Designing Arguments

In writing and presenting any type of written or visual work, writers must take into account "document design strategy" or the choices they make in formatting their work. The four key components that need to be considered are the argument the writer is making, the audience to whom he or she intends to present his or her work, the medium he or she will use (such as an essay, website, or video), and the form or layout of the work. These decisions deal with decorum or "appropriateness." Certain document design strategies are appropriate for certain types of arguments, audiences, media, and form. Cicero defined decorum within three levels of style, which are grand, middle, and plain- grand, being a sophisticated style meant to move the audience, middle style that is less colloquial but persuades the audience by pleasing them, and plain which is the style used in everyday conversations. The reading selection begins with document design of academic writing and the use of abstracts and bios to appeal to the audience. Then the combination of writing and visuals are discussed, leading into designing visual arguments. Visual arguments can be opinion advertisements, photo essays, Websites, or montages that present an argument through multiple media (text, visual, sound, etc.).    

For the multimodal assignment the major focus is on the visual argument, the video. However, there is also a written component, the essay, and a media, most likely a website, to present the visual. The essay will require a grand style of decorum with a fixed format to present to the audience, Mr. Stowe. Document design will rely largely on written rhetorical devices. The website, on the other hand, could use a middle or plain style with flexibility regarding the format. Both visuals and text will be used so both can aid in presenting logos, pathos, and ethos to the audience. Where the website has certain standards such as creating a homepage and topic pages, the video has more room for creativity. Text, images, and audio will all be incorporated into the video to present the intended argument. With the video, a middle or plain style can be used.

Whether in writing the essay, formatting the website, or creating the video, document design strategies must be contemplated in order to create an appropriate and effective work of rhetoric. But in so doing, the argument, audience, media, and form need to be clearly outlined.

Bio

If I had to describe myself in terms of how well I work with technology, I would have to say I lean toward being technologically challenged. I have very little experience with making videos. I have made a video twice before- one being the New Student Dialogue VLOG and the other being a project in high school. Both times, I posted the videos without editing because I did not know how. I tried, but gave up after an hour. For the VLOG, I used the iMovie application on my laptop and for my high school project I used my camera. I was not sure how to use iMovie and as for my other project, I did not have a program to edit movies. My high school English class was the first at my high school to receive laptops for each individual in the class and required English to be taught using laptops. In this class, we made websites and movies, but for the most part, I researched and my group members were left to figure out the technological aspects of the project. Although, I have previously made a website using wix.com and pbworks.com. I have also used other sites such as prezi.com (much like PowerPoint), glogster.com (similar to making a poster but online), and edublogs.org. Wix.com was a fairly easy to manipulate site, however I avoided making my website complex and kept it very simple. Pbworks.com was very easy to use, but there is not much you can do to make the site creative. Prezi.com and glogster.com were both very easy to work with, but I am not sure if they can be used toward the multimodal project. Edublogs.org is much like this site, where we post blogs. We were also given many more options for completing assignments in my English class such as ahead.com and toondoo.com, however, I mainly used these five.

"Images of Crisis"

One's position in the world can shape the way in which he or she might feel about identity, society, and culture. Take the example of "images of crisis." Images of crisis are powerful images portraying the devastating aftermath of such events as earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as footage of bombings, terrorist attacks, and wars. These photos by professional and amateur photographers, paparazzi, and passerby are meant to tell a particular story about a certain crisis in its one frame. However, depending on the perspective of the scene, the picture could tell a completely different story, while different people could also view a particular photo in different ways. People directly affected by these terrible events tend to show negative views toward photographers who try to capture their suffering. And the photographers on the other hand, see the need to share the story with others around the world and to pass down history to future generations. Viewers of the pictures have mixed feelings of the pictures, with varying opinions of the pictures being too gruesome and unnecessary to opinions that the pictures are simply conveying reality and that people need to know the truth. Despite, photos capturing the truth, it is only the truth at one moment in time. The moment in time at which the photographer takes the photo could tell a completely different story of the same event. Also, the motive of the photographer could change the meaning of the photo. A photographer wanting to capture the reality of the devastation of the aftermath of a hurricane and a photographer wanting to capture the glimpses of hope for revival after a crisis will have completely different photos to share with the world. Pictures are objective in that the people taking the picture, the people in the picture, the people viewing the picture, and everyone else affected by the picture have different perspectives on the identities, societies, and cultures portrayed in the pictures and therefore have different feelings about them.

