National Stereotypes Representation in Humorous Film Discourse

Shavtikova Aurika ORCID: 0000-0001-9672-852X Assistant Professor; Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Philology; P. Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 6 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Obruchevsky district, Moscow, 117198, Russia shavtikova_at@pfur.ru

Introduction

Stereotypes are an important aspect of research in the field of linguistics, as they are stable cognitive structures that influence the perception and interpretation of reality ^[6]. In the Russian linguistic tradition, stereotypes are considered as multi-layered formations that include both linguistic and cultural components (see the works of I.M. Kobozeva (1995), E.L. Vilinbakhova (2012), A.V. Prochilova (2013), T.F. Semashko (2014)). They are formed under the influence of social experience and are fixed in the language through stable expressions and phraseological units. In foreign studies, stereotypes are often defined as simplified and generalized representations of social groups or phenomena that facilitate information processing, but can lead to a distortion of perception (see M.B. Hinner (2010), T. Motsi, J.E. Park (2020)). Also, in linguistics, stereotypes manifest themselves in the form of typical images associated with certain words or expressions, which can be reflected in discursive practices ^[15]. Russian researchers emphasize the importance of national and cultural specifics in the formation of stereotypes, pointing out their connection with mental schemes and concepts. In turn, foreign authors focus on the universality of stereotyping as a cognitive process, defining it through the prism of social psychology and communication.

There are several types of stereotypes that affect the perception and interpretation of the world around us. One of the key types are national stereotypes formed around characteristic features attributed to representatives of a particular nation or ethnic group ^[19]. These stereotypes are often based on cultural and historical features and can both strengthen intercultural ties and generate prejudice ^[23].

National stereotypes are simplified and often generalized representations of the characteristics inherent in representatives of a particular nation. National stereotypes can relate to appearance, behavior, character, and values. In the comic genres of film discourse, national stereotypes are used to create a comic effect based on absurdity, recognition, and surprise.

Methodology and research material

To analyze the national stereotype, contextual analysis was applied for a complete and in-depth understanding in order to analyze the internal structure and content of the film, as well as external factors that influence creation and perception. In this article, the authors explore national stereotypes using language examples from the British sitcom Mind Your Language. The series was created by Vincent Carrera and was released in 1977. The main leitmotif of the series is the comic depiction of cultural and linguistic barriers that arise in the process of teaching English to students from different countries.

The results of the study

In the series "Mind Your Language", 7 nationalities are distinguished, on the basis of national stereotypes about which comic effects are built. In this part, we will conduct a contextual analysis of these stereotypes in relation to each of the nationalities represented.

So, one of the national stereotypes presented in the series is the stereotype of Hindus. The national stereotype of Hindus has been studied in the works of many linguists (see works by Kachru (1985), Said (2006), Bhaba (2002)), who believe that Hindus, like other Eastern peoples, are portrayed as "exotic, mysterious, backward and in need of Western guidance" [35:120]. Linguist Braj B. Kachru (1985) noted that the Indian English language has its own unique phonetic, lexical and grammatical features. An example is the figure of Ranjit Singh's character in the series under study, who comes to lessons in traditional Indian clothes, and also makes the following mistakes:

A) interference errors in articulation: ‘a thousand apologies’, ‘I am going to cinema’;

B) violations in the temporal correlations: ‘I am come yesterday'.

B) literal translation of phrases or calculus into English from Hindi: ‘What is your good name?’;

He is portrayed as a man with a strong accent, deeply committed to his cultural customs and traditions. His habit of invoking the gods in stressful situations, using the word ‘achcha’ (in transl. it means "good" in Hindi) unnecessarily and unnecessarily, as well as difficulties in understanding English culture, are laughable because they emphasize the gap between its national characteristics and the British context.

As for national stereotypes about the French, the French are loving and "highly appreciate the delights of their national cuisine and have an unlimited appetite" [2: 65], wear a scarf around their necks ^[10], and the culture of France is described in studies as "feminine, in which gender roles are not clearly differentiated, people of the opposite sex they are oriented towards each other and interdependent, the main value is the quality of life" [31: 403]. Also, "in France, maintaining an attractive and appropriate appearance - a national behavioral stereotype – is a form of expressing decent attitude not only to oneself, but also to others" [31: 405]. The confirmation of national stereotypes about the French in the series under study is presented through student Danielle Favard, who appears as a woman with an expressive French accent, while charm and romantic stereotypes about the French play a key role in her interactions. French student Danielle Favard is portrayed through the prism of common ideas about the French. She is flirtatious, confident in her attractiveness and often focuses on the romantic aspects of life. These characteristics correspond to the generally accepted images of the French as romantic and elegant people. The comicality is also enhanced by moments when she uses grammar incorrectly or confuses tenses, which not only demonstrates her struggle with language, but also makes the audience laugh, as the combination of her accent and grammatical errors looks charming. For example, Daniel tries to give nouns a gender (instead of ‘the table’ he pronounces ‘a table’, since in French the word ‘table’ is feminine), confuses tenses (‘I am going to the cinema yesterday’ instead of ‘I went to the cinema yesterday’), unjustified inversion (‘the cat black is’ instead of ‘the cat is black’), and also has difficulty pronouncing ‘th’ ‘h’. Comic situations arise because of her directness and lack of understanding of the cultural nuances of Great Britain. For example, Daniel, talking about himself, says:

