Abstract
Impoliteness has been a focus of recent research with more emphasis placed on context, situated evaluations and social action. Although talk shows are not the same as everyday conversations, the use of impoliteness to entertain is often an intentional part of the format. This paper uses Chinese talk shows to examine the subtle differences in impoliteness of talk shows in the different Chinese contexts. We compare one TV talk show in Taiwan (Kangxi Laile), and the other in Mainland China (Huahua Wanwu), both with the same hosts and similar program formats, to examine how impoliteness is shown at personal, relational, and group levels. Comparing how this is done in different contexts will help us better understand what is acceptable and what is not in different Chinese communities, as each community is different given the different historical, political, and sociological backgrounds, which will lead to different manifestations of (im)politeness.
Acknowledgment
We are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for all the helpful comments.
Appendix: Details of the episodes used in KX & HH


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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- “Our show is so twisted”: comparing impoliteness in Taiwan and Mainland China talk shows
- Translanguaging and decolonizing LPP: a case study of translingual practice in Macau
- 三主体言语社区:互联网时代的语言生活
- 普通话词语对港式中文的影响及表现
- 港式中文转述动词 “谓、指、话” 的共时状况与历时发展
- 马来西亚华语传承语的保守性—以虚词为例
- 教师视角下华小非华裔学生华语教学探究
- 马来西亚华语特有词语考察——以《马来西亚华语特有词语词典》为例
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- “Our show is so twisted”: comparing impoliteness in Taiwan and Mainland China talk shows
- Translanguaging and decolonizing LPP: a case study of translingual practice in Macau
- 三主体言语社区:互联网时代的语言生活
- 普通话词语对港式中文的影响及表现
- 港式中文转述动词 “谓、指、话” 的共时状况与历时发展
- 马来西亚华语传承语的保守性—以虚词为例
- 教师视角下华小非华裔学生华语教学探究
- 马来西亚华语特有词语考察——以《马来西亚华语特有词语词典》为例