прагматика и медиа дискурс / Mikhalkova_pragmatics_of_invective_some_corrections

It is more typical for Comedy Club, than for SNL, to ridicule social stereotypes instead of certain people, which shows in the small quantity of proper names, compared to SNL. The competition does not happen between the good and the bad, but among several asocial characters, who are trying to find out, who of them is more vicious – therefore, the semantic levels of archetype, clusters and stereotypes contain semes of addiction. An absolutely chaotic and irrational behavior is rarely found in this type of invective.

In SNL vice in average people is shown in the latent cruelty and inclination to crime, which is reflected in the levels of archetype and stereotype. Parodies of famous people and starring guests are characterized by extreme vanity and sometimes cruelty, neglect to people of lower status. The chaotic behavior is found in final moments of performance and serves to complete the image.

§ 2.4.7. INVECTIVE OF DESTRUCTIVE NATURE

The invective of destructive nature is a direct expression of agonal/antagonist essence of the category of comedy. The physical victory over an antagonist is an immediate demonstration of how the cultural hero triumphs over the trickster, but as far as there are different objects in the invective fight (which sometimes leads to the trickster’s winning and vice versa – to the hero’s victory) various characters may possess destructive features. They do not have to be physically strong, but nevertheless they carry destruction and chaos into the society. All in all, the invective names with the destructive meaning present one of the most numerous groups: 42 in Russian and 33 in American discourse.

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The key topics of sketches, where the invective of destructive nature is widely spread, are sports and law. That is quite natural, because these spheres of human activity are often associated with physical abuse. Sometimes it entails animalistic images, which concerns those species, that are either dangerous for humans (e.g. a cobra, an elephant) or serve as an object of hunt (e.g. deer, fish).

Speaking about Comedy Club, this type of invective is found in statements about sports:

“На бога надейся, а самбо занимайся” (Сумо и Репортаж из запоя), “Вот этому я в рыло дал”.—“Нифигасе. Он – чемпион по боксу щас”.— “Так я ему не в рыло дал, а путевку в жизнь” (Одноклассники).

The ads parodies of goods with obvious deficiencies are spread widely. Deficiencies in them threat the consumer:

“Кеды-убийцы: убей друга запахом” (Сумо и Репортаж из запоя). Harm which is the result of the use of a weapon is connected with political

issues:

“Вчера было совершено покушение на президента Монголии. К

счастью, стрела не смогла пробить доспех из кожи барана” (Ibid.). and animal world:

“Це-це” – это не простой говномагнит с “ж-ж-ж” функцией, а холодный расчетливый убийца, …как пистолет ТТ” (Ядовитые твари).

Domestic affairs may become a subject of invective as well:

“Вы вот утюги повыключали, как на рыбалку ехали?” (Вот так рыбалка!).

Also in this type of invective some anthropological features are ascribed to various species:

“Жабы – это некрасивые, ядовитые бабы, которые не просто отравляют жизнь, а еще что-то, сука, квакают…” (Ядовитые твари).

The mutilations, that are mentioned in the invective of destructive nature, may be either insignificant:

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“Русский супермен плюнул в лицо врагу и сломал ему челюсть”

(Бессмертный о русском супермэне). or cause great damage and even death:

“Официальный логотип соревнований – майка, запятнанная кровью. На мне сейчас такая майка. И что самое обидное – ни за что ведь” (Самый сильный борец Абхазии Ашот).

SNL touches upon the criminal side of this subject more often, than Comedy

Club:

(during the jury trial inspection on O.J. Simpson) “Uhhh... I can’t remember... they told me I was in an accident... Oh, my God!! Am I O.J. Simpson?!! Am I that horrible murderer?!!” (O. J. Simpson Jury Selection). Another semantic field includes domestic affairs and mockery in ads parodies. It may seem strange, but the references about physical abuse are closely

connected with meals:

“The Michael Phelps Diet. Looking this good never tasted so delicious. Almost certainly fatal” (The Michael Phelps Diet).

In Comedy Club we twice came across examples of mockery in ads, where food had a destructive character:

“Семь лет несварения желудка. Три года резей в животе. Пять лет заворота кишок. “Макдоналдс” – 15 лет вместе!” (Ibid.).

In this type of invective political issues are much more typical for the American show, than for the Russian:

“You know what constitutes torture, listening to John McCain talk about torture, that should be against the Geneva Convention” (Richard Eckstrom for Comptroller).

The invective of destructive nature stands in a close relation to the destructive function of the category of comedy, that is why the ridiculed person either has an enormous destructive power (which represents a threat for the society) or harms himself or herself, as a result of his or her own foolishness (the connection with the invective of intellectual deficiencies can be traced here).

