A Pragmatics Analysis of Humor in The Big Bang Theory Season 6: a Representation of American Social Issues

Abstract

This research utilizes pragmatic approach to analyze humor in The Big Bang Theory: Season 6 sitcom by the characters to reveal American social issues. The research objectives were to identify the types and the functions of humor, thus those were to reveal American Social Issues. This research employed qualitative method. This research was done by 2 instruments which were the researcher as the key instrument and the data sheet as the secondary instrument. The techniques to collect the data were the researcher watching the situation comedy, determining 3 episodes, browsing and printing the transcript, taking the notes, and classifying and categorizing the collected data from transcript into a data sheet. The findings of this research were eleven types of humor employed in the sitcom, namely anecdote, fantasy insult, irony, joke, observation, quote, roleplay, self deprecation, vulgarity, and wordplay. Next, the three of the functions also employed by the characters; they were to express superiority, to relieve tension and to interpret incongruity. In addition, the four main American social issues were revealed in this research; they were racial or ethnicity issues, bullying, gender and religion issues. Besides, there are several issues or topics which are also discovered in this research such as music, food, fishing, other people business and matter, problem with the HRD office, small talk, and excitement of the characters which are categorized as other issues.  

Keywords: pragmatic analysis, humor, The Big Bang Theory: Season 6