Baseball and rhetorics of purity : the national pastime and American identity during the war on terror / Michael L. Butterworth.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Butterworth, Michael L.

Series:

Rhetoric, culture, and social critique.

Rhetoric, culture, and social critique

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Baseball--Social aspects--United States.

Baseball.

War on Terrorism, 2001-2009.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (248 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Tuscaloosa : University of Alabama Press, c2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Baseball has long been considered America's "national pastime," touted variously as a healthy diversion, a symbol of national unity, and a model of democratic inclusion. But, according to Michael Butterworth, such favorable rhetoric belies baseball's complicity in the rhetorical construction of a world defined by good and evil. Baseball and Rhetorics of Purity is an investigation into the culture and mythology of baseball, a study of its limits and failures, and an invitation to remake the game in a more democratic way. It pays special attention to baseball's rol

Contents:

Contents; Preface and Acknowledgments; Introduction: Rhetoric and the American Game; 1. Ritual in the "Church of Baseball": Performing Patriotism at the Ballpark; 2. "Baseball as America": Nostalgia and Public Memory through the National Pastime; 3. Purifying the Body Politic: Steroids and the Rhetorical Cleansing of Baseball; 4. Headed for Home: Bringing Baseball Back to the Nation's Capital; 5. Making the World Safe for Baseball: American Mission and the World Baseball Classic; Conclusion: Reconstituting the National Pastime; Notes; Bibliography; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0-8173-8397-2

OCLC:

761477347