The appropriation of the meme by the parties: fandom and propaganda in Spanish 2023 general elections

Abstract

Introduction: This research focuses on the appropriation of the meme as a propaganda strategy in an electoral campaign, placing it within the framework of politainment and the humanization of the candidate. Specifically, the work analyzes the resignification of the “Perro Sanxe” meme in the Spanish general elections of July 2023. What began as an insult by the Spanish right towards the president of the government Pedro Sánchez, was resignified by the left and subsequently appropriated by the communication direction of the PSOE. Methodology: The study presents an exploratory-descriptive methodological design that adopts critical discourse analysis on Pedro Sánchez's interventions in infotainment media. Additionally, two in-depth interviews have been carried out, one with Ion Antolín, director of the PSOE, and another with the user of Mr. Handsome, Pedro Sánchez's fandom account on X. Both techniques have been accompanied by a documentary review of the media coverage of “Perro Sanxe” during the campaign. Results: The results show that the resignification of the “Perro Sanxe” meme as a positive nickname was relevant in the electoral strategy of the PSOE, aimed at improving the image of its candidate and humanizing him, in response to the attack from the right, focused on ending “sanchism”. Discussion and conclusions: From the study, the importance of using humor as a propaganda tool is extracted, especially for vote activation, favoring an underdog effect in this case, and the use of guerrilla communication techniques to connect with younger voters.