Saturday, January 8, 2011
Journal 2
How do arguments based on emotion work in different media? Are such arguments more or less effective in books, articles, television (news and entertainment), films, brochures, magazines, email, websites, etc? You might explore how a single medium handles emotional appeals or compare different media. For example, does a commercial for a product effect you more than a magazine advertisements of the same product? Why do think that is? Similarly, why do you think Internet newsgroups or bloggers seem to encourage angry outbursts versus our newspapers and television news programs? These are just examples so don't feel compelled to answer to those questions but your answer should address how you think appeals to pathos work different (or not) in different media.
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Pathos represents the appeal to the audience’s emotions; therefore, it is used as a communication technique. Although there are many types of medias used to argue, Pathos is more effective in verbal arguments. When you are watching television, a film, or speech you get more out of it due to the tone of the speakers voice, facial expression, and body language. For example, the Obama speech we watched in class was full of emotion. If you read his speech in a text he would sound knowledgeable, but the text lacks assurance and trustworthiness that his voice provides. Being face to face with his audience, it is easier to use his emotions to build a bridge. The reading uses Bill Clinton’s famous line, “feel their pain,” which is exactly what Obama tells the people; he is also an American experiencing the same daily troubles. By striking the right emotional note, Obama establishes an important connection between himself and America. Moreover, take an everyday argument into consideration and look at the difference between reading texts and talking to someone in person. Lets say you and your boyfriend just got into a fight because someone spread a rumor that he was cheating on you. A text message saying he didn’t cheat on you can be a complete lie while seeing him tell you face to face can either be more trustworthy or obvious that he is lying just by his body language. Pathos can be persuasive, but some types are more convincing than others.
ReplyDeletePathos in media is a strong tug on the audience no matter what form of media it is in. This is because different people have diverse emotional responsive to images like the ad in the reading “Obsession for men” by Calvin Kline or to spoken words like the Obama speech that Demi brought up. For example if someone is a visual learner than something that is presented to them as an ad, or image will effective them stronger than a newspaper article about the same situation. Yet for another person that is an auditory learner, speeches will evoke that emotional response that was intended. In the reading there was a story about Steve Jobs where he discussed how he and Steve Wozniak started apple in his parents’ garage when he was twenty years old (pg 4 line 10) which pushed me over to the side that pathos is more effective in a spoken form. This is because after everything he had gone though with apple he still had this drive and it gave the reader a feeling of unity with the speaker and a sense of hope. Also music artist use pathos in their songs to reach their audience and get a specific emotional response. For example “Just the way you are” by Bruno Mars forms that connection between the listener and the speaker. Again the speaker is giving hope to the listener that you too can find someone who will love you for “just the way you are”.
ReplyDeleteUsually a commercial for a product will affect me more than a magazine advertisement of the same product because in the television ad they are setting up situation that appeals to more senses; The visuals of the colors, music playing in the background, and maybe even someone my age using the product. Last the magazine ad I can flip pass if at first glance it is not appealing because there is less going on.
In response to Demi Rose: I feel the same way about the trust worthiness of being face to face with someone to hear the tone of their voice and wittiness their body language. But do you think if you heard your boyfriend was cheating on you and you heard it from a friend or read it in a text message would it have more emotion than of an image of him with another girl? I totally agree that pathos is can be persuasive, but I think it just depends on which situation we are in to which one is more convincing than the others.
Appeals to pathos work similar in various media mediums in that they use feelings as a technique to influence and connect with the audience. As the article supports, “emotional appeals make logical claims stronger”; humans are very sensible beings, so therefore, with the right play on words and use of images as a visual, media can easily manipulate its audience. A magazine ad, a billboard message, and a television commercial all serve to meet a common goal: to convince a fact or persuade a deed. The only difference with mediums is the measure to what degree each medium can affect its viewers. For example, an Operation Smile infomercial receives more responses and stronger reactions than does a simple Operation Smile poster ad because the infomercial is a video that shows children undergoing surgery to repair their cleft palates and mouth abnormalities rather than a poster’s before and after pictures. Personally, after I saw the infomercial every year on T.V. when I was in middle school, I really wanted to help but I wasn’t making my own money to be able to donate to the cause so I joined the small club at my high school in order to fund-raise. I think that if I never saw the video but just random posters, I wouldn’t feel so strongly about Operation Smile.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Yukita: I agree with you that people emotionally respond differently to images and sounds because there are both visual and auditory learners in this world. There are various media forms in order to capture the attention of all types of people. One person may find a television commercial more captivating than a news article but another may think a brochure is more appealing than a commercial.
