IRONY AND SARCASM AS INSTRUMENT OF SOSIAL CRITICISM: THE LIMITS OF ACCEPTABILITY IN RUSSIAN AND ANGLOPHONE SOSIAL ADVERTISING

Abstract

This article presents a comparative analysis of the use of ironic and sarcastic strategies in Russian and Anglophone social advertising. The focus of the study is on the limits of acceptability: cultural, ethical, and institutional constraints that determine the possibility of employing "negative" emotional registers to achieve socially significant goals. Drawing on advertising campaigns in the fields of ecology, road safety, and anti-smoking initiatives (UK, USA, Russia), the study demonstrates that in Anglophone discourse, irony serves as a legitimate tool for defamiliarization, whereas Russian discourse tends to favor paternalistic models and explicit emotional appeals. The conclusion highlights the influence of historical and cultural factors (the tradition of public invective vs. the concept of political correctness) on the formation of culture-specific persuasive strategies.