Theoretical Framework

In conclusion, the researcher synthesizes the major theories to answer the two research questions. The theories used to conduct this research are related to taboo words and swear words. The first purpose of this research is to find the use of swear words uttered by Ted and John in Ted 2 movie. The second aim of this research is to investigate the motives of swearing uttered by Ted and John in Ted 2 movie.

In order to answer the first research question in this research, the researcher uses Pinker’s (2008) theory. Pinker (2008) classifies the use of swear words into five ways. They are descriptive swear words, abusive swear words,

idiomatic swear words, emphatic swear words, and cathartic swear words. The descriptive swear words are used to convey something with their literal meaning.

They are not to insult others. The abusive swear words means to humiliate, insult, and offend people. This use of swear words are usually to express anger. The idiomatic swear words are used to grab someone’s interest and attention. They are used without referring to the matter. The emphatic swear words are used to intensify or to give emphasis in an utterance. Mostly, the emphatic swear words are used to picture some happy events. The cathartic swear words are used to express emotional feeling. They are not used to offend people.

The researcher uses the Andersson’s theory (1985) as cited in Karlajainen (2002) to answer the second research question. There are three motives of swearing. The first one is psychological motives. People swear is only to show their emotions. The second is social motives. People swear is usually affected by the social groups. It is usually to show about friendship. The third is linguistic motives. People swear is only to intensify their utterances.

Figure 2.1 Diagram of Theoretical Framework Swear Words

 Descriptive Swear Words

 Abusive Swear Words

 Idiomatic Swear Words

 Emphatic Swear Words

 Cathartic Swear Words

Taboo Words

(Allan & Burridge, 2006; Fairman, 2009; Jay, 2000,2009; Radcliffe-Brown ,1939; Trudgill,

2000; Wardhaugh, 2006)

Swear Words

(Culpeper, et al, 2003; Jay, 2009; Ljung, 2011; Mohr, 2013;Vingerhoets, 2013;)

The Use of Swear Words (Ljung, 2011; Pinker, 2008)

 Psychological Motives

 Social Motives

 Lingusitic Motives The Motives of Swearing

(Andersson, 1985)

Swear Words in TED 2 Movie

23 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the researcher presents the method applied in this study.

The discussion in this chapter includes the research method, research setting, source of data, data gathering technique, and data analysis technique.

A. Research Method

According to Ary, Jacobs, and Sorensen (2006), qualitative research results a descriptive written report. It relates with the data in words or pictures rather than numbers. Qualitative research is an approach to study human and social behavior phenomena from the perspective, for instance a culture, a school, a community, a group, or an institution. The goal of qualitative research is to interpret or explain the meaning of events or action in detail. Maxwell (2012) believes the researcher’s goal in a qualitative study is to understand the meaning for the participants, particular context, and phenomena or influences. The researcher was sure in conducting this study with qualitative research because it studies the human and social behavior related to swear words particularly in the context behind the speech. Ary et al. (2006) mention the types of qualitative research such as content analysis, narrative analysis, and discourse analysis.

Discourse analysis was employed as the research method. Discourse analysis focuses on the relation between the languages and their meanings (Ary et al,. 2006). Discourse analysis is the method in linguistic scope to examine the

connection between the language and the context also the relationship between linguistic and non linguistic behavior (Paltridge, 2006). “The relationship between linguistic and non linguistic” means how the people interpret what someone says and in what circumstances they are in. The data of discourse analysis are based on the text, the audio, or the video recording.

Discourse analysis was used to analyze discourse in TED 2 movie. The researcher intended to analyze the meanings of swear words found in TED 2 movie. The analysis was limited to the transcript and the scene in the movie since the data of discourse analysis are based on the text, the audio and the video.

Therefore, discourse analysis was chosen as the appropriate method in this research.

B. Research Setting

This research was conducted from February 2018 to July 2018. The researcher looked for the data on February 2018. The researcher took the data from the movie subtitle entitled TED 2 and downloaded from www.subscene.com.

