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TOTEMISTIC PHRASEOLOGY IN MODERN MEDIA, ADVERTISING, AND POP
CULTURE: A LINGUOCULTUROLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Otaboyeva Dilshoda Laziz qizi
Nuuz, Foreign Philology Faculty
English Linguistcs Department
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15193044
Annotation
This article is devoted to the study of totemistic phraseology in the context of modern
media, advertising, and pop culture. Totemism, rooted in ancient beliefs about the symbolic
power of animals, plants, and objects, continues to influence the linguistic and cultural space
of contemporary communication. The research highlights how totemic symbols, traditionally
associated with mythological thinking, have been transformed into powerful tools of
emotional influence in brand names, slogans, memes, films, and music. Special attention is
paid to the linguoculturological functions of totemic phraseology and its ability to reflect and
shape cultural identity in the globalized world.
Keywords:
totemistic phraseology, linguoculturology, media discourse, advertising, pop
culture, symbols, branding, memes, animal metaphors.
Аннотация
Статья посвящена изучению тотемистической фразеологии в контексте
современных медиа, рекламы и поп-культуры. Тотемизм, укорененный в древних
верованиях о символической силе животных, растений и предметов, продолжает
оказывать влияние на языковое и культурное пространство современной
коммуникации. В исследовании подчеркивается, как тотемические символы,
традиционно связанные с мифологическим мышлением, трансформировались в
мощные инструменты эмоционального воздействия в названиях брендов, слоганах,
мемах, фильмах и музыке. Особое внимание уделяется лингвокультурологическим
функциям тотемической фразеологии и ее способности отражать и формировать
культурную идентичность в глобализированном мире.
Ключевые слова:
тотемистическая фразеология, лингвокультурология,
медиадискурс, реклама, поп-культура, символы, брендинг, мемы, метафоры животных.
Annotatsiya
Ushbu maqola zamonaviy media, reklama va pop madaniyat kontekstida totemistik
frazeologiyani o'rganishga bag'ishlangan. Hayvonlar, o'simliklar va narsalarning ramziy kuchi
haqidagi qadimgi e'tiqodlardan kelib chiqqan totemizm zamonaviy muloqotning lingvistik va
madaniy makoniga ta'sir qilishda davom etmoqda. Tadqiqot an'anaviy ravishda mifologik
tafakkur bilan bog'liq bo'lgan totemik belgilar brend nomlari, shiorlar, memlar, filmlar va
musiqalarda qanday qilib kuchli hissiy ta'sir vositalariga aylantirilganini ta'kidlaydi. Totemik
frazeologizmlarning lingvokulturologik vazifalari va globallashgan dunyoda madaniy o‘ziga
xoslikni aks ettirish va shakllantirish qobiliyatiga alohida e’tibor qaratilgan.
Kalit so'zlar
: totemistik frazeologiya, lingvokulturologiya, media-diskurs, reklama, pop-
madaniyat, ramzlar, brending, memlar, hayvonlar metaforalari
Language has always been a repository of cultural codes, national mentality, and
collective memory. One of the most ancient manifestations of the connection between
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language and culture is totemism — a belief system in which certain animals, plants, or
objects serve as sacred symbols of a tribe, clan, or social group. Over time, totemic symbols
have migrated from mythology and folklore into the linguistic sphere, giving rise to a vast
array of phraseological units that reflect human attitudes toward the surrounding world.
Modern media, advertising, and pop culture have reinterpreted these totemic symbols,
adapting them to the realities of the 21st century. Brands exploit animal images to evoke
desirable associations. Slogans borrow the metaphorical power of totemic phraseology to
create memorable messages. Memes, films, and songs reinterpret ancient symbolic patterns,
transforming them into ironic or aesthetic elements of global communication. The relevance
of this research lies in the fact that, despite the technological progress of society, archaic
totemic models continue to function actively in everyday language practices, including media
and advertising discourse. This confirms the thesis that phraseology with totemic roots
remains a productive mechanism for encoding cultural meanings and influencing the
recipient.
The purpose of this article is to identify and analyze the linguoculturological features of
totemistic phraseology in modern media, advertising, and pop culture, using concrete
examples from contemporary discourse.
The term totem originates from the language of the Ojibwa tribe (North America) and
means “his kinship group” (Frazer, 1910). Totemism is based on the idea that a particular
natural object — most often an animal or plant — is a symbolic ancestor, protector, or
emblem of a human group.
As Claude Lévi-Strauss (1962) emphasized in Totemism, this phenomenon reflects the
human tendency to classify the world through binary oppositions and symbolic thinking. In
the sphere of language, this has led to the formation of stable symbolic images embodied in
metaphors, comparisons, and phraseological units.
Totemistic phraseology refers to stable linguistic units (idioms, proverbs, metaphors)
that contain references to totemic symbols and express culturally significant meanings.
According to Nakhimova (2013), totemic elements in phraseology function as “cultural
markers,” encoding ideas about desirable or undesirable qualities of a person.
