Fabian Schäfer, Japanologist and media scientist, presents his concept of ‘connective cynicism’.
Political discourse is becoming increasingly coarse, trolls run rampant on social media and transgressive humour is widespread. Right-wing populists and questionable influencers deliberately use ambiguous language and ironic undertones to allow for later reinterpretation or denial of their statements. Fabian Schäfer examines the specific attention economy and connectivity of “likes” and sharing on social media, which fuels the spread of political and cultural cynicism. With the concept of connective cynicism, he shows how transgressive humour is used for profit, and how anti-democratic discourse strategies are employed for political ends.
(Lecture in German)