MITIGATION STRATEGIES IN SPANISH TV SERIES, BETWEEN HUMOUR AND ETHOS CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

TV series dialogues are an example of non-spontaneous, “fictional orality” (Nencioni, 1976) since they are based on a written text, the script. However, in order for dialogues to be more plausible and dynamic, they reproduce some of the mechanisms typical of colloquial conversation, including mitigation (Briz, 1998; Albelda, 2010). If we assume that mitigation is an argumentative and conversational strategy that aims at obtaining the hearer's acceptance and consists of playing down the illocutionary force, providing communicative repairs and conveying unspoken messages (Briz, 2003; Briz y Albelda, 2013), it can be seen as a resource that enhances irony and comedy in these formats (Ruiz Gurillo, 2012, 2013). On the other hand, mitigation helps build ethos (Charaudeau y Maingueneau, 2002; Amossy, 2010) in the discursive self-image that identifies the character as a stereotype. Mitigation strategies and their functions will be identified in twelve scripts of Aída, a Spanish TV series broadcast by Telecinco, adopting a pragmatic approach and a qualitative analysis.