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‘Gangpu is too funny!’: The mediatization of Hong Kong Mandarin as a jocular register

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2023

Andrew D. Wong Open the ORCID record for Andrew D. Wong [Opens in a new window]
Andrew D. Wong*
Affiliation:
California State University, East Bay, USA
*
Address for correspondence: Andrew D. Wong California State University, East Bay Department of Anthropology, Geography & Environmental Studies California State University, East Bay 25800 Carlos Bee Boulevard Hayward, CA 94542, USA andrew.wong@csueastbay.edu
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Abstract

This article demonstrates how mediatization facilitates the (re)production of mock language. Through an examination of Chinese netizens’ reactions to a series of viral internet commercials that feature three Hong Kong actors speaking nonstandard Mandarin, it uncovers the processes whereby Gangpu (Hong Kong Mandarin) has become increasingly perceived in China as funny. The vast scale of uptake formulations enabled by mediatization has made it possible for Chinese netizens to engage in a collaborative effort not only in highlighting certain features of Gangpu and certain elements of the commercials but also in presenting them in ways that evoke specific meanings and interpretations. Ultimately, it is through the parodic revoicing of Hong Kong celebrities speaking nonstandard Mandarin that this non-native variety has come to be keyed as humorous. This study shows that we gain a better understanding of how mock practices reinforce and build on each other by tracing their uptake and circulation. (Mediatization, mock language, parody, listening subject, Mandarin Chinese, Hong Kong, China)*

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Article
Information
Language in Society , First View , pp. 1 - 24
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

*

I would like to thank Penny Eckert, Susan Ehrlich, Andrew Ma, Tommaso Milani, Hsi-Yao Su, John Wong, Qing Zhang, and the two anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions. All remaining errors are my own.

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