RA #12

The speech that I decided to analyze is probably one of my favorite that I have seen on TV. It is from the hit show The Office, when the character Dwight gives his speech to an audience of salespeople. His target audience is obviously the salesmen and saleswomen at the convention that they are attending. In his speech he definitely uses pathos in order to relate to his fellow salespeople and get them excited about the work that they do. He speaks with a lot of emotion and pounds on the pulpit and waves his arms in order to make a statement and use emotion to motivate his audience. His argument is that they must stick together and to work hard in order to be successful. He says, “that it is for together that we shall prevail.” He is giving this speech because he is the salesman of the year and so he is trying to motivate his fellow paper salespeople to work harder and to never give up. I think that his speech was very effective because he used emotion and was very motivating as he gave the speech. His speech was uniting and caused the audience to become involved and become excited about becoming better salespeople and uniting together. Also, since he was the salesman of the year, his speech also included ethos because he was the best so his audience will be very open to what he has to say in order to improve.

RA #11

For this analysis I am analyzing the music video to the song by Michael Jackson called Billie Jean. To be honest I didn’t really get a whole lot more insight by watching the music video but I will make my best attempt. The target audience is most likely the people in his life that he is close to and that he wants to tell this story to. His argument is that he is kind of a ladies man but that he is not responsible for breaking Billie Jean’s heart and being the father of her child. There is also another argument coming from his friends and family that he should not be such a player and that he needs to be careful about what he does. The music video didn’t really help me a lot because most of it was Michael Jackson dancing, but there was also a detective type person that was following him around and trying to take pictures of him in order to get him in trouble. He definitely used ethos because of his celebrity and fame many people have seen this video. Also, he used pathos in the form of music and dancing. He was so influential that his music and music videos will be watched for many years to come. Again I think his argument was effective because his music has been so influential and to this day people still listen to his music and watch his music videos. However, I don’t think that people really understand what he is trying to say because the music video doesn’t portray very much, but maybe that’s what he was going for.

RA #10

The song that I have chosen to do my rhetorical analysis is Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. This is one of my all time favorite songs by Michael Jackson but I have never really stopped and looked at the lyrics, especially to analyze them. It was hard for me to pick out his target audience because he is more telling a story then anything but I decided that his target audience is his family and friends that are pretty close to him. I came to this conclusion because his argument seems to be pretty personal. His argument is that he is not the father of Billie Jean’s son. He says over and over again that Billie Jean is not his lover and that he is not my son. There is also another argument being made to him by his friends in this story. They have continuously told him throughout his life to be careful of what you do and to always think twice. I think that the argument is mostly done in pathos because songs are very emotional and they tend to evoke emotions in a more effective way than many other things. I think that the argument was effective because this was one of Michael Jackson’s all time best hits and has been heard a countless number of times. Whatever it is that Michael wanted to get across, which may or may not be what I mentioned, will continue to be heard for years to come.

RA # 9

The main argument for my first paper is that members of the Church should not be so hostile towards the theory of evolution because it does not go against the religion of Mormonism. I feel that after learning extensively about the topic throughout my BYU experience as a biology major that the theory of evolution is a very sound scientific theory that can coincide with our faith. Mainly the paper argues that learning about evolution is a good thing and can enhance our understanding of the planet. The target audience for my paper A is LDS adults who reject the theory of evolution. Generally there are too many people in the LDS Church who blatantly disregard the theory of evolution as anything credible and say that it is contradictory to our religion. I would say that I mainly appeal to logos in that I give many examples why the theory of evolution does not contradict anything within the teachings of the Gospel. I logically break it down for my audience and let them know how evolution is not a bad thing and is not against our religion. I think I also appeal to ethos by giving my audience quotes from the scriptures and from the First Presidency, which are both very important and credible sources from my audience. I feel that my argument was somewhat effective but it did have many flaws. First off, I unintentionally made them feel ignorant and somewhat unintelligent for not thinking the way I think. I could have gone about this in a much better way. Also, some of my paper was not contributing to my overall argument and could have confused my audience. I do feel however that I made some very solid points that would make my audience reconsider their position on evolution. I feel that I have some very credible and persuasive points that can be used in a better way to convince my audience of my argument.

RA #8

One of my sources for paper B is an article put out by ABC News in 2005 called “Do Video Games Make Kids Smarter?” This article mainly talks about studies that have been done in order to make the argument that video games can actually make children more intelligent. They are arguing that even though some video games may be violent, there are benefits that outweigh the negative effects that many seem to argue. I would say that the audience is mainly parents with children old enough to be able to play video games. Also, the audience may include those who are against video games and say that children should not be allowed to play many types of games. I would say that they make the argument in this article mostly by way of logos because they present many stats and studies that prove their point. They make the good point that with technology advancing so much in our present time, our children are learning invaluable skills while playing these types of video games in order to succeed in this world. I would say that they also play a little bit to the pathos because he explains that playing video games help children to learn essential learning skills that can help them throughout life. This is pathos because I’m sure most parents want their children to be smarter in any way. I do believe this argument is effective because it shows some very convincing evidence and studies that are very interesting. It also makes parents think more about how video games can benefit their children. At the same time, I am sure that there are some parents that no matter what the study or evidence, they completely disagree with the violence in video games and would not approve that their children play them.

