ABSTRACT
This chapter considers feminist criticism, and other forms of criticism that come from social justice perspectives, grouping these loosely under the heading identity criticism. Performative critics, especially queer theorists, argue that gender is not a static thing but a fluid process open to change. Performative rhetorical criticism studies such embodiments of identity, whether conceptualized as "entertainment" or "real-life." Although identity critics' agendas and arguments vary widely, most share basic commitments. In the language of Richard Weaver, identity critics' "God Terms" are the very human values of Respect, Dignity, Equity, Self-Determination, and Compassion. Identity critics seek to reveal and challenge how public policy has been created by and for those with the most privilege. Idealizing the Western male political orator has privileged a narrow sort of discourse: public and adversarial. The representational critique examines portrayals in the mass media, to determine how they advance or undermine social attitudes and policies.
