Sarcasm in netizens' comments on news of public figure Jule's Infidelity on tiktok: a semantic study

Abstract

This study examines the use of sarcasm in netizens’ comments on TikTok news reports concerning the alleged affair of public figure Jule. The topic is significant due to the growing prevalence of sarcastic language on social media as a medium for expressing emotions, criticism, and social judgment. This research employed a qualitative descriptive approach. The data consisted of sarcastic comments collected from five TikTok accounts: @officialrcti, @urgenz.id, @sctv_, @garuda.siwa.infot, and @ikut.rumpi. Data were gathered through observation and note-taking techniques and analyzed using the pragmatic identity method with the determinant element sorting technique. The findings revealed 53 instances of sarcasm, comprising 5 naming sarcasms, 18 trait sarcasms, 10 lexical sarcasms, 9 like-prefixed sarcasms, and 11 illocutionary sarcasms. Trait sarcasm was the most dominant form, reflecting netizens’ tendency to assign negative characteristics to the reported individuals. The sarcastic expressions conveyed emotive and connotative meanings, including anger, disappointment, insults, and social criticism. These findings indicate that social media serves not only as a communication platform but also as a space for emotional expression and social evaluation within digital society.