Assignment 3 - Pathos

This Nike ad appeals to pathos. It’s overall simplistic design eliminates distractions that may disrupt the main point. The ad is displayed in black and white with the only color being the bright yellow text. The color for the text is taken from Lance Armstrong’s famous Livestrong campaign to fight against cancer. Because Lance Armstrong’s personal fight against cancer and his current Livestrong campaign are both widely known, the yellow color is a successful way to draw the viewer in by relating it to an occurrence/campaign already branded in the mind. The slogan “Just do it” gives viewers a sense of duty and ability – a new courage to conquer the insurmountable. By showing the scar on this cancer patient’s head, the viewer feels sympathy by viewing the reality of cancer. That, along with the fact that most viewers have an association with cancer (they either are fighting it themselves, or are related to or very close to a cancer patient/survivor or have lost a loved one to the disease), causes this ad to be an extremely effective emotional appeal.

Assignment 3 - Ethos

This ad appeals to ethos. As an ad produced by the Richard Nixon Foundation, the claim here is that this ad is to be trusted on issues regarding former President Richard Nixon and his life, claiming “You don’t know Dick!” An important objection to Richard Nixon himself is presented in the ad in the form of the damaged cassette tape and the words “Sometimes your whole life can flash by in 18 ½ minutes.” This refers to the 18 ½ minutes erased from the tapes regarding the Watergate scandal that bankrupt Nixon’s career, reputation, and might I say, his whole life. This ad acknowledges the public’s censure of Nixon and seeks to use the status of the Richard Nixon Foundation as a trustworthy platform for revealing the “real” Richard Nixon. Because this ad admits Nixon’s mistakes, it is more effective than it would have been if it had ignored Nixon’s tainted past. [Again, click on the photo for a larger view.]

Assignment 3 - Logos

This ad appeals to logos. By giving examples and making claims about the faulty electrical systems on boats, this ad gives evidence, both in pictures and in words of the claim that “The most common problem on a boat is a failure of the electrical system.” By putting the picture of the boat burning up in an electrical fire along with the very knowledgeable sounding claims on the left, the ad is effective by relaying important, logical information and a visual of the consequences. The ad also backs up the claims with a solution for the problem – buy your boat products from ANCOR to avoid faulty electrical systems and the possibility of your boat blowing up. Pathos also makes this argument effective because it appeals to the fear of dying in a fire like the one portrayed in the ad. [You can click on the photo to see it in a larger format so as to read what is written on it.]

Post Video on President's Speech

Here is a link to the Wall Street Journal's post report on President Obama's speech. http://online.wsj.com/video/obama-school-speech-a-tempest-in-a-teacup/CACB92E1-613A-433D-82D8-BB8A5E74B110.html

Assignment 2 - President Obama's Speech to Students

Today President Obama addressed the nation's students from Wakefield Highschool in Arlington, Virginia. The speech was approximately 16 minutes in length and was preceded by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Wakefield's 2010 Senior Class President, Timothy Spicer. [I did not read/watch any previous information on the speech and the controversy surrounding it before hand. I watched it live on the White House web site. The following are my comments and observations.]

Overall I think that the President made a very encouraging and engaging speech this morning. He encouraged students to stay in school and highlighted responsibility to themselves as the key to success as a student and the success of this country.

I think that the strongest points were made when he highlighted famous personalities that the students could relate to (J.K. Rowling and Michael Jordan). He used them as examples to tell the students that we can't let our failures define us. We have to let our failures teach us instead. I think this was the strongest and most compelling point made because having failed in the past is a huge reason that many students let themselves be pulled down and discouraged from staying focused and achieving their dreams.

Another strong point was his statement, "Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and that then allows you to learn something new." This helps students feel confident admitting that they need help and that it is okay to ask questions.

Throughout the speech the President used different rhetorical strategies to heighten the effect of his persuasive point - to stay motivated and dedicated throughout education. He appealed to pathos by connecting with the students by assuring them that he understood their experiences, especially relating his story of getting up before dawn to study with his mother. Telling that story also helped the students to identify with his experiences, which gave him more credibility with the main audience.

He appealed to ethos by acknowledging that he had made mistakes in the past and using personal stories and stories of other students to establish authority on the subject of education. He shared his personal struggle with education and admitted that he hadn't always applied himself as well as he should have. I think that admitting his shortcomings made people more likely to trust his presentation.

He also used logos, in regards to his statements that if you quite school you can't just expect to get a good job. I think the stories of the three students who overcame trials to succeed can be considered "evidence" for his claim that we can become good at something, but it takes time and dedication.

At the close of his speech, President Obama said, "I expect great things from each of you." A statement like this inspires a confidence that many people don't have. Hearing someone say that they have confidence in you gives you the strength to have confidence in yourself. I think it was a great way to end his speech.

You can read the text of his entire speech here.