- Allo, allo, my name is Danielle. I am from France. I like ze wine, ze cheese and ze men (approx. ‘ze’ is used by the author instead of ‘the’ to convey the phonetic pronunciation of a French student), which translates to ‘hello, hello, my name is Daniel. I'm from France. I love wine, cheese and men’ (hereafter translated by the author). This remark by Danielle confirms the stereotype about the French that they are open and direct, which causes misunderstanding and rejection among the British.

- In France, we say what we think. Here you are so polite. It is very confusing. Remark: "In France, we say what we think. You're all so polite here, it's weird.’ It also highlights the mismatch of sociocultural codes between the British and the French, and is also an example of the stereotype of the French being straightforward.

- I am not a froggie, I am a French woman. Danielle's remark, "I'm not a frog, I'm a French woman," makes it clear that the representative of French culture in the sitcom under study is uncomfortable when she is called a "frog," using the national stereotype that all French people eat frogs.

These aspects reinforce the overall comedic effect and make her character Danielle memorable and funny due to language barriers and cultural differences.

It is believed that the main characteristics of national stereotypes about Italians are: expressivity and emotionality, family values are important to them, they love food and art, they are temperamental, sociable and have an excellent sense of style ^[34]. As for the verbal and non-verbal national stereotypes about Italians, Italians are famous for their active gestures and loud speech ^[32], and Italian is also heard by others as a musical language ^[25]. National stereotypes about Italians are presented in the series through Giovanni Capelli, an Italian student who is portrayed as an energetic and expressive person. He often mixes up words and creates puns, which corresponds to the stereotype of Italian gestures and passion.:

- I am not a cook, I am a spaghetti. Giovanni's remark "I'm not a cook, I'm spaghetti" contains a confusion of words, which creates a comic effect.

- I go to the toilet to sing. The words of an Italian student, ‘I'm going to the bathroom to sing,’ where he confuses the words ‘sing’ and ‘think' leads to a funny situation.

- I am very happy like a pizza with mozzarella. The line "I'm happy as a pizza with mozzarella" expresses its joy through attachment to food, which confirms the national stereotype that Italians build food into a cult.

Complimenting the English teacher, Giovanni compares her to the Italian Ferrari car, which in the minds of the representative of the Italian linguistic culture is an important symbol of beauty and prosperity: "You are very beautiful, like a Ferrari." Giovanni appears to the audience as temperamental and passionate, prone to loud speech and expressive gestures. These character traits are stereotypically associated with Italians in popular culture, making the audience smile.

As for national stereotypes about Germans, Germans are punctual, disciplined, hardworking, result-oriented, formal and restrained, rational and straightforward ^[31]. Moreover, the linguistic features of Germans who speak English are: speech is clear and structured, speech is devoid of emotional coloring ^[31]; complex grammatical structures are used ^[27]; idioms are literally translated ^[36]. These features manifest themselves in the sitcom being studied through a student from Germany, Anna Schmidt. She is portrayed as a disciplined and serious person, which is consistent with the popular perception of Germans as strict and pedantic people. Her accent and manner of speaking emphasize these qualities, causing laughter due to the contrast with the more relaxed and chaotic characters. For example, emphasizing her commitment to system, order and pedantry, Anna says: "In German, we have a saying: ordnung muss sein. It means 'there must be order'", which translates to 'in Germany we have a saying: ordnung muss sein, which means 'there must be order'’. Also, not understanding the emotionality and expressivity of her classmates, which is alien to her, Anna Schmidt, a student from Germany, says: "I do not understand why you are all so emotional. It is not logical" (trans. 'I don't understand why you are all so emotional, It's not logical'). Anna, as a German, does not show her negative feelings and emotions: "I am not angry, I am just disappointed" (trans. 'I am not angry, I am disappointed'). So, Anna softens the categorical ‘angry’ to a more neutral epithet, perhaps describing her condition incompletely - ‘disappointed’ – however, to an epithet that will not have a high emotional connotation unusual for German linguistic culture.

