11. Constructing ‘the activists’ identity: The Yes Men, Ideology, and Culture Jamming

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Abstract

Utilizing McGee’s (1975) construction of ‘the people’, The Yes Men is analyzed for its rhetorical (co)construction of ‘the activists’ collective identity. This essay bridges ideological identity construction and culture jamming, arguing that this rhetoric challenges complacency, corporate misconduct, and resistance that inadvertently reinforces oppression. This analysis is also framed by the group’s contextualization of their ideology with the larger frame of civil disobedience, concluding with a discussion of resistance to adaptation of ‘the activists’ identity.

Author

• Sarah Jones, Univ of Nebraska, Lincoln