RUNNING HEAD: Profanity in Fliptop

A Study of Profanity in Fliptop

Mazon, John Paul F.

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Department of Communication
College of Arts and Communication
University of the Philippines Baguio

February 2012
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Department of Communication
College of Arts and Communication
Gov. Pack Road, Baguio City, Philippines 2600

February 3, 2012

Prof. Purificacion Delima,Ph. D.

Dean
College of Arts and Communication

Dear Dean Delima,

This is to endorse the undergraduate thesis by John Paul F. Mazon

entitled “A Study of Profanity in Fliptop.”

This research examined the utilization of profanity in rap battle

videos uploaded on YouTube for the main purpose of understanding
the function and significance of the act. The researcher
purposively selected fifteen videos from Fliptop’s official
channel and employed Herbert Blumer’s Symbolic Interactionism’s
concepts of language, meaning and thought in the analysis of the
inclusion of profane expressions. Under the premise of language,
a generative type of cluster criticism was utilized to facilitate
the deciphering of the actual treatment of the players on
profanity incorporation.

After carefully analyzing the triadic relationship of Symbolic

Interactionism’s language, meaning and thought, the researcher
asserts that profane expressions function as reinforcement to all
kinds of insult and humor and they also serve as fillers to
adlibs during battles, therefore considered helpful to winning,
hence deemed significant inside the Fliptop community.

I, therefore recommend this study for your approval.

Respectfully,

Reyness Joy Abellada

Thesis Adviser

Noted:

Prof. Jimmy B. Fong

Chair
Department of Communication
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APPROVAL SHEET

This thesis entitled “A STUDY OF PROFANITY IN FLIPTOP”,

researched and written by John Paul F. Mazon, in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Bachelor of Arts
and Communication, is given a grade of ________.

REYNESS JOY ABELLADA

Adviser

Accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

degree of Bachelor of Arts in Communication.

PURIFICACION DELIMA
Dean
College of Arts in Communication
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ABSTRACT

Fliptop is a rap battle league that has gone viral in the

cyber world in 2010. This YouTube hit which quickly gained

national recognition became popular because it exhibits

exceptional style of word duel. However, this revolutionary

craft tagged as the “Modern Day Balagtasan” by national artist

Bienvenido Lumbera, has apparently gained constant criticisms

because of its persistent inclusion of profane words.

This study examined the utilization of these profane

expressions in the rap battles, particularly focusing on their

role and significance.

Guided by Herbert Blumer’s Symbolic Interactionism

Theory, the researcher was able to provide characterizations

and rationalizations of the act of incorporating profanities

in the rap battles. The theory’s principal concepts of

language, meaning and thought primarily helped the researcher

in determining the function and meaning of the act inside the

Fliptop community. Under the language domain, the study

employed a generative cluster criticism to facilitate the

deciphering of profanity’s usage. Afterwards, the triadic

relationship of the three major concepts were carefully

examined.
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Results of the study show that profanity is basically

deemed as a tool used by Fliptop players to help them craft a

more offensive and humorous battle arguments and insults. It

mainly functions as reinforcement to all sorts of insults and

also serves as a consistent filler to adlibs. This research

also found out that the act of using profane expressions is a

deliberate action of players to impress the people watching

them and a conscious effort of improving insult spiels. The

concretization of its usage inside the rap battles makes it

part of the Fliptop community’s social reality for it already

reflects a pattern of conduct.

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Table of Contents

Endorsement Letter ii
Approval Sheet iii
Abstract iv
Table of Contents vi
List of Figures viii
List of Tables ix

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study 3
Statement of the Problem 7
Research Objective 8
Significance of the study 8
Scope and Limitation 9

Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Language 12
Verbal Aggression 13
Rap Music 16
Hip-Hop and Rap 17
The Dysphemistic Side of Rap 18
Profanity 19
Profanity in Media 21
Internet 22
YouTube 24
Fliptop and Concepts of Argumentation and Debate 26
Fliptop 27
Rhetorical Criticism 29

RESEARCH FRAMEWORK
Theoretical Framework 35
Conceptual Framework 39
Operational Framework 41

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design 43
Variables and Measures 43
Units of Analysis and Sampling 44
Data Gathering 45
Data Analysis 45
Research Instrument 46
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CHAPTER IV

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Language 47
Meaning 61
Thought 63
Social Reality 65

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 69

REFERENCE LIST 70

APPENDICES

Appendix A – List of profane words uttered

in the rap battles 77

Appendix B – Application of cluster criticism

in each battle 78

Appendix C – Transcribed rap battles 105

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Schematic diagram of Herbert

Blumer’s Symbolic Interactionism Theory . . . . . 38

Figure 2 Symbolic Interactionism

Conceptual Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Figure 3 Symbolic Interactionism

Operational Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 Opponent’s personal trait insults

that were employed in the rap battles . . . . . . . 49

Table 2 Sexually inclined humor and insult

employed in the rap battles . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Table 3 Opponent’s affiliation insults

employed in the rap battles . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Table 4 Ridicule through comparison/relating

to other people/things employed in
the rap battles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Table 5 Strategies of asserting dominance

employed in the rap battles . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Table 6 List of present battle events

where profanities are incorporated . . . . . . . . . 55

Table 7 Examples of profanities situated

at the onset of statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Table 8 Examples of profanities situated

in the middle of statements . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Table 9 Examples of profanities situated

at the end of statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Table 10 Example of profanities that

constitute the thought of the
insult or humor itself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59