In this blog I'm going to analyse the rhetoric
used in two different blogs on this topic. Links to these blogs will be
provided at the bottom of the page.
The first blog I read on this topic is called
"Body Beautiful: How Media Influences Your Body Image
Perception" written by Emme. Emme appeals to logos by mentioning an
experiment "performed by post doctoral researcher Shelly
Grabe and psychology professor Janet Hyde...where they found that exposure to
media depicting ultra thin models increased women's concerns about their
bodies". Emme appeals to pathos when mentioning how "these images of
super thin women [trickle] down to girls as young as 5-8" also when using
vivid diction such as "[glamorizing] the thin". Emme has a
conversational tone by using words such as us, we you and they, words which
also give a very joint effect. She includes herself in the women who need to be
more aware of medias effects on body image.
The second blog I read on this topic is called
"Body Image and the Media" written by Deaven Ashley Freed. Deaven
appeals very strongly to pathos in her blog. She posts many emotionally loaded
pictures and videos for example a picture of a very pretty girl with the words
" not pretty enough" and "not talented enough" written all
over her. Deaven appeals to logos when quoting the South Carolina Department of
mental Health in saying that " 8 million Americans have eating disorders-
7 million women and 1 million men." Deaven also uses a conversational tone
by using words such as we and you.
Both of these blogs effectively used a
conversational and self inclusive tone. I think it serves to make the reader
feel included and like the author is on their same level. The use of the
pictures in Deaven's blog was especially useful in drawing in the
reader emotionally. I feel that the pictures were a good thing to point out
because including so many seems to be fairly characteristic of blogs more than
other sources.
http://emmenation.com/blog/2012/08/07/body-beautiful-how-media-influences-your-body-image-perception/http://www.personal.psu.edu/afr3/blogs/SIOW/2011/09/body-image-and-the-media.html
Madison,
ReplyDeleteI really like that you chose this topic to compare the different types of appeal. It is INSANE how much the media affects girls (and guys) images of themselves, and what we are comparing to isn't even real! It seems to me you presented all the uses of logos, pathos, and the different uses of tone. You did a good job on comparing the two of them and including similarities. you included lots of different aspects for a well rounded blog post.
Insightful analysis, Madison. As you point out, conversational tone seems to be a means of making the reader feel included in blogs, and it definitely appeals to pathos since it builds rapport with the readers. The comment function (opening comments) also appears to contribute to this conversational tone and makes readers feel included. Here we see how the ways in which blogs appeal to pathos differ from the ways in which news stories appeal to pathos.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the media plays a HUGE part in influencing body perception, and it is such a controversial issue, which made it very appropriate to use a controversial tone, in an attempt to include everyone in the discussion. The use of pathos and logos also ties the reader in as well by persuading them through logic and their emotions, which is extremely effective because the addressed topic can be very emotional to some, yet others have to see the actual facts in order to be drawn in.
ReplyDeleteVery nice analysis. I liked how you covered the different approaches that the media uses to influence body image issues. You were able to establish a personal yet professional tone when writing this
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