New YouTube Series

Check out our new "5 Questions in 5 Minutes" series. It features CARP Lab co-founders discussing their research with Arya Rashidi, CARP marketing intern. Find the playlist with the videos on YouTube by following this link.

Part III: Character Assassination and the Fall of Louis XVI

Louis XVI’s reign saw the older forms of image enhancement known under Louis XIV (and even Louis XV) undermined as the rise of the public sphere coalesced with the emergence of Enlightenment critiques of monarchy.

`Part II: The Slippage of Monarchical Character Enhancement and Louis XV’s Political Culture

By Mikayla Knutson  In the early years of Louis XV’s minority, Louis XIV’s memory conjured backlash to contemporary political culture. This marked the first departure from extensive control of royal image under Louis XIV. In L'Enseigne de Gersaint, Antoine Watteau depicts Louis XIV’s image being boxed up in favor of new, non-monarchical art. The king...

Part I: Image Control and Character Enhancement under Louis XIV

By Mikayla Knutson  French reverence of the monarch shifted dramatically between Louis XIV to Louis XVI as the pendulum shifted from extreme character enhancement to rampant character assassination.  Under Louis XIV (1643-1715), a comprehensive program glorified the Sun King and engineered his reputation and image to further his political power. This initiative channeled French elite...

Webinar #8: Presidential Character from Clinton and Cable to Trump and Twitter

This morning, CARP Lab hosted a conversation between Sergei Samoilenko and Dr. Stephen Farnsworth. Dr. Farnsworth is a professor at the University of Mary Washington and the director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies. The conversation spanned political party affiliation, the importance of authenticity in campaigning, and the impact of policy and character...

Webinar #7: Character Assassination in Political Campaigns

Today, Eric Shiraev spoke with political campaign consultant Jason Jay Smart about the role of opposition research in campaigning, different government systems, and how the public gets primed to believe character attacks. The conversation spanned multiple countries and elections, so it's a must-watch for anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes of character attacks and politics. Watch...

Webinar #6: Fallen Idols: Toppling Statues throughout the Ages

Across the world, statues of historical figures have recently become the focus of fierce discussion. However, this is hardly a new phenomenon. From Egyptian pharaohs to American presidents, monuments celebrating the high and mighty have always been contested, defaced and removed. In a webinar hosted by CARP Lab, historian Martijn Icks and political psychologist Eric...

Webinar #5: Political Humor, Caricature, and Saturday Night Live

If you missed our webinar on June 12 with political humor expert Christopher Gilbert of Assumption University, it's available here on YouTube. In this webinar, Jennifer Keohane hosted a conversation with Gilbert about the power of political humor, its role in democratic politics, and of course, Alec Baldwin's portrayal of Donald Trump on Saturday Night...

Character Attacks 2.0: A Politically Incorrect COVID-19 Guide

A disclaimer: Do not do not take this opinion piece too seriously. If you read it, then garnish it with a with a grain of sarcasm...

Webinar # 4: Conspiracy Theories and COVID-19 with John Cook

CARP 2020 Webinar # 4: Conspiracy Theories and COVID-19 is now posted on our YouTube channel. John Cook, George Mason University, Founder of SkepticalScience.com and https://crankyuncle.com/ and Sergei Samoilenko discuss why people become more vulnerable to believing in conspiracy theories. Pandemics are especially fertile ground for conspiracy theories, as people grasp for order and causal...