Interpreting Humorous Adverts in Online Media

Abstract

Starting from the definition of verbal humor as the” production of incongruity based on linguistic construction or on the events described” (Norrick, 2006, 425), the article aims at discussing several humorous adverts put together in campaigns led by two national newspapers, one from the UK (The Guardian) and one from Romania (Gândul - The Thought). While the British ads are reactions to a spontaneous campaign initiated by The Guardian, the Romanian campaign is professionally orchestrated by an advertising agency. The structure of the messages as witty adverts facilitate humorous interpretation. The messages from the Romanian campaign are analyzed from a pragmatic perspective, resulting in identifying several functions of humor in media texts: reducing anxiety, contradicting the collective mentality, and reinforcing national pride.