Yukita I definitely see what you are saying with different types of pathos being more convincing than others depending on the situation. I do agree that a picture of a boyfriend cheating on you will be the most reliable for that situation. In the end I still think that arguments via text only will be less effective in most situations.
ReplyDeleteAn appeal to pathos causes the audience not only to respond emotionally but to identify with the author’s point of view. Different types of media such as television, magazine ads, and books elicit some type of emotional feeling that pulls on the viewers heartstrings. I do not think a person could say that the ways television commercials appeal to pathos is superior to the way books appeal to pathos because they both go about it in different ways. One person might emotionally connect with the way the television ads are spoken and feel as though the ad is speaking directly to them. Others might emotionally connect and identify with how the author uses his or her words in books. The television commercials which show the starving children in Africa might instantly make people pick up the phone to donate money. When people see the pictures of the malnourished children they might instantly become emotionally connected into helping make the children’s life better just by the pictures shown on screen. In the article, Georgina Kleege makes an emotional point by telling the story of informing the class that she is blind. The article states that “readers are likely to identify with the students as with Kleege, imagining themselves sitting in a classroom, facing a sightless instructor, confronting their own prejudices about the blind.” Kleege uses her words to create an image that readers can identify with.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ania, I definitely agree different media’s for the same product can affect viewers differently. Television infomercials have more substance in them to emotionally appeal to audiences and make them want to help out. Unlike a television infomercial, a poster ad cannot show all that it wants to show. Also, it might not have the same affect on the viewers as an infomercial would.
Arguments based on emotion through verbal media is much more effective than arguments in texts such as books, magazines, and brochures. This is due to the different factors of verbal media, such as tone of voice, expressions, and special effects like music and pictures in the background. Since one is directly hearing and seeing these arguments that are based on pathos, one will most likely be more affected, and get things like the chills/goose bumps, an ill feeling in their stomach, and bursts of happiness. Take for example the "above the influence" advertisements. When you see it written on paper, you don't really grasp the meaning, or become convinced. However, when you see a commercial on TV with gruesome looking people with nasty skin and dirty teeth, along with sirens and emotional music, it will direct your attention and scare you in some sort of way. I think that all the factors you can see in verbal arguments make it much more effective.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Demi, I agree that pathos in arguments in more effective in verbal means of communication. Her point about Obama's speech is a great example. If you were to read the dialogue you might just dismiss everything he says. When you hear his tone of voice and see his expressions, you're more likely to pay attention and possibly be convinced because you feel closer and more of a connection verbally.
While used in a wide variety of media, it is my belief that pathos is most effective in speeches and things of the sort. In this form pathos is accessed not only through the audience but also through the speaker. For example, if someone were to read an article about a missing child they would probably have a feeling of fleeting sadness before they moved on to the comic section. However, if they saw the parents on television begging for their child to be returned and they saw the pain it causes someone that knows and loves the child they might feel a stronger sadness or even be inspired to help the search efforts. In response to Brooke, I believe we have the same idea and different examples. In the commercials you were talking about people put themselves in the shoes of the person who was affected by drugs and alcohol, and I was talking about how people who put themselves in the shoes of parents whose child was abducted or is missing.
