« Ok boomer ». Les dérives d’un même

Abstract

The expression ‘ok boomer’ is not a simple diacronic reference as in 2009 for qualifying post-war generation (1945-1965) but it increases on social networks and media like a conflictual and scornful formula, with accusing and hateful tone that points at a generation gap. Other uses of this meme concern serious politic and social questions, always in offensive and discriminative way and cause the seniors’ irreverent exclusion. On the basis of medias, tweets and memes (available on Google), we intend to explain subsequent or concomitant resemantic forms of this expression, originally without provocative tone, that in front of economic and environmental relapses caused by the climatic change, assumed a dysphoric feature and demonized a whole generation, a particolar social class. We will be noticing arguments promoted by the comunity ‘we vs you/they-them’ for weighing the violence grade and definiting the kind of discrimination. We will be considering reactions of the antagonist group as attempts of excuse, taking on culpability or furious replies of contra-offensive. As regards critical method, it will be using sociolinguistic reflections and linguistic analysis based on argomentative theories.

Keywords

• internet memes
• ok boomer
• short forms
• hate speech
• ideologies
• discrimination