Initial Thoughts About the Audience for my Argument

There is no such thing as a "general public" because every argument and rhetorical situation has a specific set of people they are targeting with their message. While it may be possible for a large amount of people to view the argument, there is always a subset of this potential audience that the message is meant for.

For my public argument, the audience can be initially limited to Americans, and more specifically, Americans who consume large amounts of processed food. I wish to influence those who are unaware of the dangers of consuming these products and those who have the misconception that they are really "not that bad". The stakeholders in this issue are on a large scale, the producers and stores of these products, but also the individual who makes the choice to buy them.

My audience will be very familiar with the products, but not necessarily how they are produced, what they contain, and what the long term effects on their body will be. Other people who already eat healthy, or have junk food occasionally may also encounter my argument. They already agree with my message so they are not part of my target audience.

Some people may be hostile to my message if they enjoy eating junk food and don't want to change their ways. Often times heavily overweight people don't like to admit they are the reason for their body, so suggesting their eating habits contributed could go over poorly. Others are ashamed and don't want to think about it. Another percentage just doesn't care how healthy they are, as long as they look good and don't think of the underlying health issues they may face.

To understand my argument, the audience will have to have basic knowledge of different nutritional values and ingredients, as well as a grasp on several different health issues. This can all be explained quite easily as I present my argument.

http://img01.deviantart.net/8dd9/i/2012/121/0/1/colorful_party_gifts_and_junk_food_by_caspercrafts-d4y8kfy.jpg

My Proposed Public Argument

My public argument is concerning the processed food industry, and its connection to obesity and health issues in America. My argument will hopefully expose how terrible the food industry actually is and educate the audience on how the food is affecting their body. My purpose is to urge the reader to stop consuming processed food and to make healthier food choices. The audience for this public argument are Americans consuming large amounts of junk food in their daily lives who are uneducated on the issue.

http://img14.deviantart.net/10cc/i/2013/020/7/1/junk_food_by_deckofdreams-d5s2wpj.jpg

Analysis of YouTube Video

The tone of this visual is very somber and sad. Many elements contribute to this tone, including the black and white, tragic photos, the depressing music, and the facts about the hardship of the immigrants. If any of the elements were different, the whole tone of the visual would change, being less cohesive and sad.

I believe this video relies most heavily on emotional appeal.  The music, photos, and text of hardship all appeals to our sense of empathy for these people. We feel sadness when learning of their plight and this makes us want to help and listen to them.

Credibility in this video is established through the works citied at the end of the video. The creator cited several sources, but also showed she personally went to the organization she was talking about and interviewed experts in the subject. This adds ethos to her argument and makes us more likely to trust her.

The argument is structured by first presenting a thesis, proving that thesis, and then a call to action. This is very similar to how a written argument would be structured. The only difference is that the evidence is also in the form of photos.

The logos is arranged in a way where first we learn of the nationwide issue, then we learn how it is affecting our area, then we learn about organizations trying to fix the problem and the hardships they have faced. The pictures support the text and changing the order of them would mess up the evidence for the story.

The call to action is when the video urges the reader, that if they believe in the cause, they should join forces and help the immigrants as well. The sad images makes the viewer want to help these people and when a call to action is presented, the know how they can do that. The sad images show that more are dying every day.

In my video, I would use better language to add to the emotional appeal. Right now the facts are very straight forward and plain. However, by using more inflammatory language, the effect of the facts and images could be more dramatic.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2470/4059183926_ae8febb35c_b.jpg

Rhetorical Analysis Reflection

This paper was a significant improvement upon my first one! My essay was better organized, more analytical, and overall had a more effective argument. I learned from this paper that I tend to ignore the audience at times, which is an important part of the rhetorical situation that I need to include. I also learned how helpful a concise, specific thesis can be to direct my argument and create a cohesive paper.

When writing this essay, I wish I had began a little earlier. I started my outline on the day it was due and wrote my essay the Sunday before the first draft was due. I was very stressed out at first, especially when I had no ideas a couple of days before I needed a completed first draft. Although everything turned out well and I wrote a good essay, I would have liked it better to start earlier and take my time.

Furthermore, I realized how important rhetoric is, in any source. When first looking at Humans of New York, I thought the premise was simple. However, when starting to examine HONY closer and discovering all the rhetoric, I found there was much more than initially meets the eye. There is rhetoric in almost all sources, if only you search for it!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/A-kid-drawing-or-writing.jpg

I commented on Michael's, Gabi's, and Katie's reflections

HONY Draft

My draft

I commented on Arrick's and Kat's drafts.

