Dysphemism used in “Due Date” movie

ABSTRACT

Dysphemism is an expression with offensive connotation which is sometimes triggered by fear, distaste, hatred, or contempt. It is used to talk about one‟s opponents, things one wishes to show disapproval of, and things one wishes to be seen to downgrade. It is important to be analyzed because it deals with politeness among the society. The researcher in this study is interested to analyze movie as the reflection of a society. The movie that is chosen is “Due Date” movie. This study has two objectives. The first is to get understanding on what the types of dysphemism are used in “Due Date” movie, the second is to get understanding on how dysphemism used in the movie.

This research uses descriptive qualitative design in which the data are utterances uttered by the characters of “Due Date” movie. The data were gathered by watching and listening to the dialogues of the movie, then rewriting the subtitled provided before it is confirmed. The data gathering ends in underlying the dysphemisms and coding them. Then, the data analysis begins with classifying the data based on the types of dysphemism, describing the context when dysphemism is expressed and interpreting the usage of dysphemism of those data. It ends in making conclusion.

Based on the findings of the study, the researcher concludes that there are seven types of dysphemisms found in “Due Date” movie. They are (1) taboo terms used as insult, epithet, and expletive, (2) profane curing, (3) comparisons with animals that are conventionally ascribed certain behaviors, (4) epithets that pick on real physical characteristics that are treated as though they are abnormalities, (5) imprecations and epithets invoking mental subnormality or derangement, (6) terms of insult or disrespect, which invoke slurs on the target character, (7) euphemistic dysphemism. The researcher also found fourteen functions of dysphemisms, for moaning, expressing surprise, insulting or humiliating, expressing frustration, annoyance, or anger, cursing, teasing, refusing, convincing, disparaging, accusing, forcing, questioning, expressing unconcern, informing.

From this study, it is suggested for the next researchers to analyze dysphemism in more natural language used such as daily conversation by using other approaches such as semantics or phsycolinguistics. Analyzing dysphemism using quantitative design is also recommended.