LINGUISTIC AND GRAPHIC MEANS OF DISCREDITING JEREMY CORBYN IN INTERNET MEMES

Abstract

Due to the combination of verbal and graphic components, Internet memes possess a powerful manipulative potential and are widely used in political communication. Conceptual metaphor is one of the tools for manipulating the conscience of the audience. This article discusses linguistic and graphic means of discrediting British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn on the basis of Internet memes in the British media and analyzes the most frequent metaphoric models used for the representation of the politician. The main images with which the figure of J. Corbyn is associated are notorious images of dictators (Stalin, Lenin, Hitler and Mao Zedong), literary characters, animals, images of a clown, an idiot, a liar and a criminal. One of the commonly used discrediting devices is the reference to precedent phenomena (for example, allusion to a political scandal) and the use of pejorative vocabulary and metaphorical models with negative evaluation. It is shown that verbal and graphic means either complement or contradict each other, or are contrasted to achieve a comic effect (for example, by comparing the politician with Superman). The memes under description do not only reflect a certain political opinion of the English-speaking Internet community about Jeremy Corbyn but also indicate acute political struggle in the UK.