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Article published In: Journal of Language and Sexuality
Vol. 6:1 (2017) ► pp.90–127

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“Building a thick skin for each other”

The use of ‘reading’ as an interactional practice of mock impoliteness in drag queen backstage talk

 | Indiana University, Bloomington, USA
Published online: 22 June 2017
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https://doi.org/10.1075/jls.6.1.04mck
Abstract
Although queer linguistics has long acknowledged the playful use of potentially impolite utterances by LGBT people to build in-group solidarity these practices have not been analyzed from a sociopragmatic approach, nor have they been mentioned in the general pragmatics literature. Responding to these two gaps, the present study examines the functional use of the interactional practice ‘reading’ in the backstage talk of four drag queen performers. By employing a mock impoliteness analytical framework (Haugh, Michael & Bousfield, Derek. 2012. Mock impoliteness, jocular mockery and jocular abuse in Australian and British English. Journal of Pragmatics 441: 1099–1114. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar) this study shows how these utterances, which could potentially be evaluated as genuine impoliteness outside of the appropriate context, are positively evaluated by in-group members who recognize the importance of “building a thick skin” to face a hostile environment from LGBT and non-LGBT people. This study also seeks to draw attention to the use of backstage talk, and supplemental interview data, to uncover drag queen cultural practices through language use.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Contextualizing the drag queen sub-culture
    • 2.1The socialization and personal experiences of drag queens
    • 2.2The drag queen linguistic code
  • 3.Mock impoliteness and interactional practices
    • 3.1Conceptualizations of mock impoliteness
    • 3.2Interactional practices of LBGT people and evaluations of mock impoliteness
  • 4.Method
    • 4.1The research site and its participants
    • 4.2Data analysis
  • 5.Results
    • 5.1Eva’s conceptualization of ‘reading’
    • 5.2Reading and evaluations of mock impoliteness in drag queen backstage talk
  • 6.Discussion and conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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