Blending politics and entertainment: Dan Quayle versus Murphy Brown

Abstract

This essay analyzes the exchange between Dan Quayle and the popular television character Murphy Brown (played by Candice Bergen), a fascinating example of the intersection between politics and entertainment, fantasy and reality. Quayle accused Hollywood, the news media, and Murphy Brown in particular of mocking the importance of fathers and portraying a single parenting as merely “another life‐style choice.” After the speech, he charged that Hollywood “glamorized” single parenting. Murphy Brown responded with three image repair strategies: denial, attacking the accuser, and bolstering. Our evaluation of this speech set (kategoria and apologia) argues that Murphy Brown's defense was developed more effectively than Quayle's attack.