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Chapter 8. “Cool children” and “super seniors” cross into youth language

Humorous constructions of youthfulness in Greek family sitcoms
  • Theodora P. Saltidou and Anastasia G. Stamou
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The Dynamics of Interactional Humor
This chapter is in the book The Dynamics of Interactional Humor

Abstract

This article examines the ways in which the sociolinguistic construction of youthful identities is represented in two popular Greek comedy family sitcoms, considering that youth language has gained a prominent position in TV fictional discourse, being used by characters of all ages. Drawing upon a combined analytical framework from sociocultural linguistics, ethnomethodology and interactional sociolinguistics, as part of a wider research project, our analysis focuses on two interactions in which non-young people (i.e. primary school children, older women) engage in youthful scenarios. We conclude that the humorous construction of youthfulness in these TV series reproduces the (adult) stereotypical views of young people and their speech style, and undermines the marketing discourse of perpetual adolescence (Gennaro, 2013).

Abstract

This article examines the ways in which the sociolinguistic construction of youthful identities is represented in two popular Greek comedy family sitcoms, considering that youth language has gained a prominent position in TV fictional discourse, being used by characters of all ages. Drawing upon a combined analytical framework from sociocultural linguistics, ethnomethodology and interactional sociolinguistics, as part of a wider research project, our analysis focuses on two interactions in which non-young people (i.e. primary school children, older women) engage in youthful scenarios. We conclude that the humorous construction of youthfulness in these TV series reproduces the (adult) stereotypical views of young people and their speech style, and undermines the marketing discourse of perpetual adolescence (Gennaro, 2013).

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Investigating the dynamics of humor 1
  4. Part 1. Designing humor in oral interactions
  5. Chapter 2. Reactions to jab lines in conversational storytelling 29
  6. Chapter 3. Discourse markers as guides to understanding spontaneous humor and irony 57
  7. Chapter 4. The pragmatics of humor in bilingual conversations 77
  8. Chapter 5. Laughing at you or laughing with you? 105
  9. Chapter 6. Teasing as audience engagement 127
  10. Part 2. Designing humor in mediated interactions
  11. Chapter 7. Laughter and non-humorous situations in TV documentaries 155
  12. Chapter 8. “Cool children” and “super seniors” cross into youth language 181
  13. Chapter 9. No child’s play 205
  14. Chapter 10. Online joint fictionalization 229
  15. Chapter 11. On-line humorous representations of the 2015 Greek national elections 257
  16. Chapter 12. Positive non-humorous effects of humor on the internet 283
  17. List of contributors 305
  18. Index 311
https://doi.org/10.1075/thr.7.08cho

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Investigating the dynamics of humor 1
  4. Part 1. Designing humor in oral interactions
  5. Chapter 2. Reactions to jab lines in conversational storytelling 29
  6. Chapter 3. Discourse markers as guides to understanding spontaneous humor and irony 57
  7. Chapter 4. The pragmatics of humor in bilingual conversations 77
  8. Chapter 5. Laughing at you or laughing with you? 105
  9. Chapter 6. Teasing as audience engagement 127
  10. Part 2. Designing humor in mediated interactions
  11. Chapter 7. Laughter and non-humorous situations in TV documentaries 155
  12. Chapter 8. “Cool children” and “super seniors” cross into youth language 181
  13. Chapter 9. No child’s play 205
  14. Chapter 10. Online joint fictionalization 229
  15. Chapter 11. On-line humorous representations of the 2015 Greek national elections 257
  16. Chapter 12. Positive non-humorous effects of humor on the internet 283
  17. List of contributors 305
  18. Index 311
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