The politics of pranking: the Yes Men culture jamming and disruptive rhetoric

This thesis examines the rhetorical strategies of the culture-jamming duo, the Yes Men. Specifically, this thesis poses the following research question: What rhetorical strategies do the Yes Men use to critique dominant corporate discourse and expose counter discourses? A Foucauldian rhetorical analysis reveals that the Yes Men rely on pranks that employ satire and sincerity to disrupt dominant corporate discourses, open spaces of freedom, and encourage critical self-reflection. Furthermore, the Yes Men use image events in strategic ways to deploy these pranks and access the public sphere. The strategies of the Yes Men offer important insight into the relationship between rhetoric, discourse, and activism.