“Kaigewanxiao” (‘Just kidding’): the use of humor markers in Chinese media discourse

Abstract This study aims to investigate the use of the humor marker (HM) kaigewanxiao (literally, ‘just kidding’) in Chinese media discourse from a metapragmatic perspective. Based on 200 instances from the Media Language Corpus and adopting a corpus-based, bottom-up analysis, we establish a position-function taxonomy. The HM occurs in three sequential positions: prospective position, mid-message position, and retrospective position. These positions correspond to six interactional functions: (1) a prefiguration of an upcoming non-serious stance; (2) an adjustment; (3) a retraction from an immediately prior non-serious stance; (4) a repair of failed humor; (5) a shift from a non-serious to a serious frame; and (6) setting up a new joke. Through the lens of rapport management, we argue that the use of the HM in media discourse demonstrates the speaker’s metapragmatic awareness in managing rapport with both the co-participants and the overhearing audience.