Abstract
One of the many casualties of American political discourse over the past five years has been the frayed family relations it has seemingly engendered. Especially since the election of Joe Biden as President of the United States, there has been a growing concern which has been expressed in American media about the toll on family and friends of having opposing views of the legitimacy of this election. Accounts of friendships that had been in existence for decades ending after the 2016 election began to spring up in US media. Advice columns began to be filled with strategies for “surviving” family holidays with relatives who refused to believe that Biden had legitimately won the election. Some people believe that January 6th was being portrayed as a form of “worry porn” that was blown out of proportion for media sales. Others believe that Fox News was peddling “The Big Lie,” for their own gain. This paper chronicles how the media portrayed the fallout between family and friends, with an emphasis on how “the Big Lie,” was perceived and what this did to American social relations. It draws on recent accounts of friendships during the Trump Era to illustrate how the US media was framing the damage that Trump was doing to families and friends during this period. I critically analyze how these accounts themselves helped to shape the discourse around what came to be known as “The Big Lie,” which was alternatively understood as “Worry Porn” by Conservatives.
Presenters
Margaret TallyDistinguished Professor, School for Graduate Studies, SUNY Empire State University, New Jersey, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
The Big Lie, Trump, Family Relations, Media Portrayals
