On the Satirical Counter-Discourse of Processed Cheese

The article examines the discourse of the satirical radio programme Plavlenyi syrok (Processed Cheese) written by Viktor Shenderovich and broadcast on the Ekho Moskvy radio station in 2007. The argument is based on a theoretical framework incorporating Pierre Bourdieu’s social theory of language, Richard Terdiman concept of counter-discourse and Paul Simpson’s discursive approach to satire. Supported by the analysis of a corpus comprising five months of transcripts of the programme, the article argues that Shenderovich uses the two stage model of satire in order to construct alternative meanings, which counteract the dominant knowledge frames produced and perpetuated in contemporary public discourse. The article explores the various patterns of satirical construction and linguistics devices employed in the counter-discourse.