Rhetoric Society Quarterly Jul 2012

Apology asMetanoicPerformance: Punitive Rhetoric and Public Speech

Adam Ellwanger University of Houston - Downtown

Abstract

Scholars across the disciplines find much dysfunction in public apologies because they assume that these statements pursue the reconciliatory end of forgiveness. In contrast, this essay argues that public apologies do not enable forgiveness, but rather operate as ritualistic public punishment and humiliation in order to enforce certain ethical standards for public speech. These punishments are achieved by coercing offenders to offer apologies that embody metanoia, a rhetorical and religious concept that denotes a sudden change of heart or personal conversion. Through a rhetorical analysis of the performance of metanoia in public apologies from Don Imus, Michael Richards, and Mel Gibson, this essay demonstrates the punitive function of apologetic discourse and examines its ethical implications.

Journal
Rhetoric Society Quarterly
Published
2012-07-01
DOI
10.1080/02773945.2012.704118
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Topics
rhetorical criticism discourse analysis
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

  1. Hoff-Clausen (2013)
    Attributing Rhetorical Agency in a Crisis of Trust:Danske Bank's Act of Public …
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  2. Burgess (2013)
    Obscene Demands
    Philosophy & Rhetoric
  3. Stoneman (2013)
    The Available Means of Preservation: Aristotelian Rhetoric, Ostracism, and Poli…
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly

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CrossRef global citation count: 12 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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