“MacGyver-Meets-Dr. Ruth”: Science Journalism and the Material Positioning of Dr. Carla Pugh

Abstract

This article examines the rhetorical consequences of foregrounding female scientists' materials through an analysis of seven news articles on Dr. Carla Pugh, a surgeon who designs medical patient simulators. Journalists foreground Pugh's materials by positioning her as both “MacGyver,” creatively assembling simulators from everyday objects, and “Dr. Ruth,” willingly discussing intimate parts. These positions avoid focusing on Pugh's personal life or body but still ultimately gender her and her work. The MacGyver position associates Pugh with gendered activities, objects, and spaces while undermining her affiliation with the technical aspects of design. Meanwhile, the Dr. Ruth position implies Pugh's knowledge comes from inherent bodily expertise, making certain scientific fields appear more natural for women.

Keywords:

• African American women
• female scientists
• health and medicine
• materiality
• rhetoric

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Women's Studies in Communication editor, Joan Faber McAlister, and the anonymous reviewers for their thorough and constructive responses throughout the revision process. Thanks also to Leah Ceccarelli for her Rhetoric of Science course that motivated this research, as well as her feedback and guidance on initial drafts. An earlier version of this project was presented at the 2013 Feminisms and Rhetorics conference at Stanford University.

Notes

^a Work is not examined in detail in this article.