"Republicans are hotter" : A Critical Discourse Analysis on Ideology and Persuasion in TikTok Videos by the Conservative Dating Application Date Right Stuff

Abstract

Social media discourses have become polarized, with provocative content often drawing the attention of viewers. In this thesis I examine the reinforcement of conservative ideologies and strategies of persuasion in TikTok marketing videos posted by the conservative dating app Date Right Stuff. These videos have sparked controversy and garnered attention by taking strong stances on current political and social issues in the United States making them a compelling case study on ideological dissemination and persuasion in a popular social media platform. The analysis is based on Critical Discourse Analysis, specifically Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model. I analyze the text dimension with a toolkit adapted from Fairclough while the discourse and social practice levels are examined together through persuasion analysis, incorporating modified tools inspired by van Dijk’s triangulation framework. The findings and results of the study indicate that ideologies are reinforced in the data through divisive and polarizing language that seeks to persuade and provoke the viewer through right-wing discourses, humor and sarcasm, implication, and recontextualization. This thesis aims to show the importance of social media literacy and illustrate how power can be exercised over viewers and ideologies reinforced through casual discourse.