Pathos - Creative Practice

The Listerine ad uses narration, cause and effect, and definition as very powerful tools for persuasion for this mouthwash, but the use of pathos is the most prominently used appeal being utilized in this ad. One can definitely tell in the conversation between the two women that the viewer of this ad should feel bad for the man, and the unhappy woman in his arms that has a very tense posture makes the reader even more on edge. Even the use of "halitosis" is an attempt to draw out an emotion of worry, because this word makes it sound like the guy has a terrible disease.

The ad also uses ethos by using the term "halitosis", which is a fancy term for bad breath. The use of this vocabulary gives the perception that the writer has some sense of knowledge on the situation that is taking place and the condition that has befallen the man. This was at critical point in the text, because this idea was planted in the reader before he actually began reading the part that addresses him. The ad further uses ethos as it explains possible causes of halitosis, but then once again shifts to pathos, because in most situations it can be avoided if you aren't lazy and just use Listerine mouthwash.

The last way that this ad really pushes pathos is by saying, "Don't risk offending others." We all care to some extent what others around us think. This simple statement could be one of the most powerful parts of this argument, because if we are able to avoid causing anyone discomfort by doing a simple act, most of us would be willing to do it.

This ad finishes their argument by describing why Listerine is the best choice for them, because it will help keep your fresh breath for hours. I can honestly say I'm sold.

Selling the Brand or Product?

What do you think?

Strategies of Persuasion Preview Questions

Persuasion Strategies

There are many different strategies of argumentation, and all of them could be considered a tool for persuasion since they are primarily used in advertisements which want you to buy a product.

The most persuasive strategies in my opinion are:

1. Comparison-contrast, compares one product to its competitor.

2. Example, shows how a product can impact a person's life if they buy it.

3. Cause and effect, shows the benefits of using the product.

Logos, Pathos, Ethos

If an argument was backed with nothing but words, most of us would shrug it off and think it was a waste of time. That is why ad agencies and even individuals use the power of logos, pathos, and ethos in order to persuade others to support their opinions. These rhetorical appeals are meant to attract the attention of the viewer. For example, if the argument was coming from the United States President then we would stop and listen to his support because of his influence and standing in our nation (ethos). The SPCA commercials that feature Sara McLachlan's "Angel" are appealing to your emotions in order persuade you to adopt an animal and lets face it we all want to cry when we see it(pathos). Finally, Dove's Self-esteem campaign attempts to support the natural beauty of women in order to show the ethics and beliefs of their company but do so using a logical argument (logos).

Exaggerating these appeals tends to actually work against the argument itself. If a company says it will kill a bunny if you don't buy their products, then most people will brush the company's message to the side because of the obvious "pathos blackmail".

Context

Context is very important when building an argument. The more you know about both sides of the argument the better, because it is easier to support your argument when you know the context of both sides. Dove's Evolution is a perfect example of this idea. Everyday, we see magazines portray the perfect woman as skinny and flawless. Dove shows its audience how this "perfect" woman is actually is made, in photoshop.

I can incorporate these ideas into my own writing by making sure that I do research on both sides of any argument I am addressing. This way I am able to speak in a tone which gives me some logos credibility by citing information I researched. I can also make an emotional appeal if the subject calls for it, such as a patriotic themed subject.

Walking Billboards

I have a very bland wardrobe that actually has very little branding on them. Most of the shirts I own are from competitions and events I competed in, so they might have the school's name and logo but nothing else. The one thing I know I wear everyday that has a definite brand attachment to it is my pair of Asics shoes. It is a brand I am very loyal to because of their added support in their Kayano line. This design has helped save me from countless injuries of wear and tear due to my flat feet. Most people associate the Asics shoes, I feel, with running so they communicate a athletic feel to those who see the brand.



I had a friend that would come out of his room everyday ready for class in an Under Armor shirt, pants, shoes, and even an Under Armor hat. He always used to say that it was just comfortable and its good quality so he was willing to pay a little extra for it. I feel that he was willing to pay extra for it, because the brand itself has the feel of being for the elite few (not that my friend felt like he was an elite or anything). I think that sub-consciously he wore it because he thought that it would portray him in a better light than if he were to wear off-brand clothes.

Racist Tea

I decided to do a rhetorical analysis on Mike Lester's political cartoon (pictured above). This blog post may seem a bit disjointed because it is meant to act as a prewriting exercise for an essay I am going to write.

