Return to search

Radio Rhetor: The Rhetorical Practices of Mary Margaret McBride

This project presents an analysis of the rhetorical practices of famed radio host Mary Margaret McBride as examined through a selection of her recorded radio broadcasts and written works. Following the tradition of feminist rhetorical histories, this work seeks to expand the canon of rhetors studied to include an overlooked but significant female rhetor and the understudied medium of radio. In this thesis, I pose the questions: 1) What rhetorical practices characterize Mary Margaret McBride’s performances of sonic rhetoric? 2) How do these practices and her medium of radio intersect? 3) How did McBride’s practices align with or diverge from her gendered identities, especially in regards to private and public boundaries? Through this project, I characterize McBride’s rhetorical practices as: (1) a conversational style and direct address; (2) indirect questions with digression and self-deprecation; (3) memory and anecdote; and (4) vivid description and emotive language. From this analysis, I posit that McBride’s practices show her awareness of radio’s position between public and private spheres, allow her to connect with her audiences, challenge the public and private binary, and foster new norms for feminine discourse. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts. / Spring Semester 2017. / April 24, 2017. / feminist rhetorical history, Mary Margaret McBride, radio / Includes bibliographical references. / Kristie Fleckenstein, Professor Directing Thesis; Kathleen Yancey, Committee Member; Tarez Graban, Committee Member.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_552119
ContributorsRea, Elizabeth Ashley (authoraut), Fleckenstein, Kristie S. (professor directing thesis), Yancey, Kathleen Blake, 1950- (committee member), Graban, Tarez Samra (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of English (degree granting departmentdgg)
PublisherFlorida State University
Source SetsFlorida State University
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, text, master thesis
Format1 online resource (180 pages), computer, application/pdf

Page generated in 0.002 seconds