Impoliteness language as a metadiscourse device in intercultural settings: Evidence from grag queen language

Abstract

This chapter explores impoliteness in intercultural communication, focusing on the language of drag queens in RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked. It examines how impoliteness strategies, using Hyland’s metadiscourse framework, function to manage interactional and interpersonal meanings in this unique cultural setting. Through the analysis of selected episodes, the study highlights how contestants use strategies like insults, sarcasm, and dismissive language to assert dominance, challenge norms, and deal with power distinct relationship in a competitive, culturally diverse environment. Drawing on Culpeper’s theories of impoliteness, the chapter reveals how these strategies intersect with metadiscourse elements such as engagement markers, attitude markers, and self-mentions. It shows that impoliteness serves multiple purposes: as a tool for self-expression, a means of establishing group identity, and a way to critique and subvert social norms. The study also emphasizes the intercultural aspect of communication, illustrating how contestants with different cultural backgrounds negotiate their identities in a predominantly English-speaking context. Ultimately, the chapter concludes that impoliteness, when used strategically as metadiscourse, enhances the rhetorical and social impact of communication, contributing to the drama, tension, and cultural critique inherent in the show