ReplyDeleteI believe that arguments that appeal to emotion (pathos) do work differently in the various forms of media. Television commercials have perhaps the strongest effect on people because they allow you to make an emotional connection with someone who seems to be speaking directly to you. When you see the personal testimonial of a distraught car accident victim who achieved justice through a particular law firm, and is now completely elated, one can’t help but share in his/her joy, and in turn think highly of the law firm. Oppositely, an ad featured in the newspaper simply portraying an image of two lawyers and there telephone number evokes far less emotion from its viewer. Another form of medium is a magazine, which has the ability to be slightly more bold with its ads. This chapter shows the cover of a Newsweek magazine that reads “Sex, lies and Duke; two indicted athletes, a rape charge and campus in crisis. Who’s telling the truth?” The drama and intensity of this headline appeals to reader’s compassion. The question of “who is telling the truth” appeals to the reader’s curiosity by making them feel as though they are being asked for their opinion. These elements combine to entice consumers to purchase this magazine in order to read the article and find out more information. Also, highly contentious issues are handled differently in different forms of media. For example, the nightly news will discuss President Obama’s new legislation passed that day simply by giving viewers the basic facts and information. However, a blog cite will discuss the same legislation by offering up personal opinions on the legislation, good or bad, because this is a place where people go with the intent of voicing their own thoughts and ideas and engaging in argument.
ReplyDeleteYukita, I agree with you in that everyone responds differently to media. While I think that each form of media has its own way of appealing to people’s emotions, to what extent depends on the person viewing the material.
I believe that arguments with an appeal to pathos works best in different media depending on the argument.For example, I would be more inclined to purchase a product being advertised in the newspaper rather than t.v. because it's less ubiquitous giving me the sense that only a few people know about it. Newspapers in general give off the image of being more credible than t.v. or radio, probably because they've been around so long and not just anyone can write for a newspaper.Compared to other media, Newspapers also tend to have articles that argue for both sides of a story making me, the reader, feel as though they're leaving the final judgment up to me.
ReplyDeleteBlogs, t.v.(with the exception of broadcast network nightly news), radio, and magazines are more inclined to be sensational and biased making readers feel as though opinions are being forced onto them. Blogs or web logs are bound to be biased because its an internet version of a public journal where the individual can write articles from their point of view. T.V. is the most widely used media to present information. There are few seemingly unbiased news programs such as NBC nightly news and then there are blatantly biased news programs such as FOX news- both with the ability to arouse intense emotions. And as for radio and magazines there overall purpose is to entertain and sell although there are magazine articles from varying types of magazines that have been able to make me stop and think.
In response to Brooke, I agree that speakers and visual/verbal media is much more effective than written media due to the fact that the former uses effective techniques such as tone, facial expressions, and moving images to convey a certain emotion. It would take a superb writer to be able to duplicate that effect.
I think that appeals to pathos does work different in different media. One thing for starters, arguments that occur in visual media such as commercials, T.V. programs, or movies, are being seen by people who obviously watch T.V. Not everyone watches T.V, therefore, an argument trying to be made against something believed by a person who does not watch T.V. (for example), the argument, or point of view might not even be made then, since they did not see it. The same thing can work for the other way around. Let's say for example something about politics is being argued in a newspaper, who's to say that that argument can be argued, because possibly the certain group of people who actually read newspaper articles, might all agree with the argument. So different forms of media might have a different effect on people. I think that an ad for a product in a commercial will have much more of an effect to an audience then if the ad for the product is placed in a magazine. People watching T.V are somewhat forced to having to watch that commercial, so they see the product, or the argument being made. On the other hand, readers of magazines can just flip through the pages of advertisements, because chances are they are not looking at that magazine to find ads, so it is not of their interest. Also, in these commercials there are usually people, people are able to give off emotions in their attitude, voice, body language, etc... and so people can relate to that person in the commercial. Where as in magazines, the ad is most likely just a picture of the product, so people are not able to get any emotions from it. When it comes to bloggers and internet users, I think they encourage angry outbursts because it is on a topic they might feel emotional about. Also the fact that it is a free country and they are able to say whatever they want. Rather then newpapers and T.V media who might not care about the topic they are covering as well as having to be politically correct, being cautious with what they say. In conclusion, appeals to pathos does work different in different media.