For example, the lion traditionally symbolizes strength and nobility in many cultures
(“lion-hearted”, “king of beasts”), while the fox represents cunning (“sly as a fox”). The
presence of such phrases in modern discourse demonstrates the continuity of symbolic
thinking across eras.
Modern marketing actively exploits the symbolic potential of totemic phraseology,
primarily through animal images in brand names, logos, and advertising slogans. This practice
is not accidental. As George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (1980) argue in Metaphors We Live By,
metaphorical thinking, including totemic symbols, allows people to structure their perception
of reality and instantly decode associative meanings.
The usage of animal totems in branding is based on the principle of symbolic transfer —
qualities of an animal are transferred to the product or service
Advertising slogans often reinforce these meanings through explicit or implicit
phraseological constructions, for example:
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•
Red Bull gives you wings (activation of animal symbolism in the metaphor of
flight and freedom).
• Strong as a lion (common in fitness or sports-related ads).
Totemistic Phraseology in Cinema and Animation
Pop culture, especially cinema and animation, continues to popularize totemic symbols,
creating entire mythologies based on animal characters with human features. Such
representations often emdiv ancient cultural stereotypes and phraseological associations.
Key Examples:
• The Lion King (Disney, 1994)
— the lion as a symbol of royal power, wisdom, and
bravery.
• Kung Fu Panda (DreamWorks, 2008)
— the panda combines external clumsiness
with inner strength and wisdom.
• Zootopia (Disney, 2016)
— a world built on animal stereotypes: fox = cunning, rabbit
= speed and energy, sloth = laziness.
These films reflect phraseological models rooted in totemistic thinking:
• Lion-hearted
• Cunning as a fox
• Slow as a sloth
Totemistic Metaphors in Music and Pop Texts
Music culture often uses totemic symbols in song titles, lyrics, and images of performers
to convey strength, individuality, or emotional states.
Examples:
•
Eye of the Tiger (Survivor, 1982
) — symbol of perseverance and courage.
•
Roar (Katy Perry, 2013)
— metaphor of inner power and freedom.
•
Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
(KT Tunstall, 2004) — metaphorical combination
of mystery and folklore images.
Functions of Totemistic Phraseology in Modern Communication
The functioning of totemistic phraseology in media, advertising, and pop culture is not
accidental — it performs several important linguoculturological functions:
1. Identification and Branding Function
Totemic symbols help brands, artists, and media products create a recognizable image. The
animal or symbolic element acts as a verbal and visual marker that quickly establishes
associative links in the consumer’s mind. Example:
Puma
= speed and sport
Red Bull
= energy and vitality
In these cases, the totemic phrase functions as a verbal marker of strength, rebellion, or
emotional energy.
The analysis of totemistic phraseology in modern media, advertising, and pop culture
demonstrates the vitality of ancient symbolic thinking within contemporary discourse
practices. Despite globalization and digitalization, archaic forms of metaphorical perception
— including totemic symbols — retain their communicative power and cultural relevance.
2. Emotional and Persuasive Function
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Totemistic phraseology intensifies emotional perception, appealing to unconscious
archetypes and stereotypes. According to Zheltukhina (2015), phraseology “serves as a ready-
made carrier of evaluation, expressiveness, and cultural memory.” Example:
“Fight like a lion” (heroic effort)
“Clever as a fox” (positive or ironic evaluation)
4. Cultural Coding and Stereotyping
Totemistic phraseology helps to transmit cultural values, social norms, and national character
traits. These codes may differ from culture to culture. Example:
Fox in English culture = cunning;
Fox in Japanese culture = wisdom, even sacred power (Kitsune).
Totemic phraseology continues to function as an effective mechanism of emotional
influence, identity construction, and cultural transmission. Modern branding, cinema, music,
and memes use totemic images not only as decorative elements but as deep
linguoculturological codes that shape the recipient’s perception of reality.
Thus, the study of totemistic phraseology at the intersection of linguistics, cultural
studies, and media analysis opens new perspectives for understanding modern
communication processes and their connection with cultural memory and mythological
consciousness.
Foydalanilgan adabiyotlar/Используемая литература/References:
1.
Barthes, R. (1957). Mythologies. Paris: Editions du Seuil.
2.
Frazer, J. G. (1910). Totemism and Exogamy. London: Macmillan.
3.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press.
4.
Lévi-Strauss, C. (1962). Totemism. Boston: Beacon Press.
5.
Nakhimova, E. V. (2013). Totemic symbols in phraseology and their linguocultural
significance. Philology and Culture, (32), 180-185.
6.
Zheltukhina, M. R. (2015). Phraseology as a linguocultural code of modern
communication. Journal of Language and Literature, 6(3), 168-172.
7.
https://sociology.iresearchnet.com/sociology-of-religion/totemism/
https://www.e3sconferences.org/articles/e3sconf/pdf/2021/60/e3sconf_tpacee2021_
