"You Dribble Faster Than Messi and Jump Higher Than Jordan": The Art of Complimenting and Praising in Political Discourse

• In Event: Political Discourse: Praising, Blaming, Responding, and Categorizing

Abstract

Communicating admiration and appreciation in public discourse are two important tasks for political actors who wish to secure relationships and advance models for civic behavior. On the basis of 241 utterances praising and complimenting others’ words and deeds, we identify the topics, patterns, and functions of these speech acts and the processes and struggles they evoke in the Israeli public discourse. We conclude by discussing the role of positive evaluations in demarcating the boundaries of proper conduct in political communities and the ways the distinctive logic of politics is integrated with specific cultural speaking styles in influencing how members of the Israeli political community signal their appreciation and affect for other members’ skills, performances, and personalities.

Authors

• Zohar Kampf, The Hebrew U of Jerusalem

• Roni Danziger