Abstract Pharmaceutical direct to consumer (DTC) advertising has become pervasive in the United States, inundating the end consumer with messages meant to increase drug sales. This paper uses Kenneth Burke's theory of Dramatism to explore the rhetorical tropes utilzed to market Viagara and (Be)Yaz as well as the diseases they combat: erectile dysfunction and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. Additional weight is given to analysis of the DSM as a rhetorical document, and the co-opting of clinical...