French and Feminine: Hegemonic Masculinity and

the Emasculation of John Kerry in the 2004 Presidential

Race

Written by Anna Cornelia FaheyCMC 200

26 March 2013George M. Bush

aka Courtney Banker

Huntin’ Shite

Anna Cornelia FaheyThat dog don’t hunt neitherCrunchy north-westerner (Seattle) MA in political communication

from University of Washington, SeattleWorks for a company whose motto is ‘News & Views for a Sustainable Northwest’ http://daily.sightline.org/author/anna-fahey/

John KerryDemocratSenator from Massachusetts Yale University ‘66Boston College Law SchoolLearned French Vietnam War Vet

Vietnam Veterans Against the War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kerry#Personal_life_and_background

George W. BushRepublicanYale University ‘68Harvard School of BusinessGovernor of TexasLed the War on TerrorGreat American Man

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush

The Big FiveTopic: hegemonic masculinityFocus: political campaignsMethod(s): textual analysis and discourse analysisTarget of Analysis: “a short video produced by the Republican National Committee for the national convention and an advertising campaign issued by the National Rifle Association in support of conservative candidates, including George W. Bush” (Fahey 2007, 133)Goals: Uncover the “coded discourse that permeates political communications in the United States and…indicate the ways in which strategic political messages are often echoed to a significant degree in media commentary” (Fahey 2007, 133)

What is manly in America?

“Specifically, while gender and power relationships are constantly in flux and vary across time and space, Trujillo (1991) suggests that scholars of gender ideology have identified five key features or characteristics of hegemonic masculinity observed in American culture: physical force and control, occupational achievement, familial patriarchy, frontiersmanship, and heterosexuality” (Fahey 2007, 134).

What is French?Robin Williams http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc78yPv_ztM

Frenchified Johnny Boy

“Put simply, this Frenchification of Kerry helped both to preserve established hierarchies of power based on gender and to maintain politics in this country and in the world as a patriarchal system. It also feminized and thereby devalued dissent in times of war” (Fahey 2007, 133).“Ultimately, Kerry was characterized as France’s lapdog; indeed, he was presented as a French poodle” (Fahey 2007, 133). “Kerry became a bitch that does not hunt” (Fahey 2007, 144).

Thank You Fox News

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U86WBGc5VHU

How did we screw Kerry over?

Thank You NRA

We made Kerry un-American!

Why French?Why is this type of campaigning dangerous?

Politics are political, but not because of the policies

What does this mean for females in America?Hilary Clinton vs. Sarah Palin

Has masculinity changed since 2004?Obama vs. Romney