Creativity and power: A systemic functional multimodal discourse analysis of the co-constructed multimodal creativity-power relation in House M.D.

Abstract

Multimodal creativity in popular culture is an area with great potentials for linguistics research, yet the number of analytical frameworks and demonstrations available is very limited. This article adapted a systemic functional multimodal discourse analysis approach to the investigation of the co-constructed multimodal creativity-and-power relation in the American TV medical ‘dramedy’ House M.D. Using a combination of Halliday and Matthiessen’s (2014) systemic functional theory, Bednarek’s (2010) multimodal analysis and Law’s (2020a; 2020b; 2020d) analytical framework for creativity in multimodal texts (AFCMT), the dialogues and videos from two selected scenes were analysed with respect to the interpersonal meanings (i.e., tenor values and speech function), mise-en-scene, nonverbal behaviour and performance at moments of co-constructed verbal repetition/pattern-forming creativity production. This study has found that power equality is construed verbally through the use of pattern-forming creativity and that interpersonal meanings (denoted by tenor values consisting of power, contact and affective involvement) are construed nonverbally through spatial movement and various combinations of facial expression, head movement and body movement. It has also shown that hand/arm gestures and some mise-en-scene elements (e.g., set design, lighting, space, costume, or auditory soundtrack) are unlikely to be correlated to the production of pattern-forming creativity in House M.D.