Charlotte McMullin

First Year Wiritng

Response #1

9/15/2016

A Successful Approach to Rhetoric

Eye-catching, unusual, and creative, all common adjectives that describe many current day advertisements or music videos. In this day of age, society has compelled advertisements to want to grab people’s attention; which is now heir sole purpose. This has pushed advertisements to be the most creative and extreme as possible. “Aerie Men” is so effective by the strong visual argument the video argues, the repeating use of pathos and logos, effective use of strategy of persuasion, and the uses of exigence and Kairos throughout the video. These rhetorical techniques help communicate the message and purpose of the advertisement. In “Aerie Man” through the different aspects of rhetoric the ad is able to successfully define and spread the message throughout the video.

Visual argument communicates and offers evidence to support its position largely through images rather than words. “Aerie Men” is a perfect example of a visual argument being applied to visual text. Visual argument is seen throughout the visual text because well within the first few seconds of the video the theme or message of the video is already revealed. The visual text opens with leaving the viewer confused due to the viewer only able to see two figures with long hair with their backs facing the viewer. Immediately it is made known that the two figures are a male and a female. The viewer then can assume that in the next following seconds that the videos point is to promote men’s confidence and for men to feel comfortable in their own skin. This is assumed because the video opens with a man and woman who are in their underwear and then text appearing on the slide that states, “The real you is sexy.” The video features numerous men, who are being recorded in their underwear. Some of these men doing everyday activities and others posing for the camera while explaining what self-confidence does and means to them. They all are explaining how they are confident with their physical and psychological self, one man saying, “If your confident within yourself your happy”. The purpose of this ad campaign is to make every person, no matter how big or small they are, to feel comfortable and confident in their own skin. Throughout the ad the men and women wear nothing but underwear and explain the importance of their self-confidence and how others should be just as confident as the men in the advertisement. Through these techniques the theme and point of the advertisement is clearly addressed and understood through visual argument.

The strategies an author uses to communicate his or her message are essential to the rhetorical situation. Aristotle referred to these strategies as appeals. His appeals are ethos, pathos, and logos, which state the way a writer or speaker gives his or her audience a reason to listen or believe. Pathos is when an author writes in a way that appeals to the reader’s emotions. Logos which refers to reasoning, planning, and logic, is used to appeal to readers’ sense of logic and reasoning. These are the two appeals that are used more than any other type of rhetoric in this video ad. They are also the two elements of rhetoric that make the ad so moving and appealing. The way the camera gets very up close and personal with each actor and the passion they have for men’s confidence and self-esteem, gives the viewer no option but to remember the ad. Not only does the viewer remember but it makes one want to change his or her lifestyle just because of the way the ad grabs you because of the use of pathos and logos throughout the ad. Between these three elements of rhetoric pathos is clearing used the most. Pathos is demonstrated throughout the video by the men explaining how they truly feel about themselves and how other men should feel about themselves as well. The relatable body types and hobbies of the men and how easy the men make it seem to be confident in your own body by their body movements and words. These are the different strategies the ad uses to appeal to the audience’s emotional side. In addition to pathos, logos which appeals to the reader’s logical side is also greatly shown throughout “Aerie Men”. The visual text can be seen as logical by the men make it seem to be logical and reasonable to be comfortable with your body. They accomplish this by the way they describe the practicality and how much easier life can be if one has basic self confidence and self-esteem. Through the use of pathos and logos the visual text becomes much more relatable and is much more likely to truly effect the viewer.

According to Aristotle rhetoric is “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.” His definition of persuasion was not a way of tricking people, but of speaking effectively in order for your ideas to be heard and considered. His definition of persuasion in the use of rhetoric is greatly seen throughout “Aerie Men”. The visual text was strategically created to do just that. The men throughout the visual text speak in a casual, yet effective way about self-confidence. At the time it does not come off as overly persuasive, but at the end all the men then repeat, “The real you is sexy”. This makes you truly believe in what they are saying. The theme of “the real you is sexy”, the constant reiteration of this saying, and the demonstration of the men’s great confidence in the video persuades you into believing the saying. This visual text perfectly followed Aristotle’s rule of persuasion of speaking effectively in order for your ideas to be heard by repeating the theme and making you truly believe in the message.

Lloyd Bitzer believes that rhetoric is any form of language that is adapted and applied to a context. Therefore, he defines the rhetorical situation as the relationship among three specific elements: exigence, audience, and constraints. Exigence which is the time and place in which the piece is written or spoken, the social situation in which it is created and shared, and the pressing need or problem it addresses. The pressing social problem that “Aerie Men” addresses is the issue of low self-confidence and low self-esteem people have. This is due to the high pressure and demands that current day society puts on people. The pressure of the social “norms” of society which today are being skinny, having expensive clothes, wearing pounds of makeup to cover up what you really look like, and pretending you have self-confidence have become what is cool and the “norm.” This visual text promotes and encourages the exact opposite of these “norms”. It becomes obvious to the viewer that the ad is promoting against that having the perfect body and makeup is everything when you still do not have self-confidence or are always striving to be the “better and improved you.” The visual text refutes the perfect body and having the best clothes by using everyday people that are not super skinny, but a normal size. By showing that even though they might not fit the stereo typical perfect body type, they still have the same or even more self-confidence and still think they are sexy and wear their bodies proudly without the help of clothes. The exigence of this visual text is clearly stated through the actors and their high levels of confidence, causing the video to greatly address the countless problems of our modern day society.

In addition to exigence Aristotle added the term Kairos to his definition of the rhetorical situation. Kairos refers to the timeliness and the appropriateness of the rhetoric and how it affects the message. The Kairos of this visual text is intentionally perfect. The timing of this visual text is so perfect because one of the main problems in society today is the skewed image of what the perfect body is and the little value that self-confidence has in society today. “Aerie Men” immediately opens with a couple that society would not consider the perfect body image. The viewer can immediately realize the amount of self-confidence they have. This is because of the little clothes their wearing and the confidence in the way they present themselves. It was clearly portrayed by the way the men carry themselves and how they love their bodies that each man, no matter what they look like on the inside or out, they have the same amount of confidence. This shows no matter how big or small someone is; everyone should have the highest possible amount of confidence in their self. Ultimately this visual text contrasts all the physical norms of society at the perfect time. This is true because of the amount of worship and praise that goes to actors and models that fit the social norms perfectly but may not feel the same way in the inside.

Through visual argument, pathos and logos, the power of persuasion, exigence, and Kairos, “Aerie Men” can be seen as very effective and successful in promoting their message. This is true because of principles of rhetoric which show rhetoric can be applied to many different fields in the real world besides the world of literature. The great, contagious confidence the men have, the encouraging, yet sentimental thoughts they share, and going against the norms of society all are perfect examples of rhetoric being used in everyday life. Once one knows the different aspects of rhetoric, one can see how rhetoric is used successfully in everyday life. Rhetoric when used correctly can drastically change a viewer’s perspective on given problem or topic.