Communication, Culture & Critique ISSN 1753-9129 ORIGINAL ARTICLE First Impressions of Sarah Palin: Pit Bulls, Politics, Gender Performance, and a Discursive Media (Re)contextualization Dustin Harp, Jaime Loke, & Ingrid Bachmann School of Journalism, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA This study examines and compares discursive constructions and performance of gender in Sarah Palin’s media portrayal during the first week of her nomination to the Republican vice-presidential candidacy. Using a discourse analysis of online video clips posted by 5 U.S. network news websites, the authors found a discourse rich with complexity in both Palin’s gendered performance and the resulting discursive media (re)contextualization of Palin. Her gender performance serves as an example of how masculinity and femininity are performed in a complex blend and how Palin’s ‘‘masculinity’’ is accepted and celebrated, while at the same time also firmly rooted in more traditional notions of femininity. doi:10.1111/j.1753-9137.2010.01072.x From the moment that Republican presidential nominee John McCain announced Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin would be his running mate for President of the United States, Palin’s gender served as a defining element within public and mediated discourse about her candidacy. The focus on Palin’s gender is not a surprise to those familiar with the ways in which female politicians in the United States are generally discussed, defined, and framed. This research examines ways gender becomes a salient aspect of Palin’s media portrayal during the week immediately after the announcement of her candidacy. Building on feminist and psychological theories, the authors argue that, while gender becomes a central focus of Palin’s candidacy, her ‘‘gender performance’’ (a concept popularized by Butler in Gender Trouble [1990]) and the mediated discursive (re)contextualization 1 offer an unusual mixture of masculine and feminine performances, illustrating a combination of both typical and unique elements of mediated female politicians. The significance of this research is grounded in feminist scholarship and the importance of understanding how stereotypical gender constructions are shifting as women move into traditionally public spaces. Women have had less access and Corresponding author: Dustin Harp; e-mail: dustinharp@mail.utexas.edu Communication, Culture & Critique 3 (2010) 291–309  2010 International Communication Association 291