Responding to Rudeness and Gender: The Case of the Contestants of MasterChef US

Abstract

Reactions to (non)verbal actions in conversations are expected. This study thus aimed to examine how male and female contestants responded to rudeness in an entertainment discourse. That is, it scrutinized how the contestants reacted to what it seemed like rudeness in a famous reality TV show, namely, MasterChef US (seasons 10 and 12). To this end, a mixed-methods approach was adopted. Moreover, Beebe and Waring’s (2005) coding scheme of responding to rudeness was used. Qualitative data were gathered through observation and note-taking technique, while quantitative data were computed via MAXQDA24. These included percentages and frequencies of strategies used in responding to rudeness. The results thus revealed that the female contestants mostly acquiesced. They also had no incidents of aggressing strategies and a single case of persisting strategies. On the other hand, the male contestants were relatively more aggressive as well as persistent, albeit they frequently acquiesced to rudeness as well. This current investigation may have valuable implications for studies in the media, as well as for those interested in SLA as cooperating reality TV shows may help in improving the pragmatic competence of second language learners.