Past Event! Note: this event has already taken place.
EVENT: The First Humor War: Russia, Ukraine, and Comedy in Global Politics
January 16, 2025 at 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
| Location: | 1201 Richcraft Hall |
DATE: Thursday, January 16th
TIME: 12:30-2:00PM
LOCATION: 1201 Richcraft Hall
Registration is required. Please register using the form below.
The event “The First Humor War: Russia, Ukraine, and Comedy in Global Politics”, with Dr. Stanislav Budnitsky, Visiting Assistant Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Colgate University is sponsored by McMillan Chair in Russian Studies and SSHRC.
Event Description:
The Russia-Ukraine War has redefined humor into a central weapon of conflict. In this “first humor war,” battling states and their proxies have strategically deployed humor to an unprecedented extent to achieve entwined reputational and geopolitical goals. The Russian state ridicules Ukraine and the West to bolster its illiberal credentials. By contrast, Ukrainian humor appeals to Western liberal audiences, reinforcing Ukraine’s belonging within the Euro-Atlantic community and sustaining wartime support. Through illustrative examples, ranging from official social media posts to deepfake pranks, the presentation situates wartime humor within the broader evolution of public diplomacy in the digital age, where viral content and participatory media reshape strategic communication. Focusing on the Russia-Ukraine War, the talk invites the audience to consider the changing role of comedy in global communication and politics.
About the speaker:
Dr. Stanislav Budnitsky is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Colgate University. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC, the Centre for Global Cooperation Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies at Indiana University-Bloomington, and the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. His research has been published in Post-Soviet Affairs, European Journal of Cultural Studies, International Journal of Communication, Internet Policy Review, and The Net and the Nation-State (Cambridge University Press). Budnitsky received his PhD in Communication from Carleton University and holds an MA in Nationalism Studies from Central European University (Budapest) and Journalism from the Higher School of Economics (Moscow). Before entering academia, he was a Moscow-based media writer and producer.