Keyword – conceptual blending

Benczes, Réka – Szabó, Lilla Petronella – Virág, Ágnes:

It’s showtime: the politics is a show metaphor in the 2022 election campaign of Fidesz

According to the conceptual metaphor theory of the cognitive linguistic enterprise, we often interpret more abstract concepts in terms of more concrete concepts. Politics is such an abstract concept, which appeared via the concept of show in American culture in the second half of the 20th century. The politics is a show metaphor depicts politicians as the characters of a show, while voters appear as the viewers of the show. This metaphorical interpretation does not carry negative judgement. The politics is a show metaphor appeared in the Hungarian political discourse during the 2022 legislative election campaign in a video entitled Gyurcsány Show. The video interprets politics as a failed show; hence, a negative value judgement can be attributed to the advertisement. Our study explores how the metaphor conceptualising politics as a show (which does not necessarily carry a negative meaning in the American context) has been adapted to contemporary Hungarian politics and how it has acquired an evidently negative meaning in the Hungarian context.

Keywords: conceptual blending, conceptual metaphor, Fidesz, Hungary, negative campaign, political discourse