Rhetorical Denialism: The Melancholic Affect of Conspiracy Rhetoric and Ideological (C)kynicism

Abstract

ABSTRACT The January 6th insurrection illustrated a dark era of American democracy where one side of the political aisle will outright deny the legitimate election results as part of a grandiose conspiracy. The denialism of the 2020 presidential election illustrates a rhetorical moment that requires further examination in conspiracy theory communication. In this article, I examine a particular type of rhetorical denialism which I refer to as ideological (c)kynicism. Borrowing from Slavoj Zizek and a wide range of philosophical literature on conspiracy theories, I illustrate the rhetorical and ideological process of ideological (c)kynicism. I argue that ideological (c)kynicism occurs in three stages: (1) The Conspiratorial Erasure of the Big Other, (2) Melancholic Transference and Kynical Politics, & (3) The Obsession with the Big Other. The denier, under ideological (c)kynicism, transitions from ideological cynicism into political kynicism through the melancholic affect. However, while the denier utters political kynicism (with the melancholic), the denier’s ideological cynicism or the big Other are left unstated and presumed in the denialism. The denier uses the melancholic to bring audiences back to the big Other.