An Analysis of Humor in The Big Bang Theory from the Perspective of the Cooperative Principle

馬昕

【Abstract】This paper chooses the case of The Big Bang Theory， employing Grices co-operative principle as the theoretical analysis tool， exploring the humorous effect through analyzing in depth and providing some inspirations for applying the Cooperative Principle.

【Key words】Cooperative Principle； four maxims； The Big Bang Theory； humor

1. Introduction

1.1 Introduction to the Sitcom： The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory， produced by Chuck Lorre， had the honor to won the best comedy series TCA award in August 2009. There is plenty of laughter in it， providing abundant fresh-tasting material of verbal humor， which is meaningful and necessary for our language learners to explore its inner mechanism from the perspective of pragmatics.

1.2 Grices Theory of Cooperative Principle

The Cooperative Principle is a principle of conversation that was proposed by Paul Grice in 1975， stating that “make your contribution such as it is required， at the stage at which it occurs， by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged.” The cooperative principle can be divided into four maxims： Maxim of Quality， Maxim of Quantity， Maxim of Relation and Maxim of Manner.

2. the Analysis of Flouting the Cooperative Principle in The Big Bang Theory

2.1 Flouting the Maxim of Quality

It means that the speaker intentionally says word that is not corresponding to the fact or the speaker says words that he lacks adequate evidence.

Mother： Penny， I dont know what I was worried about. You friends are just lovely.

Penny： Oh， thanks， mom.

Mother： Although that Sheldon is a bit peculiar.

Penny： Is he？ I never noticed.

Pennys response can be seen as a typical example of violating this maxim. As is known to us all， Sheldon is freak， and of course Penny knows it. While she said some she knows wrong and thats the core of the humor.

2.2 Flouting the Maxim of Quantity

Flouting the Maxim of Quantity means that the speaker does not provide enough information as required or provides excessive information. Here is the example：

Penny： Leonard， standing here with you in front of our family and friends is bringing up a lots of feelings…Thank you for marrying me. Hopefully for the last time.

It seems very sweet and everyone moved in the very beginning. However， the redundant information more than the hearer required causes the effect of humor and makes people laugh.

2.3 Flouting the Maxim of Relation

The hearers answer has no relation with the speakers question. See the following example：

Mother： The world doesnt need to know our problems.

Penny： Well mom， Im sorry， but I …

Father： hey， look， they got Walgreens here， too.

Mom： You really think its helpful to change the subject， Wyatt？

Father： Just trying to make this a happy trip， dear.

Mom： Well， quit it！

In this example， Pennys father wants to ease the tensions and stop Susan blaming Penny by talking about other things and changing the topic. But what he says is too abrupt， creating a more embarrassing atmosphere and make Susan angrier， which causes the humorous effect.

2.4 Flouting the Maxim of Manner

The maxim of manner differs from the other three maxims， tackling not what is said， but “how what said to be said”. In a sitcom， the very byproduct of the speakers redundant， disordered or unclear utterance is the humor effect which can be deduced by the hearers. Please see the following example：

Father： Hows the world of pharmaceuticals treating you？

Penny： Pretty. I actually just got assigned a much better territory.

Mother： See what happens when you work hard？

Brother： Hey， she just sells drugs. I had to make em.

Grasping the ambiguity of the word “drug”， Pennys brother responds in this humorous way to show that he doesnt mind it at all. This always preferred by intimate friends or families who have subliminal understanding of each other and can easily make a consensus.

3. Conclusion

This paper offers a detailed study of conversational implicature in The Big Bang Theory under the theoretical framework of Grices Cooperative Principle Theory. It will be helpful for people to better the humor in The Big Bang Theory as well as in other conversations， and make a great contribution to second language acquisition.