Observing and analyzing how mass media portrays and explains climate change and environmental racism in the U.S.

Performance-as- method

Erving Goffman defines performance as “all the activity of a given participant on a given occasion which serves to influence in any way any of the other participants.” When giving a public speech a person is giving a performance, although it may not be scripted, like in a film or play it may still be rehearsed as such by the person giving the speech. When the person is preparing for the speech, they also take on a role simply by deciding what to wear, how to speak, the attitude they’ll have when presenting, and how or what evidence to use (Palczewski et al. 135). “Communication scholar B.L. Ware and Wil A Linkugel clarify that a ‘ persona does not refer to the personality’ of the actor as a person, but to the ‘characteristics assumed by the actor when [she or] her dons the mask’ (Palczewski et al. 135). The speaker does not create a persona from a new idea, the persona can be given to them based on what the accepted norm of the determined persona may be by the audience.

An important performance regarding the issue of climate change was given when Greta Thunberg a 16-year-old girl, student and climate activist gave a speech at the 2019 United Nations climate action summit. Her speech was given in front of multiple world leaders in the UN, she addressed them without hesitation and provided facts as to why the beliefs she was presenting in her speech are critical. She emphasized what the common norm of her role as a 16-year-old girl in school should be in society, and how her being there at that summit was an extreme problem in of itself. Thunberg mentions other children who are not as fortunate as her and may have a much closer proximity to current climate change issues. Greta emphasizes that the information she is learning about climate change and the effects humans have on it, is “crystal clear” information that had been around for thirty plus years and that for them to have ignored it all this time is despicable. She continues her speech performance by calling out world leaders for being “immature” and calls on them to act, because herself and future generations are more aware and will not stop until changes are made to better the environment before it is too late (Guardian, 19).

Judith Butler’s theory of performativity can be utilized as a theoretical lens when analyzing this communication performance event, specifically performative contradictions. Which is explained as being “tactically performed to publicly destabilized pretenses of universality by highlighting it’s spatial and temporal dimensions” (Young, 16). The parts of the speech performance by Greta Thunberg, that is a performative contradiction its self is the fact that she was a child in a professional space, giving a speech to world leaders about an issue she is ultimately pleading for them to care about, when in the reality of social norms she should be “across the ocean in school” not having to worry about calling out world leaders to do the right things (Guardian,19). This theory is appropriate to use because in her speech she emphasizes the roles they each play and calls out the world leaders for not acting like the responsible adults’ children are made to believe they are. Her speech was very powerful because the performance she gave while presenting it and for the fact that she is a young student taking time away from being simply that, to address such large world issues adds to the urgency and seriousness of her speech.

Work Cited

Lewis, William W. and Tulk, Niki (2016) "Editorial: Why Performance as Research?," PARtake:

The Journal of Performance as Research: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 1. Available at:

http://scholar.colorado.edu/partake/vol1/iss1/1

News, Guardian. “Greta Thunberg to world leaders: 'How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood'.” YouTube, Guardian News, 23 Sep. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMrtLsQbaok

Palczewski, Catherine H, Richard Ice, and John Fritch. Rhetoric in Civic Life. State College, Pa: Strata Pub, 2012. Print.

Young, Stephen. “Judith Butler: Performativity.” Critical Legal Thinking, 13 Nov. 2016, criticallegalthinking.com/2016/11/14/judith-butlers-performativity/.

Narrative Inquiry

Examining how narratives regarding fashion designer Dapper Dan have changed over the years in American pop culture.

Ideological Criticism

According to author of Ideographic Criticism Ronald Lee ideology is “any system of ideas … directing political and social action” and according to Karl Marx, ideology emerges out of a society’s mode of production”, that mode of production is capitalism (Cole 19). The persuasive message I am assessing is an Exxon Mobile commercial for their once new Supreme+ fuel. The theoretical lens I feel is appropriate to apply to this persuasive message is Karl Marx’s base and superstructure theory Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D. writer of Theories of Ideology explains that “according to Marx, the superstructure of society, the realm of ideology, grows out of the base, the realm of production, to reflect the interest of the ruling class and justify the status quo that keeps them in power.”

In this commercial by Exxon Mobil a man named Mr. Supremium is advertising Exxon Mobil’s new fuel, which he claims is the most supreme and premium for your engine and will keep it the cleanest. He then goes on to explain that Exxon Mobil chose him to be their spokesperson for their new Supreme+ fuel because he is Mr. Supremium and everything of his is supermium, like his phone that “hasn’t been invented yet”, his luxurious clothing and the fact the he doesn’t go to the beach the beach is always with him. The commercial does seem silly at first but when paying closer attention to what ideologies along with the product itself (fuel) are being sold to its viewers, it is easy to see that in order to be premium or supreme like Exxon Mobil and their spokesperson are suggesting you be, you must purchase and own certain things that allow you to reach that level of supremium. By doing so Exxon Mobil is doing exactly what Marx explained, “reflecting the interests of the dominant ruling class”; those who benefit most from an increase in Exxon Mobil sales like shareholders and also justifies “the status quo that keeps those same people in power” buy linking their ideology of what it means to be a premium person, supreme being or a combination of both to purchasing their Supreme+ fuel (Cole 19).

Works Cited

Exxon Mobil. “Exxon Mobil Supreme+ TV Commercial, 'Spokesperson'.” iSpot.tv, 2019, https://www.ispot.tv/ad/oDGg/exxon-mobil-supreme-spokesperson#.

Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D. Theories of Ideology. 3 July 2019. 11 July 2020.

Lee, Ronald. "Ideographic Criticism." Lee, Ronald. The Art of Rhetorical Criticism . Boston : Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2005. 285-319.