Image 1. My supplemental text notes after watching Plandemic, including the genre conventions I noticed during the process of watch the video.

In a time where most people have experienced a significant degree of isolation from the rest of the world, Plandemic serves as an instrument to strengthen social cohesion within a group of people that are already primed to believe COVID misinformation and paint a publicly known figure, Dr. Anthony Fauci, as the leader of the out-group. The rhetorical techniques used by Mikovitz can be associated with the genre convention of "demonizing the enemy," and having an understanding of group dynamics has allowed me to readily characterized her statement. In a way, by combining the genre conventions I learned in WR39B and the deeper causes of group conflict I learned in SOCIOL 1B, I was inoculated from and able to immediately identify the rhetorical purpose of Plandemic (i.e., pushing a false narrative that COVID-19 was either caused or exacerbated by a powerful enemy from within/an out-group). Pandemic is a strong example of how impactful events, in this case the COVID pandemic, allowed people to exploit uncertainty and fear to spread harmful lies and deceits. The documentary gave Judy Mikovitz a platform she otherwise would not have to appear as an authoritative figure (another genre convention, the use of appeal to authority) to make blatantly anti-mask and anti-governmental intervention statements.

TEXT OF PLANDEMIC NOTES:

Plandemic:

• Plandemic starts off immediately by positioning (now discredited) NCI researcher Judy Mikovits as a sort of outspoken Maverick giving information the government and powerful institutions doesn;t want the people to know.
• The production gave Mikovits a platform, that she does not have in any legitimate scientific organization, to disseminate her ideas.
• The video includes a dramatic clip of what seems to be Mikovits being arrested violently for what she considered as revealing the truth about COVID. In actuality, the clip used is from a completely unrelated SWAT raid.
• She alleges that she was jailed without charge (even though she was charged, later dropped, for theft by her former employer)
• Mikovitz’s various claims include:
• Masks are actually “activating” the virus.
• There are chemicals in the air and the sand that protect you from the virus. Beaches should remain open because saltwater has “healing” properties.
• Hospitals receive monetary compensation when deaths are labeled as COVID.
• Getting the flu vaccine increases the chance of getting COVID.
• Hydroxychloroquine effectiveness against COVID.
• Anthony Fauci is some sort of mastermind.
• Many genre conventions can be seen through Mikovits statements such as the in-group out-group mechanics establishing herself as someone on the side of the people, framing Anthony Fauci as the powerful elite that is conspiring against the people.