Rhetoric Visual Analysis

“The Sunny Side of Truth” Rhetorical Analysis
Have you ever wondered how tobacco industries became as successful as they are right now? If tobacco is known to jeopardize a smoker’s health, as well as those who are involuntarily exposed by its smoke, then how did the industry strive to be successful as it is now? Also, if tobacco is known to be addicting, why is it still being produced for the consumers? Tobacco industries has been identified to conceal these memo’s from its consumers and instead of telling the truth, their industry strived by a form of exploitation. “The Sunny Side of Truth” is the slogan for commercials and ads that inform citizens about the dangers of tobacco. However, their philosophy does not include anti-smoking or pro-smoking. Instead, it allows their viewers to know, not just the facts about tobacco, but also exposing the viewers how tobacco industries has manipulated many people from generation to generation (Sunny Side of Truth, 1). According to the website, even the employees alone are smokers who are struggling to quit. Due to the staffs struggle through tobacco addiction, Truth® is able to understand the influence each tobacco industry has given. Truth’s commercials and ads have portrayed the tobacco industry’s manipulation to its consumers. For instance, the commercial titled “Typo” describes the effect of tobacco through second hand smoke. This commercial implies that smoking is detrimental, not just to the smoker’s health, but also to citizens who are involuntarily exposed to the second hand smoke, by using rhetorical strategies in order to inform the audience false information in order to manipulate viewers from the damaging effects of tobacco.
The slogan “The Sunny Side of Truth” itself is full of rhetoric aspects that convey the viewers about the message that is being given. The title is an analogy about the industries’ manipulation through its consumers. Tobacco industries are known to hide the truth from its consumers. According to the research of nicotine and tobacco done by Geoffrey Ferris Wayne, tobacco industries has strived due to false or fabricated information. For instance, tobacco industries have claimed that tobacco’s particle sizes and inhalation pattern can reduce lung exposure. They assert that by doing these two possible tactics, there will be less exposure to hazardous substances in the smoker’s body. However, scientific industries propose that the strategy of containing inhalation patterns and manipulating particle sizes does not target less exposure to the smoker. Tobacco industries do not only offer false suggestions, but these industries are also considered to ignore the important memo about smoking. There is also a role of framing throughout the words and choice of language that the industry uses. They fail to communicate risks and harmful aspects of the drug in order to regulate the production of its products and to avoid any restrictions of tobacco production (Bero, 207). The industry has debated and manipulated several scientific method and assessment risk in order to refute official scientific studies. During the 1990s, tobacco industries launched a campaign concerning “good epidemiological sciences” and “junk science” to the public relations in order to condemn governmental intelligence and reports. In 1969, executives of tobacco industries stated that the tobacco product is known to have “doubts” because it establishes controversy to the public health and with this controversy, the executives believed that there is a way to transverse the real facts about smoking and health to the public. Since the 1950’s tobacco industries has generated several controversies concerning the health risk of its products not just to the smokers but also second hand smoke exposure.
All these false exposures to the consumers portray manipulation of its products. Tobacco companies, from the very beginning, have appealed its consumers wrongly. The industries only favor findings that serve the tobacco industry to strive instead of failing by being deceitful. This is where the slogan comes to play. It is a rhetorical analogy about the industry’s way to manipulate its consumers. “The Sunny Side of Truth” implies the truth at a better alternate. For instance, the truth is on the sunny side instead of the dark side. The truth, which in this case is unfavorable and unhealthy to consumers, is manipulated to a better and sunny side. It is similar to “sugar-coating” in a sense that the truth is a fault-finding to the industry. Therefore, a better alternative reasoning is constructed and established for the “sunny side” of the unfavorable truth.
Analogy is not only an aid to the slogan, but also the commercial itself. The commercial begins with a fact about a tobacco executive in 1971 who knew that smoking can lead to underweight babies and suggested that some women would prefer smaller babies. Then an animated stork carrying a healthy baby flies beside the man looking as if the stork has gone through an exhausting flight. The stork then claims that healthy babies wear him out. The man then proceeds with a song claiming that all women would prefer smaller babies than healthier ones. It claims that "healthy babies are just no fun, esp. when they eat a ton," and that growing healthy kids is wacko. During the song, healthy babies suddenly parades out of their incubators to dance along with the song. The babies look healthy, happy, and you can even hear their laughter. Also there are audiences who looks puzzled throughout the whole song. At the end of the commercial, the singer questioned his song and the tag line "The Sunny Side of Truth" becomes visible indicating that the truth is alleviated in order to make it appealing. The commercial itself is an analogy. Instead of telling the audience about the harm of smoking, they portray it the other way around to where the smokers will sense better about themselves. Everyone knows that smoking can cause harm even to those who involuntarily inhale the smoke of a cigarette. Smoking is even harmful to new born whose mother smoked during pregnancy. According to Maternal and Child Health Journal, smoking during pregnancy can cause side effects to the mother and to the fetus. Most mothers who smoke during the stages of their pregnancy give birth to babies who are premature and weigh less than the average birth weight. Smoking not only affects the smoker or the mother but also the new born inside her body. The “Sunny Side of Truth” commercial makes an analogy by replacing the truth with a better substitute. This analogy is similar to the wrong doings of tobacco industries. Tobacco industries keep the harmful truths about their products from the consumers, just like the commercial is keeping the actual truth from its viewers. Its audience will automatically register their mind that most women prefer smaller babies therefore smoking will be the best solution for the situation. It is almost as if the commercial is adding humor and mockery towards tobacco industries around the nation. This analogy exemplifies the tobacco industries around the nation and their act of manipulation in order to become successful even if it was to harm the consumer.
Due to the use of analogy in the commercial other rhetorical strategies are able to derive including cause and effect, comparison and contrast, and example and illustration. Although it is not an obvious stance, there is unambiguous cause and effect strategy in the commercial. It depicts that smoking tobacco is detrimental to the smoker’s health as well as citizens who are expose from second hand smoke. It’s not just the mother who is harmed from the chemical in the smoke but also the one who is involuntarily exposed or inhales from it, especially new born babies. Comparison and contrast is also another use of strategy through the commercial. It is mostly implied through the babies that are mentioned. A mother who avoids smoking during pregnancy will give birth to healthy new born while a mother who smokes during pregnancy will give birth to premature and unhealthy babies. The commercial then illustrates this by the baby that the stork carries as it enters the plaza. In addition, the dancing of healthy babies during the song exemplifies that healthy babies is much preferred through the analogy. The analogy in this commercial constructed other important rhetorical strategies needed to portray how tobacco industry can be manipulative to its consumers.
The use of rhetorical appeal is obvious throughout the commercial. First, there is an apparent use of pathos because it contorts the viewer’s emotions about newborn babies. Instead of agreeing with healthy babies, the commercial makes a conclusion that most mothers would rather prefer smaller babies. In this case, since it’s based upon smoking facts, mothers would rather prefer unhealthy or premature babies. It even is portrayed through the reaction of the stork. This will certainly lead into an uproar if the case of premature babies is much preferred. Of course in reality, mothers would much rather prefer healthy babies who have average weight. The baby analogy captures the audience’s emotions through outrageous circumstances. Also, it does not only shock the audience but it also contains humor throughout its explanation. The musical tone gives it a sarcastic mood. It is not only the song but also the dancing that makes it cynical. The ending of the commercial also suggest humor because the actor questions the song he just sang. Ethos may also play in tact with the commercial because the commercial is mainly implying that smoking can lead into harmful situation. Although the ethical appeal is not so apparent as pathos, it is evident that the commercial wants to expose tobacco consumers about its effects.
Due to the elaboration of analogy about smoking, the commercial successfully implied to its audience the harm tobacco can give through the consumers. “The Sunny Side of Truth” does not only portray how truths are merely mistaken sometimes by a better alternate but also through manipulation of the situation. For several decades, the use of manipulative tactics of tobacco industries has lead their consumers craving for more. Although many consumers know the outcome of smoking, their products are still striving because of the truth that is concealed from the consumers.
References
"About Us." Sunny Side of Truth. Truth. 25 Jan 2009 .
Bachir, Rana, and Monique Chaaya.. "Maternal Smoking: Determinants and Associated Morbidity in Two Areas in Lebanon." Maternal & Child Health Journal 12.3 (May 2008): 298-307.
Bero, Lisa A. "TOBACCO INDUSTRY MANIPULATION OF RESEARCH." Public Health Reports 120.2 (Mar. 2005): 200-208.
Wayne, Geoffrey Ferris, et al. "Tobacco industry research and efforts to manipulate smoke particle size: Implications for product regulation." Nicotine & Tobacco Research 10.6 (June 2008): 613-625.