Annotated Bibliography of 12 Sources

1.
This article by Frank Gannon, the senior editor of EMBO reports and senior scientist at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany questions the "balance between the rights of animals and their use in biomedical research." He introduces the two extremist sides of the debate- animal-rights activists calling for the complete eradication of animal research and scientists who claim that animals are absolutely necessary for research- and those in between the two extremists- scientists and others who believe animal research can be conducted under strict regulation. Several views by other scientists and different organizations related to animal research is given. Some alternatives to using animals are given, but the author sees that it cannot replace animal use. Gannon concludes the article with his view on debate- animal research is "justifiable if it is done in such a way that causes minimal pain to the animals involved and if all possible alternative methods have been explored." In his opinion the continuation of this debate is important in determining the specific regulations of animal research. (Gannon 519-520)

Gannon, Frank. "Animal rights, human wrongs? Introduction to the Talking Point on the use of animals in scientific research." EMBO reports talking point. 8.6 (2007): 519-520. Web. 12 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nature.com/embor/journal/v8/n6/full/7400998.html>.

2.
Bernard E. Rollin, a professor of philosophy, of animal sciences, and of biomedical sciences, and a bioethicist at Colorado State University discusses his philosophical views on the ethics of animal science. Since the Renaissance, "true science" has been defined as the validation of science through experience and through logical positivism, science excluded everything empirically "unverifiable." Influenced by Ludwig Wittgenstein's view that ethical judgments are "unverifiable" and therefore irrelevant to science, society had "a very limited ethic for animal treatment" until the 1970s. Rollin, who played a large role in "the 1985 Health Research Extension Act and an 'Animal Welfare' amendment to the 1985 Food Security Act," supports the increasingly popular rational view of animal ethics for two reasons- "there is no morally relevant difference between humans and animals that justifies excluding animals from what [he] call[s] 'the moral arena' or the full 'scope of moral concern'" and there are positive reasons including animals in our 'moral arena.'" Some argue that humans are superior to animals and that animal research is more beneficial than harmful, but Rollin disagrees and that even if animal research was permissible "pain control and housing" need to be improved. (Rollin 521-525)

Rollin, Bernard E. "Animal research: a moral science Talking Point on the use of animals in scientific research." EMBO reports talking point. 8.6 (2007): 521-525. Web. 17 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nature.com/embor/journal/v8/n6/full/7400996.html>.

3.
In this issue of the EMBO reports Simon Festing and Robin Wilkinson, Executive Director and Science Communications Officer, respectively, at the Research Defense Society in London, UK, present their views on the debate regarding the ethics of animal research. They initially present the view of the animal-rights extremists and anti-vivisectionist groups who believe that "animal experimentation is cruel and unnecessary, regardless of its purpose or benefit."  They further explain the public's perspective that "animal welfare should be weighed against health benefits" as long as the 3Rs- replacement, reduction, and refinement are stressed. The article discusses various surveys and changes to the law that have been done and made in response to the debate. They conclude that animal-rights extremists and anti-vivisectionist groups are ignorant in demanding the immediate replacement of animal use in research. Festing and Wilkinson agree that alternatives should be continually researched, but that "the use of animals in research can be ethically and morally justified" as long as refinement and reduction are constantly enforced. (Festing, and Wilkinson 526-530)

Festing, Simon, and Robin Wilkinson. "The ethics of animal research Talking Point on the use of animals in scientific research." EMBO reports talking point. 8.6 (2007): 526-530. Web. 12 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nature.com/embor/journal/v8/n6/full/7400993.html>.

4.
Author, David DeGrazia, influenced by the works of Henry Spira, wrote an article summarizing the views of "biomedicine" and "animal advocates" in a comparison analysis. DeGrazia explains that there are many points upon which non-extremist supporters of biomedicine and animal advocates agree including the following: the issue of animal research is an ethical debate, moral protection of some animals, many animals are capable of mental states, protection of animals' well-being, highly social animals' humane care, certain animals' strong protection, continuation and expansion of research on alternatives, improvement of human health as a result of biomedical research, morally significant differences between humans and other animals, and the presence of a few justifiable research. There are a few points upon which the two sides will never agree which are issues involving the moral status of animals in comparison with humans, specific circumstances in which animal research is justifiable, and whether current research morally protects animals. DeGrazia concludes the article with several suggestions for the future of this ethical debate. To summarize he believes, both sides of the debate should recognize the points of agreement and learn the true argument of the opposing side, while animal research is improved morally and research for alternatives is continued. (DeGrazia 23-34)

DeGrazia, David. "The Ethics of Animal Research: What Are the Prospects for Agreement?." Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. 8. (1999): 23-34. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=46377>.

