Preview

The Wearing Of Joe Mccarthy Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
661 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Wearing Of Joe Mccarthy Analysis
During the cold war era, the United States had been reformed to a way of life called “McCarthyism”, a self-made turmoil also known as The Red Scare and the Lavender Scare. Senator Joseph P. McCarthy has become the scapegoat of this era due to his promotion of fear in those who opposed the American way of life, particularly communists and homosexuals. Andrea Friedman in her article “The Smearing of Joe McCarthy: The Lavender Scare, Gossip, and Cold War Politics” examines the sexual aspect of Joe McCarthy’s downfall in order to interpret to culture and political practices of that time.
Andrea Friedman presents her argument first by describing McCarthy in physical appearance, reputation, and personality, then also describes events, namely that
…show more content…
Louis specializing in gender and sexuality studies. Friedman has been honored with multiple awards and recognitions including, but not limited to, the James M. Holobaugh Award for service to the LGBTQIA community, an honorable mention in the 1995 New York State Historical Association Manuscript Award, and a research grant in Women’s Studies through the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship Foundation. This information about Friedman is readily available to the public on her personal biography page on the Washington University in St. Louis website. This establishes her credibility on her article.
Although some may feel this article is biased, Andrea Friedman’s purpose for writing this article was to analyze the opinions of those during the McCarthy era about sexuality and its involvement in politics. I feel that after analyzing this article and researching Andrea Friedman’s qualifications in gender and sexuality studies, I am able to understand the subject matter more critically. “The Smearing of Joe McCarthy: The Lavender Scare, Gossip, and Cold War Politics” has brought a light to how we see those in politics regarding morals, background, and sexuality as well as how the media morphs that

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    As a well-known partaker in discussing political and social events such as World War II and the New Deal, it wasn’t uncommon for Commager to show “…unmistakable activist traits well before any of [the events] occurred” (Jumonville “The Origin of Henry Steele Commager's Activist Ideas”). This was especially true in reference to the age of McCarthyism, for three years before the coin was even phrased, Commager penned “Who is Loyal to America?”, an eye-opening exposé on the anti-communist crusade and its impact on the definition of loyalty during the Cold War.…

    • 586 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the mid-1900s, America was riddled with harsh rhetoric speaking out against the communism which came as a threat from the Soviet Union. One extreme demonstration known as McCarthyism, operated by Senator Joseph McCarthy, attacked accused Communists within President Truman's cabinet, the State Department, and even the United States Army. Because of McCarthy’s commanding and hard hitting tactics, it was difficult to counter his authority. When Senator Margaret Chase Smith spoke out against McCarthy’s actions on the Senate floor, she became the first Republican to openly criticize McCarthy. Although opposing McCarthy’s political crusade could have put here career to an end as she could have been McCarthy’s next targeted victim, her actions resulted in her emergence as a “woman of national importance.” Similar to the Senators appreciated in John F. Kennedy’s Profiles In Courage, Margaret Chase Smith adhered to her “independent judgement and individual ideas” instead of complying to the social and political norms of the mid-twentieth century.…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Senator McCarthy caused great controversy during his short but remarkable period of fame, as his exploitation of the American population’s fear had an unmistakable effect on the social life of the time. However, despite all the controversy McCarthy stirred, despite the numerous trials and hearings he held, he appears to not have made a significant mark regarding government policies or legislations. This rises the question; To what extent did Senator Joseph McCarthy and His Actions Have a Social and Legislative Effect on the American Government and its Citizens? It is a question worthy of investigating, as this way, by not only analyzing the main person or event, but also consequences, we are provided with a larger scope of results, as well as a better understanding of the cause and effect relationship of significant events or time periods such as the Cold War, or specifically McCarthyism…

    • 1120 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On June 1 of 1950, Margaret Chase Smith and six senators joined together to confront Joseph McCarthy and the people of America on the communist and fascists truths of McCarthyism through a speech, “The Declaration of Consciences”. Specifically, Smith uses logos to denounce McCarthyism beliefs in front of Senator McCarthy himself. The audience connects to Smith notably through her use of pathos creating a strong connection to her as a person, speaker and an American.…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lavender Scare Analysis

    • 309 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Lavender Scare lasted from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. The mass which hunt and firings of numerous people by the united states government. Gay men and lesbians were said to be security risks and communist sympathizers, which led to the removal of numerous people from state employment. “Republican National Committee Chair Guy Gabrielson claimed the media was not doing enough to alert the population to the "homosexual menace," this was merely self-serving demagogy. The media helped whip the frenzy to a fevered pitch.” (Feinberg).…

    • 309 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cormac Mccarthy Analysis

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Cormac McCarthy’s novel written during the 20th century, it emphasizes the dramatic experience that has been witnessed leading to McCarthy’s usage of rhetorical and literary techniques, providing themes, symbols, motifs and other figures of speech in order to convey the impact on the main character, and other parts throughout the text.…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mccarthyism In The 1950's

