Animal Testing: Rhetorical Analysis

At first I was not sure if my image was a primary source or not, but then i noticed the fine print at the bottom stating it's purpose. My focus is on a modified Covergirl ad. The character in the picture is a chihuahua with a photoshopped wig, pearl necklace, lipstick and full facial makeup. the text reads: easy, breazy....beautiful? COVERGIRL. In the lower right hand corner rests a set of make up products next to fine print that explains how Covergirl, of the corporation Proctor and Gamble, is one of the largest animal testing companies in the world. The purpose of this argument is to make it known that make up and lipstick companies, especially Covergirl by Proctor and Gamble, test their products on animals. They use the image of a little dog, a chihuahua, to show that these companies design their products based on research that entails the use of animal testing in order to discover problematic side effects. The ad aims at anyone who uses these products and those who use products by the same company to convey the facts they are stating. The image appears to be a poor argument, the dog is pretty ugly, and the outfit makes it look even uglier. They are attempting to appeal to the viewers pathos and ethos because it could raise the question of ethics into the issue of animal testing and the ad itself aims to appeal to the viewers emotions by showing an innocent animal dressed in product designed from possibly abusive testing on it's own kind. The ad does not have a listed sponsor or any supportive facts, so the viewer can only assume the source is from those who do not approve of animal testing simply as a matter of opinion. The image projects the claim that animal research is abusive and wrong and that companies we widely depend on in our culture and society are the ones responsible for harming these animals for insignificant reasons such as lipstick and facial rouge. The ad fundamentally serves the best interests of animals that suffer the proposed abusive testing because, if heeded, they could be spared. They also serve to gain support on their side of the ongoing debate of animal testing and research, although we do not know who the "side" is referring to because no evidence or creator trademark is listed. Overall I believe the emotional style of the argument was poorly presented and will not be effective. The dog is simply dressed up, even little girls dress up their pets for fun. The dog does not even look hurt or depressed due to its state. It is a little disturbing simply because a chihuahua has a wig and make up on... The argument is not very effective though. It does not convince the viewer strongly or effectively enough to have any lasting meaning. 

In Class: Rhetorical Thinking

To me, rhetorical thinking has always seemed to be something unspoken. similar to existentialism, one of those things that have no definition that is fully defining or understood. i believe i am wrong now and perhaps i just didn't understand what rhetorical concepts even were. silly me. so after having read the few chapters we've been assigned in our text, i think i have grasped it a little better. rhetoric is, simply put, another synonym for texts and literature, written or spoken, especially in attempt to persuade or convince. for the purpose of our class we are focusing on analysis, so we search to find who is the author, who is the intended audience, what is the purpose or motive for arguing, etc. the typical questions you ask of any argument. we aim to focus on ethos, pathos, and logos just like any argument. we are to focus on appealing to the audience in every aspect possible while still retaining our content and our persuasive ideas. ethically, we would want to move toward their morals and what they beleive is right and wrong, but it wouldnt be that simple. we would have to effectively aim for aggressive topics that we can safely assume that EVERYONE believes is right or wrong so that no one would have the courage to doubt it. when moving to logos, we would simply state ideas and concepts that seem logical and quite obvious to the reader so that they understand what we are saying is unquestionably true and sound. pathos would be the strongest part of our argument, appealing to their heart and emotions in order to pull them to our side of teh argument. perhaps we could do this by imposing feelings of guilt or responsibiilty upon them.

The Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Blue Mesa, as a public space, openly appeals to the ethos, pathos, and logos of our fundamental everyday life. Ethos is found in the restaurant by the type of message conveyed to the customer in comparison with the type of service and product given to the customer. Blue Mesa describes all kinds of recipes in its menu and boasts about how it is all fresh and handmade and is done so daily, no corners cut. If someone were to get a dish with dried out and old chicken, sauce, or beans, then it would be obvious that they were lied to. If it came out hot and looking pretty fresh, the customer would most likely assume that it was prepared as promised, or at least that the restaurant's quality of pre-made products was good enough for them. Either way, the customer's trust is instilled in the owners, cooks, managers, and servers of the restaurant they eat out at because they have already been drawn in by hunger or desire for a certain type of food and so they go to a location, a public space, where the employees have an ethical obligation to fulfill.