I consulted my boyfriend on my essay draft to get another perspective on my writing and ideas. He really liked my essay as a whole but mentioned that sometimes my sentences went on a little long or were too wordy to the point it obstructed my argument. Also, he suggested I add a couple more examples of specific photos to support my points!

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2259/2349632625_4eba371b56_z.jpg?zz=1

Thesis and Outline

Thesis: While Brandon Stanton aims to promote diversity and empower the individual, his main purpose is to inspire change by personalizing the faces of a current event, appealing to the emotions universal to the human condition.

My outline. 

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/222/452830868_0f1406ba87_b.jpg

I commented on Gabi's, Katie's, and Alaina's outlines.

HONY Prewriting

For my prewriting, I started out with a basic SOAPSTone to organize the different rhetorical elements of HONY. I then created an "observation/inference chart" to get some ideas of Brandon Stanton's purpose and message. Finally, I brainstormed different rhetorical strategies Brandon uses so I can organize these ideas in my outline later.

My prewriting. I still need to finish my brainstorming!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Stipula_fountain_pen.jpg

I commented on Michael's and Dee's prewriting.

Personal Reaction to HONY

I chose to analyze Humans of New York because of its uniqueness and complexity. When viewing the photos, I had a strong personal reaction to the emotion in the pictures and the stories he told. I loved the way he found the beauty in everyday people and how he has so much passion for life. I decided that HONY would be a great topic to write about because of how many photos I have to write about and analyze. I'm very excited to delve deeper into this photo collection!

https://philosophyandpopculture.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/screen-shot-2013-10-05-at-10-00-00-pm1.png

I commented on Katie's and Cati's blogs.

Student Essay Outline

Human sex-trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry

-exploitation of individuals as commodity

-"Nefarious: Merchant of Souls"- documentary of sex trafficking insights

A)need to end human sex-trafficking by pathos

Uses emotions by showing images of victims being used and labeled as objects rather than humans

-dramatized reenactments to show dehumanization

A)shocks viewers with fashion shows

B)Metaphor of caged animals 

C)Shows hypocrisy to advocate for the end of trafficking

Appeals to emotions with commentary from clinical psychologist

A)gives insight on desperate nature

B) Victims being treated as animals again 

C)Forces viewers to focus on unnerving nature to make a difference

Uses cinematography effect to appeal to emotions

A)Rectangular frame fading, showing how victim retreats into themselves to escape the outside world

B)Creates the image that the viewer's own perspective is fading into invisibility

C) Places viewers in victims situation 

Image of narrowing circle as symbol for a tunnel

A)Mindset is like a tunnel lacking vision

B)Tool used to that hope is diminishing 

C)Fades to blackness to show the end of the light at the end of the tunnel

D)Heightened camera angle makes the viewer look down on the victim

E)Makes the viewer want to help the victim

Brazenness is the main effective strategy because it creates and emotional response

A)Provokes a desire to help victims 

B)Provides reasoning for a sense of action 

C) Shows that they are humans too (rehumanizes) 

I believe this essay is organized pretty well and adequately provides evidence for how the documentary uses pathos to deliver its message. Each topic sentence relates to the thesis and shows a different way the documentary uses emotional appeal to prove a point. I thought the paragraph on the tunnel was very well written and provides substantial insight on how different cinematography and metaphors affect the viewer. The evidence and conclusions were very strongly linked and the paragraph was organized logically with claims then evidence then link to thesis. On the other hand, the paragraph on the commentary with a clinical psychologist was weaker. The paragraph didn't really introduce any ideas that weren't stated in the previous paragraph (the metaphor of the victims with animals).Furthermore, the link to the thesis was very basic and already explained before.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5187/5611594783_8e9a533564_b.jpg

HONY Observations and Inferences

Observations:
-Speaker is Brandon Stanton
-Takes photos of people he meets on the street in New York
-Expanded to include people from all over the world
-Includes text post from subjects
-Includes a wide range of cultures and shows diversity
-Portrait style (on face and emotions)
-Shows both positive and negative emotions (range in tone)

Inferences:
-Wants to spread the beauty he sees in everyday life
-Wants to share the stories of others
-Highlights issues seen in society to make a political statement (ex. refuges in Europe)
-Uses portraits to emphasize emotions which makes a stronger point
-Promotes/supports diversity and inclusion
-Shows the beauty in those not typically accepted
-Empowers the individual

I find "Humans of New York" very fascinating and spent quite a long time looking at the portraits and readings the stories. The way Brandon Stanton shows emotion and the beauty of life through the people he meets really speaks to me. I also love hearing the stories of the people which adds insight and depth to who the strangers are. I'm also interested in how he has expanded his gallery to include people from other countries, to highlight different political events and issues. His photos make the issues more personal and add emotion and faces to stories on the news.

