Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

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Volume 48, Issue 1 (2025)Read More

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  • From the Editor
    24 November 2025

    From the Editor

    Tanya Miller
    Letter from the Editor of the Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal, Dr. Tanya Miller, for Volume 48, 2025 issue.
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  • General Interest
    24 November 2025

    Verbal Aggressiveness and Argumentativeness in College Forensics Students

    Ben Walker
    Roth (2017) found competitive parliamentary debate participants score lower in verbal aggressiveness than those who have not competed in parliamentary debate. While there is some research regarding verbal aggressiveness in academic debate, there is not much in terms of individual events. This study examines verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness in both debate and individual event college students. Results indicate debate students to have higher levels of verbal aggressiveness than IE students when trying to influence students not in forensics. Male students scored higher on verbal aggressiveness as did seniors. Conclusions about college forensics are drawn and suggestions are made for future research.
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  • General Interest
    24 November 2025

    Truth Will Out: Combating the Rhetoric of Modern Conspiracy Theory

    Seth Kelley
    This essay explores modern conspiracy theories’ relationship to hatred and ignorance, and how specious ideas do not hold up to classical rhetorical analysis. It posits reasons why power embraces conspiracies that it has traditionally rejected and explains power and conspiracy theory’s symbiotic relationship in the age of misinformation. It champions rhetoric as the best tool to combat conspiracy theories. Thesis: In order to effectively combat conspiracy theory’s undermining of human progress, we must hold conspiracists accountable for spreading dangerous lies, directly teach formal rhetoric in all public schools (and how to spot specious content), effectively foster multicultural respect and appreciation, and critique the rhetoric of conspiracy theorists in every public forum, including news media and academic worlds.
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  • General Interest
    24 November 2025

    You Can't Be Kind of a Lesbian: Mass Media's Representation of Bisexual Woman

    Shannon Pappas
    In the present day, many societal beliefs and ideas are cultivated through mass media messaging. This study aims to examine mass media’s representation of bisexual women, specifically in pornography, and how those ideas lead to harmful stereotypes. Television show characters and song lyrics depicting bisexual women were examined using cultivation theory. Analysis found much of the representation involving force or coercion, indecisiveness, hypersexuality, and group sex. Pornography is an integral space for people to explore their sexualities. However, bisexual videos tend to only depict hypersexual or violent fantasies. With over 80,000 people logging onto PornHub each minute, negative stereotypes of bisexual women can lead to lasting impacts. Bisexual women are more likely to experience biphobia, bi-erasure, and gendered violence than straight and lesbian women.
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