Constructing a COVID 19 conspiracy: A fantasy theme analysis of the 2020 documentary "Plandemic"
Date
2020-12
Authors
Garza, Gabrielle Y.
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Abstract
This research looks at the short film “Plandemic” and the persuasive devices used to create the film’s rhetorical vision. Plandemic was released in May of 2020 and garnered millions of views and both positive and negative feedback. The story of the film follows Dr. Judy Mikovits as she explains her life as a medical researcher and her perception of the unfolding pandemic. For analysis, fantasy theme rhetorical criticism was used to find the shared “fantasy” or idea of reality that is being created by the rhetoric used in the film. The fantasy themes present in the film, taken together, reveal the worldview created is that the choice of what to do with one’s child and their life is being threatened with propaganda from the government and actual lifesaving cures are being kept to make a profit off of American families. Having come at the time it did, Plandemic was able to easily capitalize off of peoples worry for the future and fear of the unknown. However, the potential consequences of this fantasy are that parents may begin to ignore medical mandates such as wearing mask and look to sources like Plandemic as legitimate sources of scientific fact.
Description
Keywords
rhetorical criticism, fantasy theme criticism, conspiracy theory, medical conspiracy, COVID 19, pandemic, Honors College
Citation
Garza, G. Y. (2020). Constructing a Covid19 conspiracy: A fantasy theme analysis of the 2020 documentary "Plandemic" (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.