Abstract

“Bio warfare” describes a digital rhetorical tactic used by teen climate activist Greta Thunberg to challenge oppressive anger norms and assert a feminist paradigm that sees sometimes-angry teen girl activists as credible, rational rhetors. On the surface, the rhetorical strategy is simple: Thunberg copy/pastes world leaders’ disparaging language into her 160-character Twitter bio. Yet, in these seemingly simple Twitter bio updates, Thunberg recontextualizes conservative leaders’ language into her own Twitter profile, inverting their meaning to assert an opposing ideology: that teen girls’ anger can be wise.

Journal
Rhetoric Review
Published
2023-04-03
DOI
10.1080/07350198.2023.2210796
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
Export

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

References (46) · 1 in this index

  1. @gretathunberg (Greta Thunberg). “I am indeed ‘deeply disturbed’ about the fact that these hate and conspirac…
  2. @gretathunberg (Greta Thunberg). “Indigenous people are literally being murdered for trying to protect the fo…
  3. @gretathunberg (Greta Thunberg). “When haters go after your looks and differences, it means they have nowhere…
  4. @gueschneid (Guenther Schneider). “For every hater, there are thousands of people who respect and love what y…
  5. “Autism Spectrum Condition.” Psychiatry UK, 4 Oct. 2021. Web. Accessed 15 Mar. 2022.
Show all 46 →
  1. Aristotle. Rhetoric. Translated by W. Rhys Roberts, The Internet Classics Archive | Rhetoric by Aristotle, 20…
  2. Social Learning Theory
  3. Oxford English Dictionary
  4. Blinken, Antony. “A Foreign Policy for the American People - United States Department of State.” U.S. Departm…
  5. Borenstein, Seth. “‘How Dare You’: Teen Nobel Prize Nominee Chides World Leaders on Lack of Action on Climate…
  6. Encyclopedia of Student and Youth Movements
  7. Casciani, Dominic. “What Is the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill and How Will It Change Protests?” B…
  8. 10.1093/oso/9780197557341.001.0001
  9. Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower
  10. Circulation, Writing, and Rhetoric
  11. 10.1177/2057047318794964
  12. Rhetoric Review
  13. Our House Is on Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis
  14. Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference
  15. Aristotle on Emotion: A Contribution to Philosophical Psychology, Rhetoric, Poetics, Poli…
  16. Gouvea, Jose Geraldo. “Why Has Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Called Greta Thunberg a Pirralha.” Quora, 1…
  17. Lost Connections: Why You’re Depressed and How To Find Hope
  18. Hertsgaard, Mark. “‘How Dare You!’ Greta Thunberg Rebukes World Leaders.” The Nation, 23 Sept. 2019. Web.
  19. Hirsh, Sophie. “Greta Thunberg Has Perfect Response to Brazilian President Calling Her a ‘Pirralha.’” Green M…
  20. Killing Rage
  21. I Am Greta. Directed by Nathan Grossman. Hulu, 13 Nov. 2020.
  22. Irfan, Umair. “‘You Have Stolen My Dreams’: Greta Thunberg Rages at World Leaders at UN Climate Summit.” Vox,…
  23. 10.1080/00201748908602185
  24. Gender Mosaic: Beyond The Myth Of The Male And Female Brain
  25. 10.5325/j.ctv14gp859
  26. Women and Language
  27. Morin, Amanda. “What Is Neurodiversity?” Understood. 15 Oct. 2021. Accessed 1 Dec. 2021. Web.
  28. Twitter
  29. NPR Staff. “Transcript: Greta Thunberg’s Speech at the U.N. Climate Action Summit.” NPR Staff, 23 Sept. 2019. Web.
  30. Phillips, Tom. “Greta Thunberg Labelled a ‘Brat’ by Brazil’s Far-Right Leader Jair Bolsonaro.” The Guardian, …
  31. Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leah Lakshmi. “As an Autistic Femme, I Love Greta Thunberg’s ‘Resting Autism Face.’” Tru…
  32. “Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.” Parliamentary Bills, UK Parliament. Web.
  33. Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong And The New Research That’s Rewriting The Story
  34. Pain Generation: Social Media, Feminist Activism, and the Neoliberal Selfie
  35. Silberman, Steve. “Greta Thunberg Became a Climate Activist Not in Spite of Her Autism, but Because of It.” V…
  36. Shwartz, Mark. “Biological Warfare: An Emerging Threat In The 21st Century.” Stanford News Service, 1 Nov. 20…
  37. Militant Citizenship: Rhetorical Strategies of the National Woman’s Party, 1913-1920
  38. Rebel Girls: Youth Activism and Social Change Across the Americas
  39. Tait, Amelia. “Greta Thunberg: How One Teenager Became the Voice of the Planet.” Wired UK, 6 June 2019. Web.
  40. Trends Desk. “Greta Thunberg Changes Twitter Bio to Troll Bolsonaro for Calling Her a ‘Brat.’” The Indian Exp…
  41. Woodward, Aylin. “Greta Thunberg’s Twitter Bio Is Trolling Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Who Called Her…