 5.
The authors of this article believe that there needs to be an "urgent clarification" of the "clinical relevance of animal experiments." Many recognize that animal research has greatly influenced the advancement of medicine however there is little evidence to prove this statement. The few systematic reviews of animal research that they were able to find revealed methodological problems of animal experiments including, animal and clinical research being done on the same study, lack of randomization and blinding, and variations between animals being researched and humans. "Systematic reviews can provide important insights into the validity of animal research." (Pound, Ebrahim, Sandercock, Bracken, and Roberts 524-517)

Pound, Pandora, Shah Ebrahim, Peter Sandercock, Michael B. Bracken, and Ian Roberts. "Where is the evidence that animal research benefits humans?." BMJ. 328. (2004): 524-517. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.bmj.com/content/328/7438/514.full>.

6.
Neal D. Barnard, nutrition researcher and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and Stephen R. Kaufman, co-chair of the Medical Research Modernization Committee, believe animal research is "poorly suited to addressing the urgent health problems of our era." They explain several cases where animal experiments mislead researchers, resulting in false conclusions of certain diseases and drugs and delaying advancement in the medical field. Due to differences in the makeup of animals and humans, animal research is unreliable and a waste of money. They offer alternatives to animal experimentation- "epidemiological studies, clinical intervention trials, astute clinical observation aided by laboratory testing, human tissue and cell cultures, autopsy studies, endoscopic examination and biopsy, as well as new imaging methods"- and give cases where these alternatives were influential to medical advancement. "Animal 'models' are, at best, analogous to human conditions, but no theory can be proved or refuted by analogy" and 'thus, it makes no logical sense to test a theory about humans using animals." Barnard and Kaufman define animal experiments as mere rhetorical devices for researchers to cite as evidence for their theory. (Barnard, and Kaufman 80-82)

Barnard, Neal D., and Stephen R. Kaufman. "Animal Research is Wasteful and Misleading." Scientific American. (1997): 80-82. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.indiana.edu/~acoustic/s685/Rowan-1997.pdf >.

7.
Jack H. Botting, former scientific adviser to the Research Defense Society in London, and Adrian R. Morrison, director of the Laboratory Study of the Brain in Sleep at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, are both strong defenders of animal research. They strongly support animal research due to the different cases in which it has played a significant role such as in vaccines, antibiotics, insulin, and transplantation of organs. The claim that differences in animals and humans invalidate animal research is a misconception and Botting and Morrison argue that there are no basic differences between them and that animal models are not meant to be identical to humans. Opponents of animal research claim that researchers should use alternatives. Again, Bottin and Morrison argue that alternatives have been taken into consideration, however, animal experimentation proves to be best. (Botting, and Morrison 83-85)

Botting, Jack H., and Adrian R. Morrison. "Animal Research is Vital to Medicine." Scientific American. (1997): 83-85. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.indiana.edu/~acoustic/s685/Rowan-1997.pdf >.

8.
Madhusree Mukerjee discusses the changes in animal research that have occurred due to the increasingly heated debate between animal rightists and scientists. Several factors have resulted in the decrease of animal research since its beginning, which the author indicates as the following: the philosophers, the public, the scientists, the 3 Rs, the laws and the propaganda. Philosophers and their discussion of animal ethics led to the beginning of the opposition movement for animal experimentation while the public was "wildly inconsistent" regarding their views on animal use, although trends were seen between different groups of people. The scientists' view on animal research has evolved from non-existing animal ethics to enforcing two of the 3 Rs, reduction and refinement. The laws put certain regulations on animal research, decreasing animal use but also increasing costs. Propaganda has been effective in convincing some people but ineffective in bringing an agreement between animal rights protectionists and researchers. The author believes that "animal liberators need to accept that animal research is beneficial to humans [and] animal researchers need to admit that if animals are close enough to humans that their bodies, brains and even psyches are good models for the human condition, then ethical dilemmas surely arise in using them." (Mukerjee 86-93)

Mukerjee, Madhusree. "Trends in Animal Research." Scientific American. (1997): 86-93. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. <http://www.indiana.edu/~acoustic/s685/Rowan-1997.pdf >.

