Analysis of Flouting Maxims Related to Humor in The American Sitcom “Friends” Season 1 (A Pragmatics Approach)

AbstrakThis research is conducted in order to find out the types of flouting maxims and the strategies of flouting maxims in the American Sitcom “Friends” Season 1 episode 1 and 2. It is also executed to explain the role of flouting maxims in creating verbal humors in the sitcom.This research is a descriptive qualitative research. It deals with pragmatics approach especially flouting maxims as the object of the analysis. It employs purposive sampling technique to collect the data. The data in this research are taken from the dialogues containing flouting maxims and verbal humors which are uttered by the characters in the sitcom. The data are classified based on Grice’s Theory of Cooperative Principles and then they are identified by using Lyttle’s Integrating Humor Theories to explain the role of flouting maxims in creating verbal  humors  in  the  sitcom.  There  are  30  data  which  are  analyzed  in  this research.This research gains three findings. The first finding shows that there are four types of flouting maxims performed by the characters. They are 9 flouting maxims of Quantity (30%), 9 flouting maxims of Quality (30%), 9 flouting maxims of Relation (30%) and 3 flouting maxims of Manner (10%). Thus, it indicates that all of the types of flouting maxims are found in the sitcom although there is not any dominant flouting maxim executed by the characters.Second, this research shows that there are 9 strategies to flout the maxims found in the sitcom. They are Overstatement/Giving too Much Information, Tautology, Understatement/Giving too Little Information, Rhetorical Question, Banter, Metaphor, Sarcasm, Being Irrelevant and Being Obscure/Being Ambiguous. The most used strategy executed by the characters in the sitcom isBeing  Irrelevant  strategy  which  belongs  to  the  strategy  to  flout  maxims  ofRelation.Finally, in terms of the role of flouting maxims in creating verbal humors, the last finding indicates that all of the data containing the types of flouting maxims and the strategies of flouting maxims correspond to Lyttle’s Integrating Humor Theories. There are 18 data which suit the Incongruity Theory, 9 data which suit the  Superiority  Theory  and  3  data  which  suit  the  Relief/Release  Theory. Therefore,  it  is  very  clear  that  all  of  the  types  of  flouting  maxims  and  the strategies to flout the maxims are appropriate with the Integrating Humor Theories because they fulfill the requirements of the Integrating Humor Theories in order to create verbal humors in the sitcom.Keywords : Pragmatics, Flouting Maxims, Humor, Friends