Cultural Rhetoric

Subway uses rhetoric to draw customers to eat there with a spokesperson. His name is Jared, and he is well known for losing a substantial amount of weight by eating at Subway. Jared often brings with him a pair of pants he wore when he was obese to use as a visual aid for the audience he is presenting to. By doing this, he is implying that Subway can help you lose weight. This advertisement harnesses the tools of rhetoric to persuade the audience to choose the healthy chain restaurant. It specifically uses ethos, by establishing a credible source in Jared, and could also arguably include logos, appealing to reason with the possibility of losing weight. I am persuaded by this advertisement because I see someone transform their lifestyle by eating at Subway. It conveys the message that eating at Subway will improve your body and your way of life. The pair of pants that Jared shows from his unhealthy past make me want to avoid becoming that way, making Subway more appealing to me. I think...

The speech I decided to write about is president John F. Kennedy's Civil Rights Announcement, given June 11, 1963. In this speech, Kennedy speaks about the racial inequality taking place in America at the time for African Americans. He begins with an example of injustice that had taken place at the University of Alabama. Two black residents had to be admitted to the University by the National Guard, even though they undoubtably had the necessary qualifications. The case had to be decided in court. President Kennedy spoke of how this was unfair to the students, who should be permitted to attend whichever school they desire without being escorted by military. He made the point that when our country is in need of troops, we do not ask for only whites, so why do we treat anyone with any less respect because of the color of their skin? The president asked that ever man, no matter what color they are or where they come from, to examine his conscience regarding the matter of racial ine...

I noticed rhetoric being implemented in a sermon given by a young man from Freedom Village while our basketball team was at the Ross Corners tournament in Vestal, New York. Freedom Village is a small school in New York where young men are sent to be introduced to God after they get involved in dark actions. The boy's name was Christian, and he stood up during chapel and gave a message about how he came to find God after falling into some undesirable things earlier in his life. He spoke about how he became distanced from God and that Freedom Village had helped him get his life centered back to Christ. He mentioned how the comaradary with the boys helped him become less selfish and that basketball had especially helped him express himself in a positive way. He emphasized that everyone deserves a second chance and that he has learned to accept the challenges that will present themselves in his life, as they are all a part of God's plan for him. In this sermon, Christian used rheto...