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Arts & Communication

ARTICLE
Everything you always wanted to know about

Bakhtin (but were afraid to ask Groys): Pop
culture and the persistence of hieratic senses

Ariel Gómez Ponce*

Center for Research and Studies on Culture and Society (CIECS), CONICET, National University of
Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina

Abstract

This article examines the intersection of Boris Groys’ and Mikhail Bakhtin’s cultural
theories, with the aim of elucidating how the concept of carnivalization informs Groys’
thought. It argues that engaging in a dialog between these two thinkers provides a
framework for understanding pop culture as a significant place where market forces,
consumer society, and mass media interact in complex ways, challenging traditional
theoretical perspectives. The article reaches such an interpretation, suggesting that
Bakhtin proposes a secularized view of popular culture, where meaning-making
retains traces of religious significance. This hieratic dimension, marked by the
persistence of fetishistic and cult practices, is also observed by Groys in his analysis
of contemporary media culture, which is imbued with ritualistic and cultic imagery.
*Corresponding author: Through documentary analysis and critical interpretation, the article contends that
Ariel Gómez Ponce
(arielgomezponce@unc.edu.ar) the ecstatic dissolution of individuality and the enduring sacredness of icons are key
features of current pop culture, where a strong semiotic dynamic drives the continual
Citation: Ponce AG. Everything
you always wanted to know mutation and transformation of signs. The conclusions highlight the importance of
about Bakhtin (but were afraid to Bakhtin’s influence on Groys’ thought and his concept of carnivalization, proposing
ask Groys): Pop culture and the further research into its implications for the study of pop culture.
persistence of hieratic senses. Arts
& Communication. 2025;3(1):3978.
doi: 10.36922/ac.3978
Keywords: Pop culture; Boris Groys; Mikhail Bakhtin; Iconicity
Received: June 19, 2024
Revised: August 27, 2024
Accepted: August 30, 2024 1. Introduction
Published online: September 27,
2024 This article seeks to examine the intersection between Boris Groys’ ideas and the cultural
theory originally developed by Mikhail Bakhtin, the Russian philosopher renowned for
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). his anthropological philosophy and pioneering research on carnival and popular culture
This is an Open-Access article
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distributed under the terms during the historical transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. It is undeniable
of the Creative Commons that many of Bakhtin’s concepts remain foundational to cultural studies, particularly the
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AttributionNoncommercial License, theories that emphasize the importance of analyzing popular forms. Such an assertion
permitting all non-commercial use,
distribution, and reproduction in any is substantiated by the numerous scholars who have creatively reinterpreted Bakhtin’s
medium, provided the original work premises on carnival and artistic forms, such as the genre of the novel. Nevertheless,
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is properly cited. for many scholars, Bakhtin’s theory provides a fertile framework for describing periods
Publisher’s Note: AccScience of historical transition through culture and its struggles over meaning. This is evident
Publishing remains neutral with in the works of notable cultural theorists such as Juri Lotman’s concept of “explosion,”
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regard to jurisdictional claims in
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published maps and institutional Fredric Jameson’s theorization of the modern novel, and Stuart Hall’s interpretation of
affiliations. decolonial transgressions. 6
Volume 3 Issue 1 (2025) 1 doi: 10.36922/ac.3978