Examining Rhetorical Strategies in Humorous Discourses: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The purpose of this systematic review is to review the relevant studies on rhetorical strategies in humorous discourse and text to gain a comprehensive understanding of the role of rhetorical strategies in humorous discourse and to explore future research trends. A systematic literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses was conducted in the present study. After data selection and screening followed the protocol criteria, 20 articles were included in this study. The results reveal that most of the prior researchers investigated one specific rhetorical strategy in an article, such as irony, metaphor, satire, insults, and metonymy, while some of them examined different rhetorical strategies simultaneously. Besides, all the included articles adopted a qualitative research method, and the theories they applied are diverse. Moreover, the functions of rhetorical strategies in different humorous discourses are summarized. The results show that the functions of rhetorical strategies differ in different types of humorous contexts, which depend on the speaker’s communication purpose in certain situations.

Rhetorical strategies in Chinese and English talk show humor: a comparative analysis

“…The finding also addressed Mulyadi et al’s (2021) claim that verbal humor is often achieved via different types of rhetorical strategies in certain situations. This study observed the willingness of talk show hosts and comedians to use rhetorical strategies to achieve good humor and entertainment effects ( Tianli et al, 2022 ), which may explain why both CTS and ETS in this study employed numerous rhetorical strategies. According to Weaver (2012) , humor offers a variety of ideological or discursive effects through rhetoric, while the dynamics of the rhetorical triangle may influence the humorous meanings generated by jokes.…”

“…Moreover, Stoyanova (2021) examined metaphor as a means of creating humorous effect in media texts. The role of rhetorical strategies varies across distinct categories of humor contexts, contingent upon the speaker’s intended message in particular circumstances ( Tianli et al, 2022 ).…”

Manipulation of Female Stereotypes in Chinese Translations of Fragrance Product Descriptions

“…In other words, a woman who wears the fragrance is a 'tender' woman. It is critical to recognize the words and phrases with connotative meaning in the translation of fragrance product descriptions, taking the functions of rhetorical devices in media texts into account (Tianli et al, 2022). In this instance, 'sensibility' is added in the TT.…”