Commercial: http://www.thetruth.com/typo.cfm

Observation 3

I learned that in order to have effective argumentation that I needed to elaborate more on what made the commercial effective. When I went back to revise my paper I realized that I needed to talk more about what the commercial did to gain a relationship with its audience to make them more relaxed, and open to suggestion. I also needed to work on making my argument clear and to the point, so the structure needed to be perfected as well.

Rhetorical Analysis Paper

Melanie Miller
Jin Liu
English 103 031
January 26, 2009
Rough Draft
Rhetoric in Target Commercial
At least 98 percent of households in America own at least one television. The number of commercials the average American views by age 65 is 2 million. The percentage of American’s who believe that “most of us buy and consume far more than we need” is 82 percent. To say that television advertising for a business would stimulate consumer spending would be an understatement. The creators of television advertisements use rhetoric to attract an audience to their product(s). In 2007 Target spent $1,195 million, in 2006 $1,170 million, and in 2005 $1,028 million. With the 2.3 percent spent from the budget on advertising a dull commercial is not to be expected from Target. With thirty seconds to win over consumers, Target uses several rhetorical strategies in their “A Beautiful World” commercial. Through Target’s commercial they send a message to a large audience that they have stylish products that are practical necessities. The narrator is a Target representing their products with a concerned voice for the audience’s best welfare.
Throughout the commercial the music is fresh and uplifting. The audience will feel the optimistic tone given in the Target commercial and will be relaxed about the oncoming thirty seconds. The song is also called “A Beautiful World” which uses sound imagery and obviously compliments the new stylish image that Target has been using to gain more of a higher class audience. As the commercial unfolds, the audience will be aesthetically pleased with attractive, bright colors. It is important for the commercial to not be dull to keep the audience’s attention. Products are aligned in interesting angles and positions. Target made use of out of the ordinary transitions from scene to scene. The products are constantly in motion which enhances the upbeat imagery of the commercial. Choosing good-looking actors to take part in the commercial helped as well. The modern attractive style of the commercial creates an alluring image of the store, making it stand out from its competitors.
The characters include an older, several studious-looking men, a pregnant mother, several attractive young women, a couple, an athletic man, and an older woman. The variety of actors shown in the commercial appeals to the audience’s Pathos. The audience will feel like they can relate to the actors in the commercial and will now feel that they belong in Target along with whichever they associate themselves with. The actors are also well dressed which plays on Target’s new status that is appealing to a higher class that will be willing to shop at Target. The attractiveness of several characters will cause the audience to want to align themselves with the sort of group that would shop at Target. The age representation, the couple, and the pregnant mother will ensure that these types of people will also feel the need to bring their business to the shop. The studious looking actors will build a trust for Target as a smart place for consumers to shop. External Ethos is also a technique used to create a trusting relationship with the consumers and Target. Gaining this stylish image builds on Target’s credibility.
Throughout the commercial there are several scenes in which a key phrase is inserted. The first phrase is “Form Meet Function.” What this phrase is highlighting the panache of Target, but also how they carry necessities. This should give the audience the impression that there isn’t a reason that they should not make the trip to the store. The next phrase that appears in a later scene is “Play it Safe.” This is another ethical appeal to make the audience trust the Target store. This has a universal appeal since for the most part people would be concerned with their own and their families’ safety. The next phrase that materializes on the screen is “Love Your Mother Earth.” With recent movement towards creating a cleaner, less-polluted world the cause-loving consumers will be pleased with this idea. This also appeals to the audience’s pathos with the emotions that would be evoked from the earth-friendly cause. The next line that appears is “Think Outside the Box.” This will attract the less-traditional consumers that will be concerned with the availability and variety offered by their favorite store. The final line that is highlighted on the screen is “Design for All.” This line wraps up the commercial reaching out to the widest audience for Target while ‘design’ will give the stylish image to help with competition. With how the phrases are structured also can be considered to be wrapped up in the final phrase using a climax effect. The diction used in the phrases throughout the commercial appears to be conversational which adds more to the relatable feeling of the actors and the general consumer.
Every product that appears on the screen is available by Target and the division of the products defines their usefulness. The first man is using the studious man sits in the spinning chair and opens his laptop. The next woman is revolving, like the chair but at a slower speed. A modern-looking cone shaped vacuum appears and grows while a woman grabs it and vacuums the floor. The next couple move patterned squares across the floor and then lay down when they are satisfied. To pick the speed up a man bikes across the screen and then is filmed in the background of a spinning tire. Then three colorful circles revolve into three rotating prescription bottles. A corn appears with the husk unraveling in a around it. The corn then morphs in a rectangle which turns out to be a Swiffer pushed by a woman. The scene outside where the woman is cleaning is very natural and continues into the next scene around the tranquil appearing bed another woman is laying in. The scene moves to products appearing in a basket that is then handled and circled around a modern looking woman. The next scene is a man pouring chips down into a bowl which transitions to the next scene with a ladder rising. The woman picks up the ladder as it collapses again and the scene is ended with Target’s logo and their trademark “Expect more. Pay less.” These transitions compliment the style of target and play with a neat visual appeal that makes the normally average products offered give the impression of being modern.
Target’s competitors include Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Costco Resale. This division of stores is in the discount industry. To separate themselves from the competitors, Target needs to convince their audience that they have a higher status, but still contain affordable prices. With the ad’s narrative, interesting and attractive appearance, calming music and variety of stylish characters the Target commercial “A Beautiful World” accomplishes attracting a large audience. Target stands out from their competitors through their advertising. After watching this commercial audiences will tend to build a trusting relationship with them and target. The commercial also lets consumers know that they will find products that they will need at Target, so the trip to the store will be worth their time.