About the Author and his Audience

Mike Lester is an illustrator from Georgia who has done all types of work ranging from cartoons to kid books. He is best known for his political commentary in his editorial cartoons and has won awards for it. His audience for this cartoon was the subscribers to the Rome News-Tribune, where it was originally published. In my opinion though, he is trying to reach out to everyone and finds the disagreement between the conservative Tea party and the NAACP an area of interest. In this cartoon, the NAACP is definitely shown in a bad light.

The Topic

The topic being discussed in this editorial cartoon is the NAACP's disapproval with members of the Tea party who use racial references in their signs during rallies against current government legislation.

The Story

The cartoon is a simple illustration of an obscenely large, black man (representing the NAACP) sitting on the lap of a white man (representing the Media). The NAACP representative seems to be complaining to the skinny man like a kid would to his dad about a bully. In this case, the bully seems to be a harmless protester from the Tea party (the woman on the left), who is holding the sign, "Taxed Enough Already." The large man states, "That racist called me a colored person..."

The Argument

Mike Lester is attempting to make the argument that there are people in the Tea party that have a racially-powered message against current government policies; but that doesn't mean that these few individuals represent the views of the Tea party in general.

Composition (imagery, character, setting)

The editorial is a simple, single frame illustration that relies on the combination between imagery and text to make the argument apparent. The drawing is obviously not realistic in order to overstate the irony of the situation. I believe that a small woman was used to represent the Tea party and a large man to represent the NAACP in order to show the obvious uneven strength distribution between the two groups. A definite class difference is notable between the two characters as well: the woman has on more of a working class style of clothes, while the large man is well dressed with a tie.

The irony of the situation is that the NAACP representative is complaining to the Media that the woman is being racist when there is no racist comment coming from the woman at all. This makes it seem like the NAACP is crying over absolutely nothing, but that it is using its pure mass in order to persuade the media itself to give them sympathy. I do enjoy, as a side note, that the words "colored people" is a different color in order to put extra emphasis on the phrase.

Cultural Resonance

This editorial illustration touches on a key aspect of our society and culture today. We all worry about what the "politically correct" term is that we should use when we say certain things, especially when referring to someone's race. This specific cartoon makes light of this situation by using an incorrect term, but at the same time we all know that there are terms the illustrator could have used that would have pushed this over the edge.

I feel that the author is pointing out that since the NAACP is calling a Tea party member racist then they are stereotyping, which is also a major controversy in our culture today.

The Tone

The overall tone of this editorial is definitely comical, but its subject is very serious in tone. I believe that this combination between the comical and the serious creates a middle ground, which allows a place for dialogue to take place between both sides of the argument. This, in my opinion, is the single most important thing that all editorial illustrators should strive to do.


After this Assignment

After this assignment was due and we discussed it in class, I found that I was very interesting in how powerful words can be when used in conjunction with images. With this in mind, I went out searching for two similar cartoons, one that was powered by just an image and another that was powered by both an image and words. (the two I picked to compare are below)

Rhetoric in My LIfe

I wake up from a short night of dreamless sleep to some random radio station playing Desert Rose by Sting, which is a song that continuously reminds me that I don't own a Jaguar (I'll come back to explain this later). I turn on my computer, pulled up my Facebook account, and saw that I had zero notifications; but that's okay, because I'll waste my time instead by clicking on the Halo Reach ad that Facebook supplies me to make me feel special. I pull up Pandora for some "getting dressed" theme music, and I sit through a thirty second video about something I couldn't afford.

I skip down my stairs feigning excitement for the uneventful day that lay ahead. I grin at the Get Him To The Greek movie poster hanging on our ceiling and shake my head in embarrassment at the Justin Bieber picture showcased in our living room. I take a deep breath as I reach my front door, preparing myself for the chilled morning air, and begin my journey up the hills of death.

Crossing College Green, I see the military statue saluting our soldiers who serve our nation and look up to the Alumni Gateway to read: "So depart that daily thou mayest better serve thy fellowmen thy country and thy God." I continue walking down Court Street, I see that the College Bookstore is now renting out books, I see the neon open light of Perk's. I catch a glimpse of the Chipotle's metallic store front and my stomach growls at me in disapproval for passing. I see the Athena signs yelling, "Free popcorn on Wednesdays!" I even see that the costume shop is having a huge poster sale (fittingly enough this advertisement was on a poster as well). I finally get to my one destination of the day, the bank, and as I go to deposit my check I see a flier for the OU Volleyball game that day. I shrug my shoulders and say, "Sounds good to me."