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What indicates danger is the addressee’s possession of an artifact with a destructive power:

“Спонсор спортивной странички сегодня – кеды-убийцы. Кеды-

убийцы: убей друга запахом” (Сумо и Репортаж из запоя),

“It smells like somebody put a big ‘ol pile of pepper in the middle of the room, then sprayed that mess with hairspray and lit that junk on fire” (Pizzeria Uno);

uncontrolled physical power:

“Я сразу всех уыиграл… И у шахматистов всех уыиграл” (Самый сильный борец Абхазии Ашот);

tricks, that lead to a destructive outcome:

“Chris Dodd – whose campaign fund-raising efforts I have worked so hard to sabotage, often with violence or threats of violence” (An Address from the All-But-Certain-To-Be Next President).

The addressee can also bear features of mutilations, although they are not so commonly mentioned in the American show:

“It hurts to see the dog you love picked on and tormented by other dogs” (Angry Dog);

“Холодно ночью в лесу. / Днем на квартире теплей.”—“Хотите я дров принесу. / Плохо горит Алексей” (Грушевский фестиваль).

It is worth mentioning that in Comedy Club physical abuse is closely connected with the sexual abuse:

(three bogatyrs – legendary Russian warriors – cannot decide, who will be the first to give the dead princess true love’s first kiss) “Ребята,

посмотрите, опомнитесь! Солнце встало! Воняет!” (Три богатыря). Considering Comedy Club, it should be noted, that destructive behavior is

found in certain stereotyped groups: sportsmen, members of a street gang (“gopniki”), hunters and amateur fishermen. These stereotypes refer to the Soviet and Post-perestroika social realia of strong idle men’s main occupation, whose unapplied strength gives way in a chaotic abuse of public order. For instance,

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members of a street gang (“gopniki”) is a subculture, which rose from the mixture of prison jargon with the sphere of sports – their outfit is sportswear, and their language is argot and jargon. As for hunters and fishermen, their hobby, being very little controlled by the regional officials, brings damage to the nature. In return, nature can also show an exaggerated destructive power, especially when certain species are mentioned: pike, crayfish, cramp-fish, tse-tse fly, cobra, etc.

In the invective of destructive behavior SNL is very hard on some political leaders and political and religious groups groups, that let themselves down, bringing considerable destructions:

“Taliban’s back, that’s a burn” (Richard Eckstrom for Comptroller).

In this very context the invective acquires a social character, and the humorous effect seizes to be its main aim. It draws closer to the real image to reconcile the society with the new or disliked social phenomenon, using humor form (the example of terrorist groups or the illiterate president, that shows his flaws to all the world, are a good example of this role of the invective). On the other hand, in the sketches about criminal issues such social groups, as the police or street mob, are not mocked openly. Much more often the object of invective is a stereotyped television image of an honest policeman or a crafty offender. Thus, the social groups are more protected from ridicule, than in Comedy Club.

Speaking about the status of the Russian stereotyped groups, like gopniki, sportsmen and lowbrow (bydlo), they are not always ridiculed openly. Sometimes the addresser can pretend, that he is afraid of them, and communicate with a pretence of respect. This respect for the stronger might raise their status, but nevertheless the accusative character of invective helps to create a social isolation, that is specific for them. This isolation automatically puts the speaker on the one level up as he is still a part of the society. For example, in the sketch “Новый чемпионат мира по быдлу “Свинство-2005” the comedian suggests, that bydlo should have their own championships, separate from normal sports competitions.

The key aim of the comedian, who employs this invective type, is to prevent the bearer of destructive power from harming the society. That is why the element

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of competition, which is conditioned by the rule “counts as” is very important to be followed. The verbal invective defends the antagonists from a physical fight, and it is even more important in the case of destructive social elements. In the invective the destructor does not usually realize, that he or she is mocked at (for example, in the sketch “Самый сильный борец Абхазии Ашот” the Dagestan sportsman brags about his strength, that helped him to win in the checkmate tournament – he does not realize, that his victory was not fair, and the other comedian, who interviews him, intonates his speech so as not to offend the sportsman and at the same time to let the public understand his true harmful nature).

The American show is more careful with the issues of physical destruction and uses this invective type to describe unpleasant social phenomena indirectly. The social dislike of certain groups (like Taliban – see in the example above) already serves as a reason for ridicule and isolation. In this case the society has given its judgment, and the comedian only voices it.

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On the level of archetype it is clearly seen, that the two cultures differently interpret the bearer of destructive nature. The Russian discourse sees him or her as a mutilator, the American as a saboteur. On the level of clusters Russians connect the physical triumph over the antagonist with the sexual abuse, while Americans consider swindling as a guarantee of a physical victory. By analogy with this distribution the level of stereotype is represented by groupings of sportsmen, bydlo and gopniki, who bring physical aggression – in Comedy Club, and organized crime and politicians, who, according to the stereotype, cheat to get what they want (e.g. Hillary Clinton in “An Address from the All-But-Certain-To-Be Next President”).

§ 2.4.8. INVECTIVE OF UNUSUAL SEXUAL LIKES

The invective of unusual sexual behavior roots in the rituals of May festivity: it is often built on the change of gender roles, excessive sexual activity of the addressee or, vice versa, his or her sexual failures. According to O. M. Freidenberg, this ritual is held to revive instincts in civilized people, who cut themselves off the Nature with the help of culture (its laws and taboos) and needs this ritual to keep reproduction. The quantitative correspondence of invective names of this type in Comedy Club and SNL is 49 and 28, accordingly.