Works Cited

“Bullseye: Target’s Cheap Chic Strategy.” Harvard Business School Worker Knowledge for Business Leaders. 16 August 2004. 24 January 2009 < http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4319.html>

“Target Commercial a Beautiful World.” Target. Youtube.com. 2008. 24 January 2009 < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSryPy-ZtVk>

“Target Competitors.” Hoovers. 2009. 24 January 2009 < http://www.hoovers.com/target/--ID__10440--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml>

“Target Corporation Annual Report 2007: Advertising Costs” Target Corporation Annual Report 2007. 2008. 24 January 2009 < http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/65/65828/reports/Target07AR_FINAL_OnlineVersion.pdf>

Bethani Cooley
January 26, 2009

Verbal Abuse: How it affects people

What do you consider abuse? Would you say that a husband threatening to kill his wife because she did not cook what he wanted for dinner to be abuse? What about a husband raping his wife because of her refusing to have sex with him? What about someone you care about threatening to slit your throat with a knife because they are tired of dealing with you? All of these examples are considered types of abuse (Porter). Though, some of these examples are a bit extreme, do not think that these words have never been spoken before. Normal, everyday people deal with all types of abuse in today’s society.
Physical, verbal, sexual, and psychological abuse all represent forms of abuse (Patricelli). When these categories of abuse are compared, a point is always made that all types of abuse are significant and should by no means be ignored. In an advertisement used to represent how verbal and physical abuses are related, the picture describes just that. The picture suggests that someone yelling in a cruel manner can be very much considered abuse. It is not fair for either men or women to deal with this type of abuse which is verbal in a relationship.

Physical, verbal, sexual, and psychological abuses all affect people, which eventually, if not immediately, result negatively. Physical abuse is when one uses intimidation with physical action through actual pain or threat. Examples of physical abuse involve extreme physical beatings such as punching, kicking, hair pulling, etc. Other instances can be as simple as a slap or light push. Regardless, when these actions are used to hurt someone, it is considered physical abuse. When someone is sexually abused, the instance can be classified when any types of sexual contact are not wanted or agreed upon by the victim. Force is the important point that distinguishes wanted sex and unwanted sex. Psychological abuse, also known as mental and emotional abuse, is when the abuser controls his or her victim through manipulation. In most cases, the victim is controlled by information the abuser is holding over there head or simply even tricked to have different beliefs in their understanding of reality (Patricelli).

Verbal abuse is what this advertisement represents. This type of abuse is when someone uses offensive words or body language to show their disapproval to another person. Though, for many, verbal abuse is hard to recognize, which makes it very dangerous because it can cause this kind of abuse to last for long periods of time. This type of mistreatment can lead to low self-esteem and loss of self worth which no one should have to deal with (Anderson). Though, there is no doubt that physical abuse life-threatening, but the hurt involved with verbal and physical abuse equal could eventually, if severe, have the same outcome.

In this advertisement used to represent how verbal and physical are alike, the picture involves both a man and a woman. The man is apparently yelling at the woman which helps you understand this example is verbal. Coming out of this man’s mouth is an actual arm, which is pulling the woman’s hair, causing her to scream in a painful manner. This picture is kind of hard to look at, considering the harm the woman is obviously feeling. This important aspect of the picture is a good example of how the advertiser used pathos, which is one type of rhetorical appeal. The woman is showing emotion and the man is using unnecessary language towards her. If this picture had not had the arm coming out of the man’s mouth, it would have been an advertisement for physical abuse. Though, the intent of this ad was to represent how verbal abuse, such as yelling, ‘put downs’, and even name-calling are all hurtful to the person you direct them towards. The hand represents the words being spoken to the women, which are obviously disruptive and hurtful. As you can see, the woman is actually standing there and taking this abuse. This is often what happens when verbal abuse is occurring. The one that is being abusing most of the time simply takes it, because they feel as if it is something they deserve and should have to deal with to stay in a relationship with someone. The firm grip of the man’s hand indicates the power that he has within this relationship. He has a firm grip on her, and feels that no matter how hard he pulls, she will stand there and continue to deal with the abuse. The power and authority that his arm represents is a good example of ethos, which is another type of rhetorical appeal. His actions indicate his character in which he obviously relies on authority.

I think with this advertisement we have be careful not to categorize men as the only ones who verbally abuse. Parents can verbally abuse their children, and even females can be dominant in their relationship and abuse their significant other. I think they used the relationship example because it is most common for the man to be dominant of the female and actually perform this abuse. Many men feel like if they do not hit a woman, then it is not considered abuse, but they are very wrong.

At the bottom of this ad, there is writing which is intended for those who are being abused and are looking for help. The writing states, “Verbal abuse can be just as horrific. But you don’t have to suffer in silence. Call the Aware Helpline for advice and support. Monday to Friday 3 PM to 11 PM. 1-800-734-3386.” This advertisement is definitely directed towards society to help people realize that they themselves could be suffering from verbal abuse and not be aware of it. Many people suffer from it and want to get help but don’t know where to go. I think this advertisement did a good job reaching out to society as a place where people can talk about what they are dealing with. I think there should be more social awareness of verbal abuse. As for now, the best way to help others is to be supportive to their problems by listening and making sure that we ourselves are not practicing this type of abuse towards the people we care about, or on anyone for that matter. If you know someone who is suffering from abuse, please act now, before it is too late.

Porter, Allison. “Examples of Abuse.” Hidden Abuse: Hidden Abuse Information. 2006. 23 Jan. 2009 http://www.hiddenhurt.co.uk/Types/example.htm

Patricelli, Kathryn. “Types of Abuse.” Mental Help. 14 Dec. 2005. 23 Jan. 2009 http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=8476&cn=2

Anderson, Kerby. “Verbal Abuse.” U Membership. 14 July 2002. Probe Ministries. 23 Jan 2009 http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/verbalabuse.html

Verbal Abuse. Aware Helpline, Singapore. 2008. 23 Jan. 2009 http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://osocio.org/images/uploads/aware-helpline-verbal1_thumb.jpg&imgrefurl=http://osocio.org/message/verbal_abuse_can_be_just_as_horrific/&usg=__XIxy_K3I_BYUYv57ONOSWQC9jwc=&h=331&w=468&sz=28&hl=en&start=9&um=1&tbnid=rgS3IkT6H_JDLM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dverbal%2Babuse%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26rlz%3D1T4ADBF_enUS265US267%26sa%3DN

Observation 3 - Benji

An effective argument requires a good observation, analysis, and structure. While revising my paper I added more detail to the analysis. I looked more in depth at the word choice, color, and music that was used in the infomercial that I analyzed. To improve the analysis of the paper I talked more about the five cannons of rhetoric. By doing this I was able to lengthen my paper, add more analysis, and include more rhetorical wording. To improve the structure of my paper I revised the introduction and conclusion. These are the two most important parts of a paper because they are the most closely read. I added more detail to my introduction and made the thesis sentence flow more smoothly. I also made sure to sum up the answeres to all of the questions in my paper in the conclusion. Another point of concern was citation. I made sure to cite all of the sources that I used in the paper, including the infomercial and the text book including the five cannons of rhetoric.

observation 3=jordan

As i went back to start revising my draft, i realized that i needed to spend the majority of the time making sure that i was being more detailed in my thoughts and opinions about the commercial i chose.  I needed to go more in-depth, describing more about the tone, audience's reaction, etc.  This would help to support my thesis and give more evidence to back it up.  Also, the length was a little short, and so i needed to decide how i was going to make the essay the minimum length it was suppose to be.  Another thing i decided to do was to add in more observation from the commercial and tell what exactly happens so that when readers read the analysis of it, they know what i am talking about.

