Pick Me!!

Rhetoric is defined in chapter one (Envision) by Greek philosopher Aristotle as, “the ability to discern available means of persuasion in any given situation.” Persuasion is virtually everywhere. Take a look around, what do you see? Besides a dorm room that desperately needs to be cleaned, I see laundry detergent, dish soap, a pillow pet, a box of tissues and a box of brownies waiting to be baked. Now look again, this time think about why you bought what you did. Did you see it on television or in a magazine? Or was it simply eye catching to you in the heat of the moment of your shopping experience? What kept you from getting the off brand of that particular item, even though it would have been cheaper? Looking back on my purchases after reading chapter 1, I realized I was persuaded without even noticing it at the time. The producers made their products appealing through various forms of advertisements, messages, even pictures. I selected my Tide Laundry Detergent because the commercial convinced me that my clothing would be cleaner than ever. Even though I could have picked a less expensive brand, my mind was set on assured cleanliness. I did not even hesitate as I was reaching for Dawn Dish Soap. The label had a cute animal on it AND with every Dawn Dish Soap purchase; some of the money went toward saving wildlife after the huge oil spill crisis. My box of tissues had a picture of the characters from the Disney Movie Cars. Now, do not get me wrong, I am nineteen years old, but it is hard to turn down a box of Kleenex with Tow Mater on the front. The point is, rhetoric does not have to be in the form of words. It could be a comic strip, a piece of art work, a speech, essay, slogan, ANYTHING!! In sum of this chapter of Envision, rhetoric is one big relationship between the product, producer, and audience. If one part of the connection is broken, it would no longer be appealing or persuasive, and it would no longer be rhetoric.