Paper about Sociolinguistics analysis

Analysis of the Roles of Laughter

I. INTRODUTION

A “common sense” approach to laughter is that is it simply a response to humorous stimuli that conveys nothing else but amusement. However, much research has been done recently that indicates that laughter is much more than a simple response to humorous stimuli and is indeed a means of communication that can convey a variety of meaning and emotion depending on the context of the subject of conversation and the familiarity of the people speaking (Bonaiuto, Castellana, & Pierro, 2003; Coates, 2007; Lampert & Ervin-Tripp, 2006; Provine, 2004; Vetttin & Todt, 2004). Laughter apparently can be interpreted by the listener in a conversation in a variety of ways by the listener and has not just one specific meaning or role, but rather it conveys a myriad of that can be interpreted by the listener in a variety of ways. The focus of this paper here is to analyze the context in which laughter occurs within the context of a radio talk show and a telephone conversation between two friends. This analysis will examine how laughter communicates a sense of acknowledging the connotation of the perceived humorous utterance and how the speakers in the conversation show solidarity by understanding the connotation of what the other speaker said based on the findings of Bonaiuto et al (2003), Coates (2007), Lampert & Ervin-Tripp (2006), and Vetttin & Todt (2004).

II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Provine (2004) discusses and defines the basis of laughter as an “instinctive social call” that has roots in the “play” of early human ancestors, i.e. apes. Since the roots of laughter began the play of early human ancestors, for modern humans, laughter has become a type of social importance to the extent that people are much more likely to laugh when in the company of others versus when alone. Because of this, Provine (2004) argues that “laughter is a signal we send to others” since people rarely laugh alone. Although there are many types of laughter for many types of reasons, Provine (2004) explains laughter appears in all cultures and is therefore universal. Furthermore, laughter “punctuates speech” but is not speech and is usually placed at the end of “complete statements or questions.” This indicates, according to Provine (2004), that speech and laughter are controlled by different parts of the brain since laughter is spontaneous but does seem to have a type of “punctuation effect,” i.e. it can allow for a pause or break in conversation. Again, Provine (2008) makes clear that laughter is not necessarily a conscious controlled act.

Despite not being a conscious act, one of the ways in which laughter is used in conversation that may appear to be a conscious act is as a type of “negotiation” where the speakers attempt to use laughter as a means to make the listener agree with their point, i.e. show solidarity (Bonaiuto et al., 2003). This is done by looking at how a speaker can use laughter to redefine a previous statement made by the speaker to let the listener know that the previous statement made by the speaker was not what he or she ment to say. For Bonaiuto et al (2003), laughter is about legitimizing a particular statement and negotiating its legitimacy. However, they found that laughter can be used as a means of arguing by laughing to send a message that the other speaker’s statement seems illegitimate. This event can be witnessed in political debates where one speaker will use laughter to scoff at the other’s statement. Furthermore, Bonaiuto et al (2003) discuss the issue of when one speaker gives “minimal or no acknowledgement” to a statement intended as humorous by the other speaker and how this fails to legitimize the joke teller’s point. This type of minimal acknowledgement seems to be a conscious effort. Perhaps it is because the speaker is not really laughing but mocking the listener. Either way, this does seems to have a function apart from other types of laughter and can function as a means to convey sincerity or insincerity of either the one laughing or the listener and acts as a strategic tool for the one laughing.

Conversely, Coates (2007) views humor and laughter as “conversation play” where the humor is in “what was meant” versus “what was said.” This can be done when friends overlap one another’s speech and say something similar at the same time as the other speaker. This event is usually followed by laughter. This, Coates (2007) explains, is typical in humorous talk among friends and intimates, and shows “joint ownership of the conversational floor.” Another way that Coates (2007) explains how speakers share solidarity with their humor and laughter are with “co-constructed utterances.” This occurs when one speaker finishes another’s utterance so that the two speakers share “a single voice.” She maintains that laughter is a signal from one speaker to another that they are sharing in the collaboration and involvement of the conversation. Because of this, the speaker will send as strong a message of acknowledgement with laughter as he or she does with little or no laughter. Of course, these two have different meanings to the speaker and listener—it is the presence or absence of laughter that conveys much.

