A Study of Taboo Words and Euphemistic Expressions of Ali G Film

In this study, the researcher focuses on the taboo words and euphemistic expressions of the player of Ali G film. This study is also focused in the context when the taboo words and euphemistic expressions are expressed in the film. The researcher hopes that this study gives contributions toward the sociolinguistics study, especially on taboo and euphemistic field. It is also expected that the result of this study becomes a consideration toward the viewer and the filmmaker in judging a film especially from its language appreciation aspects.

This research uses descriptive qualitative design in which the data are taken from the utterances expressed by the player of Ali G film. In order to obtain the valid data, the researcher applies observation instrument trough watching the film played in VCD, listening to the dialogue and taking note of every possible taboo words and euphemistic utterances which are spoken by the player that available in the script of Ali G Film. After identifying the classification of taboo words and euphemistic utterances, the data then are presented and examined and to answer the second problems of the study, the researcher explained the context where taboo words and euphemistic expressions briefly using a pragmatic approach of discourse.

After analyzing the 16 data, the researcher found three types of taboo words; they are taboo obscenity, taboo profanity and taboo vulgarity and four types of euphemistic expressions such as religious euphemism, sexual euphemism, euphemism for the profane, and euphemism for the death. Moreover, there was one type (taboo vulgarity) that was used very often than the others. Furthermore, those three types of taboo words and four types of euphemistic expressions are performed in quite different way.

Based on the data analysis, the researcher has some suggestions that are important for the audience to have self-wise and filter control in viewing any film.

The suggestion also rises toward the filmmaker to take account more on the language appreciation especially dirty or taboo words. Finally, the researcher suggests other next researcher to study more on the entertainment field, especially film in similar or other theme.