9.
Pauline Perry summarizes the issues pointed out in The Ethics of Research Involving Animals report published as a result of the Working Party that she chaired. The Working Party, consisting of scientists, philosophers, animal rightists, and a lawyer, discuss the different views on each issue and not just between those all for or against animal research- issues consisting of the following: the assessment of pain, distress, and suffering in animals, the question of valid results in animal research, and the ethics of causing pain and suffering to animals. Although differences exist among the views on animal research, the Working Party agreed that animal research has been beneficial in some areas of science and therefore to the society, and that the goal is to be able to conduct research without any pain and suffering. To improve the debate, the Working Party believes that more information regarding animal research needs to be made public and to reduce disagreement, the 3 Rs must be enforced. (Perry 42-46)

Perry, Pauline. "The Ethics of Animal Research: A UK Perspective." ILAR Journal. 42-46. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. <http://dels-old.nas.edu/ilar_n/ilarjournal/48_1/pdfs/4801Perry.pdf >.

10. 
Bernard E. Rollin summarizes his work as a philosopher to regulate animal research. Firstly, he discusses the history of ethics in animal research from the time when is was nearly non-existent to when it first began to emerge in the mid-twentieth century. He introduces the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (what led to its passing and how it affected the anti-vivisection movement). He then outlines his part in the anti-vivisection movement.
(Rollin 285-304)

Rollin, Bernard E. "The Regulation of Animal Research and the Emergence of Animal Ethics: A Conceptual History." Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics. 27.4 (2006): 285-304. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. <http://www.springerlink.com/content/771m854192497482/>.

11.
This article focuses on the future enforcement of the 3 Rs- replacement, reduction, and refinement. According to the author, the debate over the ethics of animal research is oversimplified to simply extreme animal protectionists who threaten the closing down of animal research laboratories and researchers who reply fully on animal research for the improvement of society. However, a "middle ground" can be achieved to compromise the two sides. Replacement is constantly being researched but science is far from finding an alternative, while reduction and refinement has been somewhat neglected. Nothing will be achieved through an immediate closing down of research facilities and the author suggests compromise through better enforcement of the 3 Rs. (Smith 248-249)

Smith, Richard. "Animal research: the need for a middle ground." BMJ. 322. (2001): 248-249. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. <http://www.bmj.com/content/322/7281/248.full>.

12.
Scientists of animal research and philosophers questioning the ethics of animal studies have written many works to try to convince society and each other to understand their respective views. However, Fraser argues that the two opposing sides are "arguing from different premises." The way each group defines certain issues on animal research differ, disallowing the two groups to debate on the same level and understanding. Fraser says that there needs to be an increased "convergence" between the scientific and philosophical approaches to the ethical debate in order to accurately define the "proper" relationship between humans and animals. (Fraser 171-189) 

Fraser, David. "Animal ethics and animal welfare science: bridging the two cultures." Applied Animal Behavior Science. 65.3 (1999): 171-189. Web. 19 Oct. 2011. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159199000908

Free Writing

As science and medical research advance, so does the issue of animal ethics. Although once viewed only as sources of food and labor, animals have increasingly gained supporters for their just and moral treatment. For this research project, I am conducting a research on the debate encircling the use of animals in scientific experimentation and how society's views on this topic has changed throughout the history of animal research.

So far, I have researched differing opinions on animal research and articles identifying the pros and cons of animal research. I have also found sources explaining the history of animal research and the ongoing debate and other sources discussing prospects for the future of using animals in scientific experimentation. I have yet to find sources describing specific scenarios for which animal research has been beneficial and the opposite. Also, articles discussing the trustworthiness of animal research and maybe even an article that describes the basic experimentation process of studies consisting animals. What kind of animals are used in studies, which kind of most often used, and why, should also be asked while doing further research.

I am expecting to have trouble picking a side on this ethical debate. As of now, I do not support either although I am an engineering major and do support scientific advancement. I am also speculating that I will have problems organizing the paper as this topic can be elaborated in different ways.