Since laughter does convey much, and it may be interpreted by the listener in unanticipated ways, there are apparent risks involved with humor and laughter. Lampert and Ervin-Tripp (2006) explain that the risk here is whether or not the speakers view the laughter as a tease, that is, something the both speaker and listener find humorous or, the risky part of it, whether the listener views the intended humor as insulting. The reaction of one speaker to another’s laughter has to do with how much background information each has on the other. One possible scenario, Lampert and Ervin-Tripp (2006) explain, is that the listener will presume the laughter or humor as a “real world relevance” by presuming what was said by the speaker literally, i.e. the denotation of the words uttered. Conversely, if the listener uses “imaginary relevance,” the utterance is seen as sarcasm or a type of teasing, that is, if the speaker’s laugh or humor indicates, “just kidding.” This, however, is risky as well in that the listener may not have understood that what was said by the speaker was ment as humor. In this way, laughter can mitigate the denotation of the words uttered and lets the listener know that an insult was not intended. If the listener does not understand, uses “real world relevance,” he or she could be insulted and see the laughter or humor as a face-threatening act.

Vettin and Todt (2004) took a different approach to laughter by viewing it as a means of communication rather than a simple acknowledgement of something humorous. Instead of having subjects stimulated with humor, Vettin and Todt (2004) examined the differences in how people laughed in a variety of situations during a conversation. Much of the data was measured both acoustically, by occurrence, and by frequency of laughter. What they found was that participants laughed more often then they could later recall. The study also showed that strangers laughed more often together than did acquaintances. Because of this, Vettin & Todt (2004) explain that “laughter may be effective means for establishing new relations.” However, they found that strangers rarely will interrupt another’s turn by overlapping with laughter. Conversely, those that were “close friends” did this more often. Apparently, overlapping with laughter when conversing with strangers “may have negative consequences for the future relationship.”

III. THE DATA

The first attached transcript (see APPENDIX A) was taken from the Bill Handel Show’s “Gripe Night in the Morning” that aired on December 19, 2008 during the 5AM hour. The excerpt was taken from the web site, >http://kfiam640.com/podcast/BillHandel.xml<, which is an archive of pod casts from previous airings. In this excerpt, an adult male caller, James, complains about the high cost of medical marijuana. Bill Handel, a fifty-seven year old male, and Jodi Becker, an adult female, comment on the caller’s remarks and ask questions in order to glean information from the caller and to maintain the conversation.

The second attached transcript (see APPENDIX B) was taken form a telephone conversation recorded in February 2009. The conversation occurs between two friends: Debrah a white female college student in her mid to late twenties and Brandi, Debrah’s friend, a thirty-two year old white female. There is another, Charles, Debrah’s older brother, that answers the phone in the beginning of the conversation, but he is only in the conversation for about fifteen seconds or so. The conversation is casual and discusses a variety of topics including health, friends, kids at school, people losing their jobs, education, and joking about making the world better for them to live.

IV. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA

In the “Bill Handel Show” transcript, James (J), calls to complain about the high cost of medical marijuana. In example (1), when Bill (B) asks about the price of it, J begins to explain and then starts laughing as he responds to B’s questions. This seems to allude to what Bonaiuto et al (2003) described as the speaker using laughter by “negotiating” with the listener to agree with his point that medical marijuana is overpriced and of lesser quality than what he can grow at home in line 29. However, in line 33, 34, 36, and 38, the other co-hosts (X) and (?) seem to be teasing J and take on the notion of what Lambert and Ervin-Tripp (2005) described by using “imaginary relevance” to connote that J is in fact under the influence of marijuana at that time.

(1) 23 J Well you go in like if you buy an ounce of it it’s about four hundred bucks, (.)

24 J and you can get it on the street cheaper,

25 (.)

26 J hh and u::h you [know uh

27 B [is it as good quality though

28 (.)

29---(J ne nuh I’ve had better uh heheheheh (.)

30 B You’ve[ had better on the street or you’ve had better ]

31---(? [˚h hahah hahahahahahahahahaha˚

32 B [in [<uh> the store.

33---(X [Right no:w he’s ha(h)d be(h)tt(h)er hh

34---(? [˚he he hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha˚

35 J [No. No no no I’ve had better on the street (.) you know=

36---(? [he he hahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhaah˚

37---(J =I’ve uh I’ve had better in my backyard. h hehehe

38---(? [˚he he hahahaha˚

J continues in line 37 by continuing to negotiate with his interlocutors by using laughter again to legitimize his claim. What’s interesting here is that X and ? are using laughter in an entirely different manner in that they seem to be taking the risk that Lampert and Ervin-Tripp (2005) describe and could possibly be seen by J as a face threatening act. However, J does not seem to take it as such since he continues with his strategy of negotiating and legitimizing his claim. What is interesting here is that B does not laugh here when it is evident that everyone else is laughing. It is difficult to ascertain why B did not laugh, but by not laughing, this could also be seen as a face threatening act towards J in that could fail to legitimize the J’s humor and laughter that he was using to attempt to legitimize his claim (Bonaiuto, 2003). Figure (2) shows the conversation with a minimal acknowledgement from B again while J and ? laugh.

