FROM FEMA TO THE FEED: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF J. P. STERIJA’S FEMA AND THE INSTAGRAM INFLUENCER PHENOMENON

Apstrakt

This paper explores the phenomenon of contemporary Instagram influencers through a comparative analysis with a classic work of Serbian literature, Pokondirena tikva by Jovan Sterija Popović. The starting point is the sociological concept of the “spirit of the small town” (small town mindset) by Radomir Konstantinović (Filosofija palanke, 2020), which enables an understanding of the cultural and social patterns that connect the literary character Fema and today’s digital influencers. The research examines the similarities and differences in habitus, cultural capital, and performative identity between Fema as a paradigm of “empty pretentiousness” and influencers as self-proclaimed authorities in the contemporary media space. The study introduces the author’s original concepts of the “influencers of nothing” and the “culture of nothingness” to critically examine how digital self-presentation and symbolic performance shape contemporary notions of authenticity, visibility, and social legitimacy. The analysis is based on an interdisciplinary framework encompassing literary theory, theatre studies, media sociology, cultural studies, cultural policy, and arts management. Special emphasis is placed on the comparison between the institutional and extra-institutional dimensions of culture,  from the national theatre and canonical dramatic tradition to the algorithmic dynamics of social networks. The methodological framework of the paper is grounded in a comparative analysis and a qualitative approach, incorporating in-depth, structured interviews with experts. Interviews with Professors Ivan Pravdić and Ksenija Radulović provide an additional phenomenological dimension, highlighting how theatre and digital networks can be understood as spaces of social representation and identity formation. The results indicate continuity between the pursuit of social legitimacy and aesthetic prestige in Fema’s historical context and today’s influencer practices, opening up space for a deeper understanding of identity construction and cultural authority in the 21st century.