English B HL EE

Research Question: To what extent does the leadership portrayed in the American TV series “Designated Survivor” contrast the leadership in the current U.S. administration in their respective rhetorical styles to address three outstanding social issues: LGBTQ rights, immigration and a health crisis?

1. INTRODUCTION

In an age of uncertainty defined by a global pandemic and the so-called slobalization1, the viewing public turns to entertainment media to quench their thirst for ideal leadership. Their cheering for a fictionalised leader whose traits demonstrates a perfect leadership character sometimes stems from the mournful contrast with what they witness in their incumbent leaders in the actual world.

A recent dramatised series, “Designated Survivor,” presents one ideal leader named Tom Kirkman, who is sworn in as the new President of the United States after a terrorist bombing kills the elected President and all the cabinet and Congressional members, putting him in line of succession in case of the President’s absence or incapacitated state. The series is noteworthy in many ways including how the unexpected nomination of the new President turns out to be the best-case scenario that Americans can hope for in dealing with the country’s pending issues such as LGBTQ rights, illegal immigration and an endemic outbreak.

The issues featured in the series are as real as they can get to paint a mirror image of an America divided over the sensitive issues. As relevant as the show can be to the real America, one thing that separates the show from reality lies in the person sitting in the White House: President Tom Kirkman and President Donald J. Trump. The two Presidents, one fictional and the other actual stand in stark contrast in addressing the issues at hand. This paper will enumerate, examine and evaluate the differences in the handling of three major social issues by the two leaders, with a focus on their use of language, their use of media and psychological effects thereof…