We are living in a world that is flooded with rhetoric. The average person goes about their day with little to no second thought about the content, interactions, and situations they put themselves in. In all of this, we can find greater meanings. This can be through politics, advertisements, personal interactions, etc. In this post, I will discuss two recent situations I encountered that, with some after thought, I realized were rhetorical.
First, I will discuss a Bernie Sanders debate. In the sixth democratic debate, Sanders was questioned about his Medicare For All plan and how he plans to enact it. Tim Alberta said that Sanders’s plan would not get passed through Congress, so he questioned the approach that Sanders would take to implement smaller changes to this system. In his response, Sanders skillfully avoids the question by using facts that further support his single-payer legislation plan. He uses money, health statistics, and a touch of pathos to build confidence in the idea that the plan will be passed by Congress and further supported by the American people. When using facts such as these, Sanders is helping strengthen his case and build a political agenda that will be supported by the people.
Next, I will touch on the super bowl. This Sunday was filled with rhetoric as millions of Americans watched the game and its multi-million dollar advertisements. One that stood out to me in particular was the Google commercial. Essentially, it showed an old man recalling memories of his wife, which we can assume passed away. It was heartfelt and touching. Google utilized pathos to capture viewers’ emotions and show them how Google is capable of bettering people’s lives through their advanced technology.
Finally, there is rhetoric everywhere. Nearly every conversation we have, book we read, song we listen to, show we watch, etc. has a deeper agenda and motive behind it. It is important to be aware of this so, as viewers and rhetorical analyzers, we can consider and be aware of different perspectives and hidden meanings that have a influence on the masses. Bernie Sanders’s debate and the Google advertisement both did a great job at showcasing how subtle, yet obvious rhetoric can be, as well as the great effects that it can have.
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Rhetorical Theory & Criticism 