The invective of sexual behavior often contains gender semantics. The traditional folklore culture approves, that a man should brag about his sexual victories; women are not encouraged to do so. That is why such invective often

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ridicules a man, who is too boastful or too unlucky. In Comedy Club there is a series of sketches with two such personages: the comedian Alexander A. Revva plays a macho and Andrei Rozhkov – a geek. Sexual misfortunes may result in breaking taboos. In a fairy tale parody one of the characters is made to kiss a dead princess:

“Иди целуй. Сам сказал: умерла, всё, поскакали. Иди целуй!” (Три богатыря).

In SNL an average family man flirts on the phone with his daughter’s classmates:

“Michael, who’s in your five?”—“Um, Stacey, Beth, Ashley, Rachel and now Jenny” (T-Mobile).

In Comedy Club homosexuality and unnatural sexual likes are a quite popular topic in the invective:

“А с беззубой щукой можно поступить по своему хотению” (Общество ихтиофилов), “Если я там усех не уыиграю, то меня тренер в рот уыиграет” (Самый

сильный борец Абхазии Ашот).

In some cases SNL attaches unusual sexual behavior to criminal inclinations:

“There’s no way to identify ALL pedophiles, but chances are, if you cut taxes, it’s gonna benefit at least a couple of them” (McCain Approves).

Women can be mentioned in connection with sexual misfortunes. In such cases the reason for it is their unattractiveness:

“Hillary Clinton: “So, please, stop Photoshopping my head on sexy bikini pictures!” (A Non-Partisan Message From Sarah Palin & Hillary Clinton), “Жабу лучше всего поцеловать, и тогда любая тварь превратится в принцессу” (Ядовитые твари).

A woman can also be an object of sexual desire – then her image is stereotyped:

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“Секция соревнований “Баня с телками”… Игра идет очень грязная.

Одна из участниц зарабатывает 11-сантиметровый, а другая удалена за задержку” (Новый чемпионат мира по быдлу “Свинство-2005”).

A change in gender roles can be reflected in the invective:

“Стоило мне, скромному ведущему, надеть юбку, и понеслось. “Премьер-министр” одел, завтра спикер оденет, а послезавтра Земфира в юбке выйдет” (Ведущий Арташес Саркисян объявляет выступление группы “Премьер-министр”, вып. 21).

SNL ridicules average people, for example, in a stereotyped situation about a couple, who have not had sex for a long time:

“What would you know about sexy? Huh? I mean, you’ve been so cold to me. So cold to my touch for so long” (T-Mobile);

or famous people, for example, when a famous actor steals a girlfriend from a college student:

“One that I got was, “Hey, Craig, why is James Franco talking to your girlfriend Colleen so much?” (James Franco’s Monologue).

The same can be referred to Comedy Club:

“Александр Серов: “В моей новой песне… поется о женщинах,

влюбленных в меня” (Прогноз погоды России на 27 октября 2115г.); “Раз вы с девушкой в 6 часов утра на пляже, значит, у вас еще ничего не было” (Незлобин и Элвис поговорили о женщинах).

Sexual attraction, as well as a normal sexual behavior is one of the indicators of a successful person, that is why accusations of preferences, that are strange or tabooed, can spoil any reputation. These accusations can concern anybody, despite profession or social status (or even age), that is why they are universal. They are also quite easy to trust, because a private life, as an unknown side of everybody’s personality, gives rise to suspicions easily. Stereotypes also play a significant role. For example, a rude behavior of an aged woman can be explained in the invective by a menopause, and attractive men with a thin figure – by homosexuality. The effectiveness of this type of invective depends on the stereotype of an average

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successful person. All whose, behavior is unusual and who do not fit in the frames of this stereotype can be accused of a hidden sexual mischief. On the other hand, the modern society also puts bonds of tolerance on the invective, that is why the American show, where this process is very active, has almost two times fewer invectives of sexual likes, than the Russian one.

The ridiculer’s will to higher his or her status creates an opposition with the addressee, whose status is lowered. In the invective of sexual likes this opposition can be built on gender confusion. In a performance where one male comedian acts as a man and another male comedian as a woman, the first one tells the second to stop behaving like a woman:

“Алексей, ну, че ты прям, как Татьяна?” (Сумо и Репортаж из запоя). In this invective the male gender is a marker of a higher status, and the ridiculer expresses his will to communicate with an equal – a man.

The problem of sexism in SNL has an element of social auto-reflection. It is tackled in sketches on political subjects, and its controversial side is shown. In a sketch Hillary Clinton claims:

“I believe that global warming is caused by man” (A Non-Partisan Message From Sarah Palin & Hillary Clinton).

The tradition to use ‘man’ meaning all humans is still battled in the USA, but sometimes it goes beyond the limits of rational – like in this pun, where men are blamed of the ecological catastrophe, regardless of the fact that women also participate in this process.

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