Date of Award
8-2016
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Legacy Department
Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design
Committee Member
Dr. David Blakesley, Committee Chair
Committee Member
Dr. James Sanderson
Committee Member
Dr. Sean Morey
Committee Member
Dr. Daniel E. Wueste
Abstract
Lance Armstrong is one of the most recognized athletes of all time and one of the most successful cyclists ever. After surviving cancer, going on to win the Tour de France a record seven times, and being the center of a media empire, Armstrong’s reputation was publicly ruined after the United States Anti-Doping Agency released a huge case against him. Armstrong had to recant years of righteous denials and arduous insistence that he did not use performance-enhancing drugs. This doping scandal exposed a well-liked sports hero as a fraud and cheater, making him an exception case study in branding and crisis communication. Drawing on image repair theory as well ethical and sociological perspectives on performance-enhancing drug use, this dissertation seeks to better understand the rhetorical situations of cycling and doping, the relationship between Armstrong and the media, and the ways Armstrong’s identity construction damaged his reputation. Walter Fisher’s theories of narrative and Kenneth Burke’s dramatism are also brought to bear on the stories Armstrong uses throughout the scandal to explain or rationalize his acts.
Recommended Citation
Stowe, S. Andrew, "The Drive to Deceive: Lance Armstrong's Image Repair and Maintenance" (2016). All Dissertations. 1698.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/1698