An indirect speech acts analytic study of some episodes of the Simpsons animated television series

Abstract EN

The present study investigates indirect speech acts in The Simpsons TV animated series.

Five episodes, in which social, political, and some other various issues are dealt with, are chosen for the analysis.

The conversations made by the characters are analyzed according to Searle's speech act theory.

This is followed by an interpretation of the indirect speech acts experienced by the utterances.

The study also investigates how the Gricean maxims are violated in all of the utterances of indirect speech acts by the characters, and how this type of utterances is used to make the speech more polite.

Among the most important findings of the study is that there are hidden political, social, and other messages in The Simpsons.