The Main Humorous Characteristics of the Anti-Value Concept of Gluttony (Based on English-Language Stand-Up and Situation Comedies)

Abstract

The article describes the anti-value concept of gluttony in the humorous discourse of English-language stand-up and situation comedies. The main humorous characteristics of this concept are identified and analyzed. An axiological approach is used for constructing a humorous conceptual framework, because humor is one of the most important tools for forming values and anti-values of a certain culture. The ridiculed characteristics of gluttony are divided into the following two groups: those of process and result. The main characteristics of the process include improper eating of edible items and eating of inedible items. Improper eating of edible items is usually ridiculed through eating excessive amounts of food, eating food under inappropriate conditions, eating incompatible items. Eating of inedible items is mostly ridiculed through eating life-threatening objects, eating something unfit to eat, and eating excrements or other human waste products. The main ridiculed characteristics of the result include gaining excess weight, addiction to a certain food, illness/death of a person. This work also performs a detailed analysis of the anti-value concept of gluttony for the first time. The main linguistic means of representing the anti-value concept of gluttony in stand-up comedies and sitcoms are revealed. This article makes a significant contribution to constructing an axiological humorous framework of the concept, because gluttony is one of the basic anti-values in humorous discourse.