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<p>Social media platforms like YouTube have become arenas for unrestrained public critique of political figures, often expressed through metaphorical insults that blend cultural resonance with moral condemnation. This study analyzes 227,168 YouTube comments related to the 2024 Indonesian presidential election, examining how anonymous users employ metaphors such as <i>kacang lupa kulitnya</i> (‘peanut forgets its shell’) and <i>anak haram konstitusi</i> (‘an illegitimate child of the constitution’) to scandalize perceived betrayals by President Jokowi and his son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Drawing on metaphor theory and the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) framework, the analysis demonstrates how these expressions go beyond mere venting, embedding complex emotions and culturally grounded scripts of reciprocity, legitimacy, and fairness within vivid, economical imagery. Far from being rhetorical flourishes, these metaphorical insults align personal grievances with collective moral values, intensifying political discourse in a digitally contested, non-Western context. The metaphorical accusations and insults did not go unchallenged; some were even cleverly reappropriated as counterattacks. The study offers new insights into how metaphorical language, driven by citizen voices, shapes the public understanding of political scandals and reflects changing societal norms in Indonesia’s democratic context.</p>

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The Betrayal of a Peanut: Moral Condemnation in Metaphorical Insults

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月2日

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  • Ikbal Maulana

摘要

Social media platforms like YouTube have become arenas for unrestrained public critique of political figures, often expressed through metaphorical insults that blend cultural resonance with moral condemnation. This study analyzes 227,168 YouTube comments related to the 2024 Indonesian presidential election, examining how anonymous users employ metaphors such as kacang lupa kulitnya (‘peanut forgets its shell’) and anak haram konstitusi (‘an illegitimate child of the constitution’) to scandalize perceived betrayals by President Jokowi and his son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Drawing on metaphor theory and the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) framework, the analysis demonstrates how these expressions go beyond mere venting, embedding complex emotions and culturally grounded scripts of reciprocity, legitimacy, and fairness within vivid, economical imagery. Far from being rhetorical flourishes, these metaphorical insults align personal grievances with collective moral values, intensifying political discourse in a digitally contested, non-Western context. The metaphorical accusations and insults did not go unchallenged; some were even cleverly reappropriated as counterattacks. The study offers new insights into how metaphorical language, driven by citizen voices, shapes the public understanding of political scandals and reflects changing societal norms in Indonesia’s democratic context.