Politeness Strategies Used in Ellen DeGeneres’s TV Talk Show with Barack Obama as the Guest Star

Abstract

This undergraduate thesis is entitled Politeness Strategies Used in Ellen DeGeneres’s TV Talk Show with Barack Obama as the Guest Star. Ellen DeGeneres is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. The aims of this study are to analyze the type of politeness strategies used in Ellen DeGeneres’s talk show script with Barack Obama as the guest star, and to identify the factors influence the choice of strategies.The data in this study were obtained from a talk show entitled Ellen DeGeneres. The process of collecting data was done through documentation method. The theories applied to support this study are theory proposed by Brown and Levinson (1978) used to analyze the types of politeness strategies, and also the same theories used to identify the factors influence the choice of strategy. The sentences which were used as the data were the sentences of the conversation applied the politeness strategy in script. Politeness strategies and the factors that influence the choice of strategies have a close connection to each other, whether when the speakers talks to female or male, have different social status, have a close relationship, or they always try to act politely in every situations. In two episodes of Ellen DeGeneres talk show with Barack Obama as the guest star the politeness strategy mostly applied in the positive politeness strategy. It also has the connection with the factor influence the choice of strategy.

Politeness Strategies Reflected by the Main Character in “Bridge to Terabithia” Movie

“…Many researchers on politeness strategies (Ningsih, 2012;Hastari, 2013;Hasmi, 2013;Archia, 2014;Safitri, 2015;Nailah, 2016;Dharmayanti, et al, 2018;Nihayati, 2018) have conducted the researches that focused on Brown and Levinson's theory about politeness strategies but the source of data are various in the form of movie, short story, novel, TV show, and so on. There is also previous research that used Brown and Levinson's theory and supported by Ronald Wardaugh's theory (Norra, 2015).…”

Analysis of politeness strategies in Youtube reaction vlogs

“…Thus, the reactors showed respect to the creators by using lesser offensive utterances instead of being too imposing with their beliefs. Like the study of Dharmayanti, Sukarini, and Savitri (2018), interlocutors tend to minimize impositions through using words that would not insult each other but help protect each other's face.…”

“…Although the host had all the opportunity, power, and domination to threaten the guest's face because it is her territory, she had uttered statements and strategically asked questions that would save the guest's face who is much more powerful than her. She did it by agreeing with the guest and attending to his wants and interests (Dharmayanti, Sukarini, & Savitri, 2018).…”

“…In return, the guest also responded to the questions without offending the host. Therefore, both interlocutors had protected each other's image by not being rude and too imposing with their utterances (Dharmayanti, Sukarini, & Savitri, 2018).…”

“…Another research participant remarked, "It shows the proper way to react on things around especially in showing respect to people around us." Just like the study of Dharmayanti, Sukarini, and Savitri (2018), Ellen DeGeneres's televised interview with Barack Obama, both the host and guest respected each other's image by not being rude and too imposing with their utterances. The interlocutors have showed deference and mutual respect because they understood that both were respected personalities in politics and media.…”