(2) 64 J yeah. [Yeah.

65 B [how much you weigh now.

66 (.2)

67 J uuumm I I gained about twenty-five pounds I had uh uh=

68---(B =[yeah I’ll bet

69---(J [uh unusual heheheheh

70---(J & ? [hahahahahahahahahahahh

71---(B [yeah that tends to happen

72 X you gotta put[ down the ben [an jerry’s fish food man

73---(B [yeah

74---(? [˚ha hahaha haha˚

Again, in lines 69 and 70 J attempts to legitimize his claim, but this time it is about his weight gain. In line 68 and 73, all B says is, “yeah,” thereby de-legitimizing J’s attempt at legitimizing his claim with laughter.

However, a major difference occurs here where ? is now laughing in unison with J in line 70 in figure (2). According to Coates (2007), this type of unison overlap generally indicates “joint ownership of the conversational floor” and would seem to coincide with the Bonaiuto et al (2003) idea of a successful attempt at using laughter as negotiating to come to a sense of solidarity in the conversation.

Yet, B still does not laugh at all even though, as figure (3) shows, he begins to joke about opening a business next to medical marijuana stores.

(3) 78 B [I, you know what.

79 J [˚where’s the money go˚

80 B Tha ma[ my idea was tuh=

81 J [˚the money goin˚

82---(B =open up baskin robins ice cream stores next to e:very

medic[al marijuana=

83---(? [˚heheheheh˚]

84---(B =facility in California I [would make a f:ourchun.

85 J [oh yeah

Lines 82 and 84 shows B discussing a plan to open a business, but ? uses “imaginary relevance” discussed by Lampert and Ervin-Tripp (2005) and laughs in line 83. The “imaginary relevance” used by ? is clearly marked by his laughter in that he believes B is teasing and therefore overlaps him with laughter. However, Lampert and Ervin Tripp (2005) would point out that ? is taking a risk since it is possible that B literally means that he wants to open an ice-cream store, i.e. using “real-world relevance.”

Looking at the telephone call transcript reveals a different perspective on laughter since the phone call occurred between two friends. Despite the different subject matter and demographics of the subjects, the laughter in this transcript illustrates more of the “imaginary relevance” that Lampert and Ervin-Tripp (2005) discussed as demonstrated by figure (4).

(4) 35 B: I breathe like an old person with emphysema

36 D: hm

37 ((pause))

38 D: Well you’re too young to be an old person with emphysema.

39 B: It’s true and granted I do have a birthday coming but still

40---(D: heh

41---(B: heheheheh .h

Why does D see B’s remark of getting older and possibly having a worsening condition as joke? Lampert and Ervin-Tripp (2005) maintain:

Speakers who intend their remarks to be heard as humor must ensure that their comments will be heard within an immediate context to have only weak or no relevance to the primary real-world layer of talk, and that for their audience, the effort to allow for relevance on an imaginary plane will be less than the effort required to detect the real-world relevance (p. 54).

Since it appears that D is familiar with B’s condition, and that emphysema is not a part of it, so D can interpret this as humor based upon the context due to her familiarity with B and both can laugh in lines 40-41 in figure (4).

In figure (5), D and B not only demonstrate “imaginary relevance” again, but the two also show that they are sharing “joint ownership of the conversational floor” as well (Lampert & Ervin-Tripp, 2005; Coates, 2006).

(5) 331 B: I don’t think they do that yet though. - Do they do lung transplants?

332 ((pause))

333---(D: I: don’t know - They had iron lungs

334---(B: I don’t ↑wa:nt an ↓iron [o:ne

335 D: [hmh hmh .hhh .hhh

336---(B: Then I’ll really be conscientious about my weight.

337---(D: hhh hhh hhh hhh hhh hhh .hhh heh heh .h heh heh .h

338---(B: [heheh

339---(D: [heheh .h heheh

Lines 333, 334, and 335 demonstrate the “imaginary relevance” by interpreting the weight gain that B would suffer if she had one by D’s laughter in lines 335 and 337. Furthermore, lines 338 and 339 show the unison laughter that is associated with that is reveals, according to Coates (2006), that B and D are engaging in “conversation as play” where the humor is in “what was ment” instead of “what was said.” Figure (6) again demonstrates the continuation of the discussion and same use of “imaginary relevance”.

(6) 347---(B: Imagining me running around with an iron lu(hh)ng.

348 D: hhhhhhhhh ha ha ha .hhh

The laughter in the above examples clearly indicates that B and D ment the remark to be humorous rather than a literal “real-world relevance” by continuing to make remarks like the one in line 347 by using the imagery of B “running” around with a heavy machine attached to her (Lampert & Ervin-Tripp, 2005).

