Reflections on the Dialogic Analysis of Verbal-Visual Discourses: a Case of Humor in Brazilian Politics

Abstract

In this paper, we aim to scrutinize the functioning of the verbal-visuality under a dialogic perspective of discourse, using as material of analysis a humorous video montage about the political actor DilmaRousseff, during the Brazilian presidential campaign, in the year of 2010. Firstly, we reflect on some of Bakhtin’s theoretical and methodological assumptions and also on Brait’s, namely, the one of verbal-visuality, grounded on the bakhtinian conception of language. Secondly, we retain ourselves in the analysis of the text which is the object of the article, that have guided us to the following question: How have contribute and worked the verbal and visual elements for production and direction of senses in the video montage? Our hypothesis is that the discourses registered in the montage creates a sense of ideological trail that leads interlocutors to interpret the candidate as a person without discourse, manageable. Facing this question, we will try to demonstrate this hypothesis that we support.