Pink smokescreen: the concept of positive illusion in contemporary political rhetoric

this article is devoted to the conceptualization of the phenomenon of "pink smokescreen" in political communications and its substantiation as an independent analytical category. "pink smokescreen" is understood as a positively colored, but distorted information picture used to mask crisis processes and maintain audience loyalty. The research methodology includes discourse analysis and content analysis of political texts and visual materials, as well as a comparison of the phenomenon under consideration with existing concepts – propaganda, framing, spin-doctoring and simulacra. The results show that "pink smokescreen" has stable characteristics: emotional appeal, selective interpretation of facts, aestheticization and the function of distraction from the negative agenda. An empirical analysis of examples from the campaigns of Donald Trump ("Make America Great Again"), Barack Obama ("Yes We Can") and the Brexit movement ("Take Back Control") demonstrates the use of abstract slogans, metaphors and visual symbols to form attractive but illusory political narratives. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the introduction of the category of "pink smokescreen" into the conceptual apparatus of political science. The practical significance lies in the possibility of using this concept in political science analysis, journalism and expert practice to identify strategies of positive manipulation.

political communications, pink smokescreen, positive illusion, manipulation, electoral campaigns, lexical markers