LANGUAGE IMPOLITENESS AND GENDER IN INDONESIA LAWAK KLUB (ILK) COMEDY PROGRAM

The objectives of this descriptive qualitative study were to discover: (1) the types of impoliteness forms and responses, (2) the process of language impoliteness, and (3) the reasons of using language impoliteness in Indonesia Lawak Klub Comedy Program on Trans7. The data were obtained from the downloaded episodes and then were transcribed. The data were the male and female comedians’ utterances in ILK Comedy Program from the topics of Pro Kontra Hukuman Mati, Mundurnya Moralitas, and Jomblo atau Asik Sendiri. The data were identified, analyzed and categorized based on Culpeper’s (2011), Bousfield’s (2006), Beebe’s (1995) theory in relation to Mill’s (2006) concept of gender and impoliteness. The findings of the study showed that: 1) There were 8 forms of impoliteness found in both data of male and female comedians namely a) insults, b) dismissals, c) silencers, d) threat, and e) negative expressives, f) form-driven, g) convention-driven and h) context-driven and a new form called interruption was found; there were 3 forms only found in the male comedians’ utterances, namely a) pointed criticisms or complaints, b) challenging or unpalatable questions and/or presuppositions, and c) message enforcers; all types of responses to impoliteness were found in both data, namely a) no responses, b) accepting the impoliteness, c) offensive response, and d) defensive response and new category of response namely singing was also found; 2) The processes of language impoliteness conducted by male and female comedians mostly resulted to similar patterns in discourse beginnings which the impoliteness triggers were language, physical appearance, behavior, age, personal matter and the role of comedian, in discourse middles which the patterns included single or multiple attacks and no responses; single or multiple attacks and accepting impoliteness; OFF-DEF pairings; and OFF-OFF pairings except OFF-SNG pairings found only in male comedians' utterances and in discourse ends which 2 patterns of conflict resolution, namely stand-off and third party intervention were found in both male and female comedians' utterances; submission to opponent and withdrawal were only found in male comedians' while female comedians employed singing; and 3) the use of language impoliteness during the program by male and female comedians shared 6 same reasons, namely a) to vent negative feelings, b) to mock the panelist, c) to show disagreement, d) to disturb the panelist’s participation of the discussion, e) to threaten the panelist’s face, and f) to dismiss the panelist and 2 reasons only found in male comedians’ speeches namely to show power and to provoke laughter. Overall, the data showed that impoliteness was used as effective communication strategy to entertain the audience; therefore, it is expected that related parties such as television producers and comedians, notice the effect of the impoliteness use to the society as well as the need of parental guide for the show.