V. DISCUSSION

It appears then that the transcripts do reflect some of the data in the transcript. The Bill Handel Show transcript example showed how laughter can be used in a conversation as a type of “negotiation” as described in Bonaiuto et al (2003). This was especially the case with B’s failure to laugh, and his lack of laughter could possibly be viewed as a face-threatening act towards the speaker’s attempt at negotiation and is what makes laughter and humor “risky” (Lambert & Ervin-Tripp, 2005). In addition, both the Bill Handel and telephone conversation examples clearly demonstrated how the notion of what “real-world relevance” and “imaginary relevance” in laughter and humor are played out in friendly conversation as described in Lampert and Ervin-Tripp (2005).

What was difficult to determine was what the intentions of the speakers were. That is, without being able to interview and get feedback from the subjects in the transcription, the transcript of the conversation was the only way in which any theory could be presumed. In addition, a major factor that was missing in this analysis was body language and whether or not the subjects were smiling or laughing inaudibly. This is especially the case for the Bill Handel transcript since he may have been laughing or smiling without anyone other than his co-hosts knowledge. In order to get a more accurate study of laughter, the subjects should be studies via video and audio since the exclusive use of audio leaves much of what many people rely on for non-verbal cues that communicate as much as laughter.

VI. CONCLUSION

Again, many of the theories posited by Bonaiuto et al (2003), Lampert and Ervin-Tripp (2005), and Coates (2006) were demonstrated in the attached transcripts. It is also important to note that the theories of Coates (2006) where the humor is in “what was ment” versus “what was said” are very similar to the relevancies discussed by Lampert and Ervin-Tripp (2005). The echoing of these two notions seems to further solidify what was discussed here with these two transcripts. With all of this in mind, conversational laughter, then, relies much on context and familiarity or an acknowledgement of the connotation of what said so that both speakers can have a mutual understanding of what is ment.

APPENDIX A

Transcript: “Where’s Money the Goin’?”

Radio Program: The Bill Handel Show on KFI 640 AM Los Angeles

Participants: Radio Host : Bill Handel (B)

Male caller: James (J): Complaining about the high cost of medical marijuana

News Reporter: Jodi Becker (X)

1 B Next Gripe=

2 X =One more? We’ve James

3 (.4)

4 B Ja:mes.

5 (.3)

6 J Hey

7 B >We[lc]ome to kfi.<

8 J [xxxx]

9 (.5)

10 J Hey howya doin Bill.

11 (.)

12 B I’m ↑good.

13 (.2)

14 J Hey uh you know the tax money bit an all that (.)

15 J uuh you know these >medical marijuana stores?< They’re ch-

16 J they’re charging these outrageous prices an uh (.)

17 J hhh these guys kinda act like >hoodz in there< where’s all this money goin.

18 (.4)

19 B Rilly? Whadda they charge for grass in th mara in the medical marijuana places.

20 B it’s been a [while since] I’ve been in one.

21 J [Waaaaeee,]

22 (.3)

23 J Well you go in like if you buy an ounce of it it’s about four hundred bucks, (.)

24 J and you can get it on the street cheaper,

25 (.)

26 J hh and u::h you [know uh

27 B [is it as good quality though

28 (.)

29 J ne nuh I’ve had better uh heheheheh (.)

30 B You’ve[ had better on the street or you’ve had better ]

31 ? [˚h hahah hahahahahahahahahaha˚

32 B [in [<uh> the store.

33 X [Right no:w he’s ha(h)d be(h)tt(h)er hh

34 ? [˚he he hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha˚

35 J [No. No no no I’ve had better on the street (.) you know=

36 ? [he he hahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhaah˚

37 J =I’ve uh I’ve had better in my backyard. h hehehe

38 ? [˚he he hahahaha˚

39 (.)

40 J but, but where’s all that money ↑goin.

41 J h:ow’s the gover[men ke-

42 B [well lemmy a well lemmy ask you a question.

43 B [ ]Lemmy a[sk y]ou a question.

44 J [kay] [kay]

45 B If it turns out. (.) That you’re payin four hundred dollars an ounce for marijuana which I assume they’re keeping I mean these medical marijuana (vu-ride) are keeping the money.

46 B and it is legal to gro:w,

47 B what up to six or eight plants or whatever the hell id iz

48 (.)

49 B at home (.) for uh medicinal purposes.

50 B for that legitimate for this reuh >under the same.<

51 B Prescription that you have in terms of buying it,

52 B Why aren’t you growing your ↑own?

53 (.)

