Politische Clowns in Klartext-Manier: Expressivität und Aggressivität in Zeiten transnationaler Öffentlichkeit
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Giulia Pelillo-Hestermeyer
Abstract
This contribution focuses on the transnational discussion in the media of a diplomatic conflict between Peer Steinbrück and Giorgio Napolitano, who were, respectively, at the time of the events in 2013, candidate for the German chancellory and Italian president. The conflict was generated by a comment made by Peer Steinbrück related to the results of the recent Italian elections: during a campaign event he stated that “two clowns” had been elected, referring to Silvio Berlusconi and Beppe Grillo. As a consequence, Giorgio Napolitano, who was in Germany at that time for a state visit, refused to meet the candidate, considering his comment to be an insult to the Italian people he represented. The paper analyses, from a pragmalinguistic and discourse analysis perspective, a corpus of different kinds of media discourses and texts (newspapers, blogs, YouTube videos etc.) in German, Italian, Spanish and English. The analysis highlights how the conflict has been recontextualized in different public spheres and media. In Germany for example the discussion mostly focuses on Steinbrück’s behaviour and its compatibility with the role of chancellor, a problem that was not mentioned in the Italian public sphere. But even within the same public spheres the conflict generates a multiplicity of discussions that are not linked to the original debate. By crossing media spaces and contexts the degree of aggressiveness grows and expands to various political, social and cultural fields. This illustrates a “context-deficit” in the inter- and transnational communication, a problem that is of relevance – not only – with regard to the development of a European public sphere.
Abstract
This contribution focuses on the transnational discussion in the media of a diplomatic conflict between Peer Steinbrück and Giorgio Napolitano, who were, respectively, at the time of the events in 2013, candidate for the German chancellory and Italian president. The conflict was generated by a comment made by Peer Steinbrück related to the results of the recent Italian elections: during a campaign event he stated that “two clowns” had been elected, referring to Silvio Berlusconi and Beppe Grillo. As a consequence, Giorgio Napolitano, who was in Germany at that time for a state visit, refused to meet the candidate, considering his comment to be an insult to the Italian people he represented. The paper analyses, from a pragmalinguistic and discourse analysis perspective, a corpus of different kinds of media discourses and texts (newspapers, blogs, YouTube videos etc.) in German, Italian, Spanish and English. The analysis highlights how the conflict has been recontextualized in different public spheres and media. In Germany for example the discussion mostly focuses on Steinbrück’s behaviour and its compatibility with the role of chancellor, a problem that was not mentioned in the Italian public sphere. But even within the same public spheres the conflict generates a multiplicity of discussions that are not linked to the original debate. By crossing media spaces and contexts the degree of aggressiveness grows and expands to various political, social and cultural fields. This illustrates a “context-deficit” in the inter- and transnational communication, a problem that is of relevance – not only – with regard to the development of a European public sphere.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Inhalt V
- Einleitung: Sprachliche Aggression beschreiben, verstehen und erklären 1
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Teil I: Zum Ausdruck verbaler Aggression
- Was sind aggressive Sprechakte? 35
- On the strength of explicit and implicit verbal offences 51
- The offensiveness of animal metaphors 73
- Aggression in Banter 89
- Aggressiv oder supportiv? 123
- Offene und versteckte Aggression im Gebrauch von Dysphemismen und Euphemismen 145
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Teil II: Verbale Aggression in Praxisfeldern
- Kommunikative Gewalt in der Psychotherapie 171
- Ist Fehlerkorrektur im Fremdsprachenunterricht ein aggressives Verhalten? 209
- „Von Ihrer Bewerbung können wir keinen Gebrauch machen“ 219
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Teil III: Hassrede und Ideologie
- Zur Multi-Akt-Semantik der Ethnophaulismen 245
- Kulturhistorische Blicke auf die Sprache des Dritten Reiches und die antisemitische Hassrede 269
- „Um den Schädling zu vernichten” 289
- Implizite Aggression in Onlinekommentaren anlässlich der Debatte um rassistische Sprache in Kinderbüchern 305
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Teil IV: Inszenierungen verbaler Aggression
- „Doing aggressive 2.0“ 331
- The leader’s voice and communicative aggression in social media 357
- Politische Clowns in Klartext-Manier: Expressivität und Aggressivität in Zeiten transnationaler Öffentlichkeit 377
- Verbale Aggression in parlamentarischen Debatten 401
- Verbale Aggression im Realsozialismus und ihre Literarisierung 425
- Inszenierte Aggression in poetischer Sprache 447
- Autorinnen und Autoren 471
- Namen- und Sachregister 479
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Inhalt V
- Einleitung: Sprachliche Aggression beschreiben, verstehen und erklären 1
-
Teil I: Zum Ausdruck verbaler Aggression
- Was sind aggressive Sprechakte? 35
- On the strength of explicit and implicit verbal offences 51
- The offensiveness of animal metaphors 73
- Aggression in Banter 89
- Aggressiv oder supportiv? 123
- Offene und versteckte Aggression im Gebrauch von Dysphemismen und Euphemismen 145
-
Teil II: Verbale Aggression in Praxisfeldern
- Kommunikative Gewalt in der Psychotherapie 171
- Ist Fehlerkorrektur im Fremdsprachenunterricht ein aggressives Verhalten? 209
- „Von Ihrer Bewerbung können wir keinen Gebrauch machen“ 219
-
Teil III: Hassrede und Ideologie
- Zur Multi-Akt-Semantik der Ethnophaulismen 245
- Kulturhistorische Blicke auf die Sprache des Dritten Reiches und die antisemitische Hassrede 269
- „Um den Schädling zu vernichten” 289
- Implizite Aggression in Onlinekommentaren anlässlich der Debatte um rassistische Sprache in Kinderbüchern 305
-
Teil IV: Inszenierungen verbaler Aggression
- „Doing aggressive 2.0“ 331
- The leader’s voice and communicative aggression in social media 357
- Politische Clowns in Klartext-Manier: Expressivität und Aggressivität in Zeiten transnationaler Öffentlichkeit 377
- Verbale Aggression in parlamentarischen Debatten 401
- Verbale Aggression im Realsozialismus und ihre Literarisierung 425
- Inszenierte Aggression in poetischer Sprache 447
- Autorinnen und Autoren 471
- Namen- und Sachregister 479
