Abstract
This paper explores the song “Karadžić, Lead Your Serbs” by Željko Grmuša and its associated propaganda meme known as Remove Kebab or Serbia Strong; analyzing its function through the lens of sincerity, satire, and a return to sincerity, particularly regarding the ironic use in Balkan communities versus appropriation by right-wing ideologies. Initially sincere, the song promoted violence, ethnic nationalism and distorted historical narratives from the Yugoslav Wars. The ironic use serves as a means of reconciliation, combining misguided national pride and self-deprecating humor to critique, while simultaneously still coping with the recent past. The song’s return to sincerity extends from parodying Islamophobia in strategy gaming communities Hearts of Iron IV, disrupting communications after the Chicago police radio was hijacked during a riot, and the song being quoted in the manifesto for the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019. The paper then critiques the return to sincerity as a manifestation of Orientalism, exoticizing Balkan culture as a backward or primitive society, often glorifying the aggressive, militaristic, and hyper masculine stereotypes, and romanticizing traditional values associated with ethnic purity. The oversimplification of Balkan inner-ethnic relations is easily adaptable in alt right rhetoric as it legitimizes xenophobic attitudes, reinforces cultural superiority, and creates the necessity of defending one’s homeland against perceived threats.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Orientalism, Islamophobia, Propaganda, Memes, Post-Irony, Alt-Right, Appropriation, Balkans, Digital Media