Hey bloggers

I bet you guys want to know what I learned from reading your papers. Well I learned that organization is key to an effective argument. You could have the best topic in the world, but if your support isn't organized, no one will understand or take anything out of your paper. Also, I learned that personal analysis is very important in writing a paper on a small topic like this. There's no way anyone could bump out 1500 words by simply summarizing his or her 30 second commercial. In high school my teacher always stressed to not summarize but incite emotion in the reader with your own personal beliefs and "voice". In my next draft I will certainly incorporate this strategy.

I hope you guys have a safe Wedbesday
Love,
Steven

P.S. Tupac lives

Steve - Visual Rhetoric Assignment

Steven Demaras

January 26, 2009

Visual Rhetoric in an Animal Shelter Commercial

Rhetoric and other acts of persuasion play a huge role in modern day society, especially with the ever-growing capitalistic attitude to which Americans have come to ad heed. Every organization is attempting to show their product or service in a favorable way. Television commercials are an extremely effective way of using rhetoric to try to persuade the viewer to purchase or consume a product. A commercial can show any kind of rhetoric that the creator chooses. They can invoke real human emotions, or pathos, in the audience by showing real, live people or animals in life-like situations. A commercial which does use pathos to try to get its message across is an advertisement for a homeless shelter for animals, as several human emotions are invoked by the sight of abandoned and unfortunate animals in life-like situations.

The commercial begins by showing a dog with its family. The advertisement makes it obvious that the dog is loved and is extremely happy in its current situation, as it receives much attention from its human companions. The family and dog are outside and it is a bright sunny day (the colors are bright, showing happiness). Subsequently, another similar-looking dog appears on the screen in what appears to be a cage. The dog is alone in a dark, gloomy-looking room (dark/gloomy colors, showing sadness and bleakness) and looks miserable and depressed. A voice proceeds to tell the audience that the only difference between these two animals is a home. The commercial is invoking a sense of sadness and sympathy in the audience in the hopes of persuading them to go out and save an abandoned animal. The viewer feels sadness for the animal and proceeds to feel guilt for not doing anything for the animal. This is a terrific example of pathos, as a human emotion is aroused by this particular section in the commercial.

Following this part of the commercial is the section in which other unfortunate animals are shown looking miserable and sad. There are dogs and cats that are very healthy looking, but lonely and sluggish. Again, the commercial is playing on the human emotion of sympathy, a powerful emotion which causes people to not think clearly in certain situations. The guilt emotion is further enhanced later when the commercial shows a little girl walking out of the shelter with a new kitten. The audience sees the little girl with her new pet, and feels guilt for not taking similar action. Sympathy and guilt are two emotions which are extremely effective when an author wants to use rhetoric to persuade an audience because they are two emotions that every human being in the world has felt. Anyone who sees this commercial will feel these two emotions, though the level to which someone will act on them differs. One person may feel very little sympathy or guilt, while another person may be so moved that he or she will go to the shelter and adopt an animal as soon as possible. The goal of the author of the commercial is to put the viewer in a situation to do the latter.

The commercial concludes by attempting to raise awareness for the mistreatment of household animals such as dogs and cats. Visual images of abused cats and dogs with missing paws or eyes or entire legs are presented. The audience is intended to have a feeling of disgust and anger towards anyone who would do such a thing to a helpless animal. At this point in the commercial the author is trying to persuade the audience to contribute to a charity sponsored by the actual shelter. It was mentioned before that rhetoric is used for economic advancement in this capitalistic society in America, and this is a perfect example. The author is using human emotions felt by the audience to try to make money (perhaps for a good cause, but make money nevertheless). This is what most rhetoric found in commercials is trying to do, and though seemingly sad and depressing, it is what makes America’s economy run.

All arguments (rhetoric) that are presented in the commercial seem to be for a great cause; however, upon further investigation it is found that the organization is actually trying to squeeze money out of people. The commercial tries to cover up this grim fact with its presentation of pathos rhetoric. These days, it seems that most pathos rhetoric is used in similar situations. Authors are using rhetoric to cover up their capitalistic intentions. This animal homeless shelter commercial is a good example, as it plays on several human emotions that invoke powerful feelings for some people subjected to it.

Visual Rhetoric

Kristen Bouchillon
English 103
Liu Jin
January 26, 2009

Mac vs. PC

With new technology, there becomes increasing competition between companies selling similar products. The best way for a company to get people to notice their products would is to advertise. In this particular commercial, a Mac computer and a PC go head-to-head arguing over which one is the better computer. The Mac starts out by saying that he does everything a PC does, just better and faster. The PC gets highly offended with this statement and gets so infuriated that the PC “blows up” in a figurative way. Through different rhetorical strategies, the Mac computer tries to persuade the audience that it is the better computer of the two, causing the PC to explode with anger, giving the audience a pathetic appeal to the true nature of the PC.

The commercial begins with two guys standing in front of a white backdrop. One guy is a personified PC and the other is a personified Mac computer. The Mac begins by introducing each other then goes on to say that he is better and faster than the PC. The PC then becomes fed up with all the talk of how awesome Mac’s are, causing the PC to be overload and explode in anger. The commercial ends with the line “Mac…they won’t blow up on you,” to signify how PC’s will crash under too much pressure.

The commercial aims to get the attention of young adults and teenagers, and persuade them to buy the Mac. Most of the older generations look for a quality computer, not just a stylish one. However, the classy and stylish computers tend to be more appealing to the younger generation who goes for the looks and not necessarily the quality. The commercial is trying to persuade consumers that the Mac is a far better computer to purchase than the PC. In this attempt to persuade the people, the commercial also serves as a way to entertain the viewers with comical drama scene that plays out between the two computers.

This particular type of commercial doesn’t present all the facts about each computer and adds a little humor providing a perfect way to grab the younger viewer’s attention. Even though the background is just a white back-drop, it draws the viewer’s eyes to the actors who are the personified computers. Notice that the Mac only says one sentence and in that sentence states that he is better and faster than the PC. It only takes that one sentence to cause the PC to “blow up” in anger. That one sentence is all it takes to draw people to a Mac and away from a PC. Without giving all the facts, it helps to focus the viewer’s attention on this simple drama in an attempt to persuade the viewers to buy the Mac.

