+ Rhetorical Appeals, Fallacies, and Propaganda Techniques Visual Rhetoric

+ Rhetoric You see and use rhetoric every day, whether you know it or not. Rhetorical strategies are what persuade others to think a certain way, or act on an idea. Understanding rhetoric will make you a better consumer of products and ideas. You will be better able to evaluate the argument(s) around you.

+ Visual Rhetoric What’s visual rhetoric?

+ Visual Color Arrangement Font

+ Rhetoric Persuades the viewer to think or act in a particular way

+ Rhetorical Appeals Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

+ Rhetoric, continued Your communication toolkit. The ability to find the best means of persuasion in any situation. Three rhetorical strategies: Ethos: Appeals to the ethics of the audience or to the authority of the speaker Pathos: Appeals to the emotions of an audience Logos: Appeals to logic

+ Ethos Appeals to ethics; Appeals to authority;

+ Ethos, example This is an example of a commercial using ethos. Dentists are experts about teeth. ch?v=8ULR68LTmbw&index=2 &list=PLZYAuFOuS8- p9KA9wYiTOc_DV2wWrbHgN ch?v=8ULR68LTmbw&index=2 &list=PLZYAuFOuS8- p9KA9wYiTOc_DV2wWrbHgN

+ Pathos Appeals to emotion; Examples: When a TV commercial shows pictures of cute kids or puppies/kittens, it is using Pathos. Pictures of wounded soldiers on a battlefield A US flag with the sound of “God Bless America” playing

+ Pathos, example This is an example of a commercial using pathos. Animals inspire strong emotions.

+ Logos Appeals to logic. A way of persuading an audience by using reason. Examples: The scientific method Using statistics Using forensic evidence

+ Logos, example Example of a commercial using logos – in this case, reason and by giving facts about what their soup has compared to others.

+ Fallacies When good arguments go bad.

+ Begging the Question Begging the question is a fallacious form of arguing in which one assumes what one claims to be proving. Example: Since wealthy doctors control health-care services, Americans can only expect the costs of medical treatment to escalate. The writer has provided no evidence that doctors control health-care services. Further, the use of the word wealthy implies that doctor’s incomes directly determine treatment costs. Both of these ideas muddy the logic of the argument.

+ Either-Or This fallacy suggests there are only 2 choices in a complex situation. Example: Either we bail out our banks or our economy will enter a depression.

+ Oversimplification When it is assumed that there is a single simple cause of an outcome when in reality it may have been caused by a number of causes. Example: All teenage crimes can be linked to hormones. Old Spice:

+ Post Hoc Fallacy Assumes events which follow each other have a cause-and- effect relationship. Example: The stock market goes up every time Dallas wins the Super Bowl. Sesame Street: (start at 57 seconds)

+ Slippery Slope Maintains that one thing will inevitably causes another thing. Example: If the government passes tougher gun laws, soon no one will be allowed to own a gun. DIRECTV:

+ Propaganda Techniques

+ Bandwagon Tries to persuade everyone to join in and do the same thing. Mean Girls:

+ Card Stacking Telling only one side of the story as though there is no opposing view. Political Ad Yes: Political Ad No:

+ Exigency Creating the impression that your action is required immediately or your opportunity will be lost forever.

+ Glittering Generalities Using positive or idealistic words based on a detail to create an association in the viewer’s mind between the person/object and something that is good, valued, and desired. McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it”

+ Plain Folks Using a person who represents the “typical” target of the ad to communicate to the audience that because we are alike you should use this product too. I’m a PC:

+ Prestige Identification Showing a well-known person with the object, person, or cause in order to increase the audience’s impression of the importance or prestige of the object, person, or cause. Michael Jordan:

+ Snob Appeal Associating the product, person, or cause with successful, wealthy, admired people to give the audience the idea that if they buy or support the same things they will also be part of the “in crowd”

+ Testimonial An important person or famous figure endorses a product. Selena Gomez Pantene Commercial:

+ Transfer Good feelings, looks, or ideas transferred to the person for whom the product is intended. I’m Falling Sprite Commercial:

+ Group Activity

+ Directions Analyze the advertisement given to your group Complete SOAPStone on poster and Identify which propaganda techniques are used