Rhetorical Strategies Rough Draft

Sydney Moody

Dr. Brown

English 306

22 February 2016

The Balaclava: The Mask that Bears All

Shining a light on egregious acts of inequality and oppressive ruling on apart of the Russian government, the band Pussy Riot has established themselves as a fearless protest group enthralled with feminism and social freedom. The members of this group are all female and regularly wear vibrant outfits. What truly distinguishes this band from other protest groups is their use of the balaclava, a colorful rendition of a ski mask traditionally associated with illegal covert activities. The balaclavas adorned by this group have the traditional cutouts of a ski mask, but vary in color and material.

Why wear such odd headgear and leave your identity undisclosed? One would think an infamous band of feminist protestors would proudly show their faces in defiance of their oppressors. Interestingly, the protestors who adorn themselves with balaclavas draw more attention to themselves than they may have otherwise. The colorful masks succeed in two aims: protecting the identity of the protestors and uniting them as a collective protest group. The use of facial embellishments such as the balaclava may have proven to be a useful way to unite protestors during the Seattle WTO protests that accrued a plethora of violent activities (DeLuca et. al, 183). This is exactly what the balaclavas have done in Russia. The masks have given a common face to a movement. Pussy Riot intends for the balaclavas to be seen and worn by others who are in favor of “feminism, gay rights, improved treatment of prisoners and more transparency in the Russian political system” (Gladstone). The band welcomes new members who support their movement to wear the balaclava, as it is essentially the team uniform, bringing the group increased publicity and recognition.

To truly understand why Pussy Riot and band supporters have chosen the balaclava, one must understand the consequences of being caught protesting by the Russian government and subsequently silenced. In an NPR interview, Masha Gessen described the miserable prison experience of Nadezhda Tolokonanikova, one of three Pussy Riot members who were given a prison sentence for protesting in a popular Russian church. In the interview, Gessen described how female prisoners are “systematically denied the right to wash themselves” (Gessen). Protecting one’s anonymity is important to the members of Pussy Riot and those who support their cause in Russia. In a counterintuitive manner, the members of the movement are freeing themselves and their voices by wearing these masks. They are building a public sphere “imagined as a place of embodied voices” (DeLuca et. al, 186).

The purpose of the balaclava is to simultaneously create a unanimous identity while masking individual faces. However, within recent years three figures have become the prominent faces of Pussy Riot with the arrests of Maria Alekhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, and Yekaterina Samutsevich (Cadwalladr). When these women were arrested for publicly critiquing the Russian government, the United States tuned in to the voices of the protesters. Initially, the band seemed focused on getting the attention of Russian citizens, specifically those feeling exploited or perhaps that their rights were being denied by a tyrannical leader. The movement has since spread to the United States with the Free Pussy Riot movement and the help of many American musical artists (Amnesty International).

The members of Pussy Riot have established themselves as informed political activists who have managed to enrage and enthrall movement sympathizers. Pussy Riot has chosen to elicit the use of several rhetorical strategies including ethos and pathos in their movement to evoke change within Russian politics. To be convincing to Russian officials, the members also have to be convincing to potential movement sympathizers and their balaclavas are essential to that act of persuasion.

The balaclava evokes pathos immediately. Those unfamiliar with Pussy Riot and their movement may not recognize the attire, but it continues to draw public attention. Traditionally, those in ski masks are feared individuals associated with criminal activity, but the rainbow of colors represented in a sea of Pussy Riot protestors jolts that assumption. As previously discussed, the masks create a sense of solidarity amongst rioters. Simply wearing a balaclava is enough to make a profound stance in support of both the band and the movement itself.

The balaclava is additionally a powerful source of ethos because spreads the sentiment of the movement “…not through the forces of wealth or arms, but through the force of persuasion” (Griffin, 10). Once the movement spread to the United States, artists like Madonna have sported the balaclava in an effort to convince Russian officials to release the band members from prison (BBC). What’s truly notable about the ethos of the balaclavas is how they displace the concept of hierarchy within the movement itself to give credibility to their criticisms of the Russian government. By wearing a balaclava, even a famous individual associates themselves with the faceless community. Under the protection of this mask, it does not matter if you are rich, famous, poor, or mundane.  Through the use of the balaclava, Pussy Riot extends the depth of their movement “…not through the forces of wealth or arms, but through the force of persuasion” (Griffin, 10).

Two members of Pussy Riot left their balaclavas behind when discussing their tours of American prison systems on the Colbert Report in 2014. Two of the three women who were convicted for their protest, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, spent two years behind the bars of a deplorable Russian prisons (Gessen Interview). Their personal encounter with the disgraceful conditions of Russian prisons has made these women admirable advocates of the imprisoned. Now these women, whose identities are fully known, can use their individual faces to support those in Russia who go unmentioned and become forgotten within the Russian judicial system.

Understandably, the band has neglected to use the rhetorical strategy known as logos in their movement. The balaclavas, songs, and behavior of the protestors demonstrate much more of an emotional appeal than one of logic. While under the rule of such an authoritarian government, it is more beneficial to the movement to focus on the enraged feelings of the citizens as opposed to statistical figures.

The goal of the Pussy Riot movement has been to point out the unbelievable realities of the Russian government using their balaclavas as symbols of the band’s revolutionary authority and powerful influence. The masks meet many of the needs of the movement including protecting the identities of the protestors and creating a source of commonality amongst them. 

Works Cited

"Adele, U2, Madonna, Yoko Ono, Radiohead, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Ke$ha, Sir Paul McCartney and Sting Unite With More Than 100 Musicians to Call for Release of Pussy Riot"amnesty.org, 22 July 2013. Web. 20 February 2016. 

DeLuca, Michael and Jennifer Peeples. "From Public Sphere to Public Screen: Democracy, Activism, and the "Violence" of Seattle." Readings on the Rhetoric of Social Protest. By Charles E. Morris III and Stephen H. Brown. 3rd ed. 183-203. Desire 2 Learn. Web. 20 Feb. 2016. 

Gessen, Masha.  Interview with NPR’s Fresh Air Host Terry Gross. The ‘Pussy Riot’ Arrests, And The Crackdown that Followed (2014). Web. 20 February 2016.

Gladstone, Rick. "Pussy Riot Members Take Tour to New York." nytimes.com, 5 February 2014. Web. 20 February 2016. 

Griffin, Leland M. “From Public Sphere to Public Screen: Democracy, Activism, and the "Violence" of Seattle." Readings on the Rhetoric of Social Protest. By Charles E. Morris III and Stephen H. Brown. 3rd ed. 183-203. Desire 2 Learn. Web. 20 February 2016. 

Cadwalladr, Carole. "Pussy Riot: Will Vladimir Putin Regret Taking on Russia's Cool Women Punks?" The Guardian. 28 July 2012. Web. 20 February 2016.

"Madonna Appeal over Pussy Riot." BBC News. 8 August 2012. Web. 20 February 2016.

"Pussy Riot Pt. 1 and Pt. 2." Interview by Stephen Colbert. The Colbert Report. Comedy Central. New York, New York, 4 February 2014. Web. 20 February 2016.