Main Page | Month Archive | Email Updates | RSS Feed | Print Version

The Public Diplomacy Blog is intended to stimulate dialog among scholars, researchers, practitioners and professionals from around the world in the public diplomacy sphere. The opinions represented here are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School.

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY GOES ‘PUBIC’
JUL 11, 2007 - 11:29AM PDT
Posted by John H. Brown
All posts by this author

No, the above title doesn’t have a typo, a typo that occurs (to the embarrassment of those responsible for it, and to the amusement of those noticing it) when referring to that increasingly widespread international activity, public diplomacy (PD) -- which can be defined, to cite the U.S. State Department homepage, as "engaging, informing, and influencing key international audiences." Today an instrument of many governments in their foreign policy, public diplomacy has become global, some forty years after the term was coined by the American diplomat Edmund Gullion during his tenure as dean at the Fletcher School of Diplomacy in Massachusetts. Eros and Rhetoric PD, which some consider propaganda (a vile or laudable undertaking, depending on your perspective or definitions), covers a large number of government-supported activities incorporating information, education, and cultural programs. In recent months, governments have added new element to this enterprise: sex. To be sure, the use of eros in the art of persuasion (and PD is, indeed, a subcategory of this art, known since Greek antiquity as rhetoric) has an ancient history that can be traced as far back as the Garden of Eden. And we all know about Cleopatra. But until recently modern-world governments -- unlike advertising agencies peddling their goods -- were reluctant to sell openly their main product (themselves and the nations they represent) through images of the human flesh exposed at various levels of nudity. Now, however, the body beautiful of their citizens is being openly celebrated by states seeking to foster a more positive image of themselves. True, twentieth-century totalitarian films and photographs glorified, in their absolutist and absurdist ways, the strength and muscularity of (particularly male) athletes and soldiers, but the intended effect of these images, I would suggest, was not erotic arousal aimed at improving a government's image overseas, but rather domination and intimidation, some would say of a sado-masochistic nature, directed at obtaining total control of society in the homeland. Orwell's Oceania did not welcome the erotic. Israel and the Birth of Pubic Diplomacy It would not do violence to history to suggest that this new branch of public diplomacy -- allow me to call it pubic diplomacy, a term I hope will offend no one -- began on Tuesday, May 19, 2007 at 9:00 pm, with a three-hour reception, hosted by Maxim, a men’s magazine, and Gal Gadot, Miss Israel 2004 -- together with the Consulate General of Israel in New York -- that took place at the Marquee at 289 Tenth Avenue, NYC. The purpose of the event was to “celebrate the Maxim Magazine July 2007 feature, ‘women of the Israeli Defense Forces.'" The invitation was adorned by a color photograph of the luscious, dark-haired Ms. Gadot herself (a former army fitness instructor) in a bikini and high heels, lying on her back on the ledge of a terrace overlooking Tel Aviv, with the Mediterranean, dimly lit by sunlight, over the horizon. This eye-catching photo was published by the New York Post; and Ms. Gadot, who,…... FULL TEXT
 
Read Comments (3) | Add Your Own

Read Comments:

Peter Andrews on July 12, 2007 @ 4:25 pm:
Just a small point but the Al Jazeera website to which you refer, aljazeera.com is NOT the website of the Al Jazeera television network. Their website is aljazeera.net. Please check your facts more thoroughly in future.

john brown on July 15, 2007 @ 7:06 pm:
Dear Mr. Andrews,

Much appreciate your pointing out my mistake. As you can see from the above corrected version of the article, I have made changes thanks to your observation, for which I am most grateful. Best wishes, John Brown

hamdhu on August 4, 2007 @ 6:59 am:
very gud

Add a Comment:

Your Name:
Your Email:
Comment:
Please enter the word you see in the image below:

NOTE: Comments are moderated by CPD and will typically be posted if they are relevant and respectful.