Study Finds Impoliteness Strategies Dominate Conversations in Deddy Corbuzier’s Close The Door Podcast
FORMOSA NEWS – Language that sounds rude or impolite is not always intended to offend. A study conducted by Atika Anjani, Khairunnisa Azzahra, Novani Elisabeth Lingga, Nurhikmah Siagian, Resa Aquilera Ramadhani, and Meisuri from Universitas Negeri Medan, Indonesia, found that various forms of impoliteness in Deddy Corbuzier’s Close The Door podcast are often used to create humor, express emotions, and increase audience engagement. The findings were published in 2026 in the International Journal of Integrative Research (IJIR). The study focused on a podcast episode featuring Fajar Sadboy and Indra Frimawan as guests. The researchers analyzed utterances containing criticism, teasing, sarcasm, verbal pressure, and brief responses that could be perceived as impolite. The findings are significant because podcasts have become one of the most influential forms of digital communication in Indonesia, exposing millions of listeners to different communication styles every day.
Podcasts and the Rise of Direct Communication
The rapid growth of digital media has transformed how people communicate. Podcasts, YouTube, TikTok, and other social media platforms allow conversations to unfold more spontaneously than traditional media. Within this landscape, the Close The Door podcast is known for its straightforward, critical, and sometimes controversial communication style. Deddy Corbuzier frequently asks challenging questions or responds directly to statements he considers illogical. These interactions create engaging discussions but also provide opportunities for language that may be categorized as impolite. According to the researchers from Universitas Negeri Medan, impoliteness should not always be viewed as negative behavior. In pragmatic studies, impoliteness can function as a communication strategy used to express disagreement, establish social closeness, deliver criticism, or even generate humor.
Examining Conversations Between Deddy Corbuzier, Fajar Sadboy, and Indra Frimawan
The research employed a qualitative descriptive approach by analyzing dialogue from a podcast episode available on YouTube. Every conversation was transcribed and examined using the impoliteness framework developed by linguist Jonathan Culpeper. The framework categorizes impoliteness into five main types:
-Bald on-record impoliteness
-Positive impoliteness
-Negative impoliteness
-Mock impoliteness or sarcasm
-Withholding politeness
Using this framework, the researchers identified patterns of communication that emerged throughout the conversation.
Negative Impoliteness Emerged as the Most Common Strategy
The analysis identified 14 utterances containing impoliteness strategies. Among them, negative impoliteness was the most frequently used category. This type of communication typically restricts or pressures the interlocutor’s freedom of action or response. The distribution of findings was as follows:
-Negative impoliteness: 29.41%
-Bald on-record impoliteness: 23.53%
-Positive impoliteness: 17.65%
-Withholding politeness: 17.65%
-Mock impoliteness (sarcasm): 11.76%
The researchers found that negative impoliteness frequently appeared when the host pressured guests to provide direct answers or expressed impatience with responses considered insufficient. Meanwhile, bald on-record impoliteness often took the form of direct criticism or commands delivered without attempts to soften the language.
Teasing and Humor Shaped Much of the Interaction
One of the study’s most interesting findings is that many utterances categorized as impolite were actually interpreted as humor. Examples included playful teasing, light mockery, and humorous exchanges between participants. In several cases, comments that theoretically threatened a speaker’s social image did not create conflict because they were delivered in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The researchers argue that conversational context plays a crucial role in determining whether an utterance is perceived as offensive or simply humorous. Casual responses from conversation partners often reduce the negative impact of potentially impolite remarks. In other words, the meaning of impoliteness is not determined solely by the words themselves but also by the social relationships between speakers, the communication setting, and the purpose of the interaction.
Impoliteness Does Not Always Lead to Conflict
One of the study’s main conclusions is that impoliteness strategies in digital media can serve multiple communicative functions. Beyond criticism and disagreement, these strategies may be used to:
-Express emotions spontaneously.
-Create more dynamic conversations.
-Generate humor and entertainment.
-Capture audience attention.
-Strengthen interaction between hosts and guests.
According to the researchers from Universitas Negeri Medan, many expressions that appear rude in podcasts function more as spontaneous jokes than serious verbal attacks. This finding highlights how language interpretation in digital media depends heavily on context and communicative intent.
Implications for Digital Media and Communication
The findings provide important insights into how language evolves in the digital era. For content creators, the study demonstrates that direct and spontaneous communication styles can increase audience engagement, but creators should remain aware of the boundaries between humor and genuine offense. For academics, the research contributes to the growing body of literature on pragmatics and digital communication in Indonesia, particularly regarding the use of impoliteness strategies in podcasts. For the general public, the study helps explain why conversations that sound harsh on digital platforms are not always intended as acts of hostility. In many cases, such expressions are part of entertainment strategies designed to keep discussions lively and engaging.
Author Profile
Atika Anjani is a researcher from Universitas Negeri Medan with interests in pragmatics, linguistics, and discourse analysis. This study was conducted in collaboration with Khairunnisa Azzahra, Novani Elisabeth Lingga, Nurhikmah Siagian, Resa Aquilera Ramadhani, and Meisuri, who are also affiliated with Universitas Negeri Medan and actively engaged in research on language, communication, and applied linguistics.
Research Source
Article Title: An Analysis of Impoliteness Strategies in “Close the Door” Podcast by Deddy Corbuzier
Authors: Atika Anjani, Khairunnisa Azzahra, Novani Elisabeth Lingga, Nurhikmah Siagian, Resa Aquilera Ramadhani, Meisuri
Affiliation: Universitas Negeri Medan, Indonesia
Journal: International Journal of Integrative Research (IJIR)
Volume and Issue: Volume 4, Issue 4
Year of Publication: 2026
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