Besides, the researcher classified the use of swear words and motives of swearing with the theories based on Chapter II.

C. Source of Data

In this study, the data were in the form of dialogues transcription spoken by the main characters in TED 2 movie. The source of the data was the movie and the dialogues transcription by the characters in TED 2 movie. The transcript was

taken from the Subscene website.It was in the form of movie subtitle. In addition, the researcher checked and named the dialogues according to each character in the TED 2 movie.

TED 2 is a comedy movie released in 2015. The movie was written and directed by Seth MacFarlane. The story begins with Ted (a dirty-talking teddy bear) marries his hot grocery store co-worker Tami-Lynn, his best friend John cheers them on. In a desperate moment to restore the harmony in Ted’s household, Ted suggests Tami-Lynn to have a baby. It is not an easy option since he is exactly designed as a property in the eyes of the American government.

They try to find a lawyer named Samuel. She is asked to solve Ted’s case, to prove that he is a human, not a property.

D. Data Gathering Technique

There are four steps of collecting the data. First, the researcher watched the TED 2 movie for 5 times. The researcher watched this movie for several times in purpose to understand the story. Second, the researcher tried to make a list of the swear words uttered by Ted and John in the movie. The list was prepared to make sure the movie contain many swear words, so it would be suitable for this study.

Third, the researcher started to look for the downloadable subtitle in the website.

The researcher downloaded it because the original subtitle could not be separated from the movie. The last is the researcher classified and transferred the selected dialogues containing swear words into the data table. In order to get the final

result, the researcher classified the data based on the use of swear words and motives of swearing into the table.

Table 3.1 Classification Table of Swear Words Uttered by the Main Characters in TED 2 Movie

No Dialogue Swear Words

The Use of Swear Words Motives of Swearing

Explanation

DS ABS IS ES CS PM SM LM

1.

2.

Total

Abbreviations:

DS : Descriptive Swear Words PM : Psychological Motives ABS : Abusive Swear Words SM : Social Motives

IS : Idiomatic Swear Words LM : Linguistic Motives ES : Emphatic Swear Words

CS : Cathartic Swear Words

E. Data Analysis Technique

There are four steps in analyzing the data. First of all, the researcher put all the dialogues which contained the swear words uttered by the main characters into the table. The researcher classified the swear words based on Pinker’s (2008) theory, namely descriptive swear words, abusive swear words, idiomatic swear

words, emphatic swear words, and cathartic swear words. This first step answered the first research question. The researcher did the second step to answer the research question number two. The researcher categorized the swear words into each motive using Andersson’s (1985) theory, namely psychological motives, social motives, and linguistic motives. The researcher also provided the explanation to each swear word on the table.

In order to avoid bias, the researcher conducted a validation process of the swear words analysis. The researcher chose the lecturer namely Priyatno Ardi, S.Pd., M.Hum as the validator. He is one of linguistics experts since he teaches linguistics subjects. There were seven misplacements of the use of swear words and four misplacements of the motives of swearing. The validator also suggested to check whether some words were correctly classified into each swear word.

After the validation process, the researcher fixed and rechecked the data to apply the validator’s suggestion.

28 CHAPTER IV

RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter elaborates the findings and discusses the two research questions. The researcher provides this chapter into two parts. The first part discusses the use of swear words found in TED 2 movie. The use of swear words includes descriptive swear words, abusive swear words, idiomatic swear words, emphatic swear words, and cathartic swear words. The second part aims to discuss the motives behind the swear words utterances which appeared in TED 2 movie.

The motives are classified into psychological motives, social motives, and linguistic motives.

A. The Use of Swear Words in TED 2 Movie

Based on the findings, there are 149 swear words (see Appendix, p.67) uttered by the main characters, Ted and John, in TED 2 movie. In analyzing the data, the researcher uses the theory from Pinker (2008). There are five uses of swear words, namely descriptive swear words, abusive swear words, idiomatic swear words, emphatic swear words, and cathartic swear words. Each of swear word will be explained and followed by the examples of the dialogues from the movie. Each use of swear words will be presented in the chronological order.