This commercial uses a pathetic appeal to grab the viewer’s attention. By using a humorous approach, the viewer’s are pulled into the commercial, hanging on the words and actions of the PC waiting to see what happens next. The way the Mac speaks so confidently when saying he is better and faster than the PC is another example of pathos found in the commercial. The matter-of-fact tone the Mac uses appeals to the audience by giving them a sense of reassurance in the quality of the Mac. Once the PC goes off on his rampage, the Mac attempts to pat the PC on the shoulder to get him to calm down, but the PC jerks away in anger saying not to touch him. The Mac is attempting to use pathos to get the PC to cool down and not get upset, but it seems to be too little too late.

This commercial is a perfect example of exaggerated ethos through parody. Even though the commercial resembles the official commercials from Mac, this one is actually a commercial produced for a class project made to give the impression of the real commercials. It is used to imitate the official Mac commercials, but by doing this, the students producing the commercial end up putting adding some of their character. The author’s character is seen in the personified versions of the Mac and the PC, using ethos to establish the credibility of the speaker. For example, the tone the Mac uses gives the viewer a feeling of reliability.

The student’s who produced this commercial, first had to come up with the idea and theme to use for their video. Taking this invention, students had to arrange the commercial into a way that will be the most effective to get their point across. This organization will need to be expressed through a particular style. When the group of student’s determined the invented ideas and style, they used memory to retain the invented ideas and recall the additional supporting ideas. After everything was settled and determined, the group has to determine the way to deliver the ideas and themes that help to persuade the audience. The goal of this particular commercial is to sway the audience and persuade them that Mac’s truly are a better computer than PC’s. They are able to accomplish with very little acting and a very simple plot line.

There were not many facts used in the production of this commercial. It relied heavily on the use of pathos and ethos. However the commercial used some examples of logos as well. The ending statement that said “Mac, they won’t blow up on you,” gives the underlying message of the whole commercial. When the PC has had enough with the Mac’s boasting, he “blows up” in anger and rages on about how he can’t take the comments anymore. This logos is interpreted to mean the PC can’t handle any excess stress or data. Once a PC becomes overloaded with information, it goes into meltdown mode and “blows up.” The meaning that the commercial is trying to get across to its viewers is that Mac can manage the large amounts of data and programs without “blowing up”.

Many different rhetorical strategies were used in this commercial to portray the Mac superior abilities compared to the PC. The whole commercial is a short narration between a Mac and a PC. The Mac and PC start out in casual conversation, but a short sentence from the Mac sends the PC spiraling into an anger outburst. This short narration is a useful tool in getting the attention of the younger readers. Comparison and contrast is also used to give a quick glimpse at the differences in the two computers. Not many facts are given, but there are not necessarily needed. The personalities and conversations of the Mac and the PC are enough to give the viewers a personified view of the two computers.

An analogy is used to give the underlying message of the commercial. “Mac…they never blow up on you” is demonstrated by the way the PC “blows up” in anger. This is used to refer to how a Mac computer is not going to blow up and crash on you like a PC will. The people also used the rhetorical strategy know as process to help persuade the viewers against the PC in this case. By showing the PC exploding in anger at a simple statement from the Mac, it shows how the PC is known to work. Once too much “stress” or information is put on a PC, the computer will “blow up” and crash. Rather than showing how the Mac works through process, the ad gives a great example of how the other brand, the PC, works. This puts a twist on a great rhetorical strategy.
This particular remake of a Mac versus PC commercial is a great example of the many rhetorical strategies and arguments. By using a simple comedic drama played out between two men acting as a personified computer, the commercial was able to persuade viewers into believing that the Mac seems to be a more reliable computer. No fancy words or large amounts of data and facts were needed to get the message out to the public that a Mac is better. The statement at the very end of the commercial was a great wrap up to show the viewers that PC are an unreliable computer that could potentially “blow up” when it gets worn out from dealing with all the stress that is put on it.

When a company faces a competing company, usually the winner is the one who is best able to persuade the viewers that their product is the best. In this commercial, the PC’s anger outburst was enough to cause the viewers to look down on the PC and think that the Mac’s are a better computer. The Mac’s cool manner and matter-of-fact tone was a very useful tool in helping to persuade the viewers of the Mac’s reliability and style. There are always two sides of every argument, but the winner is the always one who is best able to persuade the audience of their views.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQbKVUp34v0&feature=related




Works Cited
YouTube. "Mac vs. PC video." YouTube. 20 January 2009 .

