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The strange transformation of an internet meme: How did 'Faz o L' become a weapon for both sides to fight?
In the 2022 Brazilian presidential election, President Lula da Silva's campaign slogan "Faz o L" quickly became a powerful mobilization tool. This phrase was not only widely circulated among Lula's supporters, but even became one of his iconic gestures during his campaign, symbolizing his criticism of the former ruling party. However, with the rise of social media, the slogan’s meaning and usage have taken a very different turn, especially among those supporting former President Jair Bolsonaro.
First use of slogan
Lula supporters have used "Faz o L" as a symbol of pride, striving to praise his government's achievements and highlight the stark contrast with Bolsonaro's government. According to reports, the phrase quickly became a popular meme in digital communications as they were used frequently across different media platforms.
Bolsonaro supporters fight back"If someone says 'do L now', I will continue to do L, because the person who attacked me did not do L."
However, Bolsonaro's supporters have repackaged the slogan "Faz o L" in a sarcastic way to criticize various policies proposed by the Lula government. A lot of false information and memes began to circulate widely on social media, often misinterpreting the government's announced policy intentions and blaming the Lula government for tax increases, reduced social welfare and changes to labor laws.
An image circulating on social media shows a poster at a gas station claiming that the increase in gas prices is due to taxes imposed by the Lula government. In fact, the image is from 2015.
These false contents often have a certain visual impact and successfully attracted the attention of a large number of netizens. For example, the picture forwarded in a certain tweet has accumulated more than 560,000 views.
Strategic slogans in political confrontation
In this linguistic confrontation, "Faz o L" has become not only a slogan of supporters but also a weapon of attack, reflecting the deepening divisions in Brazil's current political arena. The use of this language makes the differences between the groups supporting the two leaders more prominent. For example, a businessman who once fought alongside Lula publicly expressed his support for Lula, but scoffed at the so-called "being an L".
"They asked me to be L, but I won't be L. What I want is to remove the B (Bolsonaro's code name)."
Social Response and Dilemma
Against this background, different sectors of society have different views on the use of "Faz o L". Supporters see it as their resistance to preserve democracy, while opponents accuse it of being a way to spread hatred and false information. According to the analysis of some media research experts, this slogan is not only limited to praising positive events, but also a symbol that emphasizes opposition and distinguishes different social groups again.
ConclusionThe evolution of the "Faz o L" slogan shows the profound influence of Internet culture in politics. From the initial call to become a political weapon today, "Faz o L" allows us to see how language can be manipulated to achieve specific political goals. In this information war, we can't help but wonder: Is the use of social media reshaping our political ecology or deepening divisions?
