„If you want to be classy, have Yugoclass.“ Postmodern cultural images of Josip Broz Tito between cult of personality, humor and heterotopia
Abstract
As stated by Stuart Hall, "the event must become a 'story' before it can become a communicative event" (Hall 1980). Mythization and "narrativization" of history have been always used by societies to strengthen the sense of community and to build collective identity.
To a similar extent there are also important elements forming collective memory. Contemporary narratology emphasizes the universal nature of narrative mechanisms: the same mechanisms can be observed on the background of high culture, as well as in popular culture.
In this context, a special case seems to be the phenomenon of internet memes. It operates on the assumption of a specific communicative situation, in which a kind of negotiation of meanings - taking place on the basis of interaction with the recipient - is an important aspect.
Traits as shortcut, humor and focusing on emotions can be considered as key elements of such cultural artifacts as well. The contribution will focus on contemporary memes related to the person of the socialist leader of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito.
We will concentrate mainly on cultural meanings and narratives generated by this meme culture and its relation to the narratives formed in context of official and unofficial representations of the leader in the socialist era. The functioning of Tito's image is a unique example of the mythization of a historical figure in popular culture.
As there is no consensus arround moral and historical assessment of Tito, his contemporary cultural image is formed in constant tension between various discourses and contradictory horizons of expectations regarding the presentation of former Yugoslav president. This tension strengthens the attractiveness and subversive potential of building and reproducing narratives centered around Tito, which actually become a medium of nostalgia, critical attitudes towards current political situation or desires related to social and political life.