Haily Snyder wrote about Proactiv and did an audience analysis on it. I would like to discuss certain language tools used by Proactiv. Wow! I never thought about it before I was a salesman how many tatics there are in writing and in advertisment.
Proactiv uses imgery in their advertisment. It explains how beautiful one's face will become, when one uses it. On the website it states " Proactiv heals acne today, and prevents it for tomorrow". This sentence convinces one that it is a quick solution. They do this because nobody is patient enough to wait. If it said it takes a month, nobody would show much interest, therefore just by their langauge tools are they able to persaude people that it works and works quickly. When people look in the mirror and are not satisfied with what they see, an image may come into mind of a clearer better-looking face. The image of the Proactiv advertisment will appear.
It also says it heals acne "today". That means quick results. This is an overstatement. There is no way that this will work in just one day, but it just means quick results. Proactiv also says in their advertisment that " Get the clear skin you deserve". I am not sure what language tool, but this is a sales tactic. They are using ethos to let people know that they deserve good skin and that Proactiv can do that for them. It makes you assume that Proactiv is helping you,which may be true, but in reality Proactiv just wants your money.
Showing posts with label ethos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ethos. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
A Prophet's Plea
Often in the Church we don’t give heed to all of the counsel from prophets. If we did they wouldn't be telling us to read our scriptures everyday, hold family home evening, and attend the temple often because we'd all be doing it. Sometimes we find ourselves thinking the talk isn’t for us or that it’s a good idea but our circumstances exempt us from that counsel. We need a reason to listen to the prophet's voice because being a prophet sometimes isn't enough. The prophet, just like any other speaker must give us a reason that we should heed his message. Speaking as the prophet, President Benson tells us that something is different about this talk, "Beware of Pride". We need to listen. We have to listen. He draws us in and motivates change in us to be more humble. How did he do it?
President Benson first alludes to other prophets found in the Book of Mormon to remind us who he really is, “This message has been weighing heavily on my soul for some time. I know the Lord wants this message delivered now.” A few other prophets have used similar language, for example Jacob says in Jacob 2:3, “I this day am weighed down with much more desire and anxiety for the welfare of your souls than I have hitherto been.” This allusion places him in the same position as Jacob and other ancient prophets. We as members of the church tend to place more trust and obedience to old ancient prophets, many times because we read the stories of what happens when the people didn't listen to that bit of counsel. By placing himself with them, he is telling us that he has seen, just as Jacob, Nephi, and Mormon saw what the people needed. We begin listening because we actually believe this message is not an old man's counsel, but comes from the Lord.
President Benson talks to us as if he were not exempt from pride. That he is one of us. This makes us want to listen to him. If he comes in accusing us of being prideful we’ll prove him right by being offended. Instead he allows us to convict ourselves by defining pride by using phrases such as "The proud are not easily taught,” and, “The proud stand more in fear of men’s judgment than of God’s judgment.” Then when discussing the effects of pride he uses “we” and “us” to make it ever more personal. This diction moves all focus off of him as the speaker and towards us and our pride. His credibility is greatly increased because we see him as one of us who has worked hard to overcome his own pride.
Two anaphora are used to motivate us to action. In the first one, President Benson implores us to think again and again how much better our lives would be if we were to eliminate pride. By not defining the specific blessings he allows us to think about what we want. How it would affect us personally. Then playing off of those emotions he uses another anaphora by telling us we can choose to eliminate pride from our life. By continuing to speak as “we” and “us” we feel like we are going to try with everyone else to improve ourselves.
President Benson uses language tools such as anaphora, allusion, and diction in order get our attention and realize that he is the prophet, and that this particular message is from him as a prophet, and not your everyday grandpa.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
"Ich bin ein Berliner"
"I'm a jelly doughnut," may not seem like the word choice you would use to win Berlin's love, but President John F. Kennedy did just that. His goal was to build ethos in himself and the U.S. His accent in German may have not been like a fluent German speaker, however, he identified
himself with the German people by using their own language. "Lass' sie nach Berlin kommen." Those who didn't feel a connection with the United States gained an appreciation for President Kennedy, and thus the U.S.
He identified himself in the first sentence as a proud guest of the Mayor of West Berlin. This relationship automatically gave him a good sense of ethos with his German audience. He praises and recognizes the Chancellor who has worked for democracy in Germany to tell them that he also supports this alongside their leader.
He identified himself in the first sentence as a proud guest of the Mayor of West Berlin. This relationship automatically gave him a good sense of ethos with his German audience. He praises and recognizes the Chancellor who has worked for democracy in Germany to tell them that he also supports this alongside their leader.
He made a series of statements contrasting the view of communist sympathizers and all those involved in anti-communist movements. All of these remarks were followed by "let them come to Berlin." Repeating this phrase gives the audience a continual feeling that he supports Berlin's drive to be free. After he said, "There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin," the crowd went wild with applause. He effectively gained ethos for himself and for the United States with the German people.
