'Show me your phone!': affect, neoliberal rationality and nationalism in Türkiye's street interviews

Abstract

As a recent cultural phenomenon, street interviews (vox pops, sokak r & ouml;portajlar & imath;) in T & uuml;rkiye have challenged the country's captured media ecology and its neoliberal authoritarian establishment. Produced by journalists and circulated through social media, these interviews invite citizens to reflect on pressing national problems but soon become sites of intense political debate. In their discussions with dissidents in these interviews, pro-government citizens frequently say 'show me your phone' in the middle of the discussion to deflect political criticism. With this statement, pro-government citizens produce affective encounters, mobilize neoliberal rationality and circulate a nationalist politics of thankfulness. Probing the political work of 'show me your phone', we make a call for theorizing global neoliberal populisms beyond populist strongmen's official talks and through ordinary citizens' affective and networked performances around everyday objects.