CARP V: Gender, Power, and Politics in Character Assassination

Dates: March 20-22, 2025

Host: Lab for Character Assassination and Reputation Politics (CARP)

Location: George Mason University’s Arlington Campus (near Washington, DC)

Given that character assassination appears in struggles for power, it should not surprise us that character assassins grab any tools at their disposal to gain the upper hand over opponents. Gender often provides an angle for character assassination. Gendered character attacks typically accuse a target of acting in a way that is inappropriate for their gendered identity. This may involve accusing a male politician of being “wimpy” or suggesting that a female politician is acting in a masculine or aggressive manner when she takes decisive action. Of course, what counts as appropriate gendered behavior is culturally and historically specific. It is also intersected by class, sexuality, and race.