SEMIOTICS PECULIARITIES OF INTERNET MEMES IN ENGLISH POLITICAL DISCOURSE

Abstract

The article is devoted to semiotic specificity of Internet memes in the English political discourse. The aim of the work is to figure out the core semiotic peculiarities of Internet memes in semiotic field. The article highlights the role of Internet memes in political discourse classifying them according to their textuality; thus, revealing the value of signs in memes’ formation, and specifying types and peculiarities of signs in Internet memes in political discourse. The research unitizes the units based on the presidential election in the USA 2020. The intention of memes’ creation depends on the verbalization circumstances – in 2020 this factor is determined by the pandemic. So, this selection of Internet memes targets at politicians’ abilities and disabilities to override the chaos. 

Key Words: semiotics, sign, political discourse, political meme, presidential election, context.