Flouting the Maxim of Quality as a Humor Strategy in The Bad Guys 2: An Incongruity Theory Perspective

Abstract

Humor often arises when speakers intentionally depart from conversational norms, particularly by flouting the maxim of quality. Although previous studies have examined the types and communicative functions of maxim flouting, relatively little attention has been paid to explaining how quality-maxim flouting generates humor through the interaction of situational context, conversational implicature, and incongruity. Addressing this gap, the present study investigates how flouting the maxim of quality functions as a strategy for creating humor in The Bad Guys 2 (2025). Adopting a descriptive qualitative design, the study analyzes character dialogues collected through observation of the film. From nineteen identified instances of potential quality-maxim flouting, seven utterances were purposively selected for detailed analysis because they most clearly illustrated the relationship between maxim flouting, conversational implicature, and humorous effects. The analysis applies Halliday and Hasan's (1985) Context of Situation to examine the field, tenor, and mode of the interactions, Grice's (1975) Cooperative Principle to identify quality-maxim flouting and conversational implicature, and Morreall's (1983) Incongruity Theory to explain the humorous effect. The findings show that the selected utterances employ various pragmatic strategies to intentionally flout the maxim of quality and invite interpretations beyond their literal meanings. Overall, the study demonstrates that situational context supports the interpretation of quality-maxim flouting, which generates conversational implicature, while the discrepancy between expectation and expression contributes to the construction of humor through incongruity.