RA #7

For the rhetorical analysis on a movie trailer I chose a new movie that is in the theaters right now called Body of Lies. The target audience for this trailer is probably all Americans but it definitely appeals much more to adult men more than anyone else. I came to this conclusion because almost the entire trailer consists of action shots and things being blown up, which are things that men tend to like. I would definitely say that I am part of the target audience. The argument for this trailer is obviously to come and see the movie because it is awesome. The argument in this trailer is being made mostly through pathos because it appeals to men’s emotions by showing lots of cool action shots that guys like to see in movies. It also appeals to our emotions with the music. The music is exciting and upbeat and definitely makes you feel like something cool is happening. Also, the argument is made through ethos because of the big time actors that appear in this movie. Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio are two very good and highly respected actors and are two of my actual favorites. I think that most people would agree that having both of these actors in the movie would make it very hard to not be a good movie. I think that this movie trailer was very effective because being part of the target audience it really makes me want to go and see it. It is very well designed and put together and has some really cool lines and scenes that makes it very appealing.

RA # 6

For the encounter RA I will be analyzing a sales experience that my wife and I had with a car salesman at a mazda dealership. We drove up in my 2006 civic and started to look at the new Mazda 3 series that they have. The salesman quickly appeared and started to inquire about our interest in a new car. His audience of course was me and my wife but to be even more specific, he definitely treated us like a new married couple with a tight budget. However, he treated us with a decent amount of respect and interest. His argument of course was that his Mazda 3 was our best option in terms of quality and price. He quickly compared his car to many other competitors and stated the specifications that were highly superior to the other cars in its class. He used a variety of techniques in order to persuade us to buy the car, which I am actually very familiar with because I have been in sales for a few years now. He definitely appealed to logos in that he described why the Mazda was a better choice by identifying its strong points and the weaknesses of his competitors. He told us that the Mazda 3 was the most popular car in America right now and that many have been sold every month. I think that he also appealed to pathos when he offered to let us test drive it because he wanted us to feel the car and be able to experience how it drives. I do believe that he was effective because even though we didn’t end up buying a new car he made us feel important. He also made us get excited about getting a new car by showing us all the cool options that it had. He also showed us how we could afford it through financing or a lease. It has been interesting to analyze a sales pitch when I was the audience.

RA #5

The source that I chose to do my analysis on is taken from the official BYU evolution packet that is available on campus in the library. It is a compilation of statements put out by various first presidencies concerning the topic of evolution and the creation. The article that I will be using is a message from the First Presidency in the Christmas message in 1910. The audience is most likely faithful members of the Church that read the First Presidency messages. However, I do believe that they had the entire world in mind when writing this because it is an official document put out by the Church. The argument in this article is to set straight exactly how the Church feels about the topic of evolution. They state that diversity in opinion is in no way contrary to the Spirit and that our religion is not hostile to real science. Therefore, they are trying to get across the point that we should not be too quick to dismiss someone else’s opinion as long as it is based on real science. They also continue to say that everything that is in harmony with the teachings of Christ will be favorable to them. This article mostly appeals to ethos because generally any faithful member of the Church will believe and follow exactly what the First Presidency says. It also appeals to logos, because they are presenting very rational ideas to the members by saying that whatever is of good report, they accept. I believe that this article is effective for those that actually read it. Obviously the First Presidency cannot come across too blunt or favoring one side or the other so it may be a little vague and open to interpretation. However, it is very clear that they want us to be accepting of real science that increases our faith in God.

RA #4

The article that I chose to analyze is titled, “Obama and ’60s Bomber: A Look Into Crossed Paths.” It was published in the New York Times on October 3 2008. The audience for this article is probably those that follow politics to some degree, but I feel that it is written to those that may have a negative view of Obama because of his past associations. The author is trying to convince his audience that Obama has had a very casual relationship with the man named Bill Ayers, the man who helped found an organization in the 60’s that tried to bomb US government buildings, and that he is no way should be criticized for associating with this man. I believe that I am in the target audience in this case because I do think that Obama has some associations that should be questioned and not forgotten about during the election. I think that the author is trying to make his point mainly through logos, because he cites many different instances where they are only just acquaintances and therefore people should not judge Obama based on this association. This also plays a little bit into the ethos side of things because it is coming from the New York Times, people often tend to think that they have the authority and report true facts. I think to a degree that this article was effective. It definitely points out things that I have never heard or thought of before and makes good arguments for Obama. However, if in fact the article was geared towards people who have a negative view of Obama for this reason I don’t think it will change their mind very much. First of all, people who are conservative and disagree with Obama don’t often read the New York Times because it is a liberal paper. Also, it quotes people from Obama’s campaign, that are obviously going to say only good things about him. Overall, the article was informative and maybe to someone who is on the fence about whether or not to vote for Obama this could have helped to convince them.

