9/10/2023 0 Comments Undis circle of sarcasm![]() ![]() Sarcasm frequently expresses frustration on the part of the speaker, and it can be used to actually aggravate rather than minimize face-threats. In those cases, even sarcasm that might seem hostile to an outside observer may be interpreted within the relationship as friendly teasing. Once you have established a habit of being sarcastic-in-a-friendly-way with a particular friend, however, using sarcasm with that person underlines the specialness of your relationship. It is a risky strategy to be sarcastic with someone you don’t know well, as it can be misinterpreted as hostile. If a sarcastic comment appears to express frustration with a situation rather than with you, personally, it is likely intended to be friendly: the speaker expects you to share their frustration with the situation, and this “shared gripe” is common ground, showing that you’re in this situation together. The message this sends is “you know me well enough to know I don’t really believe these words (so we’re both reminded that we’re close), I believe we share a similar sense of humor (so we’re alike), and I wish to amuse you (so you know I care about you).” It may just be a quick, muttered “yeah, right” (to mean “not at all”) – but look at all the positive social messages that can be packed into those two words! As with any form of humor, speakers may use this as a way of underlining solidarity with the people they’re speaking to (a positive politeness strategy). The young woman with the owl pendant and earrings pursed her lips and pinched her eyebrows (a pouting expression classically described as a “moue”) instead and maintained very direct gaze as if challenging us to believe her words. While the open-mouthed eye roll was an especially common (and obvious) visual clue, it was not universal. (These are captured stills from videos in which they were speaking.) Here are some examples of faces that friends of ours made when speaking sarcastically. If the sarcasm is intended to express frustration or annoyance, the facial expression, posture, proxemics, etc. ![]() Someone who is sarcastic without emphasizing it with any tone or visual clues is often said to be “deadpan” (which is another term for the “neutral” face). Speakers will often roll their eyes, raise their eyebrows, and/or shrug their shoulders while being sarcastic. In addition to tone of voice, speakers often signal sarcasm through facial expressions: grimacing while saying something that (if not sarcastic) would otherwise be interpreted positively, or smiling while saying something that (if not sarcastic) would be interpreted negatively. ![]()
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