MEMES OF RESENTMENT: AN ANALYSIS OF HOW THE FAR RIGHT MOBILIZES HUMOR AND SENTIMENT STRUCTURES IN PRIVATE MESSAGING NETWORKS

Abstract

A growing scholarly debate points to resentment as a central factor in the worldwide advance of far-right movements. This study explores how such a dynamic appears in memes shared within far-right public discussion groups on WhatsApp in Brazil. Based on an interpretive approach, we examined 40 images collected from a non-probabilistic sample of groups supportive of Bolsonaro. The analysis identifies four distinct manifestations of resentment: hostility, victimhood, revisionist narratives, and a sense of urgency.