Flouting Maxims and Humor in the Barbie Movie: Investigating the World of Living Dolls

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the types of humor formed through flouting maxims in the Barbie movie. This study uses a qualitative method with a case study approach, using the Barbie movie released in 2023 as the data source. This study was conducted to fill a research gap, as studies of humor through flouting maxims still focus more on media such as sitcoms and podcasts, while studies on movies, especially modern popular movies are still relatively limited. Data collection techniques were carried out through audiovisual and digital material analysis, which included movie dialogue and subtitles. The data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model, which included the stages of data reduction, data display, and conclusion verification. The results showed that all types of maxims in Grice's (1975) theory were flouted, with the maxim of relevance being the most dominant. Based on Martin's (2007) theory of humor, there are two types of humor that emerge through maxim flouting in this movie, namely spontaneous conversational humor and unintentional humor. The most dominant type of humor is clever replies to serious statements as a subcategory of spontaneous conversational humor. Meanwhile, jokes and replies to rhetorical questions were not found in this movie. These findings show that flouting maxims are not only linguistic violations, but also serve as effective pragmatic strategies in creating humor in movies.