X is the new Y Flashcards
What do we know about Jeremy Corbyn 1949?
◼ Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020.
◼ Corbyn describes himself as a socialist (political left of the Labour Party): in favour of renationalizing public utilities and railways, against austerity cuts to welfare and public services.
◼ Critical of the EU but in favour of REMAIN in the 2016 referendum. Accused of “lukewarm” campaigning for Britain to remain and showing a “lack of leadership” on the issue
◼ 23 June 2016: Brexit referendum
◼ 8 June 2017: UK General Elections
◼ 2019 General Election: worst defeat for Labour since 1935 followed by Corbyn’s resignation
Why can we talk about Corbynmania?
◼ Although the Labour party did not have high expectations for Corbyn’s electoral performance, enthusiastic support for Corbyn quickly developed
◼ Young voters were attracted by Corbyn’s authentic, informal style and radical policies
◼ Huge numbers of supporters would turn up to hear him speak
◼ Glastonbury Festival 2017: Corbyn spoke to the audience
◼ Grime Generation (#Grime4Corbyn, Stormzy supporting Corbyn, JME on Corbyn’s Snapchat)
Why was Corbyn a Populist leader? (2)
- Populist discourse at the basis of the Brexit campaign: the people vs the elite
- Corbyn’s post-referendum/electoral campaign discourse: the many vs the few (rhetoric of the people vs the elite based on economic inequality)
What is the concern of Corbyn?
Globalization that resulted in loss of jobs.
Same concern of the right politicians Trump and Farage, they all attached to “the people” the same importance, BUT they have radically different meaning attributed to this signifier. They have profoundly different approaches to the solution of problems
What is Corbyn’s notion of “the people”?
He states that “Power is not currently in the hands of the people”.
There is an assumption that the current Conservative government and the establishment are working to undermine individual and social rights.
He uses a socialism - populist vocabulary
Which are the main discursive strategies of Corbyn?
He uses prowerful images, such as metaphors;
He uses Pre-modification of nouns becaue they are more difficult to challenge than predicative function.
What are snowclones?
“X is the new Y” is a snowclone.
Snowclones are customisable formulaic phrases that can be adapted for different situations by changing some of the words.
Blend of snow+ clone, after the popular idea that the Inuit have a large number of words for different types of snow.
They are used in various domains (e.g. culture, technology, and media).
They are often used to express a specific idea in a concise and memorable way, making them a popular tool for communication.
The structure “X is the new Y” is a common snowclone that plays on the idea that something new (X) has become more popular than or has replaced something older (Y).
What does the slogan “The many vs. the few” recall?
The slogan recalls the final lines of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem, ‘The Masque of Anarchy’ (“Ye are many – they are few!”, 1832)
1819: massacre of Peterloo, the army crushed down the rebellion of non-violent demonstrators who were petitioning for the right to vote.
How did Corbyn use the slogan “many vs. few”?
Brexit is for the many, not the few
When does Corbyn appeal to pathos?
When talking about the possible negative scenarios of a Brexit for the few.