Rhetoric Assignment

The Use of Rhetoric in “Can I Borrow Some Socks” by: ESPN
In a SportsCenter commercial by ESPN, one of the most well known anchors of the show, Scott Van Pelt, is shown dripping from head to toe and gives a borrowed headband back to famous basketball player, Carmello Anthony, who is proclaims “It’s soaked,” to which Van Pelt replies that it was a tough show. When Van Pelt then asks to borrow a pair of socks Anthony makes up an excuse and says that he does not have any. This commercial is specifically targeted to a sports audience with a good sense of humor, and uses the context of the scene to appeal to their audience using Logos, and Pathos. The purpose of the commercial is to instill a relationship with its audience that the Sportscenter anchors know what they are talking about by implying that they work and associate with famous players everyday in the office. Sportscenter believes that if they are able to create a relationship with their audience that will make the audience more comfortable and trusting towards the program in general. They are building themselves up to be experts in the field of sports so that their audience will trust them over any regular sports program. The ultimate purpose of the Sportscenter commercial by ESPN is to appeal to the audience's emotions by creating a playful joke, and using a respected basketball player who carries a positive connotation, but at the same time appeal to the audience using Logos by proving that they are worthy of much respect in their field of knowledge because they associate with famous athletes in their office every day.
ESPN is able to appeal to the audience’s emotions by creating comic relief. This is an extremely underestimated tactic when it comes to analyzing rhetoric in television commercials. By throwing in a little bit of humor the commercial is able to put the audience in a position of relaxation. ESPN is able to establish a relationship with the audience that they are ordinary. They are able to appeal to the common person who does not take life too seriously. By creating this relationship ESPN is able to appeal to people’s emotions using Pathos. The pathos in the commercial are able to break the ice, and right off the bat the audience is more accepting to the endorsed product, which is in this case the show SportsCenter. Whether the audience knows it or not, the commercial is able to break the barrier of skepticism and judgment that plagues so many other commercials. Without the comic relief the audience can be left to write the commercial off, as another scam, or worthless product, produced by someone so far from reality, that they do not know what the people want. Using the joke in the commercial allows ESPN to directly relate to an audience that wants to be entertained. The people who are watching ESPN are not looking to be politically informed about their next president, they are not looking to find out the weather for the next day, and they certainly are not wrapped up in a sappy soap opera. The audience of ESPN is a predominantly male one, of guys all over the country who are looking to be entertained. One of the reasons ESPN has become so successful is its ability to keep in touch, and keep a relationship with its audience, who identifies the station as a witty relaxed program that knows what its people want, and with the use of Pathos in this commercial the television station is able to keep that close relationship with its viewers.
Another way that ESPN is able to directly target its viewers is by using star appeal in the form of young NBA superstar, Carmello Anthony. Carmello Anthony makes over $14,000,000 dollars a year, has made almost 300 three point shots in his career, and averages 24.2 points a game (ESPN.com). Carmello Anthony has been to All-Star games, has won the college basketball national title, and was the third pick overall in the 2003 NBA draft, as a lottery choice to the Denver Nuggets. This twenty-four year old up and coming phenomenon is someone that people are amazed by, and baffled by. So when ESPN is able to harness that interest and show Anthony in their commercial it grabs the audience’s attention. People are excited to see such a famous athlete, with such physical presence which demands enormous amount of attention from all sports fans. So when Carmello Anthony talks, the audience listens. There is no better way to grab a sports fanatic’s attention then to throw someone as widely known, and who carries as much fame as Carmello Anthony, who led his team in points in his first season in the NBA. The association that Carmello carries also entices a younger audience to buy into the fact that SportsCenter is a new age show that is innovative, even though the show has been around for a few decades. The star appeal that Carmello Anthony brings to the table in this commercial uses Pathos to use the audiences emotions to force them to think compulsively and even if they do not notice the audience is buying into the fact, in the back of their head, that since Carmello Anthony associates with these men then the show they are producing must be worth watching.
ESPN also uses Ethos in their commercial to make it seem only decent that they be trusted to bring the people the sports coverage that they want and need. ESPN assumes that they are the only one that should have that certain responsibility because only the best sports anchors, the ones that hang out with professional athletes day in and day out, should be instilled with the reliance of all sports lovers across the nation
The last thing that ESPN does to try to sway the audience in their favor is to utilize the use of Logos to make it seem rational, that their show “SportsCenter” is the best fit to suit their sports viewing needs. With the association of Carmello Anthony, and the fact that Scott Van Pelt, is getting ready to go “out back” and play basketball, ESPN is trying to sway the audience to think that their entire lives are engulfed in the world of sports. In fact ESPN often claims that they are “The World Wide Leader in Sports” a phrase that, when you really dissect it means nothing at all. But the association that they have with world renowned athletes in their series of commercials, has become famous, and it is a Logo that they use to play with people’s sense of reason, and they are able to achieve a sense of logical approach to being the best in sports, because they hang out with athletes like Manny Ramirez, Chris Paul, and Roger Federer, every day at their place of work. So not only do they work on researching sports all day, but the people who are the best at the sports that they cover, call the studios of ESPN and SportsCenter, their home.
In a SportsCenter commercial by ESPN, one of the most well known anchors of the show, Scott Van Pelt, is shown dripping from head to toe and gives a borrowed headband back to famous basketball player, Carmello Anthony, who is proclaims “It’s soaked,” to which Van Pelt replies that it was a tough show. When Van Pelt then asks to borrow a pair of socks Anthony makes up an excuse and says that he does not have any. This commercial is specifically targeted to a sports audience with a good sense of humor, and uses the context of the scene to appeal to their audience using Logos, and Pathos. The purpose of the commercial is to instill a relationship with its audience that the Sportscenter anchors know what they are talking about by implying that they work and associate with famous players everyday in the office. Sportscenter believes that if they are able to create a relationship with their audience that will make the audience more comfortable and trusting towards the program in general. They are building themselves up to be experts in the field of sports so that their audience will trust them over any regular sports program. The ultimate purpose of the Sportscenter commercial by ESPN is to appeal to the audience's emotions by creating a playful joke, and using a respected basketball player who carries a positive connotation, but at the same time appeal to the audience using Logos by proving that they are worthy of much respect in their field of knowledge because they associate with famous athletes in their office every day. Logos, Pathos, and Ethos are effectively used throughout the commercial to achieve a full effect of logic, emotional attachment, and a certain “back of the head” trust with their audience. The biggest thing that ESPN is able to do in their series of SportsCenter commercials is to know their audience and target them correctly using a distinct purpose and method of persuasion, which is why they are able to so effectively be “The World Wide Leader in Sports”.

















Works Cited
ESPN.com http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/players/hollinger?playerId=1975&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2fplayers%2fhollinger%3fplayerId%3d1975

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Observation 3

To write an effective argumentation paper a lot of components are necessary. One thing that is a definite is to have a well developed thesis that allows you to make a successful argumentation using more than one argument. The use of rhetorical strategies should be present and obvious. It is good to use rhetorical strategies to show the depth of you paper and to show your understanding of your thesis and that you know how to appropriately argue it. Also the way you structure your paper has a definite impact on how persuasive the paper will be. There is no one set way as to exactly how the paper should be structured but depending on what you're trying to argue and how you are trying to argue it several different methods can be appropriate.

visual rhetoric essay

Jordan Reavis

25 January 2009

English 103

Above the Influence

            The “Above the Influence” commercials are used as a way to open viewer’s eyes and realize the consequences of poor decision-making, such as drinking irresponsibly, doing drugs, giving in to pressure, etc.  The perspective these commercials are trying to promote is one that shows viewers that the best decision they can make is to live “above the influence” by choosing to make good choices and making something out of your life instead of throwing it away.  In the commercial chosen, a girl has given in to pressure by doing everything that would make her “fit in.”  From doing drugs to making sure she does anything to keep her popular, the girl relates to teenagers who face these very same issues everyday.  This particular “Above the Influence” commercial implies that giving in to pressure is harmful to a person’s way of living and affects a person both emotionally and physically, informing viewers of the harsh effects of peer pressure.

            In this commercial, there are several strategies of argumentation used in order to establish a valid point and influence the audience to believe the reality of this scenario and that it could easily be one of them that this happens to.  Cause and effect is a significant strategy used in order to give the commercial credibility.  By giving in to pressure, she has caused herself harm, not only to her physical appearance but also to her personality and who she is now as a person.  Analogy is another strategy used to portray the effects of pressure.  The girl’s appearance is an analogy to what has happened to her since she has started to give in under pressure.  She looks “smushed,” and is shorter than she says she used to be.  When asked what happened and why she is not as tall as she used to be, her response is that pressure happened.  Her physical appearance shows viewers how it feels to be under a lot of pressure and the effects it has.  It is not used to say that someone will become shorter if they begin to give in to pressure, but is used to portray the struggles one has, feeling as if they are being weighed down all the time by the decisions they choose to make because of pressure.  The commercial as a whole is a narration, with the girl telling her story and why she is the way she is now, and what has become of her since being under pressure and choosing to make poor decisions.  Illustration plays a big role in the commercial because her appearance effectively gives viewers a sense of what they may feel like if it were to happen to them.  Her appearance makes a powerful statement to viewers, allowing them to visualize the consequences, both physically and mentally, establishing a strong point that pressure can have a major affect on your life if not dealt with in the right way.  This particular commercial effectively uses these specific strategies to create a sense of credibility about the commercial and have an emotional and ethical appeal to the audience viewing it.

