WEEKDAYS AND HOLIDAYS OF OFFICE PLANKTON, OR THE CULT OF FRIDAY AS A FACT OF MODERN (MEDIA) CULTURE

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34680/EISCRT-2025-2(11)-212-240

Keywords:

semiotics of everyday life, culture, holiday, mediatization, literature, speech genre, precedent, labor, cult of Friday

Abstract

The article offers an interpretation of the new cultural practice of celebrating the end of the working week with mass real and media actions. Their mass character allows us to talk about the formation of the cult of Friday. Attention is drawn to the youth of this practice, and it is emphasized that its social base is office workers, or "office plankton." From the standpoint of the semiotics of everyday life, the cult of Friday is interpreted as an element of festive traditions that are actively supported by modern media folklore – literature, which consists of crealized texts posted mainly on the Internet, but also in urban environments, the interiors of drinking establishments, etc. Marked by belonging to a modern laughing culture, this literature is analyzed in aspects of genre composition and precedent. Special attention is paid to the fact that the cult of Friday in question turns out to be opposed to the Soviet cult of labor with its glorification and glorification.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Tatyana Shmeleva, Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University, Veliky Novgorod, Russia

Doctor of Philological Sciences, Full Professor, Professor of the Department of Journalism
e-mail: szmiel@mail.ru

 

References

Anekdotov.net: website (2021, December 21). Available at: https://anekdotov.net/anekdot/all/nkztpstnnvsnrdn.htm (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

Bakhtin, M. M. (2021). The works of François Rabelais and the popular culture of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Moscow: ABC Publ. (In Russian).

Brovin, V. (2019). The second and third reasons to celebrate Friday night. Disgusting Men: website. Available at: https://disgustingmen.com/history/friday-culture (accessed: 14.12.2024). (In Russian).

Dal, V. I. (1990). Explanatory dictionary of the living Great Russian language: in 4 volumes. Vol. 3: P. Facsimile edition. Moscow: Russian language Publ. (In Russian).

Doronina, M. A. (2024). Deafult, Seizure, and the Ordnung Principle in Russian Art at the Beginning of the 21st Century. Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art, 14, 572-580. https://doi.org/10.18688/aa2414-7-46 (In Russian).

Dunaevsky, I., & D'aktil, A. (n.d.). March of enthusiasts. Kino-teatr.ru: website. Available at: https://www.kino-teatr.ru/kino/movie/sov/6247/song (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

Dzyaloshinsky, I. M. (2019). Media carnival in the era of media. Medi@manakh, 3 (92), 18-28. https://doi.org/10.30547/mediaalmanah.3.2019.1828 (In Russian).

InPearls.ru: website (2014). Available at: https://www.inpearls.ru/613452 (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

Jokes: website (n.d.). Available at: https://vk.com/public143321909?w=club143321909 (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

Kokorkina, I. (2024). Novgorod scientist talks about Friday cult among office workers. Novgorod Vedomosti. Available at: https://novvedomosti.ru/news/society/102831/?ysclid=m8odxmg1rt424850526 (accessed: 14.02.2025). (In Russian).

Korchmar, E. (2006). It will definitely be Friday! Poems.ru: the website. Available at: https://stihi.ru/2006/11/21-3288 (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

Korland Karlovich (n.d.). What are the causes of the Friday cult? Bolshoyvopros.ru: website. Available at: https://www.bolshoyvopros.ru/questions/266036-kakovy-prichiny-kulta-pjatnicy.html (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

Kudishina, E. (2014). Themed Fridays, or Declaring War on Office Routine. Executive.ru. Available at: https://www.e-xecutive.ru/career/hr-management/1936477-tematicheskie-pyatnitsy-ili-obyavlyaem-voinu-ofisnoi-rutine (accessed: 14.02.2025). (In Russian).

Lixachev, D. S., Panchenko, A. M., & Ponyrko, N. V. (1984). Laughter in Ancient Rus. Leningrad: Science. (In Russian).

