Linguistic Strategies for Creating Humor in the Variety Sitcom "Talok hok chak"

Abstract

This research aims to examine the linguistic strategies employed to create humor in the variety sitcom Talok Hok Chak by analyzing episodes aired between December 2021 and March 2022. The findings reveal that the program employs diverse strategies that reflect the uniqueness of Thai language and culture to enhance entertainment and capture audience interest. Key strategies identified include the use of comparisons, wordplay, foreign words or accents, and phonetic harmony, which create unexpected contrasts and provide rhythmic fluency to the dialogues. Additionally, the program incorporates satire and irony to reflect societal realities, as well as rhetorical expressions and slang to resonate with contemporary cultural trends. Ambiguity, through double meanings, is also used to generate humor, while music serves to amplify enjoyment and alleviate tension. Furthermore, sound distortion is utilized to create humor by altering the pronunciation of words to convey unexpected meanings. These strategies collectively enrich the humor within the show, illustrating a blend of traditional and contemporary cultural elements. The program effectively meets the expectations of modern audiences and demonstrates creative use of the Thai language in a contemporary entertainment context.