Steamed hams and bashing tans - analysing Irish political discourse through internet memes in a simpsons facebook group

Abstract

Political participation has evolved dramatically in the last 20 years. New media technologies and online spaces have enabled people to participate in politics and express their opinions in ways that were not possible in the past. One of the ways users can express their political opinions is through user generated content known as internet memes. Memes are images, videos, or pieces of text that are often humorous and spread rapidly on the internet and have become a staple in online communication. They can be used to convey a wide range of ideas and influence social attitudes in contemporary society (Shifman, 2014). Previous studies on internet memes have looked at their role in political engagement and activism, as well as their influence on political campaigns such as the 2016 US Presidential Elections (Ross & Rivers, 2018) and Brexit (Kinane, 2021). However, majority of these studies have been conducted in the context of the US or the UK and there is little to no research on the use of memes in Ireland. The purpose of this research is to analyse Irish political discourse through internet memes. This study looks at interactions on Irish politics through memes created by members of the Ireland Simpsons Fans Facebook Group. The research indicates that these spaces have the potential to shape social and political attitude formation in the public sphere due to their accessibility and the level of camaraderie identified in the group dynamics.