Popular Culture and Embodied Politics: A Rhetorical Analysis

Tim Aistrope's 2019 article "Popular Culture, the Body and World Politics" suggests that the application of intertextuality to examine international relations should also address the materiality of political speeches and popular culture. Thus, with the help of ethos, logos, pathos, academic format, and explicit examples, Aistrope persuades IR scholars and academics to consider the necessity of a new conceptual framework to explain the role of the body in intertextual meaning-making. This essay will discuss how Aistrope used rhetoric to attain his objectives and what he sought to do in the piece. It will also explain how his balanced approach and writing style have made the debate persuasive.

Aistrope establishes his credibility (ethos) as a scholar in the field, situating his argument within existing international relations (IR) literature on intertextuality. First, he observes that although numerous IR scholars have explored how popular culture relates not only to the representation of world politics but also to the embodiment of this reality, most of them have limited their research to the textual level. The author also uses logos (appeals to logic) to find his argument step-by-step. First, he presents patterns of intertextuality in IR, followed by theoretical interventions on the body in world politics. This makes it possible for him to establish the existing gap between these two areas of study. This is where Aistrope offers an approach to closing the gap by returning to Julia Kristeva's works and integrating her earlier intertextuality works into her later studies on language and body. Through this careful reasoning, Aistrope convincingly argues the need to develop "an account of intertextuality that takes the embodied dimensions of popular culture and political discourse seriously" (Aistrope 1).

To illustrate his conceptual points, Aistrope utilizes pathos (emotional appeals) through evocative examples. He begins the article with a fascinating true story that philosopher Martha Nussbaum shared about what she witnessed as a 'post-9/11 baseball game' in which patriotic slogans became ominous. This easily memorable scene assists readers in understanding how the body is involved in intertextual semiotics. Subsequently, Aistrope delves into how 'sport and war were intertwined' post 9/11, which is how "jets scream off aircraft carriers towards football stadium flyovers" (Aistrope 3). Such visceral imagery underscores the physical aspects of the conflict between sport and war.

The author's rhetorical choices reflect an academic style appropriate for the intended audience of IR scholars. He uses more specific jargon associated with the field and participates in significant discourses and authorship. However, for the audience not so well-versed in the debates, Aistrope's language is plain and clear, with clear examples to support his claims. This, in turn, enables him to post a large readership of people interested in the connection between global politics and pop culture. Thus, it is possible to conclude that Aistrope's article can be regarded as quite successful in introducing the options of a new perspective on intertextuality with the help of embodied experience. His approach is logical, based on the previous literature, yet simultaneously takes the reader to new ideas. As such, readers will likely be persuaded to ensure that the body is returned to the "heart of intertextuality" in IR scholarship (Aistrope 10). The vivid examples effectively illustrate abstract points about discourse and embodiment.

In making his case, Aistrope relies most heavily on logos, carefully reasoning through theoretical perspectives to arrive at his proposed framework. However, he skillfully integrates ethos and pathos as well. Establishing his expertise early on lends credibility to his intervention in the field. The evocative examples activate readers' embodied memories, underscoring the article's key arguments. This balanced approach strengthens the overall rhetorical effectiveness of the piece. Through a systematic yet accessible argument enriched by vivid illustrations, Aistrope's article makes a compelling case for incorporating embodied experience into analyses of intertextuality in international relations. His proposed framework offers a promising new direction for scholars examining the intricate relationships between global politics, rhetoric, and popular culture.