Thus, the national stereotype of Spaniards attracts the attention of linguists, who say that Spaniards are individualists ^[22]; "Spain is associated with exoticism, romance and heroism" [11: 2], and the Spaniards themselves are characterized by "simplicity and abstinence bordering on asceticism, which can be considered typical features of the Spanish character and Spanish life" [16: 279]. Confirmation of these characteristics of the national stereotype in the series is the character of a student from Spain, Juan. In the TV series "Mind Your Language," Juan often causes laughter with his strong accent and manner of communication. For example, he may confuse the pronunciation of English words by replacing the sound ‘j’ with ‘h’, which is typical for native Spanish speakers. Additionally, Juan sometimes uses typical Spanish interjections such as ‘¡Olé!’(‘wow’) or ‘¡Ay caramba!’ (‘usp!’). His emotionality and short temper also highlight stereotypes about Spanish residents as hot-headed and expressive people. In many of Juan's remarks, there is a confirmation of national stereotypes about Spaniards, for example:

- Hello, my friends! I am Juan. I come from sunny Spain, where we have siesta and fiesta (transl. ‘Hello, my friends! I'm Juan. I came from sunny Spain, where siesta (afternoon nap) and fiesta’ (holiday, weekend). This remark highlights the claim that Spaniards love relaxation and entertainment.

- In Spain we say ‘manan a’, it means ‘tomorrow'... or maybe the day after tomorrow (transl. "in Spain, we say ‘mapapa’, which means ‘tomorrow'... or the day after tomorrow). This remark confirms the national stereotype about Spaniards – they are unpunctual and tend to postpone things for later.

These features make the Spanish student's interaction with other characters comical, as they create a contrast between his immediate reaction and the more restrained behavior of others.

The next national stereotype presented in the series is the stereotype of Pakistanis. Thus, "Pakistanis often face the dilemma of explaining what their culture really is, given the socio-cultural, multinational and multi-religious life in the country that is not always reliably covered by the media" [1: 286], "Pakistanis are hardy and hardworking" and "they are distinguished by their ability to remain calm in extreme situations" 1S.I. Akmalov notes that "like other Asian peoples, Pakistanis have a complex code of conduct, among which the concepts of social status, the reputation of the clan (or clan) and the level of material wealth prevail." National stereotypes about Pakistanis are presented in the series through Ali Nadeem, a character from Pakistan who often causes laughter due to his specific linguistic and cultural characteristics. Ali confuses English idioms and stable expressions, which leads to comical situations. For example, instead of saying "raining cats and dogs" (an idiom meaning heavy rain), he might say something like "raining dogs and cats", which sounds ridiculous and funny to native speakers. So, Ali Nadeem says some lines that reflect national stereotypes about Pakistanis.:

- Good morning, sir. I am Ali Nadim. I come from Pakistan, where we have many spicy curries. Translated, Nadim's remark is ‘good morning, sir. I am Ali Nadeem. I came from Pakistan, where we eat a lot of spicy food (curry) It also confirms the stereotype that Pakistani food is highly spicy.

- In Pakistan, we respect our elders. We always listen to what they say (transl. "In Pakistan, we respect our elders. We always listen to what they say’). Ali's remark highlights the stereotype that in Pakistan, as in a Muslim society, the younger generation is obligated to listen to and respect their elders.

They are hardworking and disciplined, respect traditions and elders, are restrained and modest, they are characterized by collectivism, patriotism and practicality – all these are attributed by scientists and linguists (see the works of D.M. Rostomyan (2013), T.V. Khrushcheva (2016), M.S. Rysyatova (2017), C. Junmei (2017)) to national stereotypes about Chinese and Japanese. National stereotypes about Asians (Japanese and Chinese) are presented through the characters Chung Soo Lee from China and Taro Nakamura from Japan. They demonstrate pronunciation features that make the audience laugh due to the language and manner of speech. Chun Su Lee, a Chinese student, often speaks with a strong accent, replacing the sounds of ‘r’ with ‘l’, which is a common stereotype regarding Asian accents in English. This language barrier leads to comical situations, especially when the characters misunderstand each other or the teacher. For example, instead of the word ‘rice’ she can pronounce ‘lice', which causes confusion and laughter. Taro Nakamura, a Japanese student, is also depicted with an accent that makes it difficult to pronounce and understand clearly. In addition, his desire to follow the rules and respect for authority contrasts with the behavior of other students, which adds a humorous element to their interactions.: «In Japan we are very polite. We always say 'yes' even if we mean 'no'" (transl. ‘We are very polite in Japan. We always say yes, even if we meant no.')

Conclusions

Thus, we can conclude that the use of national stereotypes serves as the basis for creating a comic effect and performs the humorous function of a film discourse. Hyperbolization of characteristic features of representatives of different countries, such as accents, cultural characteristics and mannerisms, allows viewers to laugh at stereotypes. Despite potential criticism for overuse, these stereotypes serve an important purpose – they defuse the atmosphere and contribute to a humorous perception of cross-cultural differences and misunderstandings. Thus, the representation of national stereotypes in film discourse not only performs one of the most important functions for comedy genres – humorous, but also encourages viewers to reflect on the diversity of world cultures through the prism of light and good-natured humor.

Prospective research can focus on analyzing the impact of national stereotypes in film discourse on the perception of viewers from different cultures, as well as examine the effectiveness of humor as a tool for overcoming intercultural barriers and developing tolerance.