Mastering the Mug Shot

This project uses a case study of an elected official’s booking mug shot to examine the way political actors engage in embodied performance to maintain their image in visual media. Mug shots are images that are ostensibly equalizing and represent a long-standing link between law enforcement, journalism and visual culture. Released through the “gates” of law enforcement, they are imbued with a connotation of guilt even though they are created prior to a person’s conviction. Using mixed methods, including textual analysis, field observations and interviews, this case study examined the way journalists covered the mugshot booking of former Texas Governor Rick Perry. The event was widely proclaimed a victory rather than a ritual of shame. The study suggests that the governor and his staff engaged in embodied gatekeeping by orchestrating the events leading up to his booking photo which impeded journalists in their effort to independently control their narratives.