54 J Well. Well. Uh ((clears throat)) I am now since I,

55 J you know I uh I had to stop buying it because

56 J you know I had to[ wait] until I could grow it.

57 B [yeah]

58 J you know I uh uh it took nine months to grow it.

59 (.2)

60 J so in the meantime [I’ll ((unintelligible))

61 B [so at four hundred bucks an ounce,

62 B alright. So now you you’ve gone through you know an the and that’s ↑great.

63 (.)

64 J yeah. [Yeah.

65 B [how much you weigh now.

66 (.2)

67 J uuumm I I gained about twenty-five pounds I had uh uh=

68 B =[yeah I’ll bet

69 J [uh unusual heheheheh

70 J & ? [hahahahahahahahahahahh

71 B [yeah that tends to happen

72 X you gotta put[ down the ben [an jerry’s fish food man

73 B [yeah

74 ? [˚ha hahaha haha˚

75 B yeah. Yeah=

76 X =step aw[a:y from ] cheetos.

77 B [I’ll tellya]

78 B [I, you know what.

79 J [˚where’s the money go˚

80 B Tha ma[ my idea was tuh=

81 J [˚the money goin˚

82 B =open up baskin robins ice cream stores next to e:very

83 medic[al marijuana=

84 ? [˚heheheheh˚]

85 B =facility in California I [would make a f:ourchun.

86 J [oh yeah

87 X snooch[y goochies

88 J [˚oh god˚

89 B [there would be li:nes down the street.

90 (.)

91 J huh you got it it I’m telling ya[ man

92 B [absol[utely alright take care.

93 J [but where’s the money goin=

94 J = where’s the money goin

95 B They’re ↑KEEPin ↓it >whaddaya mean where’s the money goin<=

96 B =they’re ↑KEEP[in ↓it

97 J [wulla-

98 (.)

99 J Wu California needs it [ah h haha

100 X [ it’s called ca:pitalism James

101 X learn the r:u[les man

102 B [ya can you imagine California started selling medical marijuana=

103 B =medical gra[de] marijuana

104 X [ay]

APPENDIX B

Transcript: “Talking on the phone with a friend”

Participants: D=Debrah (white female college student)

B=Brandi (Debrah’s friend, 32 year old white female)

C=Charles (Debrah’s brother, 34 year old white male)

1 ((Phone ringing))

2 C: ((In falsetto)) Hell↑o:.

3 D: ((In falsetto)) Hell↑o:. You’re not the person I was ca:lling?

4 C: Ah she says? that she’s curr↑ently busy and that she’d be happy to call jyou back.

5 D: (In falsetto) What’s she currently ↑doin.

6 ((pause))

7 C: Uhhh she’s making something in the kitchen.

8 D: O::::h - well then I’m guessing thats meani:ng she’s not coming over today.

9 C: Ohuh here she is

10 D: hm hm

11 ((pause))

12 B: Hello?

13 D: Hola. lady?

14 B: I forgot to call you - I torry

15 D: heh heh heh

16 .hhh It’s okay I thought maybe you’d forgotten to call me

17 B: I storry

18 D: ↑Are you feeling any better?

19 B: hhha little betterhhh

20 ((pause))

21 Breathing isn’t much better though which is the concern.

22 ((pause))

23 D: Ny ea:h? Breathing’s import.ant.

24 B: hah

25 B: Well

26 ((pause))

27 B: Just breathing a little better than yesterday would have been hap- would have been

28 happy with me

29 D: Your not breathing any better?

30 B: Not really

31 ((pause))

32 D: °Well

33 ((pause))

34 D: °Are you

35 B: I breathe like an old person with emphysema

36 D: hm

37 ((pause))

38 D: Well you’re too young to be an old person with emphysema.

39 B: It’s true and granted I do have a birthday coming but still

40 D: heh

41 B: heheheheh .h

42 D: And granted you have been breathing second hand smoke your entire life

43 B: Well not my entire life - ( ) past you know five or six years

44 D: mhhh hh

45 B: heh

46 D: That’s long enough for your lungs to clear up isn’t it?

47 B: Well ye::ah sure it should be completely cure- cured by now

48 D: (h)

49 ((pause))

50 D: ((clear throat)) how bought your aches and pains.

51 B: I’m still achy

52 ((pause))

53 B: ((exhaled pant))

54 D: I talked to Paul yesterday.

55 B: Oh and?

56 D: H(h)e a(h)sked how you were. I said that you sounded like death warmed over.

57 B: Oh:. You’re so ni:ce

58 D: heh .hhh

59 B: What’d he say.

60 D: He- he laughed.

61 B: Well yeah cuz

62 ((pause))

63 Actually death warmed over is a natural state? for me.

64 D: hhh .h

65 - And I asked him

66 ((pause))

67 about the:: about the gu:y?

