The Rhetoric of Moral Protest

Book excerpt: Rock-for-a-cause events like the Mandela shows, Amnesty's Human Rights Now! world tour, and the Anti-Apartheid and Greenpeace charity records are part of new international mobilization strategies. Presenting celebrities and stars, they form a medium and an arena for political campaigns. The author presents the first analysis of the rhetoric of moral protest, analyzing the narrative, the graphic design, and the music of these campaigns. The book puts forward a culturalist approach which examines the societal context: cultural industries, multi-media events and infotainment, audiences, markets, and institutions. This highly topical study provides new insights for our understanding of organizational strategies and mobilization processes.