HUMOR IN HOSTILITY: A CRITICAL MULTIMODAL ANALYSIS OF MEMES CIRCULATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER THE PEHALGAM ATTACK

Abstract

This study explores how humor operates as a discursive and ideological tool within the digital media landscape of Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pehalgam incident. Using a multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA) framework grounded in the works of Fairclough, Kress and van Leeuwen, van Dijk, Barthes, and Foucault, the research investigates the textual, visual, and contextual dimensions of war-related memes that circulated on Pakistani social media. These memes not only reflect sociopolitical tensions between Pakistan and India but also serve as vehicles for resistance, nationalism, and identity construction through humor and satire. The analysis reveals recurrent semiotic patterns, themes of cultural superiority, symbolic defiance, and strategic ridicule aimed at political adversaries. By decoding the narrative structures and intertextual references, the study highlights how digital humor in the form of memes becomes a soft power tool in shaping public opinion and reinforcing collective memory in conflict zones. The research contributes to the broader understanding of digital warfare, media semiotics, and the politicization of humor in times of hostility.