LARP: A POLITICAL SLANG?

AN ESSAY ON THE EMERGENCEOF THE USE OF THE TERM

Abstract

This essay starts from the concern about the emergence of the term larp in media coverage of political phenomena, present above all in alternative journalism vehicles. The term – which comes from the acronym for live action role-play – refers to a playful practice, present in various parts of the world for at least 50 years. However, its arrival in the political context does not carry an explicit meaning, so the objective is to survey the meanings used, in order to systematize and discuss them. As a finding, there is a pejorative use of the term, so the essay ends by proposing other meanings that are linked to the term larp and that could be appropriated by political discussion.