Addition in Anti-Proverbs

Litovkina, Anna T.; Hrisztova-Gotthardt, Hrisztalina; Barta, Peter I.; Vargha, Katalin; Mieder, Wolfgang

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-89062-9_2

Cited by 1 publication

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“…Generally, people use proverbs with admonishing or evaluative intentions, but with the appearance of new forms of communication and entertainment, proverbs have begun to be used more frequently as a means of producing humour, often through their modification or ironic use (Vargha & Litovkina 2013;Litovkina 2017). This use of proverbs has been studied in depth by A. T. Litovkina, the author of multiple works on the topic, such as her collaboration with Mieder, Twisted Wisdom: Modern Anti-Proverbs (Litovkina & Mieder 1999), and more recently, the chapter on anti-proverbs included in Hrisztova-Gotthardt and Aleksa Varga's comprehensive volume Introduction to Paremiology (Litovkina 2014) as well as another collaborative volume analysing the use of antiproverbs in five languages (Litovkina et al 2021). The present paper, however, intends to take a slightly different approach, focusing on the creative use of proverbs in The Office as one of the most influential TV series in popular culture in English in the 21 st century.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Michael Scott’s anti-proverbs and pseudo-proverbs as a source of humour in The Office

Fernández

2023

EJHR

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This article analyses the use of proverbs in the American version of the sitcom The Office, especially in relation to Michael Scott, the show’s main protagonist. The purpose of the study is to explore the possibilities of proverbs as a comedic device and the use that scriptwriters make of paremiology for the portrayal of fictional characters. The case of Michael Scott is paradigmatic for these two approaches because, apart from being the protagonist of one of the most influential comedies in the last two decades, he exemplifies a creative use of paremiology through which he often modifies existing proverbs or invents proverb-like statements to support his ideas, rather than reciting proverbs in their canonical wording. As can be inferred, the intention of these paremiological practices is to make the audience laugh. From this analysis, we can draw the conclusion that scriptwriters deliberately include non-canonical proverbs in Michael’s speech for the humorous possibilities that they offer. Consequently, this procedure determines Michael’s characterisation in a way that relates to the traditional incongruity theory of humour. Finally, this paper intends to contribute to the establishment of a trend in current proverb scholarship that studies paremias for their comedic uses in modern media and to the dismissal of the widespread idea that they are not relevant in today’s society.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Michael Scott’s anti-proverbs and pseudo-proverbs as a source of humour in The Office

Fernández

2023

EJHR

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Addition in Anti-Proverbs

Cited by 1 publication

References 3 publications

Michael Scott’s anti-proverbs and pseudo-proverbs as a source of humour in The Office

Michael Scott’s anti-proverbs and pseudo-proverbs as a source of humour in The Office

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