“Wo zhege ren. . .” (“I’m a person who . . .”): Chinese celebrities’ metapragmatic evaluative self-disclosure in televised interviews

Abstract

Existing research on discursive self-disclosure in verbal communication has proved fruitful. However, while previous researchers have explored how speakers temporarily and voluntarily disclose their personal information for various reasons, scarcely have they focused on their self-evaluation in interaction, dubbed as “metapragmatic evaluative self-disclosure” (MES for short) in this study. With data collected from Chinese talk shows, the study reveals that celebrities evaluate themselves both positively and negatively in different positions of utterances in order to manage the force of their utterances while controlling their impression left on others. Used at different locations in the utterances concerned, MES is shown to function as either a credentialing device or a hedging device in this communicative context involved, so as to disclaim for themselves and prevent the potential risks.