Mike Stanley
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Mrs. Bill Gates on AIDS
IN 2004, an article called AIDS and India was published in The Seattle Times by Melinda French Gates, the wife of billionaire Bill gates.
Ethos
There are examples of ethos on many different levels in Mrs. Gates' editorial. One is her name. It isn't clear that she is Bill Gates' wife until the end of the article. It is as if mentioning the name of her famous husband gives her some kind of credibility or that her opinions matter more than an average person's. But her hesitation to admit that her husband is a billionaire helps her in two ways. One way is that she avoids offending those who may not like Bill Gates and/or Microsoft, thus broadening her audience of readers. She develops a trust with the reader by concealing her identity until the very end. The second way her name helped her was soley dependant on how she reavealed herself and her identity to the reader. Her sentence of admittance was the following: "Bill and I started our foundation based on the firm belief that every child in our world deserves a chance at good health"(par. 18). Now, the reader understands who she is credibility is not lost, but gained because the context in which Mrs. Gates reveals herself is that of charity.
Despite her name, Mrs. Gates established herself as a "regular person" by writing in a way that
helps the reader identify her as someone normal. Her words and phrases are simple and to the point. She writes in the first-person as if it is two normal people having a regular conversation, yet she maintains the air of knowing a little more on the issue at hand, the problem of AIDS in India, than you do.
She establishes her credibility of knowledge on the issue because she traveled to India with her husband and saw firsthand the problems with the AIDS epidemic in India. Also, her use of statistics and quotes of experts with whom she spoke give her argument substantial credibility and believability.
Pathos
The expression of Pathos in this article was ultimately through word choice. In India, the AIDS epidemic has a lot to do with the "sex trade." Mrs. Gates refers to the women who sell themselves to men as "sex workers" rather than "prostitutes." The word "sex worker" gives the impression that the women were forced to make a living this way, while the word "prostitute" arouses very negative feelings and presumptions. She appeals to the reader's ability to pity.
Mrs. Gates also used the word "empower" in the context of educating these sex workers on AIDS and HIV. If women have to be empowered, that means they are powerless. The idea of women being helpless and powerless definitely induces certain emotions that wouldn't be there if she had said "educate prostitutes."
The last major word choice was the implementation of "we" and "us." Mrs. Gates made it seem like we were on a team, that we were all in this together, and that each of us not only has a responsibility to feel sorry for these AIDS victims, but also act to help them.
Logos
Mrs. Gates through logos connects chains of opinions, thoughts, and arguments in order to help us see implications in her argument.
In the very first paragraph, she says, "India's emergence as one of the world's fastest-growing economies, with a highly skilled workforce and climbing literacy rates, has fueled optimism that the country could one day overcome its crippling poverty. But as I recently saw firsthand, India is on the brink of an AIDS catastrophe that could undermine the country's potential for progress"(par. 1).
This is the main connection she wants the reader to make. India is a growing, improving country which can potentially help with the problem of poverty. However, progress towards solving the poverty problem is stunted by the "AIDS catastrophe."
Mrs. Gates does very well in providing evidence for the terrible effects of AIDS, but she does not have sufficient facts, statistics, etc. to support her claim in India being an up-and-coming economic power. Had she provided information on rates of growth in annual income per capita or any other economic measures, it would have been more convincing that India is becoming stronger. That would have provided a great contrast which would facilitate our understanding that AIDS is indeed threatening a growing nation and something must be done.
Though she fails to connect well her primary argument, Mrs. Gates does succeed in helping us make other connections. For example, we know that Microsoft and Bill Gates are rich, powerful entities. However, without evidence, no one would make the assumption that Bill Gates is charitable. Mrs. Gates' mentioning that the Bill Gates foundation has donated $200 M to fight AIDS in India link these two idea for the reader: Bill Gates, though rich, is a philanthropist.
She also helps us understand the "sex workers." The ideas that seemingly have no link are 1)women in developing countries are not educated, 2) in such countries there is bound to be prostitution, which we sometimes see as the woman's own choice, and 3) rate of AIDS infections can be decreased significantly. What Mrs. Gates does is help us see that lack of education forces women into the sex trade. That ignorance carries over into the sex trade itself and as a result,"shockingly, 70 percent of Indian women have never even heard of AIDS." But, once the women are educated, there is a drastic increase in HIV-prevention.
The most powerful connection that she makes is related to how the reader can make a difference. The bad effects of AIDS in India caused by poverty and lack of education can be combatted by the efforts of outsiders. Mrs. Gates proves this by stating, "Individuals can make a difference, too — there are things that each of us can do to help stop AIDS around the world. For example, you can educate your friends and family about the disease, volunteer for a local AIDS organization, or ask your lawmakers to increase funding for global AIDS programs. You can also donate to organizations such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which supports AIDS programs in the hardest-hit countries throughout the world"(par. 20).