ReplyDeleteBrooke I completely agree with what you have to say. Seeing things visually does make a great impact on people rather then reading about it. With the Above the Influence ads, that has a greater effect in a commercial then it would written in a magazine because people can see the situation the ad is trying to get across. For example the kid at the restaurant with his friends, and they tell him to go to a party, and he tells them no because he has to study. The waiter (who overheard the kids) then tells him not to worry about paying for the food, because he made the right choice. I believe seeing this actually makes an emotional impact on people rather then reading it.
(1) I would have to say now a days with technology growing like it is I think the emotion in television and the internet is more efficient than books or brochures because that is where everyone spends most of their time. I would defiantly have to say that if I saw a magazine advertisement for something and then saw an advertisement for the same thing on television I’m pretty sure the commercial would catch my attention more because it would feel more real to me. It would not just be this printed page in a magazine with some color and text, the commercial would move and you could hear things being said to you. Also about why internet newsgroups or bloggers seem to encourage angry outbursts opposed to newspapers and television news programs this is because of like what I said earlier, technology is becoming more and more used and known. Therefore giving the blogger a chance to say some things on the internet because they know someone will respond to it because it is also immediate, there is no waiting to see in the next newspaper whether or not someone had something to say about your article. I also liked in the reading how they brought up that the emotion of humor can even come in hand. When they showed the stickers from the election one said, ‘vote democrat, it’s easier than getting a job’. Things like that would even catch my eye and I don’t really get into politics. Something like that I never really never thought of, like bringing humor to politics.
ReplyDelete(2) I like how Brooke said it, that emotions through verbal commercial comes easier because it is direct. You get that direct feeling rather than when looking at a page and not feeling anything. The example she gave of like seeing people with gross skin and having the effect of music behind it will make it all that more gross feeling at the pit of your stomach. I agree with her, she said it well.
Pathos is a very effective tool that is often used by the media very well or very badly. For example in some commercials that are played emotion can be very struggling to watch especially ones that have to do with animal cruelty, these specifically hit hard with me. But the news tries to grab attention using emotions on play when they say stuff like "A peaceful family of 4 was brutally killed today, more on that later." But they way the present it is like they have no emotion they just say it and move on and make the emotion of it, which is very high, go away and replace it with suspense instead of the better emotion that they could have gone with.
ReplyDeletein response to Demi
I know what you mean by saying that speeches carry a high level of emotion in them and possibly more so than writing but for some people like me writing can have just as much emotion as speaking. I for one "hear" how I think something should be read and if it's an emotional thing I sometimes make it seem almost melodramatic and this is a reason why I like to read books, because I can create the level of emotions I believe something needs. And because I create my own level of emotions in reading it has a greater impact to me. The only reason reading emotion makes a greater impact for me, and this most likely is different for everyone, is because when someone is speaking I get very distracted. So a very emotionally laden speech can be completely lost on me because I was not paying attention it at all. So all in all emotion can be found in different areas more for some than others.
Pathos is based on the ability to touch the reader in a way that will make them feel emotionally inclined to believe and understand ones point-of-view. Different effect in the media dictate the strength of that emtional pull. People are more in inclined to be persuaded through verbal media. There is more interaction and pressure in verbal media. Verbal media is what is sociably acceptable, and to contradict society is to stand out in the "wrong way". When reading a magazine or newspaper article, no one knows what you are reading at that particular moment, and have no room to jugde you. Verbal media allows many to listen at once, and possibly influence other to act, even if they had to be intially persuaded themselves!
ReplyDeleteIn response to Brooke's comment, I agree. Verbal media has way more power than any other form of media e.g. (magazine, newspaper, radio) Even if something is heard on the radio, visualization is very powerful in the hearts of the on-looker. To see and hear someone act for what they believe in is a very powerful thing to witness on an emtional level.