68 B: uh. huh?

69 D: A:n - he said that he promised not to come to the dinner,

70 ((pause))

71 B: Su:re.

72 D: A:nd - he Paul thinks that he’s - kind of full of it.

73 ((pause))

74 B: Wull we all think that but

75 D: hhh

76 B: ((pause))

77 B: But the

78 D: Wull he doesn’t think that lawyer guy was a real lawyer guy he thinks

79 that he was an accountant law yer guy.

80 B: ((cough)) Oh no=

81 = no no I think the guy that showed up was the guy that was complaining.

82 D: No: I know I ( ) the guy that - ca:lled I guess. that said he was a lawyer?

83 B: Ha::

84 D: He thinks he was just the accountant guy.

85 B: 。Oh:

86 D: 。So

87 ((pause))

88 Any ways. Hopefully that’ll all be okay this evening.

89 B: °Wull °I

90 B: °Yeah

91 ((pause))

92 Yeah. Pastor Paul emailed me a couple times yesterday.

93 I tried to email him back the answers.

94 ((pause))

95 D hh h

96 B: I wonder if he got everything done - oh wull-

97 D: I don’t know when I talked to him I asked him if he needed an:y: help?

98 B: uh huh?

99 D: A:nd

100 ((pause))

101 u:m

102 ((pause))

103 He said it would be nice to have someone there when he ↑got there

104 ((pause))

105 But I asked him what time that was and he says ↑that’s a good question.

106 - An then

107 B: When he got there.

108 D: Huh? - when he he was going in today. to do: th(h)e wo(h)rk=

109 B: When he got there. heh .h

110 D: = ((with laughing tone of voice))What. You think he can get his sermon done at the

111 same time he’s doing a:ll the secretary work? hhh .h

112 B: ye:ah

113 D: hh .h

114 B: It’s not hard to put paper in and push print

115 D: Not well probably not if you

116 B: And then you could go back and work on your sermon whi:le it’s

117 printing?, cuz it takes a while.

118 D: Yeah

119 ((pause))

120 Wull

121 B: Cuz I don’t have a copier.

122 ((pause))

123 he h

124 D: heh .h

125 But you will by Monday

126 B: Eeee

127 ((pause) )

128 And then you take it out and flip it overh hhh

129 He’s gonna waste so many - bulletins haha hahaha

130 D: But h

131 D: I asked him what time he was going to get there and he said ↑That’s a good question

132 B: ((cough))

133 D: An I said well? - call me and he hasn’t called me so

134 B: hhhhh

135 D: And he’s running out of time cuz I go into work at three

136 ((pause))

137 B: O::h yeah I gatta go get kids at o:ne cuz they have minimum day.

138 D: Oh- why- do you know why?

139 B: - I don’t know why.=

140 D: =Because Dakota wasn’t at school today either

141 ((pause))

142 I told Beth either it was an in-service day or he got expelled. - She said that wasn’t

143 very nice. I said - okay suspended.

144 She said that’s sti(h)ll no(h)t ve(h)ry ni(hh)ce.

145 B: But i

146 B: Yeah well?

147 ((pause))

148 ( ) can know it’s not very nice. It could be very true

149 D: Hahahahah .h

150 ((pause))

151 B: >I don’t know< I don’t - know why it just says - on the paper that they’re - they

152 had minimum day yesterday and today.

153 ((pause))

154 That ↑was ↑it - ↓doesn’t ↑say ↑why

155 D: hmm

156 B: And then- and insist that you pick them ↑up ↓so

157 D: heh .h °go:(h)sh

158 ((rusting phone noise))

159 B: It just says, - there’s a big - yellow piece of paper says minimum days Thursday,

160 Friday minimum days dismissal will be at twelve fifty-one. That’s it.

161 And there’s a koala on it cuz they’re the Kelley Koalas.

162 D: O::h

163 B: It’s that cute.

164 D: That’s a fearsome kind of -

165 B: O:h jy e::s

166 D: h hh

167 B: I’m very scared when I go there.

168 °They’re gonna fling phhh

169 D: That’s because you’re pi(h)cking u(h)p your ki(h)ds

170 B: They’re gonna fling pooh at me or so(h)meth(hh)ing I(hh) do(hh)n’t kno(hh)w

171 heh heh he he

172 D: .h hh

173 B: Especially Chris. AY YAY YAY Hah hh

174 D: I heard something on the news this morning, and I only caught the end of the: news

175 report, but it was something about.- McDonal:d’s having a funeral: for a toilet?

