'Masha and the Bear' Phenomenon in the Russian and Foreign Mass Media

Abstract

At present, virtual space is one of the forms of communicative interaction. The integrated Internet space, velocity of information-sharing, the circulation of films and animation films, a possibility to express opinions of them including anonymous ones, create a background to phenomena appearance. In the article the animated series Masha and the Bear are considered as a phenomenon of the mass-media space. We view the series of Masha and the Bear as a phenomenon, because it is extremely popular in the world, the Russian series are translated into 25 languages and are watched by a large audience. The quantitative factor and reaction in the media space make us talk about this animation film as a crucial event or phenomenon. The discussion in the world mass-media is focused on the phenomenon starting from the animation series release to the present day. The relevance of the research is based on the analysis of Masha and the Bear as a tool of propaganda or Russian soft power influence, first of all. The article deals with the content of discussions both in Russian and foreign mass-media. The analysis of publications, comments of uses of different sites let us make a conclusion that the audience’s reaction often depends on the manipulation with the message of the animated series. Masha and the Bear itself though devoid of any propaganda tasks, became a manipulation tool of people’s consciousness. The comparative analysis is carried out on the opinions of Russian and foreign mass-media audiences. The article briefly describes the technology of public opinion manipulation, which primarily uses such linguistic means as a wrong translation and negative stereotypes.