I think the most affective methods in getting people to react emotionally are on TV or in person. While a magazine ad may be beautiful and well put together, a TV commercial invites the audience by using the sense of sight and hearing. You feel as if the actor is speaking directly to you, and their voice, pitch and tone can also affect you. In commercials featuring abandoned animals the spokes person will speak softly and slowly. Also, on TV the audience will get to see multiple images, in contrast to just seeing one flat image in a magazine ad. Commercials are organized so that they intrigue the viewers who watch that particular TV channel. When watching the Disney channel you are more like to see a commercial featuring Kool Aid, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and new toys than you would see a commercial featuring a new weight loss plan or perfume This is because the type of audience would be affected differently by using more upbeat music or cartoon characters. People may feel more emotionally attached to a person who is moving on the television than a still image magazine ad. I think that commercials affect people more because the amount of time the commercial is on the TV is longer than what a person would normally take to look at a magazine image. In “Arguments Based on Emotion: Pathos,” we read that humor can play a major role in our emotions, and it is difficult to have a magazine article that can display the same kind of humor that a commercial does (page 48). For example, a commercial that always makes me laugh advertises Verizon NFL Mobil, and it would be difficult to have a magazine ad that creates the same humor because Adrian Peterson talks with a girls’ voice, which you would not be able to grasp from a piece of paper.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Yukita’s blog, I do agree that all people think differently, and therefore, they will respond more in certain situations. Some people are more drawn to visual things that make you use your imagination more, while other people would be more affected by hearing a person’s voice. Personally, it is harder for me to focus on something that is not making noise because I can zone out like when reading a book, but my attention span is much longer when I watch a movie because I am affected by both sight and sound.
Overall I feel that if executed properly few media are more effective than others at appealing to emotion, though, proper execution and relativity to the cause and audience are crucial to this notion. An advertisement on the side of a bus might have less text and detail though reach more people and spread the intended emotion across a larger population. At the same time, appealing to emotion in a book won't reach as many people but will create a stronger more passionate bond to the reader because of the time and thought invested in the ideas. For example, if many people see a photograph and short statement about animal cruelty on the side of a bus general awareness and concern is likely to spread through the community and people may become more inclined to donate to organizations such as PETA or the ASPCA. Though, a few people may read a couple hundred pages in a book about animal cruelty and become so invested in the cause that they become active end up initiating awareness campaigns themselves. In general, shorter more concise articles and advertisements in newspapers, magazines, on television, etc. seem to be more effective in sparking less dramatic yet more wide spread movement in populations while campaigns that require more time and thought such as documentaries, books, films, etc. spark smaller yet more active and aggressive movement.
ReplyDeleteIn response to 'kayvigh' and Brooke, I disagree with the idea that verbal arguments are more effective than those in writing. For someone who responds best to audible and visual factors this might be true. Though, for many, reading is more active and helps in memory. When watching something you are given an image though when reading, you are required to create your own image and end up both visualizing the situation in your head and seeing it in text. In your response you also mentioned that tone and expression is not achieved in text though, tone is a crucial aspect to all writing and expression is often described with strongly connotative language that creates vivid mental images.
Pathos, a particularly popular approach when appealing to audiences, always has the ability to influence. I believe the effectiveness of pathos in an argument can be dictated by the viewers, listeners, and readers of that media type, and ultimately the advertisers’ direct path to reach out to the specific audience. Different media types appeal to different types of people; therefore, certain media types have the ability to attract or defer those people. An emotional ad directed at the wrong person can produce a negative reaction. On the other hand, employing pathos in an ad produced through the right media type to the right audience can easily convince someone to take action. For example, recently, an animal rights association produced a TV advertisement that loudly plays the song “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan as a slideshow of mutilated, injured, and starving animals cross the screen for a prolonged period of time. A nurturing female voice describes how the animals need your’ help through a small daily donation. Each time the commercial plays, I find it more and more difficult to just sit and watch as opposed to dialing the number and donating my money. The advertisers collect donations through one of the persuasion techniques the article stated; making the viewer’s feel the impact their gift would bring. Pathos, when applied in the right situation, truly can persuade an individual to an action. When an advertiser understands their audience they can easily find the right way to influence.
ReplyDeleteYukita, you make an extremely good point when stating that the type of learner someone is can also affect which media type they associate best with. I also believe that depending on an individuals’ learning type they might better associate with one form of media over another.
