Potentially, a secretive far-right playbook guiding the production of White House memes?
Hilarious White House Antics: A New Age of Trolling
The official White House social media accounts have been peddling laughs since January 20th, as per our research. This new communication strategy, according to experts, is a form of trolling, designed to catch attention with absurd humor on sensitive topics.
"There are no boundaries," says Camille Alloing, professor at the Department of Social and Public Communication, UQAM. Last week, the White House shared an AI-generated image of Donald Trump as the next pope, following his declaration to reporters that he'd prefer the pontiff gig. Earlier this year, they posted a video of people seemingly being ousted, set to the iconic tune Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye, emphasizing the message of failure.
But humor isn't just for giggles. It's all part of a strategic political communication plan. The moderators cater to conservative "young men" using right-wing pop culture references. "And it works incredibly well," remarks Mr. Alloing.
Social media platforms aren't placing barriers; in fact, they're seemingly giving a pass to the president's team. "Mark Zuckerberg has sworn allegiance to Donald Trump," says Mr. Alloing, hinting at the slim chances of the president's posts being hidden or censored.
Elie Serge Banyongen, professor of political studies at the University of Ottawa, adds that while account ownership changes with each presidency, the White House account's shift in tone, now mirroring the president's personal account, confounds the line between official information and self-promotion. "The public has no way of knowing what's true or not," he says.
The National Archives and Records Administration of the United States, however, keeps a historical archive of all White House accounts, accessible online.
click here.
Diving into the past, similar humor can also be found on former American president's accounts. Nevertheless, the shift in tone between the two eras remains striking, according to Mr. Banyongen.
Power Play by the MAGA
Trolling is merely one part of a broader strategy employed by the Trump administration to:
- Engage the MAGA base: Memes and controversial posts help keep the MAGA movement excited and loyal to the Trump agenda.
- Control the narrative: By bypassing traditional media outlets, the White House creates its own media narrative and directly reaches supporters through unconventional channels.
- Communicate policies: Unconventional videos and images (like deportation scenes set to popular songs) are used to convey policy agendas in an attention-grabbing, controversy-inducing way.
- Polarize opinions: Provocative content creates a divisive environment that further energizes Trump's supporters, while drawing criticism from opponents.
- Defend themselves: When criticized for offensive content, the administration often dismisses it as a mere joke, diverting serious criticism and maintaining a lighthearted tone.
Overall, this strategy represents a concerted effort to sidestep traditional media, connect directly with supporters, and manipulate public opinion.
- This new form of trolling, as seen in the White House's social media accounts, can be categorized as a satirical safeguard in political communication, designed to attract attention and engage the MAGA base.
- The strategic use of humor in policy-and-legislation and general news, often via memes and controversial posts, serves to control the narrative and communicate policies in an attention-grabbing manner.
- By employing such unconventional methods, the White House aims to polarize opinions, energetically stirring supporters while drawing criticism from opponents.
- In the event of criticism for offensive content, the administration often defends itself by dismissing it as a mere joke, maintaining a lighthearted tone and diverting serious criticism.