176 B: O.ka:y?=

177 D: =And - um - I don’t know: what happened but it- I guess the announcement ended

178 by sa:ying: something about coming to honor: - um the toilet - who:

179 B: huh

180 D: What did he sa:y. um ga:ve - OH - gave itself in. –

181 Who was shot in the line of doody.

182 ((rustling phone noises))

183 B: Oh. Ee: :w.

184 D: °hhh

185 B: That’s yuck?y.

186 We were- when we were at WalMart this morning. cuz I got Chris’ check and we

187 needed medicine?

188 D: uh huh?

189 B: Apparently WalMart laid off a whole bunch of people and fired a whole bunch of

190 people last night.

191 D: WalMart did?

192 B: mhhh hhh? - ( ) the one in Rialto.

193 Cuz we were walkin by and we were eves dropping. hmh

194 D: h - ((groan))

195 B: You can’t help? when you’re walkin by.

196 D: h hh .h

197 B: But the lady who was standing there was like I’ve been laid off

198 D: mmm

199 ((pause))

200 B: So we Charles was like - that’s ba::d - WalMart’s layin out. heh - so:

201 D: Yeah we had a long discussion about that in one of my classes yesterday.

202 B: o↑0h.

203 D: Cuz we were talking about whether literacy a:ctually:? -

204 What was it. actually:: - um

205 ((pause))

206 Like if- if literacy meant that you would be successful.

207 B: hhhm

208 D: And we were: saying: - Not? necessarily. Not? in today’s economy.

209 And especially - we were - um -

210 a lot of people were talking about if you’re - getting your credential:, and you’re

211 getting a masters,

212 then you need to not ↑tell them that your getting a master:s because

213 ((pause))

214 the:n

215 ((pause))

216 um

217 ((pause))

218 Then they may not hire you because you have too? much education. and they have to

219 ↑pay you mo:re so.

220 B: °yeah

221 D: °yeah

222 ((pause))

223 D: A:ll ri:ght.

224 B: Pretty-

225 ((pause))

226 B: Pretty sad when you have to lie to get a ↑jo:b

227 ((pause))

228 D: °y(hh)eah

229 ((pause))

230 B: An when they- an when you tryin to be?,tter yourself. they- they u- they use it

231 against?, you,

232 D: Yeah. You ↑know what ↑I think they should do,

233 ((pause))

234 They just should just sa:y,

235 ((pause))

236 this is how much we're pa:y↓ing,

237 ((pause))

238 I don't care if you have your BA:, your masters, your doc.↑torate

239 if you want the job for this price?

240 ( (pause) )

241 ↓then you can >hhha:ve it..<

242 ((pause))

243 If you don't? we'll hire somebody?, ↓who's=

244 B: y:ea::h.

245 ( (pause) )

246 D: = .who'll?, >↑take it.<

247 ( (pause))

248 B: Yea:h. and but then still have minimum. requirements.

249 ((pause))

250 D: Nyeah

251 ( (pause))

252 B: Because if somebody wants to work a lesser ↑jo:b the:n?, they ↑should ↑be ↑able. to

253 work a lesser job. Maybe?, they don't wa?nna. ((°lip smack)) you know

254 ((pause))

255 be a professor (to all stuff), maybe they just wanna teach high school. kids.=

256 D: =.I ha:d a:- a per.- a high school? teacher?, who was a doc↑ter:it?

257 ((pause))

258 Had his doc?,tor.ate,

259 ((pasue))

260 B: So:: it should be: whatever the per?son. wants to do:. not what-

261 ((pause))

262 you kno:w the- the ↑jo:b ↓wa:nts to do. with the ↑person.=

263 D: = nTha:t's what I: think too:.

264 B: We a gree:. on that.

265 D: If ↑we: were. ru:lin the world I?, tell ya.

266 D: .We need,- we just need. to get our.- our computers. together.

267 B: (° )

268 B: We ↑do:

269 ((pasue))

270 D: °Then we can rule the wo:rld.

271 B: An I can add?,- Cha?,rles. ha:s two, ↑we ↓have ↑fou:r.

272 B: We?, could ↓do what we ru:le?, the ↑u:↓ni↓verse I think with ↑fou:r

273 D: heh hh .h

274 B: Or at lea:st?, the. kno:wn ga?,lexies.=

275 D: ( )

276 D: = Should we congregate them at your?, house? or. my?, room.

277 ((pause))

278 B: I'm no:t So::re.

279 ((pause))

280 D: They would never?, suspect?, it. from my house.

281 B: It's tr↑u:e. and if we're at the ↑second. fl↑oo:r. un your r↑oo:m. we have better

282 connection to. sa?,tellite.