Pathos makes a difference in all forms of media. The message being conveyed nearly always stirs up an emotion in the viewer when they analyze what is being shown in a magazine or on a TV commercial. As seen in the magazine ad of a model in Calvin Kline boxers, advertisements such as these stir lust in women and interest for men who suddenly want to wear this brand in order to look the model in the picture. Although, in my opinion media resources such as commercials make a much bigger impact on the viewer than does an article in a newspaper or magazine. By seeing a realistic life situation being acted out a person is much more likely to be absorbed than if they simply see a picture. Commercials are able to better absorb the viewer’s attention and have more resources to make an impact on them. As stated in the article, commercials often promote the ideas of “change the child’s life for the price of a pizza” or “imagine the smile on the little child’s face.” This is seen on commercials all the time where charities say these words and show pictures of poor children in terrible situations to promote guilt and sympathy.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with what Natascha was saying. TV articles have a realism that no other advertisement has. By having a voice and personality viewers are able to relate to them much easier and are therefore better impacted. They are much more likely to remember these advertisement’s because they hit much closer to home and therefore stick in your mind.
Appealing to emotions, pathos, is a very powerful and effective communication technique. Arguments based on emotion are used in almost every form of media today and work efficiently to persuade one to “buy this product”, “visit this place”, or “vote for this guy”. In the reading it discussed how ads in magazines use images or words that promise either pleasure, excitement, beauty, technology, or good health to lure in buyers that happen to stop and see that advertisement. It’s very obvious that other forms of media such as commercials on television or websites use these tactics as well. If writers or speakers find the right image or wording to evoke emotion, they can convince the audience to act in the way they want. I think a commercial for a product is more effective than a magazine ad because it has audio. There are pitch and volume, tone, and sincerity, things that only hearing a voice can pull out from our emotions.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Emily,
ReplyDeleteThe commercial about animals with the "Angel" song playing is so famous! People discuss it all the time and I personally have a hard time watching it when it pops up during commercials. While I feel it evokes emotion very well, I don't know anyone who actually donated due to it.Perhaps they need to work a little less on the slideshow and more on getting information to actually donate on there.
The usage of pathos in an argument is a powerful combination that creates understanding, inspiration, action, and hope. Pathos arguments can be used in many different forms such as magazines, commercials, internet blogs, and televisions. The different forms that this argument comes in affects the type of audience impacted. An audience that is stimulated visually would connect more easily to a televised speech, commercial, or even a face to face conversation rather than reading a text message, book, or news paper article. While an audio audience would be more focused on the content of an argument and would connect more easily to a news paper article rather than a commercial ad. This is the case because visual audience's focus more on the speaker’s tone, body language, and facial expression to form a connection. While an auditory audience focuses more on logic and the content of the argument to form a connection. Take for instance the example that Alyssa brought up about television commercials, which showed the starving children in Africa and how it might instantly make people pick up the phone and donate. I feel that this is more effective on a visual audience because the look in the starving child's face and his/her body language that depicts despair would pull at the audience’s heart to donate. While an audio audience would still feel sympathy for the starving children, they will not be stirred to donate money until they are convinced that their money is actually going to help those children. In the article, when Georgina Kleege told the story of telling her class that she was blind, it was stated that “readers are likely to identify with the students, imagining themselves sitting in a classroom, facing a sightless instructor, confronting their own prejudices about the blind.” I feel that this type of reaction would have been that of a visual learner rather than an audio learner.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa, I really liked your example of a commercial of starving children from africa, it made your point easier to understand and relate to.
ReplyDeleteAppealing to pathos is appealing to someone’s emotions and this is an excellent way to set up a persuasive argument. There are many ways of connecting to the audience whether it is by using guilt, joy or to provoke anger. Speakers take advantage of the emotions of their specific audience by using these emotions. Advertising also uses these emotions and catch their audience all of the time. Whether it is at home on television, in movies, while they read the paper and magazines, or even while driving down highways. There are all of these forms of advertising but I believe that television is the most effective. Television had become something that Americans cannot live without and the advertising companies know this very well. Nearly everyone has a television and is influenced by the thousands of commercials every day. Television is also a very good media source for advertising because it can hit very specific target audiences. For example, there are many toy commercials on nickelodeon and Disney channel, but on ESPN there are a lot of ED medication commercials. Also, most people are willing to watch two to three minutes of commercials in order to get back to their program versus a magazine where people can just turn the page and not read through an advertisement. I feel that it is easier to appeal to someone emotions through television, you feel as if you are connecting to an actual person when there is a live person in the commercial. Music can be used to influence emotions in commercials whether is sad or happy.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Alyssa, I think that the starving children in Africa are a great example of guilting the audience into sending money to the organization and using pathos.