Pathos is found in the restaurant's atmosphere at any given time of day at any day of the week. If one were to attend happy hour on a friday, they would find the rooms filled with laughter and happy conversations. The waiters would be more relaxed because they are mainly just serving drinks so everyone would be comfortable. If it were a few hours later on a friday night, the mood in the air would shift to tenseness and seriousness in that the servers would be chaotically rushing through the restaurant with trays full of hot food. The front door would be filled with herds of hungry guests waiting to hear their name and party called next. Once they were taken to their seats, they would pass the serious couple having drinks and dinner and forcing conversation because of the rings they wear, or the four sorority girls having drinks with their fake i.d.'s before having to return to campus to study or the young mom and dad still learning how to control their 6 year olds behavioral fits while trying to ensure that their 3 year old does not poke himself in the eye with his fork and minutely developed motor skills. At any given time during the week, one could find a particular feeling throughout the restaurant, and probably most restaurants.

Logos emerges in Blue Mesa's setting by the fact that it's guests are hungry, and the purpose of this building they are in is to provide full service dining. Why cook at home if you are tired and can afford to pay someone else to provide food for you and your family so that you can relax and enjoy their company after 12 hours at the office without those you love most? It could be considered an unnecessary luxury to go out to eat for some people, but to others, it is just a once a week deal to relax and reward yourself for your hard work. It could also be considered logical to pay for better quality than you could prepare yourself, as well as the full service so that you can relax and enjoy dinner, without having to worry about the hour of preparation and the half-hour of cleaning all for only ten minutes of consuming.

In Class: Analyzing a Visual Argument

What about this image immediately draws your attention? (Candy Cigarette image)
The first thing i noticed was the girls seemingly sad stare past the camera. the picture's black and white effects make the atmosphere much more solemn and gloomy. my eyes scanned her sad expression and noticed the shadows above her eyes and her long messy, once pure and blonde, hair that looks dirty and a little bit frizzy.
After initial orientation toward her face, i noticed the cigarette in her young fingers and her other arm wrapped around her torso for warmth and comfort. her white dress gives a hint of purity ruined. it looks a bit dirty and her skin looks pretty dark and rough for someone so young, like she's already been through hard times. the only light in the whole photo is the sun creeping over the trees in the top left corner way off in the distance. the girl next to her is almost completely swallowed in shadow and looks equally melancholous. i can't really tell what the figure is in the back left corner, it takes on the shape of a taller man with no arms or head. it could be a distant parental figure that has forsaken the little girl, or even caused her anguish.
Emotions portrayed: The figure in the back left corner seems distant and out of sight and out of helpful reach of the girl suggesting a sense of abandonment and unhappiness. the girl appears lonely and sad but not too disturbed by her lonesomeness. it seems like she has adapted.
the purpose of the image is to show a lost little girl that was once pure and somebody's little baby. something went wrong along the way and she lost her chance to grow up in a threshold of happiness and a secure home and loving family. the purpose is to convey a sense of responsibility in the viewer, responsibility for your loved ones and for those weaker and more vulnerable than you, no one fits this description better than your own child. if you are a parent or will be someday, it is your inherited responsibility to care for and love your child and do everything in your power to ensure his/her well-being.

In Class: Logos

While reading chapter 4 in our text, something that stood out to me was the section about statistics and how these numbers can be abused or misinterpreted in many ways while being conveyed to the audience. i always thought that statistics were pretty solid figures to use to support an argument for or against anything. As a neuroscience major and hopefully future psychiatrist, i've taken multiple psychology classes and have learned the many faults of statistics. for instance, the data could be skewed or more focused on a certain aspect or on one side of the argument purely because of the researcher's confounding bias. also, statistics do not always fully consist of all the data truly involved. surveys and polls only make up the percentage of the people that actually took the survey, it does not account for those who did not take the poll, which would make the data inaccurate. today in class our professor brought up the theme of next week, V week i believe, and how it is focused on women abused by their husbands (as well as governmental neglect); these cases are highly difficult to extract a correct statistic from because, for one thing, many of these women that are abused do NOT report it because of fear or a feeling of learned helplessness. in any case, the book just pointed out the fact that cold hard 'facts' are not always what they are cracked up to be and that stood out to me because most people strongly rely on factual evidence when trying to argue their case