Link to article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/us/politics/04ayers.html?_r=1&em&oref=slogin

RA #3

The piece of art that I have chosen this week is the famous sculpture by Michelangelo, the Pietà. This is a wonderful piece of art that I have admired for quite some time and I even had the opportunity to see this sculpture in person at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Italy. This sculpture is very different from others that are similar to it because Michelangelo depicts the Virgin Mary as a young woman instead of an older and aging woman that she would have been at the time of Christ’s death. The argument then, is the idea that the Virgin’s youth symbolizes her innocence. Michelangelo himself put it best when he said that her youth symbolized her incorruptible purity. Also, I believe that it shows that Jesus and Mary were indeed very close. Although he was the Son of God, he was also the son of Mary. The audience for this piece would be all Christians and anyone who believes in God. I think Michelangelo did an amazing job depicting what he wanted to in this sculpture. It is very beautiful to look at, and a real emotion is portrayed in Mary’s face. When I saw this in the Basilica for the first time in person, the overall beauty of the sculpture took me by surprise and I actually began to become a little emotional. This sculpture is very effective in portraying the innocence and purity of Mary along with her unconditional love for her son. It definitely makes you think about what it would have been like for her as she watched her son be murdered.

RA #2

The TV commercial that I have chosen this week is the freecreditreport.com commercial with the guy that sings and plays a guitar. There are a few of these ads but the one that I chose is the one where he is singing in a restaurant dressed up like a pirate. The argument of this commercial is pretty obvious. They are saying to their audience that they better sign up at freecreditreport.com or else you might end up working at a crappy job because someone stole your identity. The audience that this commercial is targeting is probably younger adults that are just starting to look for career opportunities. However, I think that anyone with a valuable identity to steal is a justifiable target audience. I think that this commercial definitely appeals to the audience’s emotions by way of comedy. They have a very catchy tune and clever lyrics which makes people laugh and in turn causes the audience to pay more attention. I would say that it also is logical in the minds of the audience. They are saying that if you don’t want to end up like the guy singing in the commercial, then all you have to do is sign up at freecreditreport.com in order to stay ahead of those trying to steal your identity. Personally I feel that this commercial is very effective because it is very funny and convincing. The song is very catchy and it tends to stick in the head of the person that is watching it. I have subscribed to similar sites before, but now if I were going to sign up with a service that monitored my credit, I would probably go to freecreditreport.com first to check out what they have to offer.

(Lyrics to freecreditreport.com commercial)
They say a man should always dress for the job he wants
so why am I dressed up like a pirate in this restaurant.
It’s all because some hacker stole my identity.
Now I’m in here every evening serving chowder and iced tea.
Should have gone to freecreditreport.com (yeehaa!)
I could have seen this coming at me like an atom bomb.
They monitor your credit and send you email alerts.
So you don’t end up selling fish to tourists in t-shirts.

RA #1

Blog Post #1
The ad that I have chosen is a Nike advertisement for shoes. The argument in the Nike ad that I have chosen is the idea that it is worth buying Nike shoes even if it’s the only thing you have money for. The ad shows a homeless man sitting on a bench with a pair of really nice Nike shoes on. The whole ad is in black and white except for the Nike shoes that stand out in a flashy red. The ad is trying to convince its audience that even though you might not have much else, that they should buy the shoes because they are worth every penny. I would say that the audience in this ad would be anyone who is into sports or participates in any type of athletics. I think it even goes a little bit farther by targeting teenagers or young adults who don’t have very much money. This ad plays mainly to the audience’s emotion by portraying the message of “Just Blow It” at the top of the page. It tries to give the audience the sense of a “who cares” attitude about money and that it will be all worth it once you have the awesome shoes on your feet. I think that this ad is quite effective towards the audience that it is trying to target. It appeals to the young mind in a way that is somewhat like a friend saying, “Just do it man, don’t worry about a thing, it will be worth it in the end.” Many teenagers and young adults tend to give into peer pressure and the temptation of instant gratification and worrying about the consequences later. I also thought that it was interesting that they slightly tweaked their famous slogan of “Just Do It” into “Just Blow It.” This was a clever move because it catches the audience’s eye because it is not exactly what they are used to seeing.