1) Descriptive Swear Words

There are 39 descriptive swear words uttered by Ted and John in TED 2 movie (see Appendix, p.67). The descriptive swear words are taboo words which uttered in their literal meaning. The speaker utters the polite word into its informal or taboo form. The following dialogues are the examples of swearing situation:

1) Ted : No, Tami-Lynn tried to sign up for Obama Care on the internet, but I came back five minutes later, she was looking at black cocks.

Example 1 shows the time when Ted talks to John about his wife, Tami-Lynn. Ted explains what has been happening when he talks to his wife. Ted uses the term cocks to express his disappointment of his wife looking at the picture.

Cocks here act as a descriptive swear word because the meaning refers to the part of a man’s body. Cocks are the organ of a man body and used for urinating. The word cocks are considered vulgar and taboo.

2) Ted : Arizona State. Hey, how many times you been fucked on a house boat?

Samantha : Oh, come on!

John : Did you write your dissertation on the collective work of, uh, Red Bull?

This conversation in example 2 happens to the time when Ted, John, and Samantha talk about Samantha’s university where she graduated. Ted and John mock Sam because she went to Arizona. They ask Sam whether she had sex on the boat. Ted says fucked in the conversation in order to change the literal meaning of having sex. The term fuck in this conversation is an intransitive verb.

3) Ted : You just said F. Scott Fitzgerald. What did Scott Fitzgerald ever do to you?

Samantha : No, that’s his first name.

Ted : His name’s fuck Scott Fitzgerald?

This conversation happens to the time when Samantha asks Ted who is the author of The Great Gatsby. Samantha tells Ted that the author is F. Scott Fitzgerald. Ted does not notice who the author is. Then, Ted asks what Scott Fitzgerald did to her until she adds the “F” alphabet in the front. He assumes that

“F” stands for Fuck. In this case, the word fuck is used descriptively to express Ted’s confusion in his question to Samantha.

2) Abusive Swear Words

There are 21 abusive swear words spoken by Ted and John (see Appendix, p.67). Abusive swear words are directly spoken to express anger and emotional feeling towards the addressee. Abusive swear words which are intended to offend people are mostly affected by anger. In addition, Finn (2017) also notes that swear words which are used to insult people are included into abusive swear words.

4) Shep Wild : There’s no need for hostility, Mr. Bennett.

John : Why? Nobody here likes you? I saw you eating lunch alone.

You’re a loser!

Dialogue 4 is part of the conversation between Shep Wild (the lawyer) and John at the court. It happens when they have bad argument about Ted. John does not accept that the opponent lawyer says that Ted is a property. The lawyer indirectly states that Ted is a property because John buys Ted at the toy store.

John intends to intimidate Shep Wild through his speech. He is triggered to say offensive word to the lawyer. The word loser is also used to underestimate the lawyer.

5) John : Woh! Hey, what the hell you do walking around dressed like Star Wars?

Obi-Wan : It’s Comic Con, you idiot! We’re going down to the Javits Center.

John : Well you’re the idiots, because you three guys would never be walkin’ together!

Conversation number five happens in New York City. Ted, John, and Samantha are in the car. They arrive at one of the traffic light. John is surprised to see the cosplay of Star Wars characters are walking together. In the conversation, John is angry because one of the Star Wars cosplay says idiot to him. The term idiot is came out of John’s mouth to fight Obi-Wan back.

6) Ted : Johnny!

Tom Jessup: Who the hell are you?

John : Get away from him, you bastard! Ted, you okay, buddy?

Conversation number six happens to the time when John finds Ted in the deserted back room in Comic-Con festival. John asks Tom Jessup and Donny to stay away from Ted. He directly says the swear word bastard to offend Tom Jessup and Donny for kidnapping Ted. John is really angry to them. These reasons make the word bastard is categorized as abusive swear word.

3) Idiomatic Swear Words

The researcher finds 30 idiomatic swear words uttered by Ted and John (see Appendix, p.67). Ted and John can simply add idioms while they are swearing. They use idioms to express their emotional spirit with the exact phrases (Fromkin et al., 1998). These are the examples of using swear words with idioms in TED 2 movie:

7) John : Just so you know, I’m totally willing to do it.

