Haunting rhetoric: Ghost Adventures and the evolution of the ghost hunting genre

Abstract

This thesis examines the rhetorical and generic conventions of the popular ghost hunting television show, Ghost Adventures. By first exploring the introduction of this hybrid genre in the work of 17th-century author, Joseph Glanvill, I will reveal how genre conventions are created and morph over time through a genre analysis influenced by the theory of Amy Devitt. As the genre evolves over time, so does the rhetorical purpose of Ghost Adventures. Initially, Ghost Adventures sought to prove the existence of ghosts to a skeptical audience. In more recent seasons, the show has shifted their rhetoric to achieve Glanvill's original purpose to use belief in ghosts to prove the existence of God.