If I close to write about HONY for my essay I would focus on the message Brandon Stanton wants to convey and the purpose of his photographs. I would analyze how his photographs contribute to this message and what elements of these pictures make the strongest statements. Finally, I would analyze how each individual photograph contributes to the message and how they relate to each other and the collection as a whole.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3703/11046266555_b64e546dd7.jpg

HONY SOAPSTone

In his blog "Humans of New York", Brandon Stanton shares stories by snapping riveting and insightful photographs of the people of New York and all around the world. His photos are posted on a variety of social media websites, such as Tumblr, Facebook, and Instagram in order to reach a large audience of people interested from almost every country imaginable. He chooses his subjects by wandering the streets, capturing the beauty he sees in everyday people. Originally, his purpose was to share this beauty with others, but now his blog has evolved to telling the stories of the people he finds and to educate the world on certain situations, such as refuges in Europe. His tone varies greatly from photo to photo, some serious and somber, others playful and happy, not just in the text but also
in the lighting and composition of his pictures.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8470/8123781508_4fb9d73d03_b.jpg

#LikeAGirl SOAPSTone

In the Always "LikeAGirl" campaign, Lauren Greenfield uses an interview setup to expose stereotypes about girls and to challenge views placed upon us by society. By asking several teenage girls and boys what it means to run or throw "like a girl", Greenfield shows her audience (American society) how girls are thought of as weak and lesser, in order to make them question their own views on the topic. She then contrasts this perspective by asking young girls the same question, showing how they view a girl as strong and confident. This dramatic difference shows the audience how this view is not innate, but forced upon us by society as we grow older. This is mirrored by a shift from a mocking tone to a liberated confident tone, as the original teenage girls change how they run "like a girl".

http://christandpopculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/likeagirl_990-53ac344a0d839.jpg

Revised Blog 20

Revised Paragraph:
In her photo essay, Lauren Greenfield consistently uses the mirror metaphor to highlight our cultures shallow obsession with appearances. She portrays young girls and women judging themselves in the mirror, often with unhappy or disappointed expressions, occasionally with acceptance. Mirrors encompass our image and view of ourselves, and in our society, we base our self worth off of our reflection. However, this reflection fails to show us the depth of our person, but rather the superficial nature of our society. Greenfield's ironic use of mirrors emphasizes this obsession with our looks and not on the quality of our character. Although our society places so much value on them we rarely have time or desire for self reflection.

Outlining Brumberg's essay helped me focus on the important topics of rhetorical analyze and see how an effective rhetorical essay is structured and executed. Rewriting the paragraph from the outline made me focus on how an analysis like this is written and how to integrate all the key components. After I was done I went back and compared my paragraph to hers. I noticed Brumberg's mirror paragraph was organized a little cleaner and connected the message to the photos more clearly. I then edited my paragraph for improvements in word choice and structure.

http://orig13.deviantart.net/96de/f/2011/169/4/6/heart_reflection_by_lissabug416-d3jabpo.jpg

Word Cloud

Created on WordItOut.com

Group Rhetorical Analysis of Girl Culture

Group Outline. For my rewrite I choose to do that mirror paragraph.

In her photo essay, Lauren Greenfield consistently uses the mirror metaphor to highlight our cultures obsession with appearances. Mirrors encompass our image and view of ourselves, and in our society, we base our self worth off of our reflection. However, this reflection fails to show us the depth of our person, but rather the superficial nature of our society. Greenfield portrays young girls and women looking at themselves in the mirror, often with unhappy or disappointed expressions, sometimes with acceptance. This obsession with our looks and not on the quality of our character is emphasized in the ironic use of mirrors. Although our society places so much value on them we rarely have time or desire for self reflection.

I used several points of SOAPSTone to make sure my paragraph effectively analyzes the rhetoric of Lauren Greenfield's photo essay. I mentioned the speaker to show Lauren Greenfield's intentions of the symbols she used. Also, I focused on the subject of the mirror and the purpose behind this important metaphor to thoroughly explain the topic. I mentioned the anxious tone of the subjects to show Greenfield's own anxious tone about society's effect on young girls. Finally, I explained how Greenfield's audience is simply the culture that her subjects reflect, to show how this could happen to any of us.

http://orig03.deviantart.net/c572/f/2011/220/3/0/mirror_ghost_by_always29-d45wwly.jpg

I commented on Katie's and Alaina's blogs.