    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the 1950’s as a result of the recent acceleration of the Cold War and the spread of communism ideology around the world, and a national neurosis concerning a communist invasion expanded, Senator Joseph McCarthy took advantage of this "Red Scare" to advance his interests. McCarthy was a Republican Senator for the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. McCarthy made claims that Soviet, Korean and Chinese communist spies occupied the federal administration. In February 1950 when McCarthy asserted in a speech given in Wheeling West Virginia that he had a file that listed of members of the Communist Party who the State Department employed. He chaired the House Committee known as the Un-American Activities. The Committee investigated thousands of people, who were thought to be Communist spies and sympathizers, this was later known as McCarthyism. No one was exempt from the wrath of McCarthy, many individuals who worked for the federal government, universities, film industry, and…

    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Between the early 1940s and the late 1950s, the United States of America was threatened by the rapid growth of communism in the USSR. Many Americans came to believe that Communist supporters had infiltrated the American borders and were beginning to take over. Among those believers was the Senator of Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy gave a speech on communism in front of the Republican women’s group on February 7, 1950, in Wheeling, West Virginia. In this speech, McCarthy addressed that he had a government document listing over two hundred communists who were currently serving in the U.S. Government and military. This serious accusation thus launched the Red Scare in the United States. Arthur Miller alludes to this historical event in his…

    • 1217 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The source also contributes to the idea of fear as a anti-communist tactic saying “The entertainment industry was “Scared by the blacklist,”. These sources show how the American people truly felt about the effects of McCarthyism in the United…

    • 1237 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fear is simply a four-letter word, yet it can infect an entire world. McCarthyism in America during the late 1940s and early 1950s was driven by the fear of power rising in communist ideas. Author, Arthur Miller, paralleled the paranoia to the Puritans during the Salem witch trials of 1692 and 1693. In Miller’s play, The Crucible, seven young girls found power in the town of Salem and exploited their new control by accusing the townspeople of witchcraft. Fear inspired by witchcraft drove the trials to extremes. The impact of creating and exploiting public hysteria to obtain power ultimately creates fear and greater damage.…

    • 759 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sexuality was redefined in France through what Historians and Sociologist considered then “The Sexual Revolution.” In recent years, historians have begun to emphasize the gradual nature of the sexual revolution that took place in the West from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. Deeming it the “long sexual revolution,” they deemphasize the significance of any single event or moment in favor of a longer view that recognizes a slow and steady process of change. The Long Sexual Revolution is the change in sexual appearance, predominately, a women appearance through the course of many significant events, such as May 68, and with the influence of media. The Journal of the History of Sexuality is a multi-volume series…

    • 524 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    McCarthyism

    • 274 Words
    • 1 Page

    McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. It also means "the practice of making unfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques, especially in order to restrict dissent or political criticism." The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from 1950 to 1956 and characterized by heightened political repression against communists, as well as a fear campaign spreading paranoia of their influence on American institutions and espionage by Soviet agents. Originally coined to criticize the anti-communist pursuits of Republican U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, "McCarthyism" soon took on a broader meaning, describing the excesses of similar efforts. The term is also now used more generally to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as demagogic attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries.…

    • 274 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    McCarthyism not only destroyed the lives and careers of many Americans but also the innocent image of the country. Senator Joe McCarthy from Wisconsin was the same as any man. But when he cried Communism the world seemed to listen.<br><br>Following the Cold War between Russia and the United States there came many hardships, such as unemployment and high inflation. These hardships produced a restless society. The society then looked for something or someone to blame (Fried, 39). They found someone to blame. Communists. Throughout the country there was a witch hunt known as the Red Scare. A basic idea was formed: Communism was evil. Anyone who participated in such evil was considered illegitimate and were to be excluded from such things as sharing ideas, and jobs (Reeves, 136). This fear of Communism or anti-Communism as it was called could be described as a type of "virus." When all was calm in America the virus would fade, but the moment a crisis struck, the virus came back stronger than ever (Feuerlicht, 35). Communism was a threat not only for countries overseas but a threat for America and its people. It was a threat on the American way of life, a bruise on the phrase "the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." (Feuerlicht, 45) And McCarthy helped spread this fear.<br><br>McCarthy and his ways challenged the Bill of Rights. "When free speech or due process are denied to any individual everyone's rights are jeopardized. Today's oppressors may become tomorrow's accursed group." (Feuerlicht, 154) And nothing is guaranteed more than the destruction of America when the freedoms promised by the Bill of Rights are denied (Feuerlicht, 154). McCarthy installed a fear in the people. But people feared tremendously the loss of their jobs. They feared that their political afflictions would reflect on their job status (Reeves, 99). By trying to keep America from becoming a Communist nation, McCarthy and his followers turned the country into an anti - Communist…

    • 1592 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Strauss, Valerie. "The Case against Single-sex Schooling." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 03 June 2012. Web. 25 July 2013. .…

    • 1107 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Some wonder why part of the political movement dedicated much energy to the suppression of pornography, since other issues - such as abortion and defense mechanisms to promote women's equal in the workplace and the political world - seem much more burning when it comes to gender equality. But the point is that, for feminists who advocate censorship, these problems we consider the largest and most visible are closely related to pornography. We know that social inequalities between the sexes manifest themselves in political life, social and economic life and also in private and intimate life. However, part of the feminist movement believes that sexuality occupies the summit of the architecture of this…

    • 940 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays