A glance at attitudinal categories: Affect , Judgement and Appreciation

Michael Freitas

AffectAFFECT : evaluation by means of the

writer/speaker indicating how they are emotionally disposed to the person, things , happenings or state of affairs.

Subcategories: Happiness X Unhappiness Security X Insecurity Satisfaction X Dissatisfaction

JUDGEMENTJUDGEMENT covers meanings which serve

to evaluate human behaviour positively and negatively by reference to a set of institutionalised norms.

Subcategories: Normality Capacity Tenacity

Appreciation• APPRECIATION is the system by which

evaluations are made of products and processes. That is, it can be thought of as the system by which human feelings, either or negative, towards products, processes and entities are institutionalised as a set of evaluations.• Subcategories:

• REACTION assesses the emotional impact• COMPOSITION assesses the form• VALUATION asseses the worth or

significance

Perez HiltonMario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. (born March

23, 1978), better known as Perez Hilton, is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com (formerly PageSixSixSix.com), is known for posts covering gossip items about musicians, actors and celebrities. He is also known for posting tabloid photographs over which he has added his own captions or "doodles." His blog has garnered negative attention for its attitude, its active "outing" of alleged closeted celebrities and its role in the increasing coverage of celebrities in all forms of media.

Caught using the “N” Word again!!!! Mel Gibson RECORDED during Racist, Misogynistic Rant!

Posted: July 1, 2010 at 2:09 pm

Caught using the “N” Word again!!!! Mel Gibson RECORDED during Racist, Misogynistic Rant!

Posted: July 1, 2010 at 2:09 pm

Selected examples

Who appraises

What is appraised

Appraisal caterogy

Sub-category

Racist, Misogynistic Rant

Writer Gibson’s argument with an afro-woman

Composition

criticise

Holy shit!

Mel Gibson, you are a disgusting, vile, anti-semitic -

and now we know for certain - RACIST, piece of crap!

The actor, who is in the middle of a nasty custody

battle, was recorded by former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva

saying absolutely horrific racial and misogynist slurs after he

threatened her life, and she realized she needed proof to

build a case against him court.

Holy shit!

Mel Gibson, (1) you are a disgusting, vile, anti-

semitic - and now we know for certain - RACIST, piece

of crap!

The actor, who is in the middle of (2) a nasty

custody battle, was recorded by former girlfriend

Oksana Grigorieva(3)saying absolutely (4)horrific

racial and misogynist slurs after (5)he threatened her

life, and she realized she needed proof to build a case

against him court.

Appraisal analysisSelected examples

Who appraises

What’s appraised

Appraisal Category

Sub category

(1) Writer Mel gibson’ s behaviour and his racism

Appreciation/ Judgement

propriety/ composition = condemn / criticise

(2) Writer nasty custody battle

Appreciation

Composition

(3) Writer The form of his saying

Judgement Normality = criticise

(4) Writer Slurs ( ethnic depreciation)

appreciation

Composition = criticise

(5) Writer The fact his threat to her

Judgement Capacity = criticise

The source claims:

"Oksana's motivation for recording this was

to show Mel how mean he was, and because

she feared for her life. She wanted to get

evidence that he was dangerous and violent.

Mel is doing everything he can to suppress

this… they are the ranting of a mad man."

The source claims:

"Oksana's motivation for recording this was to

show Mel how (1) mean he was, and because

(2) she feared for her life. She wanted to get

evidence that (3) he was dangerous and

violent. Mel is doing everything he can to

suppress this… (4)they are the ranting of a

mad man."

Appraisal AnalysisSelected examples

Who appraises

What’s appraised

Appraisal Category

Sub category

(1) Source(writer)

Gibson behaviour to his ex-wife

Judgement Normality = criticise

(2) Source(writer)

Her fear of the circumnstance

Affect insecurity

(3) Source(writer)

His treatment to her

Judgement Capacity = criticise

(4) Source(writer)

his arguments (implicit)

Appreciation/ judgement implied

Composition / normality = criticise

Gibson is heard on the tapes saying the following.

WARNING, this is truly offensive and disturbing stuff:

"You're an embarrassment to me. You look like a

f***ing pig in heat, and if you get raped by a pack of

n***ers, it will be your fault. How dare you act like such a

b**** when I have been so f***ing nice. I am going to come

and burn the f***ing house down… but you will blow me

first. Look what you did to me… look what you are… look

what every part of you is… f***ing fake… f***ing fake. You

are the most synthetic person… who the f*** are you?"

Gibson is heard on the tapes saying the

following. WARNING, this is truly offensive and disturbing stuff:

"You're an (1)embarrassment to me. You look like

(2) a f***ing pig in heat, and if you get raped by a pack of

n***ers, it will be your fault. (3) How dare you act like such

a b**** when I have been so f***ing nice. (4)I am going to

come and burn the f***ing house down… but you will blow

me first. Look what you did to me… look what you are…

look what every part of you is… (5) f***ing fake… f***ing

fake. You are the (6) most synthetic person… who the f***

are you?"

Appraisal AnalysisSelected examples

Who appraises

What’s appraised

Appraisal category

sub category

(1) M. Gibson Implicit (his ex-wife)

Affect Dissatisfaction

(2) M. Gibson Implicit (his ex-wife)

Judgment Normality = criticise

(3) M. Gibson Implicit (his ex-wife)

Judgment Normality= criticise

(4) M. Gibson Implicit (his ex-wife)

Judgement Capacity = criticise

(5) M.Gibson Implicit (his ex-wife)

judgement Normality = criticise

(6) M. Gibson Implicit (his ex-wife)

judgment normality = criticise

Honestly, there are no words.

What a sorry excuse for a human being.

At least now he's completely fucked himself

and any chance of credibility again.

Congratulations, fucktard! Now the

world knows what a vile scumbag you are!

Honestly, there are no words.

What a sorry excuse for a human being.

At least now he's completely (1) fucked

himself and any chance of credibility again.

Congratulations, (2)fucktard! Now the

world knows what (3) a vile scumbag you are!

Appraisal analysisSelected examples

Who appraises

What’s appraised

Appraisal category

Sub category

(1) Writer Gibson’s attitude to his ex-wife

Judgement Normality = criticise

(2) Writer Gibson Affect Dissatisfaction

(3) Writer Gibson judgment Veracity (criticise)

ConclusionBy using negative attributes, Perez, makes

clear his opinion about Gibson, and an influenced reader may easily believe that Gibson is guilt.

It is quite obvious that his objective is to shock readers he could, as his blog did, suppress his opinion, but as it is his characteristic he prefers to show his view and opinion about Gibson!

References:DROGA, L. & HUMPHREY, S. Getting Started with

Functional Grammar. Marrickville, AU: Target Texts, 2002.

MARTIN, J. R. & WHITE, P. P. R. The Language of Evaluation. New York: Playgrave Macmillan, 2005.

WHITE, P. An introductory tour through appraisal theory. The appraisal Website – http://www.grammatics.com/appraisal/index.html .

Website: http://www. perezhilton.com (formerly PageSixSixSix.com)