Inquiry One Topic

I was lying in bed on March 5, 2012 checking Facebook before I fell asleep when I saw multiple friends share a video and a message to watch it. I clicked on the video, and for the next thirty minutes was informed of atrocities and civil war happening in northern and central Africa. The goal of the non-profit organization, Invisible Children, was to make Ugandan rebel and leader of a guerrilla army, Joseph Kony, "famous." The film states that by making Kony a recognized name, they would be able to draw attention to his heinous crimes against innocent people and children. Already a member of a similar organization with similar goals of rehabilitating war-effected children and human trafficking, I was no less appalled at what I was seeing. Watching the speakers ask for help and describing the tortures they endured from the rebel army was heart wrenching, and made me want to do more. This emotional appeal from the charity is a great example of pathos. The organization can also be considered an example of ethos, as it appears trustworthy to its intended audience (teens to mid-twenties) and appears competent in what they are reporting.

The video went viral. It has been viewed millions of times by people all over the world. It has inspired bills, petitions, and demonstrations of all types. It appears that the video had achieved its goal: making Kony notorious. Everyone, especially younger people, were talking about and getting involved with an issue that had not been relevant to them a day earlier. Invisible Children maintained an active relationship with their now large audience through various social media sites. They encouraged them to continue spreading the word not only to friends and family, but also to politicians, celebrities, and other people with influence. I feel Invisible Children was successful with its campaign because they launched their video in a time where videos could be shared quickly and social media sites were a large part of many people's lives. This utilization of kairos allowed them to spread their message quickly and reach more people across the world. I also feel Invisible Children was successful with their campaign because they established a relationship with their intended audience through the use of personal pronouns ("We can change this..., You can help..., etc.) Their uses of different principals of rhetoric allowed them to become a viral movement that got many people, myself included, and others who would have otherwise been unaware of the issue involved, and can serve as a model for other organizations on how to bring more attention to their causes. I also learned the power of emotional appeal, or pathos, form their use of rhetoric. If you get enough people to care about something, you can bring about change and awareness on a large scale. 

Intro to Rhetoric

If you had asked me to define rhetoric before beginning this class, I would not have been able to give you an answer. Luckily, after watching the videos posted on the class page and reading the first chapter in Everything's an Argument, I feel I have a basic idea of rhetoric an it's applications in our daily lives. I would define rhetoric as a means of presenting a point in a convincing, well-expressed, and effective way. It was definitely insightful to begin to view everything as an argument, and examine how everyday actions and items can be used to form or support an argument. On pages 22 and 26 of the textbook, the excerpts on differing definitions and their effects on the goals of the differing parties is incredibly important to keep in mind when forming and supporting an argument. We as a consumer, voter, etc. need to be aware of where our information is coming from and whether or not it is reported as it has actually occurred. When I came across the sections on Pathos, Ethos, and Logos, I realized that rhetoric wasn't as foreign to me as I had previously thought. I had been constructing arguments that followed these models since I was a child. It was also interesting to me that Aristotle's findings from so long ago are extremely applicable in today's society. I also began mentally examining the different tones of different publications after reading page 30 in Everything is an Argument. I don't often come across publications where the author uses alienating personal pronouns, but am now more aware of their presence and the effects they could have on a reader who does not fit in the intended audience. A term I found useful about rhetoric came from the video Introduction to Rhetoric when the narrator talked about Kairos, the right or opportune moment.  This term to me is essential to forming a strong and relevant argument. By presenting an argument in the correct situation, you are giving the argument the best chance to succeed as opposed to allowing it to falter in less ideal circumstances. 

Introduction

Hello! My name is Brittany Anderson, and I am a Microbiology/Anthropology major from Geneva, IL. I am really excited to be taking this English class online as opposed to next fall. Some of my interests include: playing softball, reading, music, hanging out with friends, and staying active. I am so excited to get to know you all and can't wait to be at Miami in August!