ReplyDeleteLiterature is one medium that used to be used in emotional arguments. It is not as widely used today, mostly because it requires more time attention the other mediums, but like all other types of media it has strengths and weaknesses. One way in which literature is strong is that it has staying power. A quote from a book can be reproduced and referenced on all the other types of media, and things that were written in books hundreds of years ago are still being used today. In the reading, Shakespeare’s Macbeth is used as an example and it was written more than 400 years ago. One of literature’s very significant weaknesses is that is does not have the ability to use tone. This would adversely affect most of the emotions used as arguments, such as humor and anger. This especially true when it comes to sarcastic humor for often we use tone to tell if a speaker is joking or serious. The text uses an excerpt from one George W. Bush’s speeches, and if it had not previously set up the fact he was utilizing humor, it is quite easy to see how people could have seen him as being serious if they had only read the words.
ReplyDeleteI do not necessarily agree with Demi’s statement that pathos arguments are more effectively used verbally. Each type of media has different strengths and weaknesses that can have different effects on the different types of pathos arguments. It is up to the person doing the argument to determine which type of media suits their argument the best.
While I believe that various types of media all have the capacity to evoke emotion, I believe that none do this better than those regarding television and film. When people go to sit down and watch a movie or television show, they can easily get wrapped up in the excitement or sadness of what's being presented before them. People can have periods of anger, sadness, joy, love,etc. That's not to say that other types of media can't have this affect, but I would like to think that television and film can grasp our emotions more effectively than the others. Why I believe this to be true is because television and film don't require that we enlist our imaginations to figure out what is happening. I mean imagination as in we can visually understand what is going on without having to sit and ponder the setting and so on and so on. TV and film can sometimes give us reenactments of our own lives. They can make us recall a time when someone broke our hearts or a time when someone proposed to us. Another reason why I believe that TV and film are the most successful at evoking emotion is because even though people know that what they're seeing is pseudo-reality, people still tend to weep or laugh as if they had just experienced a real life situation. Little kids dress up as their favorite cartoon character or superhero after seeing them in action. Media such as comic books are turned into movies to make the unreal seem as if it is reality. Like the reading indicates: words can evoke emotions, images can evoke emotions, and sounds can evoke emotions. Individually, these can have astounding affects on emotion. However, when combined, these individual layers can create emotions that are universally felt. I don't believe that any other type of media can or has had that effect like that of TV and film.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Demi Rose,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your argument that we are more emotional when we watch a film or listen to a speech where tone and body language is involved. I especially liked the example of the Obama speech. I liked your analysis of how there would be a difference if we were just reading Obama's speech rather than hearing Obama's speech. With reading his speech, I believe that the only true emotion that would be evoked would be that of boredom. We would not get to experience on which words he put emphasis, how his voice changed when talking about his family to talking about politics. We as viewers instead of just as readers got to view the person and emotion behind the words. Pointing out that detail was really good.
I think just about everyone hit the point about Pathos. It's emotion in the most basic form. Commercials like the the SPCA use this by putting sad music and showing pictures of abandoned or sick animals to lure you into helping them. Magazine ads with pretty women on them inspire women as well. Also, reading something can be different than feeling it. Certain speeches evoke more emotion when you watch them, like Obama's speech. Body language can contribute a plethora to Pathos because it can show empathy in the speaker or writer. Like the text also said, Pathos can make the reader embarrassed by showing them how easy it is to help starving children.
ReplyDeleteI actually disagree with what Matthew said however, regarding that literature cannot produce tone. Word choice and syntax alone can produce the tone that writers want to evoke emotion out of their reader...a very important part of literary dialog.