“Everything passes, but not the foolishness of certain hotheads. Peace and love” The (strategic) use of mock-politeness in the Italian electoral campaign on X
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4396/20250604Keywords:
mock-politeness, humor, political language, Twitter (X), propagandaAbstract
This article aims to investigate the frequency and functions of mock-politeness (MP), an indirect strategy of impoliteness, in a corpus of tweets published by Italian politicians during the 2022 electoral campaign. Specifically, using a corpus-based methodology, the study examines whether variations in the frequency of MP usage are correlated with factors such as party leadership, political affiliation, or individual stylistic choices. Furthermore, qualitative analyses of MP instances were conducted to reveal its (persuasive) functions in the context of electoral propaganda and the rhetorical complexity of the phenomenon. For example, MP, by generating humor, can elevate the face of the speaker while undermining the face of the humor’s target. These aspects, thus, make MP a strategically substantial form of impoliteness.
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