Abstract
This chapter dwells upon a construct of origin story and self-made pastiche in universal codes of media, as seen through international political communication. The main case upon which effectiveness of the constructs are demonstrated is the case of overwhelming media presence of certain politicians, which transcends into narrative fiction. Analyzed is the phenomena of Presidents of the United States and their appearances in movies, comics, and music, which is the case for every US President ever. Supplied are results of author's own empirical research on subjects which concerns all three mediums. Additionally, dissected are the concepts of American dream, mystery men, and media presence of certain politicians showcased both retrospectively and contemporarily.
TopBackground
United States of America pioneered the term mass culture – an offshoot of culture which is not only available for anyone but is also, more or less, understandable to anyone, giving it an incredible mass appeal. Works of art often tend to appeal subjectively, although phenomena of mass culture is in the fact that it draws attention no matter what was the original intention of the makers. It makes itself interesting without the passive appeal of language – people will already likely consume something mostly produced in their own language – to make them interested in other cultures despite the language barriers is a difficult task, which is as crucial for politics as it is for culture.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Charlatan: A person pretending to have skills or knowledge that they do not have, usually with material goals.
Thug Life: Media stereotype and meme centered around ‘gangsta’ lifestyle, bold and rather specific deeds on the ‘street level’.
Donetsk: Industrial city in Eastern Ukraine, located on the Kalmius river. Formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Hughesovka, Stalin, Stalino, Yuzovka. Since 2014 and of the time of publication remains in the zone of the war conflict and a disputed region between pro-Russian separatists and Ukraine.
Cameo Appearance: A short (usually under a minute) appearance of a significant figure in a work of media, either intended to be eventually recognized by the audience or hidden as a surprise for it.
PSTN: Public switched telephone network.
Anxiety: Feeling of uneasiness and worry, usually generalized and unfocused as an overreaction to a situation that is seen subjectively as menacing.
Southern Network: In rap music, five cities: Atlanta, Houston, Memphis, Miami, and New Orleans.
Gangsta Rap: Style of hip-hop music characterized by themes and lyrics which emphasize ‘gangsta’ and ‘thug life’ lifestyle stereotypes.
Virtual Reality (VR): Simulated (usually via technological advancements in digital technology, such as headsets) simulation of a real or fictional environment with or without a distinctive plot. Among other functions VR is used prominently in entertainment and (to a certain degree) education.
Plethora: Large, excessive amount of something. Derived from a biology term meaning excessive amount of bodily fluid, usually blood.
Horrorcore: Subgenre of hip-hop music, based on horror-themed, dark and/or transgressive lyrical content.
Stus, Vasyl: A Ukrainian poet, literary critic, translator and journalist. Active member of the Ukrainian dissident movement in USSR. His works were banned in Soviet Union and he himself was imprisoned until his death in Perm-36 (see). The Donetsk National University (relocated to Vinnytsia) is named after Vasyl Stus (under variant name Vasyl’ Stus) since 10 July 2016. (b. January 6, 1938 – d. September 4, 1985).
Surrealism: Cultural movement, characterized by merging realistic elements and environments with unnerving, illogical and dream-like elements. Started in 1917.
Fandom: Subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest, usually a media franchise of some sort.
TV Tropes: Cross-cultural, Wikipedia-like Internet project situated largely on one website, contains assorted information on plot devices, archetypes, and tropes.
Hook: Metaphorically speaking, a unique feature or idea which might be intentionally put in media to grab the audience’s attention.
Trope: A figurative expression which might or might not contain a metaphor, a significant or recurring motif. Term mutated into a larger one for nearly any structural component in storytelling thanks to TV Tropes, effectively blending in plot devices and archetypes into the term as used in the Internet.
Point-of-View (POV): Narrative term meaning the mode of perspective, from which the story is told (e.g. first person POV for direct narration, third person for distanced author’s glance).
Southern Hip Hop: Blanket/umbrella term for a regional genre of American hip hop music, emerging in Southern United States, as well as Southeastern United States, especially in five cities constituting the ‘Southern Network’.