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Protest Music And Public Discourse: How P!Nk Uses “Dear Mr. President” To Create Conversation, Olivia R. Knippling

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

In this paper, I explore the rhetorical devices of the popular artist P!NK during a live performance of her song “Dear Mr. President,” from 2007. Using the method of rhetorical descriptive analysis I answer the research question: How does P!NK combine rhetorical and musical strategies in “Dear Mr. President” to encourage public discourse? The findings indicate that P!NK crafted a unique protest song which effectively uses both rhetorical and musical devices to appeal to her audiences’ emotions and encourages participation in public discourse. The research has applied implications in the present-day intersection of pop culture and politics, as well as …