Lolita (n.d.). Bolshoyvopros.ru: website. Available at: https://www.bolshoyvopros.ru/questions/266036-kakovy-prichiny-kulta-pjatnicy.html (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

Milovidov, V. A. (2018). Semiotics of everyday life. Humanitarian aspects of everyday life: problems and prospects in the 21st century: a collection of scientific papers (pp. 28-34). Voronezh: Nauka-Unipress. Available at: https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=32632018 (accessed: 12.02.2025). (In Russian).

Nalbandian, L. (2007, April 19). Office plankton. Trud, 39. Available at: https://www.trud.ru/article/25-04-2025/1705851_kalendar_25_aprelja.html (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

NovGU told about the Internet folklore about the "cult of Friday" (2024). Dzen.ru. Available at: https://dzen.ru/a/Z21LoUhysBYuwVfw (accessed: 14.12.2024) (In Russian).

Pipikslav (n.d.). You'll be busy on Friday until what time. VKontakte: website. Available at: https://vk.com/audio-2001381416_116381416 (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

Povarenok.ru: website (2015). Available at: https://www.povarenok.ru/blog/show/43634 (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

Shedevrum.ai: website (2025, January 17). Available at: https://shedevrum.ai/post/ead3924bb4dc11eebdb44225b8a7f943/ (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

Shmeleva, T. V. (1997). Model of speech genre. Genres of speech: a collection of scientific articles (pp. 88-99). Saratov: Saratov State University named after N. G. Chernyshevsky Publ. (In Russian).

Shmeleva, T. V. (2000). Holiday in Polish and Russianian. The image of neighbors. Poles in the eyes of Russians-Russians in the eyes of Poles = poles through the eyes of Russians-Russians through the eyes of Poles: a collection of studies (pp. 29-48). Warsaw: Slavisticzny Centrum Wydawniczy. (In Russian).

Shmeleva, T. V. (2023). Cool signage in a modern Russian city. Communication research, 3 (10), 542-557. https://doi.org/10.24147/2413-6182.2023.10(3).542-557/ (In Russian).

Shutkijumora.ru: website (2017). Available at: https://shutkijumora.ru/aforizmy-pro-pyatnicu (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

Shvedova, N. Y., Kurkina, L. V., & Krysin, L. P. (2008). Explanatory dictionary with information about the origin of words: 82,000 words and phraseological expressions. Moscow: Azbukovnik Publ. (In Russian).

Sokolov, A. K. (2000). Soviet policy in the field of motivation and stimulation of labor (1917 — mid-1930s). Economic history. Review, 4, 39-80.

Stalin, I. V. (1949). Political report of the Central Committee to the XVI Congress of the CPSU(b). In The complete works. Volume 12. Moscow: State Publishing House of Political Literature.

The Cult of Friday - Why We All Wait for It More Than the Weekend (2024). Stem: stories, movies, seals: website. Available at: https://stebel.ru/lifestyle/kult-pyatnicy-pochemu-my-vse-jdem-ee-bolshe-vyhodnyh-id80952-39-31104/ (accessed: 14.02.2025). (In Russian).

The cult of Friday: A symbol of the end of the working week and the beginning of rest (2024). VKontakte: a website. Available at: https://vk.com/wall-143321909_502325 (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

V_akula (n.d.). How long has the Cult of Friday been around? What is the reason for Honoring Friday? Otvet.mail.ru: website. Available at: https://otvet.mail.ru/question/57508738 (accessed: 02.12.2025). (In Russian).

Published

2025-06-26

How to Cite

Shmeleva, T. (2025). WEEKDAYS AND HOLIDAYS OF OFFICE PLANKTON, OR THE CULT OF FRIDAY AS A FACT OF MODERN (MEDIA) CULTURE. Experience Industries. Socio-Cultural Research Technologies, 2 (11), 2025, 212–240. https://doi.org/10.34680/EISCRT-2025-2(11)-212-240