Fictional populists running for the office and parodying elections: Qualitative analysis of the three case studies’ social media communication

Abstract

This article introduces the novel concept of fictional populism, describing the phenomenon of made-up characters created and performed by real individuals. These imaginary political candidates typically employ fiction, humour (in the forms of parody and satire), and self-scandalization to accentuate their (populist) messages. Building on the concept of celebrity populism that explores the mixture of populism with celebrity culture, this study examines the features of fictional populism. It focuses on two case studies from Croatia and one from Serbia. Qualitative content analysis of case studies’ communication on Facebook during election campaigns is conducted with the aim to understand how they blended elements of celebrity and popular culture to emphasize their populist messages. Moreover, the study explores how these fictional candidates addressed real political issues during campaigns. By employing an iterative approach between theory and analysis, the article offers rich portrayals of each candidate’s performances, illuminating their strategic use of fiction, humour, and self-scandalization to emphasize the populist messages and appeal to the people. The study outlines the broader dimensions and elements that characterize specific communication features of fictional populists.