humour emerged from the dataset: (1) exaggerated fantasy humour (2) absurd fantasy humour
16. 3. Exaggerated fantasy humour • Humour lies in exaggeration and creating caricatures of a known scenario
17. 3. Exaggerated fantasy humour • Humour lies in exaggeration and creating caricatures of a known scenario EXTRACT 1 1 Diego eu nunca fui parado numa lei seca. 1 Diego i never was stopped at a lei seca. 2 Jamil últimas palavras antes de ligar alô. alô. vem 3 aqui me tirar- me libera aí: meu carro da lei 4 se:ca pô ((com tom de voz arrastado)) 2 Jamil last words before you call hello. Hello. Come 3 here to take me- release me my ca-r of lei 4 seca fuck ((uses a dragged tone of voice)) 5 Diego ((ri)) 5 Diego ((laughs))
18. 6 Letícia ((ri)) 6 Letícia ((laughs)) 7 Diego pô aí meu, me desculpa aí: ((finge 8 soluço))£NUNCA fui parado na £lei se:ca 9 ((ri)) 7 Diego fuck man, i am sorry there ((pretended 8 hiccup))never was stopped at the lei seca 9 ((laughs)) 10 Fabio ((ri)) 10 Fabio ((laughs))
19. 4. Absurd fantasy humour • Humour emerges through the seemingly irrational creation of an impossible or implausible scenario.
20. 4. Absurd fantasy humour • Humour emerges through the seemingly irrational creation of an impossible or implausible scenario. EXTRACT 2 1 Diego gente >que que< o jamil trouxe hein↑ 1 Diego people what what the jamil brought huh 2 Denis racle:tte 2 Denis raclette 3 Letícia raclette de tlenis↑ 3 Letícia raclette of tlenis 4 Aurora [((ri alto))] 4 Aurora laughs loudly 5 Letícia [ ((ri)) ] 5 Letícia laughs
21. 6 Fabio ri 6 Fabio laughs 7 Diego que porra é essa? 7 Diego what fuck is this 8 Fabio £ flondi de quleijo↓ 8 Fabio flondi of chleese 9 Aurora [((ri))]- 9 Aurora laughs 10 Letícia [((ri))]- 10 Letícia laughs 11 Marcio [((ri))]- 11 Marcio laughs 12 Fabio [((ri))]- 12 Fabio laughs 13 Jamil -chegando: tira ↓ aqui 13 Jamil arriving remove here
22. 5. Three relational practices
23. 5. Three relational practices (1) A means through which participants can display shared values and norms of the group by contrasting the exaggerated scenario with (perceived) shared expectations, thereby (co-) constituting relational connection across the members of the group as a whole [extracts 1 and 2]
24. 5. Three relational practices (1) A means through which participants can display shared values and norms of the group by contrasting the exaggerated scenario with (perceived) shared expectations, thereby (co-) constituting relational connection across the members of the group as a whole [extracts 1 and 2] (2) A means of (co-)constituting relational connection and separation between members of the group in question, in which some cases may involve (co-)constituting (fleeting) relational alliances [extract 3]
25. 5. Three relational practices (1) A means through which participants can display shared values and norms of the group by contrasting the exaggerated scenario with (perceived) shared expectations, thereby (co-) constituting relational connection across the members of the group as a whole [extracts 1 and 2] (2) A means of (co-)constituting relational connection and separation between members of the group in question, in which some cases may involve (co-)constituting (fleeting) relational alliances [extract 3] (3) A means to head off incipient offence, often in the context of downplaying the (co-)constitution of relational separation in favour of relational connection [extract 4]
26. EXTRACT 3 32 Celia [fantasia masculina é maravilhosa né? 32 Celia masculine fantasy is wonderful, isn’t? 33 Aurora como fantasiam rápido e fácil né? 33 Aurora how they fantasize fast and easy, right? 34 Celia adoro. 34 Celia I adore it. 35 Aurora qualquer coisinha >qualquer [sainha< e meia: 36 esticada= 35 Aurora any little thing any little skirt and 36 stretched socks 37 Celia [( )] 37 Celia [( )] 38 Aurora =pronto. fantas£iou [( ) 38 Aurora ready. Fantasized
27. 39 Marcio [>não não não não< 39 Marcio no no no no 40 tem que ser no mínimo- pedro segundo pra 41 cima que isso? 40 has to be at least pedro segundo to up 41 what is this? 42 Aurora pois é= 42 Aurora that’s it
28. EXTRACT 4 21 Marcela calma. que £mandona£ 21 Marcela calm. how bossy 22 Dalia ih mas ela é assim desde sempre. (1,0) eu me 23 lembro na casa da vó lulu que todo mundo 24 [brincava de escritório e ela era sempre a 25 chefe (.) 22 Dalia oh but she is like this since always. i 23 remember at the house of granma lulu that 24 everybody played of office and she was always 25 the boss 26 Aurora [ah: NÃO de novo essa história não. 26 Aurora oh no again this story no
29. 27 Dalia e ela mandava a re- a prima a priminha mais 28 nova ser da £limpeza ((ri)) da com- [((ri 29 alto)) 27 Dalia and she made the re- the cousin the youngest 28 little cousin be of the cleaning ((laughs)) 29 the com- ((laughs loudly)) 30 Marcio [((ri)) é 30 Marcio ((laughs)) yeah 31 Marcela [((ri)) 32 sua cara. 31 Marcela ((laughs)) your face 33 Dalia e todo mundo obedecia [pode rir eu sei 34 que você acha engraçado.] 33 Dalia and everybody obeyed you can laugh i know 34 that you think it is funny
30. 35 Aurora [sério cara eu 36 não aguento mais ser tachada de mandona↓] 35 Aurora seriously man i cant stand anymore being 36 called bossy- 37 Dalia pode rir vai. 37 Dalia you can laugh go 38 Aurora -que saco. 38 Aurora this sucks 39 Letícia que tal uma história SUA? Quando [você foi] 40 mandona? 39 Letícia how about a story yours? When you were bossy?
31. 41 Dalia [MINHA?] 42 [EU- eu- eu não sou-] 41 Dalia mine? i- i- i am not 43 Aurora [ah:: acho ótimo.] 43 Aurora oh i think it’s great 44 Dalia -mandona. 44 Dalia bossy
32. Conclusions
33. Conclusions • Fantasy humour varies on continuum between “exaggerated” through to “absurd” forms.
34. Conclusions • Fantasy humour varies on continuum between “exaggerated” through to “absurd” forms. • Fantasy Humour is not simply a matter of mutual entertainment or enjoyment, but is consequential for the ongoing (co-)constitution of relationships amongst participants.
35. Thank you!