Articles for Research Paper

1.  The ethics of animal research: Talking Point on the use of animals in scientific research
This article introduces the ongoing debate amongst supporters of animal research and animal-rights extremists and anti-vivisectionists over the ethics of using animals in scientific research. It describes the benefits of animal research in public health and medical research. It also explains certain laws in conducting animal research as well as the movement to reduce, refine, and possibly replace animal research.
http://www.nature.com/embor/journal/v8/n6/full/7400993.html

2. The Regulation of Animal Research and the Emergence of Animal Ethics: A Conceptual History
This article outlines the history of the regulation of animal research. Essentially the article lays out the history of the ethical debate over animal research. It focuses on the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 and how the regulations changed over the years.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/771m854192497482/

3. The Benefits and Ethics of Animal Research
This pdf page contains several articles by various authors about the benefits and ethics of animal experimentation. A short article introduces the topic of animal research and the ongoing debate. The second article opposes the use of animals in research while the third article supports animal research due to its important role in medical research. The last article describes the history of animal research.
http://www.indiana.edu/~acoustic/s685/Rowan-1997.pdf 

4. The Ethics of Animal Research: What Are the Prospects for Agreement?
This article focuses on the ethics of using animals in biomedical research as this issue seems to be the most heated argument (according to the author). The author of the article neatly outlines the points of agreement and disagreement between the supporters and non-supporters of animal research. The article concludes with the author's view on how the opposing sides should begin to compromise based off of the points they both agree upon.
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=46377

5.  The Ethics of Animal Research: A UK Perspective
This article focuses on the debate over animal research in the UK, where many animal-rights activists have spoken out against the issue. It focuses on four major points of issue concerning this topic: assessing pain, distress, and suffering in animals; does animal research lead to valid results?; is it morally acceptable to cause pain and suffering to animals?; can we ever agree on research involving animals?
http://dels-old.nas.edu/ilar_n/ilarjournal/48_1/pdfs/4801Perry.pdf  

More Sources: 
http://www.bmj.com/content/328/7438/514.short

Helpful Sources (no full-text) 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1605074
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2923.1994.tb02729.x/full
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ320250&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ320250
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ307510&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ307510

Research Topics

Ethics in the Field of Science: Animal Testing
Although science and medical technology are advancing daily, scientists have struggled with how to test new advances without rousing the issue of human ethics causing them to turn to animal testing. As a supporter of advancement in science, I believe animal testing is needed in order to continue the advancement, but there are people who bring up the issue of ethics in animal testing. Because I do not know much about animal testing, I am interested in researching this topic to understand what animal testing really is and if it is aiding the improvement of society.

Standardized Test Scores: Are they a good way of measuring student ability?
As a high school senior, I had to take the SAT and ACT, both standardized tests, that would score my abilities in reading, writing, and math. Being a math and science oriented person and never scoring well on standardized tests, I disliked the fact that both tests were leaning toward reading/writing. I did not want to be rejected from a college of choice because of my standardized test scores. This topic was relevant to all current college students and will be to all future college students. I disagree that colleges should choose students based on these scores.

Thesis

The Australian Red Cross creatively and effectively advertises their campaign for blood donations through the rhetorical devices of ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos. 

Visual Rhetoric

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1229419/The-billboards-added-dimension--advertisers-bend-physics-make-sale.html

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/pain_without_borders_cambodia

http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2006/red-cross-blood-box/

On "Fat is an Advertising Issue"

Susie Orbach and her views on the advertising industries' negative impact on women's body image are very persuasive. Everywhere we look, in any ad we see, and on television, women are depicted as beautiful, skinny, tall with long legs, and with youthful, flawless skin. Due to the large presence and influence of modern advertising, young girls and women are led to believe that they have to be the same as described above. Despite the fact that industries are advertising the “ideal of beauty” through the impossibility of acquiring “ideal beauty” many woman aspire these "ideals,” provoking negative feelings in girls and woman toward their bodies.

Everyone wants to be accepted and everywhere billboards and other visuals claim to the public that self-image is important. However through Dove's campaign for “real” beauty that included “diverse, vibrant, pleasing and sexy images of women of all sizes, ages and physical types”, Orbach conveyed to the public that self-image does not have to be “ideal” but simply “real”. Real beauty is one that comes with every woman through their “magnificent differences, their uniqueness, not their sameness.” “Ideal” beauty is one that is fake and “untouchable”.

