title: Postmodern Personality Cults: A Comparative Analysis of Visual Leader Representations in Russia and the US
abstract: &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This study examines the nature of personality cults in a postmodern context where the internet, smartphones and social media have changed communication methods and the broader socio-political environment. The existing literature on personality cults focus on elite interactions and propaganda which overlooks both the significant bottom-up cult contributions on social media, as well as how contemporary cult leaders’ self-portrayals differ in from those of their predecessors.