Citation
Melinda French Gates, "AIDS and India," The Seattle Times, April 11,2004.
Ethos
There are examples of ethos on many different levels in Mrs. Gates' editorial. One is her name. It isn't clear that she is Bill Gates' wife until the end of the article. It is as if mentioning the name of her famous husband gives her some kind of credibility or that her opinions matter more than an average person's. But her hesitation to admit that her husband is a billionaire helps her in two ways. One way is that she avoids offending those who may not like Bill Gates and/or Microsoft, thus broadening her audience of readers. She develops a trust with the reader by concealing her identity until the very end. The second way her name helped her was soley dependant on how she reavealed herself and her identity to the reader. Her sentence of admittance was the following: "Bill and I started our foundation based on the firm belief that every child in our world deserves a chance at good health"(par. 18). Now, the reader understands who she is credibility is not lost, but gained because the context in which Mrs. Gates reveals herself is that of charity.
Despite her name, Mrs. Gates established herself as a "regular person" by writing in a way that
helps the reader identify her as someone normal. Her words and phrases are simple and to the point. She writes in the first-person as if it is two normal people having a regular conversation, yet she maintains the air of knowing a little more on the issue at hand, the problem of AIDS in India, than you do.
She establishes her credibility of knowledge on the issue because she traveled to India with her husband and saw firsthand the problems with the AIDS epidemic in India. Also, her use of statistics and quotes of experts with whom she spoke give her argument substantial credibility and believability.
Pathos
The expression of Pathos in this article was ultimately through word choice. In India, the AIDS epidemic has a lot to do with the "sex trade." Mrs. Gates refers to the women who sell themselves to men as "sex workers" rather than "prostitutes." The word "sex worker" gives the impression that the women were forced to make a living this way, while the word "prostitute" arouses very negative feelings and presumptions. She appeals to the reader's ability to pity.
Mrs. Gates also used the word "empower" in the context of educating these sex workers on AIDS and HIV. If women have to be empowered, that means they are powerless. The idea of women being helpless and powerless definitely induces certain emotions that wouldn't be there if she had said "educate prostitutes."
The last major word choice was the implementation of "we" and "us." Mrs. Gates made it seem like we were on a team, that we were all in this together, and that each of us not only has a responsibility to feel sorry for these AIDS victims, but also act to help them.
Logos
Mrs. Gates through logos connects chains of opinions, thoughts, and arguments in order to help us see implications in her argument.
In the very first paragraph, she says, "India's emergence as one of the world's fastest-growing economies, with a highly skilled workforce and climbing literacy rates, has fueled optimism that the country could one day overcome its crippling poverty. But as I recently saw firsthand, India is on the brink of an AIDS catastrophe that could undermine the country's potential for progress"(par. 1).
This is the main connection she wants the reader to make. India is a growing, improving country which can potentially help with the problem of poverty. However, progress towards solving the poverty problem is stunted by the "AIDS catastrophe."
Mrs. Gates does very well in providing evidence for the terrible effects of AIDS, but she does not have sufficient facts, statistics, etc. to support her claim in India being an up-and-coming economic power. Had she provided information on rates of growth in annual income per capita or any other economic measures, it would have been more convincing that India is becoming stronger. That would have provided a great contrast which would facilitate our understanding that AIDS is indeed threatening a growing nation and something must be done.
Though she fails to connect well her primary argument, Mrs. Gates does succeed in helping us make other connections. For example, we know that Microsoft and Bill Gates are rich, powerful entities. However, without evidence, no one would make the assumption that Bill Gates is charitable. Mrs. Gates' mentioning that the Bill Gates foundation has donated $200 M to fight AIDS in India link these two idea for the reader: Bill Gates, though rich, is a philanthropist.
She also helps us understand the "sex workers." The ideas that seemingly have no link are 1)women in developing countries are not educated, 2) in such countries there is bound to be prostitution, which we sometimes see as the woman's own choice, and 3) rate of AIDS infections can be decreased significantly. What Mrs. Gates does is help us see that lack of education forces women into the sex trade. That ignorance carries over into the sex trade itself and as a result,"shockingly, 70 percent of Indian women have never even heard of AIDS." But, once the women are educated, there is a drastic increase in HIV-prevention.
The most powerful connection that she makes is related to how the reader can make a difference. The bad effects of AIDS in India caused by poverty and lack of education can be combatted by the efforts of outsiders. Mrs. Gates proves this by stating, "Individuals can make a difference, too — there are things that each of us can do to help stop AIDS around the world. For example, you can educate your friends and family about the disease, volunteer for a local AIDS organization, or ask your lawmakers to increase funding for global AIDS programs. You can also donate to organizations such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which supports AIDS programs in the hardest-hit countries throughout the world"(par. 20).
Citation
Melinda French Gates, "AIDS and India," The Seattle Times, April 11,2004.
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