Is it Stereotypical?: The Language and Tone Presented by the Female Characters in "The Office"
Disciplines
American Popular Culture | Language Description and Documentation
Abstract (300 words maximum)
I will present a summary of a linguistic analysis in which I compare and contrast the language and tone presented in the dialogue of female characters in the hit American television comedy “The Office”. This type of analysis of popular culture artifacts is important because it addresses how different types of women are portrayed on television and how audiences respond to their tone and word choice. In my presentation, I will give a sense of how the writers and possible audience members view women based on the linguistic constructions that drive the actions of specific female characters. This research will let viewers identify female gendered stereotypes in not only media but also in society while exposing the ridicule of stereotypes based on perceived language constructions. I will use dialogue from the female characters in “The Office” including (but not limited to) Pam Beesly, Angela Martin, Jan Levinson, and Phyllis Vance to linguistically show the portrayal of women and make the point that the way audiences perceive these female characters translates into how audiences perceive women in everyday communicative interactions.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - English
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Dr. Jeanne Bohannon
Is it Stereotypical?: The Language and Tone Presented by the Female Characters in "The Office"
I will present a summary of a linguistic analysis in which I compare and contrast the language and tone presented in the dialogue of female characters in the hit American television comedy “The Office”. This type of analysis of popular culture artifacts is important because it addresses how different types of women are portrayed on television and how audiences respond to their tone and word choice. In my presentation, I will give a sense of how the writers and possible audience members view women based on the linguistic constructions that drive the actions of specific female characters. This research will let viewers identify female gendered stereotypes in not only media but also in society while exposing the ridicule of stereotypes based on perceived language constructions. I will use dialogue from the female characters in “The Office” including (but not limited to) Pam Beesly, Angela Martin, Jan Levinson, and Phyllis Vance to linguistically show the portrayal of women and make the point that the way audiences perceive these female characters translates into how audiences perceive women in everyday communicative interactions.