Independent Project Proposal

 Form

The form of my project will take that of a collage. I’ll look through a variety of magazines and select adds that utilize various forms of rhetoric. My collage, which will be presented on a poster board, will be divided into sections based on the key types of rhetoric: logos, ethos, pathos and kairos. Magazine ads will be clustered in each area with the represented rhetorical term written in a pleasing but not too distracting manner on top of or through the adds. Additional smaller phrases, pictures or objects will also be added to better convey the idea and present it in a more artistic and pleasing manner. A paper will accompany the collage to explain how the ads can be rhetorically analyzed and how they effectively persuade their audience and utilize a certain specific type of rhetoric. 

Intended Audience

    The intended audience for this project is really anyone who reads magazines and is in contact with print ads. In order to cater to the largest audience possible, and represent a well rounded diverse group of rhetorical examples I will use ads from a wide variety of magazines. I will also use these different magazine’s ads to show trends within rhetorical schemes relating to the perceptions of those who read each magazine and thus appealing to them appropriately and efficiently. Whether computer geek, pre- teen girl, middle aged hunter, creative housewife or wall street analyst all are addressed and would directly benefit and learn from my project.  

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to display the manner in which magazine advertisers use rhetorical themes to persuade consumers to purchase their product. The main types which will be exemplified in this project are: pathos, appeal to emotion, logos appeal to logic, ethos, appeal to speaker/spokesperson in the case of advertisements usually via celebrity endorsement, and kairos appealing to the times/ recent events. By showing people visual representations of these different methods they can become more aware of the tactics advertisers use to persuade them to purchase a certain product. Not only will I be exposing these rhetorical tactics but also exploring trends in how different magazines use different trends based on the stereotypes of their readers and which form would most appeal to them. The overall purpose is to examine the rhetoric used in magazine advertisement, and too inform unsuspecting consumers 

'just walk on by...' Response

At the beginning of the article I did not completely agree with staple's thoughts that when walking through the dark streets the women in front of him fled due to bias against his color. He mentioned that it was in a sketchy part of town where he encountered this women, so chances are she was probably on high alert anyway, a woman in this day of age would be stupid not to be. I know if I were walking alone on the streets of downtown cincinnati in the wee hours of the night I would have probably done the same thing regardless of whether the man behind me was black or white, young or old. The point is that, due to the extraordinary circumstances of the environment he can not possibly blame the woman's flight based on his color, not to mention what may seem like a safe distance during the day is obviously much shortened in this type of environment. Based on these conditions I do not think his first example can really be used as evidence to argue his side. The second and third examples he used however are a little more unusual for common unbiased behavior, and more convincing. On the whole he does a good job of presenting his point, sharing his personal feelings towards this bias but at the same time understanding why it happens, that this reputation is not completely undeserved, and that much of it is unintentional. 

Rhetorical Analysis

On the dawn of a new Democracy, during which much change would forever shape our country Susan B. Anthony began an up rising that would revolutionize America. After she was arrested and fined for voting in a presidential election, she took up her case in the name of all american women in her famous speech "Women's Right to the Suffrage". This passionate speech is full of rhetorical strategies to appeal to the controversy of the day.

Fallacy

You may have heard someone guiltily confess before that they cry during hallmark commercials. One would generally respond to such a confession with surprise at the emotional vulnerability of the person. However when we further investigate the situation we realize that the emotional instability of the individual watching is not to blame for such a reaction but rather Hallmark itself. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRX7tdh1Ww4) Here is just one example  were Hallmark is guilty of the logical fallacy Ad Misericordiam, were they go beyond pathos to shamelessly appeal to one's emotions in order to make a point or in this case sell a product.  I mean in reality an illiterate old man has nothing to do with selling greeting cards, the only reason they even pursue this story line is to stir up emotion and somehow connect it to their product thus making you more likely to purchase it. So next time you cry at one of Hallmark's shamelessly sappy commercials, don't worry you're not a nut case, it's their fault, it's uncalled for Ad Misericordiam preying on unsuspecting viewers.

Thick Description: Cook Field

Large barren field vastly different from the surrounding campus crammed full with trees, old brick halls, busy streets and side walks. To the distant viewer or driver-by it may not appear to be very large but one who is well aquatinted with the long trip across it’s flat terrain and dry, prickly, water depraved grass, knows otherwise. Tired students traverse the long expanse of the field talking amongst friends, on cell phones or simply preoccupied with other thoughts as they make the long hot journey to or from their east quad dorms, classes and meal halls. In each corner sits weatherworn batting cages, held together by sturdy metal frames whose dark green paint chips away to reveal a shade of peach from yesteryear. A single section of bleachers sits directly behind, separated from the field by the wire mesh fencing of the dome like cages. At the focal point of each concave cage lies a lonely patch of  barren earth from which two lines of faded white spray paint extend forth, through the grass,  like giant arms connecting it to the other bases. Encircling the field and it’s cages lies a thin asphalt track, now grey from long summers of piercing sun rays, and joggers gym shoes beating down on it. The track is partially shaded by the big leaves and sprawling branches of strategically planted trees which create four invisible walls. Massive tin polls with large florescent football lights, sporadically placed between every couple trees, tower over the borders of the field. In the southwestern corner, beyond the the baseball cages and track, the old brick bell tower sits amongst young trees. From behind the barrier of trees on all surrounding sides, cars parked in line against cement barriers face the field, peering in at it’s simplicity.  

Writing History

I’ve never really taken a keen interest in writing, and often feel as though it is a forced burden. Although I’m a creative person and generally enjoy expressing myself though art and drama, for some reason I seem to dislike creative writing the most. Perhaps these subconscious emotions are more deeply rooted and born from my past experiences with different teachers and the environment in which I was taught to utilize different writing skills. My jr. high and early high school english teacher utilized a very rigid and old fashioned teaching style focusing primarily on grammar and form. Although he was forced by the school to emphasize creative writing, he seemed to care little of content and writing style but rather of grammar, punctation and pronoun reference errors. I’m not trying to undermine the importance of such writing instruments but when taught for so many years that they where the only things that matter in my writing, I began to view writing, even creative writing as nothing but rules and restrictions. Junior year my english teacher was a very creative woman, but also very stressed and organized. Although our projects were very creative she would assign multiple writing projects at once, so many that she would often forget about some or cancel them midway through completion, creating unimaginable stress which I in turn now associate with writing.  the first positive class room experience I had with writing was in AP European History, where I was taught to write intelligent essays utilizing critical thinking and logic. On the whole I suppose my feelings associated with writing are those of restriction and stress, especially since my poor spelling and grammatical skills conflict with my perfectionism making the writing process very time consuming and wearisome.