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This Special Collection delves into how stereotypes are visually represented across digital, non-digital, and pre-digital cultures, focusing on their societal impact. Drawing on the methodologies of Aby Warburg and Erwin Panofsky, the analysis emphasizes how stereotypes function as a 'mirror in a mirror', reflecting and reshaping cultural narratives. Visual imagery, particularly humorous depictions of national and ethnic stereotypes, challenges conventional views by transcending moral and social constraints. Effective humour must resonate with diverse audiences by being both relatable and understandable.

The Internet has reshaped humour by democratizing its creation, blurring professional boundaries, and broadening social norms. Online content has fragmented audiences, pushing creators to innovate and adapt to niche communities. The rise of visual culture has redefined testimony and information sharing, with digital images and memes influencing public opinion and shaping political discourse. Memetic communication and 'Imagefare' are critical tools for understanding these dynamics.

Authors are encouraged to explore stereotypes in visual humour, such as cartoons and memes, using interdisciplinary approaches. These studies reveal how humour can serve political agendas or diminish stereotypes' societal impact by exposing their influence. This issue appeals to humour specialists and social sciences, art, and humanities scholars, fostering interdisciplinary insights into visual and cultural studies.

Image: Kondas, Paul. Ü.R! (1960). Oil on canvas, 118 × 80 cm. Reproduced by kind permission of the owner, Viljandi Museum, and the Kondas Centre.

Editors: Guillem Castañar-Rubio (Guest Editor), Orest Semotiuk (Guest Editor), Sergey Troitskiy (Guest Editor)


Visual Rhetorics of Humour: The Formation and Dissemination of Stereotypes through Cartoons and Memes

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Special Collections