283 ((pause))

284 D: Ri ght. ↑An I can just, de:?,-cat?, the. bedroom:m?, ↓and you'd be all good.

285 B: ( )

286 ((pause))

287 B: °Yea:h.

288 ((pause))

289 D: hmhmhmh

290 B: Then we have to co:ver all the win?,dows. and everything with tin?, foil. so that they

291 ↑can't ↓come in.

292 D: HEH HH .H

293 That ↓won't deflect?, ↓the satellite? =

294 B: °heh heh

295 ((pause))

296 D: -signal?=

297 B: = nununu. not tin foil. mh?,mh.

298 D: O(h)kay=

299 B: = hmh=

300 D: = hmhmhmh=

301 B: =Do it to keep them?, ↓and thei:r,- and thei:r, brain?, powers. from coming in?, and

302 getting?, u(h)s.

303 D: HEh HEHEHEH .H HEHEH

304 B: .H heheh

305 B: We all have to wear tin foil hats. when we’re in the ro (hh)om=

306 D: .H

307 = so they don't kno:w ↓what we're ↓do:in when we're in the:re

308 D: .h hahahah .h

309 B: he he heheheheh

310 D: .hhh SOUNDS Like. a pla:n. We'll do?, that. when you're be?,tter.

311 B: ((cough))

312 B: uk?,- ok.

313 D: h hh .h

314 B: Je:st nee:d a ↑little bit of ti:me the::re

315 Wull I ↑figure ↓if ↑I'm not better than this on ↑Mo:nday.

316 I'm goin ba:ck?, ↓and goin ↑du↓:↑:de

317 ((pause))

318 I'm-I want a new?, one. Hah

319 D: mhhh hh

320 B: ((scratchy voice)) This one doesn't wo::rk=

321 D: = .I: think you should ask for a new two. Two new lungs.

322 ((paise))

323 B: °Yea:h. >wull ↑Charles. says I can have one of his?, ↓and one of his?, ↓might do

324 the work of both of mine.<

325 D: HAH HAH .h

326 Yeah but ↑you know what he kind of needs his. He’s a big guy.

327 B: Yeah that true

328 D: Yea:h

329 B: Yea:h

330 D: hm

331 B: I don’t think they do that yet though. - Do they do lung transplants?

332 ((pause))

333 D: I: don’t know - They had iron lungs

334 B: I don’t ↑wa:nt an ↓iron o:ne

335 D: hmh hmh .hhh .hhh

336 B: Then I’ll really be conscientious about my weight.

337 D: hhh hhh hhh hhh hhh hhh .hhh heh heh .h heh heh .h

338 B: heheh

339 D: heheh .h heheh

340 ((pause))

341 B: he he he he

342 D: Hhh hhh .hhh

343 D: .hhh ALright. Well. I’ll let you go fix your - your lunch now.

344 B: he he he

345 B: That should keep you happy for a few ho urs.

346 D: Heheheheh

347 B: Imagining me running around with an iron lu(hh)ng.

348 D: hhhhhhhhh ha ha ha .hhh

349 D: Wull yu have you seen that Zim? Where he was stealing people’s - organs?

350 B: uh? uh.

351 D: And rep he. - you should ask Charles. I think he probably has it.

352 But Zim, he was going around stealing kids ↑organs. because they were having a um

353 - a physical. and he didn’t have proper o(h)rgans so he was stealing them from

354 people.

355 B: A::hoh

356 D: And he stole some kid’s lungs

357 and replaced them with a - with a radiator or something like that.

358 B: That- that doesn’t work.

359 D: Heh n(h)o. The ki(h)d fell o(h)ver hhh hhh

360 B: .hhh .hhh

361 Okay.

362 D: .hhh alright.

363 B: Have fun at ↑work

364 D: Tha:nk you. Talk to you later.

365 B: I won’t

366 B: h B(h)ye

367 D: h b(h)ye.

References

Bonaiuto, M., Castellana, & E., Pierro, A. (2003). Arguing and laughing: The use of humor to negotiate in group discussions. Humor – International Journal of Humore Research. 16(2). 183-223.

Coates, J. (2007). Talk in a play frame: More on laughter and intimacy. Journal of Pragmatics, 39, 29-49.

Lampert, A. & Ervin-Tripp, S. (2006). Risky laughter: Teasing and self-directed joking among male and female friends. Journal of Pragmatics, 38, 51-72.

Provine, R. (2004). Laughing, tickling, and the evolution of speech and self. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 13(6), 215-218.

Vetttin, J. & Todt, D. (2004). Laughter in conversation: Features of occurrence and acoustic structure. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 28(2), 92-115.