Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5782-2835
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2026
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Communication Studies
First Advisor
Dominc DM Manthey
Abstract
Our changing awareness of time and memory can generate feelings of nostalgia that impact perceptions of the past, present, and future. Nostalgia should not be described as inherently good or bad. In certain contexts, nostalgia can be used as a positive or negative tool to convey values, arguments, and reactions to the past that are much more than simply appealing to feelings of longing. In this thesis, I examine how nostalgic rhetoric is used to convince individuals of various ideas surrounding memory, culture, and politics. In particular, I identify and describe three modes of nostalgic rhetoric: gratification, denial, and subversion. I use these modes to analyze the television series Twin Peaks and the 2024 Republican Convention (RNC), which both rely on nostalgia in different ways. Twin Peaks is an acclaimed series that subverts television conventions and plays with the nostalgic expectations of its audience to deliver an experience that serves as a commentary on both the media industry and nostalgia. The 2024 RNC shows how nostalgia can be used within politics to bolster a campaign’s message. The convention was host to various outlets that reveal the power of nostalgia upon a political party to craft the sense of a future that requires regenerating the past. The results of my study show how nostalgia can be utilized in diverse rhetorical arguments, appeals, and narratives. While there are myriad sources to pull nostalgic content from, these two potent texts offer a broad understanding of how this type of messaging can be used and abused. Examining nostalgic rhetoric and identifying key components, such as context and author, leads to a clearer understanding of how public memory can be used to express ideas about the past, present, and future.
Subject Categories
Communication | Fine Arts
Keywords
Authentic, Communication Studies, Media, Nostalgia, Politics
Number of Pages
109
Publisher
University of South Dakota
Recommended Citation
Gienapp, Quinn Thomas, "Nostalgic Rhetoric: Unraveling an "Authentic" Past" (2026). Dissertations and Theses. 440.
https://red.library.usd.edu/diss-thesis/440