Advertising industries are wrongly using beauty to persuade their audience to buy their products. They set up a “relationship of insecurity” in women who are not satisfied with their bodies to keep presenting further areas of the body that need to be touched, “coiffed, painted, plucked, waxed, perfumed, moisturized, conditioned or dyed.” Through this “relationship” women will always desire an impossible ideal body and will be constantly buying new products.

Although most models for beauty advertisements are still “beautiful, skinny, tall with long legs, and have youthful, flawless skin,” slowly but surely there are advertisements with more typical girls and woman who do not necessarily meet the “requirements.” Many television shows host women who are not “beautiful” but have their own unique personalities that allow them to be accepted by the public. Whereas in beautiful models they see an unattainable dream, girls and women see these women and are able to see themselves.

Lego Advertisement

Lego effectively uses the rhetorical elements of logos, pathos, and ethos through its advertisement to stimulate the viewer's interest in buying a product that brings alive children's creativity.

Lego uses logos, pathos, and ethos to appeal to its audience's sense of logic and humor through the "war tank" lego model.

The Lego advertisement cleverly persuades its audience by opting to sell the idea of enhancing creativity in young children through its lego model of a war tank.

The advertisement effectively persuades its audience through its ingenious use of a shadow depicting a war tank when in actuality  the figure is of a simple lego model.

Rhetorical Analysis of Heinz Tomato Ketchup Ad

This advertisement for Heinz Tomato Ketchup uses the rhetorical appeals of logos, pathos, ethos, and kairos to persuade viewers to buy their product. The obvious rational argument, or logos, made in the advertisement is that food tastes bland without Heinz’s ketchup. The eye of the viewer immediately goes to the bottom of the page to the word “without” and the red ketchup bottle. Although the lettering is small, it is bolded and it is in clearly legible black color which stands out from the whitish-gray background. Similarly, the ketchup bottle is small but its red color is apparent and even though the words on the bottle are barely legible anyone would recognize it as the logo for Heinz ketchup. Heinz uses its small but distinct logo and its reputation that it has been in the market since 1869 to sell the brand name Heinz and establish ethos in the ad. After recognizing the advertisement as one of Heinz tomato ketchup, the viewer’s eye goes to the top of the page to understand exactly what cannot be “without” Heinz tomato ketchup. A traditional breakfast plate is pictured, but there is obviously something wrong with it. The sunny-side up with the bright yellow center and sizzling bacon are colored primarily white but also with different shades of gray. The bland, neutral colors make the plate unappetizing. When viewed more closely, the eggs and bacon are made of cardboard, referring to the phrase that many people use when food tastes bad: “it tastes like cardboard”, although it literally does not. The makers of the add rely on a pathos appeal to humor and persuade its audience. Lastly, tomato ketchup makes up a large part of consumer’s shopping as seen by the large variety of food that “require” ketchup- hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, hash browns, for some people eggs and mashed potatoes, and as key ingredients in many sauces- and also the large number of consumers that eat these foods. The advertisement chooses the right time, kairos, to advertise the product.

Rhetoric in Everyday Life

We hardly go an hour or even a minute without seeing some form of visual rhetoric around us. Because I have a yahoo e-mail account, I frequent the website and am often led to click on the many news articles or sometimes the advertisements that catch your eye with its vibrant colors and movements across the computer screen. Normally I only go to the yahoo website to check my e-mail but movement is one technique that catches people’s attention. These images, whether they are accompanying a news article or an advertisement, are more convincing or persuasive when they catch the viewer’s attention at first glance. The 21^st Century auto insurance advertisement on the right-hand side immediately catches my attention when I open the yahoo homepage. The strange, dorky-looking man in red and white boxer clothes pops up on the screen though cowering behind a pole. Closely following is the appearance of red boxing gloves. On a white background the red color pops out at the viewer while a lighter color would have blended into other pictures and words. A red “switch and save” sign shows the increasing amount of money you can save by switching to 21^st Century as the obviously senseless-looking man is one-sidedly beat up. The man must represent other auto insurance companies or “senseless” people who prefer to buy auto insurance from companies other than 21^st Century. Lastly, a “Take a shot to see what you can save” quote appears and allows you to continue on with a game where you see “how much you can save” while beating up the man. Color and definitely motion and interaction persuade the viewer and along with numbers if the viewer is concerned about money.