Reference in The Daily Show with Trevor Noah

Abstract

Communication is an indispensable tool that is used to communicate various emotions, exchange information, transmit messages, and carry out a variety of other functions. In order to achieve a successful communication, both speakers and listeners work together to attain a common understanding. They do that by deciphering words, word choices, and linguistic connections used to express something. They can achieve that only if they both interpret what is said in the same way. Although individual words do not usually have meanings by themselves, human determine that meaning. Thus, one word cannot always carry a Connotational meaning since humans have a significant role in determining the reference of that word. The present study tackles the concept of reference in “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”. It tries to find out how the different types of reference are used by speakers to express meaning that is inferred by the audience. The study aims at 1)identifying the most used types of reference in satirical talk shows, and 2) showing the way in which reference functions in satirical talk shows. The data are taken from an episode of the American satirical talk show entitled “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”. The finding of the analysis show that: 1) referential and attributive meanings are mostly used in the data, and 2) reference functions as a tool to criticize politicians and ridicule Trump and his family for their irresponsible behavior and carelessness.