Fall 2023 Populism & Religion Seminar 1
Political Performance: How Donald Trump Uses Professional Wrestling Strategies to Construct Loyalty, by Shannon Bow O'Brien
On Thursday, 7 September, 2023 (16:15–18:00) on Zoom, we will host the first of three seminars in the Populism and Religion Seminar Series, autumn 2023.
Dr. Shannon Bow O'Brien, Associate Professor of Instruction at University of Texas, Austin, will give a presentation titled "Political Performance: How Donald Trump Uses Professional Wrestling Strategies to Construct Loyalty."
Donald Trump uses professional wrestling tactics as political techniques and deploys them into a world largely unfamiliar with wrestling norms. He encourages loyalty by utilizing theatrical tactics commonplace in this medium. While many people dismiss unconventional political activity, some political actors (past and present) use them effectively. Entertainment media have a significant impact on average citizens to help cultivate opinions and attitudes.
This talk focuses on the tools Donald Trump uses, how they were developed, and their influence. What can we learn from these tactics? How can spectacles persuade people? Are bread and circuses more salient than policy?
Shannon Bow O’Brien is an Associate Professor of Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in American Politics, focusing on the American Presidency and Political Development. She has published two books, Why Presidential Speech Locations Matter: Analyzing Speechmaking from Truman to Obama (2018) and Donald Trump and the Kayfabe Presidency: Professional Wrestling Rhetoric in the White House (2020). She received her doctorate in Political Science from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.
Zoom: https://lu-se.zoom.us/j/62645329724
Meeting ID: 626 4532 9724
16h15–18h00, Swedish time [CEST]