<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Although one of the most influential figures of Romanian Communism, Elena Ceaușescu has been the subject of a rather limited literature exploring her historical figure. I intend to revisit the political humour of Romanian communism in order to reveal the manners and strategies employed by this type of folklore in affirming the hyperbolized clichés that defined the dictator’s wife in the public mind of that age. I also intend to bring into discussion the common traditional prejudice that blamed Elena Ceaușescu for her husband’s catastrophic politics that impoverished and isolated Romania in the Eastern Bloc.</p></abstract>

Although one of the most influential figures of Romanian Communism, Elena Ceaușescu has been the subject of a rather limited literature exploring her historical figure. I intend to revisit the political humour of Romanian communism in order to reveal the manners and strategies employed by this type of folklore in affirming the hyperbolized clichés that defined the dictator’s wife in the public mind of that age. I also intend to bring into discussion the common traditional prejudice that blamed Elena Ceaușescu for her husband’s catastrophic politics that impoverished and isolated Romania in the Eastern Bloc.

Power and Ridicule – Elena CeauȘescu in Communist Humour

Gender Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

{"article-title":"Power and Ridicule \u2013 Elena CeauȘescu in Communist Humour"}

Although one of the most influential figures of Romanian Communism, Elena Ceaușescu has been the subject of a rather limited literature exploring her...

Power and Ridicule – Elena CeauȘescu in Communist Humour

Published Online: Feb 01, 2020

Page range: 129 - 141

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2020-0010

Keywords
dictatorsʼ wives, Elena Ceaușescu, female communist leaders, political humour, post-communism, Romanian communism

© 2020 Gabriela Glăvan, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Power and Ridicule – Elena CeauȘescu in Communist Humour

Published Online: Feb 01, 2020

Page range: 129 - 141

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2020-0010

Keywordsdictatorsʼ wives, Elena Ceaușescu, female communist leaders, political humour, post-communism, Romanian communism

© 2020 Gabriela Glăvan, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
dictatorsʼ wives, Elena Ceaușescu, female communist leaders, political humour, post-communism, Romanian communism