Ted : Really? You…you’d do that for me?

John : What? Ted, you’re my best friend. I’d do anything for you. And besides, we just broke into Tom Brady’s house and tried to jerk him off. You’re ready to be a parent.

This conversation between Ted and John happens to the time when Ted is looking for the sperm donor. Ted tries to steal the sperm from a famous actor.

Unfortunately, he cannot make it. Then John tells Ted that he wants to become the donor. He explains to Ted that he will do anything for him. John also assumes that Ted is ready to become a parent because he tries to do anything to get the donor.

John uses the idiom jerk him off only to get Ted’s attention and give spirit to Ted.

Ted almost gets into desperation so John tries to encourage him and to give the ice- breaking between the situations. The idiom jerk him off in this conversation means to masturbate someone. It cannot be translated by each word because jerk itself means a selfish and ignorant person.

8) John : Why didn’t you just come to me?

Ted : What are you talking about?

John : For the sperm.

Ted : Johnny, you kidding me? You’re the first person I wanted to go.

But you’ve just been so bummed out over your divorce lately, that I just, you know, I didn’t want to put you in an awkward position.

Dialogue 8 shows the time when Ted fails to get the donor. Johny offers to become the donor for Ted’s family. Actually, Ted wants to ask Johny earlier but he understands Johny’s feeling after his divorce. Ted says the phrase bummed out as the conversation goes. The idiom bummed out means that Johny is really depressed or disappointed because of the divorce.

9) Judge : Miss Jackson, please control your client or I’ll hold both of you in contempt of court.

Ted : No, piss off! Alright? I’m standing up for me and I’m standing up for the homos! We deserve respect!

The term piss off is used by Ted in the court. He is annoyed by the judge’s speech. He cannot hold his feelings not to say something before. Piss off is usually used to the person who is annoying. Ted is not allowed to say something informal in the court. So, the judge asks Ted’s lawyer to be quiet. Ted says piss off with a high tone to the judge. It means he asks the judge to stay quiet in a rough way while Ted is trying to say something.

4) Emphatic Swear Words

From the analysis, there are 34 emphatic swear words spoken by Ted and John (see Appendix, p.67). Emphatic swear words are uttered to intensify the utterance, picturing the event in a positive or a negative ways, and as a slot-filler in the utterance. Two examples of emphatic swearing are the following:

10) Ted : Let me see that. This is a nightmare. [Ted meets John in the park and shows him the letter about his marriage to Tami-Lynn]

You fucking believe that?

John : No. This is insane.

It shows that Ted just gets a letter from the government. The letter is to inform that Ted and Tami-Lynn’s marriage is unrecognized. Ted considers it is a difficult situation. He comes to meet John at the park and shows the letter to him.

While John is reading the letter, Ted asks “You fucking believe that?” The word fucking here does not mean to offend anybody. Pinker (2008) says that the word fucking is often used in daily conversation. Ted only means to give intensifier to his question and as a slot-filler. Ted can also just say “You believe that?” without the word fucking. In other word, there will be no emphasis in his question.

11) Ted : Baby, we’re gonna be fine. Alright? I don’t care what any fucking piece of paper says, you are my wife.

Example 11 is spoken by Ted while he and his wife are in the court. He does not want his wife to be worried by the government’s decision. Ted says the swear word fucking before the phrase “piece of paper.” This example shows that swear word comes before a noun phrase. The word fucking here is an adverb.

12) John : This office is fucking awesome!

This short sentence is uttered by John. He gets surprised by the look of the lawyer’s office, Patrick Meighan. John says the term fucking as he picturing the

This short sentence is uttered by John. He gets surprised by the look of the lawyer’s office, Patrick Meighan. John says the term fucking as he picturing the

In document SWEAR WORDS UTTERED BY THE MAIN CHARACTERS IN TED 2 MOVIE (Page 35-83)