Backstage Mockery: Impoliteness and Asymmetry on the World Stage

Abstract

AbstractIn recent years, episodes of diplomatic “impoliteness” have attracted growing attention among international relations (IR) scholars. Whether in the form of sharp-edged humor, insults, or other face-undermining behavior, scholars are increasingly examining episodes where the expected civility of diplomacy breaks down and impoliteness becomes weaponized as a tool of statecraft. While sympathetic to these approaches, I argue that the deployment of impoliteness cannot be understood in isolation from the powerful asymmetries that shape global politics. To show why, I advance a theory of mockery in international politics with an emphasis of a specific kind: backstage mockery. Building on the work of Goffman, I conceptualize mocking displays as acts of ridicule that undermine an actor's positive public image or “face” based on two contextual factors: (1) perceptions of transgression and (2) relative status. In hierarchical settings, lower-status members are often unable to openly criticize the transgressions of their social superiors because of the threat of retaliation. Covert or “backstage” mockery offers an outlet for weaker members to express their concerns and build solidarity with other members, while at the same time indirectly signaling those with higher status about problems. To illustrate the significance of backstage mockery, I discuss Canada–US relations and the 2019 viral video of NATO leaders appearing to privately mock US President Donald Trump.