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Crime Control as Mediated Spectacle: The Institutionalization of Gonzo Rhetoric in Modern Media and Politics
Author(s) -
Maratea R. J.,
Monahan Brian A.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
symbolic interaction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.874
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1533-8665
pISSN - 0195-6086
DOI - 10.1002/symb.59
Subject(s) - rhetoric , punitive damages , institutionalisation , punishment (psychology) , politics , spectacle , social control , crime control , rhetorical question , sanctions , sociology , criminology , appeal , cultural criminology , political science , social science , criminal justice , law , social psychology , psychology , art , philosophy , linguistics , literature
This study examines contemporary crime and punishment discourse in mass media to better understand the institutionalization of hyper‐punitive sanctions as acceptable forms of social control. Our principal focus is on gonzo rhetoric, or the discourse and symbolism used to promote and justify exaggerated acts of punishment. Using a content analysis of 136 broadcast transcripts, we examine the rhetorical techniques employed by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, of Maricopa County, Arizona, in order to show how this brand of “crime talk” has become a central component of modern crime control culture. We suggest that the appeal of gonzo rhetoric is rooted in longstanding cultural assumptions about crime and disorder.

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