A discourse analysis of critical commenting online: A study of comments on a self-mockery event.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Bi, Xiaoyi
- Source
- Discourse & Society. Mar2024, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p174-193. 20p.
- Subject
- *CRITICAL discourse analysis
*DEVELOPMENTAL psychology & motivation
*POWER (Social sciences)
*ETHICS
*PUBLIC welfare
- Language
- ISSN
- 0957-9265
This paper examines critical comments hidden behind the humorous topic of self-mockery. Based on a discourse analysis of 51 critical comments identified by GooSeeker of a self-mockery event from Weibo, this paper aims to unpack how the commenters actively exploit the relevancy of a topic to fulfill socio-political functions. Three strategies are found to be key in enabling them to accomplish socio-political functions: immoralizing the peripheral party, deauthorizing privilege and irrationalizing competitiveness, the meanings of which are discursively constructed across the critical comments. In this process, the self-mockery event serves as a weapon of social power to formulate critique and articulate discontent without breaking a consistent performance. The creative (re)appropriation in use is believed to be triggered by the policy of the platform and user's self-motivated interactional practice. These findings are expected to have implications for understanding comments as a social behavior at the nexus of language and social power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]