POLITICAL AND GEOPOLITICAL HUMOR IN DIGITAL ERA
POLITICAL AND GEOPOLITICAL HUMOR IN DIGITAL ERA

Summary/Abstract: This article aims to contribute to the debate area, concerning the dilemma on the impact of political humor on individuals and masses, especially in the context of the development of social networking. Thus, one of the researchers’ concerns in the last years aims the question: Is humor a political agent of influence or does it remain only a barometer for the political act and communication? If at the beginning of the development of mass communication tools, perhaps we could still talk about humor as a barometer, today, however, as a result of the development of social networking, the impact of humor on an individual or group of individuals, can be similar to public opprobrium or can lead, as we will see, from some studies, to voting intention changes. However, there are still opponents of the theory that humor, which wraps serious information, determines decisive, serious actions of individuals exposed to such products, and we will see how justified they are. And yet the empirical world shows us that political humor in social media can destroy an initiative or catalyze it in a positive way. Just as political humor can destroy a political career. In the political marketing industry, „humanizing” humor is also an extremely important element, and we will talk about it in connection with the three in-depth interviews we conducted with top Romanian and foreign consultants with respect to these aspects. Though, to demonstrate this, a more extensive process is necessary. In war situations, for example, humor becomes a „weapon” or a „shield” for the population or for the military. And we will see examples in this regard. The current academic world is also leaning on these areas and this is why we have chosen to document as many examples of studies as possible that can lead to the validation of the initial premise. What we know so far is that some researchers intend to reduce political humor to only aggressive and self-deprecating types of humor (Becker 2012 p.721-812). Insufficient approach from our point of view, today, in full expansion of the digital era, in full growth of the ways of direct and mutual influence of individuals. In the political world, of course, aggressive, deprecating humor is in great demand, but „humanizing” humor seems even more important, and there are also studies in this regard showing us that it has an impact.

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