            The message being made in the commercial has a powerful impact on viewers as they begin to understand the effects pressure can have on someone.  By using a teenager, this commercial creates a powerful sense of emotion and has a strong impact on that general age group.  Choosing to use a teenager in the commercial was a good way to influence many viewers because typically these types of pressures are most evident in the teenage years.  Also, by using a “typical” person instead of a celebrity or someone well known created a stronger relationship between the message and the person watching because it shows that giving in under pressure can happen to anyone and is an issue faced by many everyday.  The girl in the commercial gave reasons as to what kinds of pressure she was put under: being so cool that she did whatever it took, getting high, drinking, etc.  Merely stating specific reasons that are typical to most teenagers being placed under pressure helps to relate to viewers watching.  Teenagers are a large group of the population in the nation, and by putting this commercial out there, it shows teenagers that others know what they are being put under and are here to state that they can choose to not give in and stay strong and make a change in their life.  This emotional appeal creates the ethos found in the commercial, and influences viewers to listen to what is being said and de cide to make a change.  The symbol used by these commercials creates an ethical appeal to viewers.  The up arrow surrounded by the circle, with the website written beside it is a known symbol to people everywhere.  There is a website set up for teenagers and others to visit to have their questions answered, to learn about the effects of drugs, alcohol, pressure, etc.  These commercials and ads sponsored by the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign establish a sense of credibility, and give viewers a reason as to why they should believe what is being told to them.  The symbol also reminds people that they can live above the influence and do not have to go down the wrong path and can ultimately choose how they want their life to be.  Using ethos and pathos gives the commercial both a more powerful message and credibility, persuading viewers to listen and take a stance to make right choices.

            To create persuasive communication to viewers, the commercial uses the canons of rhetoric effectively to further establish a significant point being made by the ones who made the commercial.  The commercial is arranged in a cause-effect style, by first stating why she is like she is now and what has become of it.  This is effective in this type of commercial because it is trying to get viewers to understand the harms pressure can cause to them both physically and mentally.  In the beginning she states that pressure is the cause of her “shortness” and then goes in to detail by giving examples of the impact this has had on her life.  Arranging the commercial this way is a powerful tool because shows how progressively worse being under pressure becomes and that it will only keep being harmful to them if nothing is done about it.  Dealing with style, the commercial uses simple language, so that any viewer would understand what is being talked about.  There is also a serious tone to the commercial; it is not meant to be humorous in any way, and is specifically meant to get across a major point dealing with a serious issue.  This style is effective for the message trying to be made because it is a serious problem dealt by many everyday, and if it were a more humorous tone, viewers would not take it as seriously.  The delivery of the commercial is effective in that it reinforces the idea to people that pressure is not something to be taken lightly and that what may come from it could potentially harm your future.  “Above the Influence” commercials are beneficial to the media, and help prove a point that something can be done about it when many believe that they cannot change the problem.

            Overall, the purpose of these types of commercials is to inform the audience about the effects of major issues facing teenagers and others everyday.  The commercials are used as a way to promote viewers to know that there are people out there to help, and that they can choose a different path than one that will lead them to harm their life and its future.  In particular, this commercial is used to show one the effects pressure has on a person, and that it is not something they want to have to deal with.  By giving in to the peer pressure around her, the girl in the commercial felt as if she had been weighed down, with all the pressures making her “shorter” because she could not push through them and be above them.  The ones making the commercial are trying to get viewers to realize that they do not want to be like that and should choose to live a healthy life by living “above the influence,” ridding them of the harms pressure can have on them both emotionally and physically.  Easily the audience is persuaded to not choose the path the girl from the commercial picked.  This commercial was effective in promoting a message to anyone that choosing to make good decisions will lead them to a happier and healthier way of living, and will be beneficial to them in long run to live “above the influence” from pressure and other issues they may be faced with.

            

Observation 3

It was easy to revise my rough draft for my rhetorical analysis paper ofter our class had met on Monday to discuss possible revisions. I wanted to make sure that all I had to say in my paper was credible and could be in fact the truth. I went back to my paper and made sure that I had definitions and summaries on the different rhetorical strategies and appeals. I had three main strategies that were incorporated into the advertisement. I wanted to make sure that all three of those strategies were defined in my paper so the reader would know what I was talking about and also would be able to comprehend were I was going in the paper. Also the rhetorical appeals were added to my paper after Monday's class because the appeals show how the audience can be effect by the visual text. I would tell which rhetorical appeal was developed through the use of particular rhetorical strategies in the advertisement. Each appeal was defined in my paper so that the reader would be able to understand my credibility. Besides definitions the arrangement of my paper was a big concern. It is important that the paper flows and is not jumping around to much. If the paper flows well then it will be easier for the reader to comprehend and not get lost in the writing. Those are some of the revisions I made after our class met and discussed on Monday.

Observation 3- Bethani

As I want back to revise my first draft, I wanted to make sure that I put more detail and make into my topic. I wanted to be more specific so that my readers would understand what I was talking about. In my first draft I had three really long paragraphs and I know that it was incorrect. I went back and made sure that I separated my thoughts and made them more clear. I also had to go back and put my works cited within my paper. Though, honestly, I was not sure as to exactly how to do this so i know I will need to get some help to make sure I did this correctly and throughout the paper accurately. This topic is very significant in today's world so I definitely went back and put more intelligent words in this paper so that people would not take this subject lightly. I do think I need to put more rhetorical terms and definitions in my paper because the readers need to understand the purpose of my writing.

Observation 3- Julia

After reflecting on my Visual Rhetoric assignment, I had a good idea of what needed to be revised in my paper. One revision that I made was to add more details to the observation of the advertisement that I chose to study. Because my ad was a photograph and not a commercial, it was somewhat difficult to add more details to something that was not very complex. However, after doing some more research, I found some useful ways to add details to my observation such as the colors used in the ad, how the audience would react to this ad, word choice, and other strategies. I feel that I made good use of rhetorical terms and also made reference frequently to rhetorical strategies although I could elaborate more on this as well. I also found that I needed to research more, not just use my textbook for reference which was a great asset to my revision.

Observation 3

I learned a lot about building an argument both through reading others' papers and through revising my own. In my paper I had included a lot of observation and not a lot of analysis. So, I went back and tried to add more analysis to balance it out. In reading other people's papers, I observed how they built their arguments by balancing observation with analysis. For example, Benji's paper helped me to better understand how to analyze the commercial in more detail, using the rhetorical strategies used in the commercial as well as describing the audience's reaction.
I also focused on the structure of my paper making sure that my argument was well introduced in the beginning and then summarized without repeating at the end. I also made sure that the organization of my essay made sense. Hopefully now it will be an all around better essay that makes more sense.

Observation 3

In order to make an effective argumentation in your paper, there are several strategies and techniques you can use. One of the most important things would be to have an effective thesis that contains a lot of details and provides insight into what the paper is going to be about. By using a lot of rhetorical strategies and rhetorical terms, the reader will be able to get a better view of the way the commercial is being analyzed. This can be used to draw the reader to your side of the argument. Structure is also very important. The layout of the paper is what keeps the reader attention. State the main details at the beginning of the paper and restate the main points throughout the paper using lots of details and examples. For my paper, I had to go back through and restructure the paper making sure it was clear. I also had to rearrange a lot of things so that the paper didn't sound too repetitive.

