An Analysis Of Negative Politeness Strategies In Workplace Interaction In The Film Bombshell

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the use of negative politeness strategies in workplace
interactions as depicted in the film Bombshell (2019). Based on the politeness theory
proposed by Brown and Levinson (1987), this study focuses on ten negative politeness
sub-strategies and the social factors that influence them, namely social distance,
power, and level of imposition. The approach used is qualitative with documentation
method. Data in the form of utterances from the film's four main characters, namely
Roger Ailes, Megyn Kelly, Gretchen Carlson, and Kayla Pospisil, were collected
through dialogue transcription and verification with online scripts. Data analysis was
carried out through reduction, presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results
show that of the fifteen utterances analyzed, all ten negative politeness strategies
emerged. The most frequently used strategies were Be Conventionally Indirect,
Minimize the Imposition, Give Deference, Impersonalize Speaker and Hearer, and
State the FTA as a General Rule, each appearing twice. Power proved to be the most
dominant variable: speakers with lower power tended to use deference and
minimization strategies, while speakers with higher power used indirectness as a
means of control. This research contributes to the development of pragmatic
understanding in professional contexts and offers practical implications for film-based
English language teaching