FACE-THREATENING ACTS COMMITTED BY JIMMY FALLON TO THE GUEST ON THE TONIGHT SHOW

This study aims to analyze the Face-Threatening Acts (FTAs) committed by Jimmy
Fallon toward his guests on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Using a
qualitative descriptive approach and Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness
theory, this research focuses on two types of FTAs: threats to positive face and
threats to negative face. The data were collected from selected episodes from
Seasons 11 and 12, featuring guests from the entertainment industry. The findings
reveal that negative face threats dominated the interactions, with requests being the
most frequent type, followed by orders, advice, and reminders. Meanwhile, positive
face threats were only identified through disagreements. The study shows that
Jimmy Fallon skillfully manages FTAs through a relaxed and humorous
communication style, maintaining the guests' comfort throughout the show. These
findings contribute to the study of pragmatics, particularly in understanding face
management in public communication settings such as talk shows.
Keywords: Face-Threatening Acts, Pragmatics, Talk Show, Jimmy Fallon,
Public Communication.