Reflecting on what I saw
This is a simple day in my life full of rhetorical situations. Rhetorical situations (in a simplified explanation) consist of images or objects that attempt to persuade you to buy, sell, act, think, etc. The Halo Reach ad wants me to go out and buy the game when it is released. Pandora's ad wants me to go out and get business cards printed from an online company, and even the movie poster on my ceiling was originally made in the hopes of pushing me to go see that movie (which I did).


The most effective rhetoric I encountered was definitely the slight glimpse of Chipotle's restaurant front. I believe that I found this to be so powerfully persuasive, because I have an emotional connection between their brand and the most delicious burritos of my life. On the other hand, the most ineffective rhetoric I encountered was the Justin Bieber poster that is advertising his new album, because of my disdain for his face being present in my house (I think one of my housemates secretly love him). Emotional connections are key when it comes to the success and failure of an image's persuasiveness.

Back to Desert Rose
Remember when I mentioned Sting's Desert Rose in the beginning of this post? Ever since I've seen the video on YouTube, it reminds me that you will never be able to get away from rhetorical situations. This is actually more of a commercial for Jaguar than it is a music video. In order to prove my point, below is the link to the music video (embedding was disabled) and then the Jaguar commercial that features Sting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjHkj-uSt_Y

What is your reaction to this video? What are your feelings?

Why does this matter?
It's mind-boggling to think about how many things we encounter each day that attempt to persuade us to either buy a product, to do something, or even to feel a certain way. Even between the time I woke up and ran to the bank, I encountered online ads, commercials, posters, fliers, patriotic messages, signs, and even just a brand that caused a bodily reaction on its very sight.

We all know that our lives are full of objects attempting to persuade us, so why should you think about it? Well, Victor Villanueva, Jr. said it best, "So much of what we receive from others–from family and friends to 30-second blurbs on TV–is intended to persuade. Recognizing how this is done gives greater power to choose." Choice, this is why it is so important, because if you don't take the time to realize that these things are attempting to persuade you, then your freedom of choice could be lost. Seem a little extreme? What if the ads you saw everyday were setting standards instead? What if everyone had to look like the Victoria Secret models? This is what we stand to see become a reality if we keep ourselves from realizing the image rhetoric in our lives.

What is Art?

A boy stands, staring at a three-paneled painting. He shakes his head in confusion and tries to lean in to get a closer look. Why is the boy so confused? It is because he is staring at a three-paneled painting that is completely white.

How can this piece (White Painting by Robert Rauschenberg) be considered art when it doesn't even seem like the artist put much thought into it. This is a subject of debate to many, but the real question underlying this debate is: What is art? Well, first lets take a look at the aspects that make up the foundation a piece of art.

The Artist

A painting cannot exist without the strokes of its painter, and a sculpture cannot exist without the chisel of its sculptor. With this in mind, one of the most important aspects of a piece of work is that there is an artist that has the intention of creating art. The creation of art cannot be like the fabled chocolate and peanut butter run-in that sparked the idea for Reese's Cups. I am not trying to suggest that an artist has to know exactly what the finished piece will look like before they begin. I do argue though that they must have put the canvas in front of them with the intention to create.

Looking back now on the "White Painting", we see that this piece does have an artist named Robert Rauschenberg (pictured above), but that alone doesn't make something a piece of art.

The Canvas

Art must have a canvas on which it can be displayed. I don't mean the literal canvas of a painter, but rather a medium that allows for the artist to express himself/herself. A dancer's canvas is her body, while a musicians canvas is her instrument. Art cannot be just an idea that is passed along without being expressed in some physical way (although, I would love to hear an argument against this).

In respect to the painting in question, its medium was oil on canvas. Keep this in mind, because it actually becomes the key to the answer of our question.

The Audience

Why would an artist create something that would just sit in the corner of a room and fade? That doesn't make much sense does it? There is always an audience in mind and a message to communicate when the artist is creating. It could be like "Piss Christ" by Andres Serrano (picture below), who wanted to communicate how the actions of church officials are ruining the face of the church itself. It could also simply be for the artist himself who wishes to have a brief glimpse into his own mind.

So What?

Alright, so why is Robert Rauschenberg's "White Painting" a piece of art? Yes, it does have an artist, a canvas, and an audience, but it goes a little farther than just that. Robert didn't just have the intention of painting the canvas white just to do it. He painted the canvas white using oil (remember when I told you to keep that in mind) because of its ability to reflect the tone of the lighting in the room. He had the intention of making a piece of art that would continuously change depending on the mood and the people in the room.

What the boy didn't see was the shadow that he made as he leaned in to take a closer look. What the boy didn't see was that he was a part of the artwork itself.