What we really joke about: a quantitative analysis of 2017 anecdotes

Abstract

Why do some events result in a storm of anecdotes and jokes on the social networks while other do not? What is the mechanics of folklore reaction on the Internet? To answer these questions, the Monitoring of Current Folklore research group collected a corpus of jokes on the Internet that Internet users reacted to various social and political events of 2017 with and developed a method of quantitative analysis allowing to evaluate the “force” of the reaction and describe its dynamics. Folklore reaction is evaluated according to several criteria calculated by specific formulae, e.g.: intensity rate, activity rate and debatability rate. Given that the strongest reaction results from the events most important and traumatic for the audience, the authors compile a certain “Rating for public unrest 2017” with top places occupied by corruption scandals, arguments over historical memory and actualization of Cold War stereotypes. The authors conclude that politics and economics per se are of limited interest to folklore, except corruption scandals (which result in heated long-term disputes among people of literally every stance) and jokes about local elections. Social network users who transmit such jokes use those as a weapon against failures to mention corruption and real electoral situation; they are also concerned a lot about re-evaluation of everyday behavioral norms, first and foremost those related to gender and age.