Abstract

GALUP THOUREY, Ricardo. Conversational Transgressions and Pragmalinguistic Resources: A Cross-Cultural Approach between El Chigüire Bipolar and The Onion. Anu. let. lingüíst. filol. [online]. 2025, vol.13, n.1, pp.65-96.  Epub June 13, 2025. ISSN 2448-8224.  https://doi.org/10.19130/iifl.adel.2025.13.1.00x328sw33.

This cross-cultural study analyzes the transgressions of Grice’s conversational maxims (1975) and pragmalinguistic resources in the satirical news websites El Chigüire Bipolar and The Onion, using a qualitative and descriptive methodology (Reguera, 2008) in a cross-cultural context (Félix-Brasdefer, 2019). The sample includes seven recent articles from each website, selected randomly. The methodology involves identifying key elements, such as witty statements, unusual comparisons, and jokes, and applying conversational maxims to evaluate the humorous strategies. The analysis shows that both websites intentionally violate the maxims of quantity, quality, relation, and manner to generate humor and social critique within their respective cultural contexts. El Chigüire Bipolar employs exaggeration, irony, subjectivity, and incoherence to critique Venezuelan reality, while The Onion uses irony, exaggeration, ambiguity, and expectation deviation to subvert communicative conventions. These transgressions are not mere violations of conversational norms, but deliberate strat­egies that contribute to humor and social critique, highlighting the importance of context and implicature in interpreting humor. The study concludes that cross-cultural pragmatics demonstrate the flexibility of pragmatic norms in different cultural contexts. The ability of these websites to effectively use pragmalinguistic resources resonates with their specific audiences, emphasizing the need to adapt humorous strategies to cultural norms and expectations. This study provides a deeper under­standing of the dynamics of humor in the digital age and its role in shaping public discourse, contributing to the field of cross-cultural pragmatics and social critique.

Keywords : cross-cultural pragmatics; humor; conversational maxims; pragma­linguistic resources.

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