Observation 3

Through the paper that I wrote and other papers that I have read, I was able to learn various aspects about effective argumentation strategies. The papers all have specific elaboration about the effect of different strategies that each student have seen through their commercial. These elaboration includes a great amount of details allowing their argument to be strong and critical. Details varies and includes analysis through color, music, word choice that has a large impact to the audience but could seem as if it has little significance. They also included several rhetorical terms and definitions to make their points stronger and allow their readers to understand their point of view. Structure for my paper was also very important. For my first draft, my main concern was the 1500 word limit, therefore I did not create a quick outline of my main points. My paper did not consist of an organize argumentative strategy. The main points that I have included were mentioned only at the end of my paper instead of adding it after my introduction. Therefore, most my revision were placing my main points in the beginning. Other revisions that I used was editing my sentences and paragraphs to allow the paper to flow.

Observation #3

I made several revisions to my paper to the version of my paper I brought to class on Monday. That version of my paper was all over the place and did not flow well. To fix this problem, I rearranged my paper. I first discussed the overall commercial, then I discussed how the images in the commercial developed the argument of it. I also included rhetorical analysis of the images. Then I went on to how the words developed the verbal argument and included rhetorical analysis of what was said. Then I went on to discuss how the word choice of the commercial influenced the tone, and how the background music influenced the tone. Within my rhetorical analysis, I put examples of ethos together and pathos together. When describing the overall details of my commercial, I included how the color affected tone of the argument. 

Observation 3

Revising a paper can help develop a rough draft into an outstanding paper. Substantial evidence for a thesis of a paper is crucial. Although I used details of my Target commercial to support my thesis, after revising my paper, I realized that more was needed. I re watched the commercial several times to see what details I missed. I remarked more on the tone of the commercial. This would give more insight into what the audience will take as an immediate impression of the commercial. I also developed a clearer rhetorical analysis. I mentioned how the sequence of the phrases highlighted in the commercial reach a climax in the end. I also added more details about the audience that Target is actually attempting to reach. I added a works cited page to avoid plagiarism.

Visual Rhetoric Assignment

Julia Lawson

1-26-09

English 103 Section 31

Visual Rhetoric Assignment First Draft

Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher described rhetoric as the ability to discern the available means of persuasion in any given situation. Fundamentally, rhetoric is being able to decide what strategies will be helpful in convincing viewers to receive a particular message. The relationship between the writer, the text of the message, and the audience is known as the rhetorical situation. All three parts are essential in conveying a message to an audience. The writer has to determine how the audience will see his or her message and how he or she wants the message portrayed. Rhetoric is used in everyday life, even when many of us may not realize it. If you want to persuade someone of something, you analyze your message, tone, setting, and mood along with many other situational matters. Many of the arguments we present are reliant on the choice of text. When asking for a favor, face to face is best. When applying for a job, you send a resume through the mail. Our choices of text are very important to the art of persuasion and rhetoric.

Persuasion is also extremely dependent on visual matters as well. The way you stand, your appearance, eye contact, and grammar in your text all affect your persuasive capabilities. Alfano and O’Brien write in Envision in Depth that visual persuasion is “writing with images”. This definition is very accurate and applies to commercials, web pages, advertisements, political cartoons, and many other ways of persuasion. Even aesthetic visuals have some form of argument ingrained within them. Visual rhetoric includes strategies of persuasion existing through images either with or without limited text rather than text alone. Many advertising experts believe that the more dominant and intense the image is the better. Also, a small descriptive text is best when accompanied by a very powerful image.

The visual text that I examined was an advertisement paid for by the American Red Cross. The ad was encouraging viewers to donate blood in order to save lives. The advertisement shows a clear, plastic donation box like one you would see in a business. The box is small and has an opening at the top where money should be inserted. Above the box is a small sign that reads, “MONEY ISN’T EVERYTHING.” In a smaller font under the top line reads, “Save up to three lives without spending a cent. It takes a special someone to donate blood.” This limited amount of text is eye catching and to the point but the real point of the ad is what’s inside the donation box. The donation box is about halfway filled with blood. This is extremely catching and ties right in with the text on the sign above the box. The American Red Cross designed this ad to catch the eye of the audience with a dramatic visual then utilized the text to explain how the viewer can save lives other than through a monetary donation.

This ad by the American Red Cross uses select rhetorical strategies to convince their audience of their message to donate blood. One strategy used is example and illustration. The ad illustrates the importance of blood donation and that it doesn’t cost money to save the lives of others. The title “Money isn’t everything” speaks very loudly that the viewer can save lives without having to go into their own pockets and make a monetary donation. They can simply take some time out of their day to donate blood. Also, the ad gives an example of how viewers can help by showing the blood in the donation box. By physically showing the blood, it is clear to the audience what they can give instead of money to save lives. The ad states that three lives can be saved by one blood donation. The Red Cross’s ad also uses comparison-contrast to urge their audience to give blood. They suggest that instead of giving money, they can donate their blood. By implying that money isn’t everything, it allows the viewer to realize other ways that they can help save lives. You cannot buy blood and it is so important that people donate blood daily and the American Red Cross is trying to convey this message in their ad.

The American Red Cross uses two of the three rhetorical appeals logos and pathos in their ad. Logos is the appeal of logical or rational thought and attempts to persuade the audience through reasoning and philosophy. Logos uses statistics, facts, and definitions to persuade. The statistic used in this ad is the idea that one person donating blood one time can save three lives. Logos helps the audience to process what they are actually seeing by a factual statement or statistic and allows them to think through the persuasion to asses if they will buy into the message the Red Cross is trying to convey. Pathos is the appeal to the emotions or “the pathetic appeal”. Pathos is used by the author to put the audience into a particular emotional state that will persuade them to agree with their message. Examples of pathos are sad visuals, emotional stories, sentiments, and comic relief as well. In this particular ad, pathos is used by the image of the blood in the donation box. This tugs on the audience’s heart and forces them to realize how critical of an issue blood loss is. Pathos is the main strategy used to persuade the audience in this ad but is strongly supported by logos. The combination of using the strategies of logos and pathos is very effective for this particular ad. The audience is drawn in by the emotional aspect of the ad, and then is convinced by the logistics of the mention of saving three lives.

The American Red Cross does a good job in persuading their audience in this ad. They used both rhetorical strategies and rhetorical appeals very skillfully and make for a very convincing argument which is what the art of persuasion is all about. By capturing the audience through the appeal of ethos then sustaining their convincing argument with a bold and substantial statistic, the American Red Cross has persuaded their audience to donate blood instead of give a monetary donation to their cause.

Works Cited

Alfano, Christine L., and Alyssa J. O'Brien. Envision In Depth. 1st ed. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008.

www.acorncreative.com/blog/images/redcrossad.jpg