Covid‑19, réseaux sociaux et culture pop dans la péninsule Arabique

The pandemic crisis which has befallen the world since February 2020 generated, in the Arabian Peninsula as elsewhere, an abundance of media productions: songs, poems, jokes, memes, video skits, etc. shared through social media or broadcast on satellite television, which all participate in the regio...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Frédéric Lagrange
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centre Français d’Archéologie et de Sciences Sociales de Sanaa 2021-02-01
Series:Arabian Humanities
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/arabianhumanities/6300
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850270611231735808
author Frédéric Lagrange
author_facet Frédéric Lagrange
author_sort Frédéric Lagrange
collection DOAJ
description The pandemic crisis which has befallen the world since February 2020 generated, in the Arabian Peninsula as elsewhere, an abundance of media productions: songs, poems, jokes, memes, video skits, etc. shared through social media or broadcast on satellite television, which all participate in the region’s “digital pop culture”. The policies of states confronted with the emergency were reflected by some artists or “influencers”, either spontaneously relaying the official message or commissioned by authorities. Other cultural products translate individual reactions to the crisis and express (within limits tolerated by suspicious states) fear, boredom or a sarcastic attitude toward uncommon behaviors in societies forced to upset their habits. What do these videos, memes and songs tell us about Arabian societies? If some appear as a mere local encoding of universal patterns, others are more particular to the region: the “corona songs”, on a warlike, satirical or dramatic tone; jokes on perturbations induced by the presence of males in the feminine homosocial private space of homes; and a particular encoding of the local vs. foreign relationship, be the foreigner an insider (the working force), the regional ally or enemy, or the one through whom evil happens, or who evil strikes. This essay attempts to analyze how cultural productions translate or negotiate their decoding of state policies and of the challenge posed by the presence of “impossible citizens” (Neha Vora) in the monarchies of the region that enforce a non-integrative model of transnational migration management, when they find themselves confronted with a threat to health that places the whole population in front of a same danger.  
format Article
id doaj-art-68bdd0a8ebd74d60b2514ea02f61ce2d
institution OA Journals
issn 2308-6122
language English
publishDate 2021-02-01
publisher Centre Français d’Archéologie et de Sciences Sociales de Sanaa
record_format Article
series Arabian Humanities
spelling doaj-art-68bdd0a8ebd74d60b2514ea02f61ce2d2025-08-20T01:52:31ZengCentre Français d’Archéologie et de Sciences Sociales de SanaaArabian Humanities2308-61222021-02-011410.4000/cy.6300Covid‑19, réseaux sociaux et culture pop dans la péninsule ArabiqueFrédéric LagrangeThe pandemic crisis which has befallen the world since February 2020 generated, in the Arabian Peninsula as elsewhere, an abundance of media productions: songs, poems, jokes, memes, video skits, etc. shared through social media or broadcast on satellite television, which all participate in the region’s “digital pop culture”. The policies of states confronted with the emergency were reflected by some artists or “influencers”, either spontaneously relaying the official message or commissioned by authorities. Other cultural products translate individual reactions to the crisis and express (within limits tolerated by suspicious states) fear, boredom or a sarcastic attitude toward uncommon behaviors in societies forced to upset their habits. What do these videos, memes and songs tell us about Arabian societies? If some appear as a mere local encoding of universal patterns, others are more particular to the region: the “corona songs”, on a warlike, satirical or dramatic tone; jokes on perturbations induced by the presence of males in the feminine homosocial private space of homes; and a particular encoding of the local vs. foreign relationship, be the foreigner an insider (the working force), the regional ally or enemy, or the one through whom evil happens, or who evil strikes. This essay attempts to analyze how cultural productions translate or negotiate their decoding of state policies and of the challenge posed by the presence of “impossible citizens” (Neha Vora) in the monarchies of the region that enforce a non-integrative model of transnational migration management, when they find themselves confronted with a threat to health that places the whole population in front of a same danger.  https://journals.openedition.org/arabianhumanities/6300Covid 19 in the Gulfpop culture in the Gulfsocial media
spellingShingle Frédéric Lagrange
Covid‑19, réseaux sociaux et culture pop dans la péninsule Arabique
Arabian Humanities
Covid 19 in the Gulf
pop culture in the Gulf
social media
title Covid‑19, réseaux sociaux et culture pop dans la péninsule Arabique
title_full Covid‑19, réseaux sociaux et culture pop dans la péninsule Arabique
title_fullStr Covid‑19, réseaux sociaux et culture pop dans la péninsule Arabique
title_full_unstemmed Covid‑19, réseaux sociaux et culture pop dans la péninsule Arabique
title_short Covid‑19, réseaux sociaux et culture pop dans la péninsule Arabique
title_sort covid 19 reseaux sociaux et culture pop dans la peninsule arabique
topic Covid 19 in the Gulf
pop culture in the Gulf
social media
url https://journals.openedition.org/arabianhumanities/6300
work_keys_str_mv AT fredericlagrange covid19reseauxsociauxetculturepopdanslapeninsulearabique