Rhetoric of art

I enjoy drawing. It's not only an activity that passes the time, it's an activity that allows me to express myself in positive ways. In my dorm room I have a bulletin board covered in drawings I have done in my free time. However, the one thing that annoys me is when people ask me what my work means.

Like music, art isn't supposed to have one set meaning, in fact, I don't always know the intention behind my own drawings. The meaning by art lies in the Pathos created by the experiences of the viewer. It takes their own memories and experiences and instills emotions inside themselves to create meaning. 

For example, here is a drawing I did two weeks ago

The image of a bleeding hand holding a rose obviously will act as a metaphor for some moment in a person's life. It could be a moment in which romance brought them pain, or even just if they pricked their finger on an actual rose. This makes art a pathway to rhetoric.

Art also uses Ehtos as well. Have you ever seen a piece of art that looks simple and unremarkable, but is revered and worth lots of money. Chances are, that piece is by an artist who is famous in the art community. Artists with the respect of their peers can make whatever they wish, and the masses will almost always love their work.

For example, Andy Warhol created a number of pieces of art, such as a drawing of a Campbell's Soup can, and an artistic film about a man receiving a blow job (Literally, the film is called Blow Job, and showcases a man's face as he receives fellatio). These pieces are not in themselves remarkable in any way, but because they are Warhol works, they are regarded as artistic masterpiece.

Warhol Soup Can

Art also facilitates rhetoric through discussion of the art as well. The word choices people use to describe their interpretations of art are all choices of rhetoric that help convey their feelings created by the Pathos enabled by their art. In fact, art is general can be argued to be purely rhetorical in nature.

Linsanity!

Anybody who has been on the internet during the past two weeks has probably been bombarded by articles upon articles about the athlete who overcame all the odds to rise to the top of his game. Well, you can thank Jeremy Lin for that, as his performance in the past seven New York Knicks basketball games has inspired a legion of supporters worldwide, in a phenomenon that can only be described as Linsanity.

But why has Jeremy Lin suddenly taken the world by storm, while other basketball players who perform similarly (Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, etc.) aren't making as large waves? Well, the answer lies in the pathos of Lin's story.

The underdog story is one of the most loved sports storylines. However, many of these seem like movie fiction, only possible through the mastery of writers. Lin is the real life personification of one of these movies. Lightly regarded in high school, Lin was not recruited by any major NCAA basketball programs. Eventually he landed at Harvard, who is not known for their basketball program. After a stellar career at the University, Lin moved on to the NBA.

However, when the NBA draft ended, Lin still did not have a team. In fact, Lin hadn't had a steady contract for the past two years, being shipped from team to team, being given no chance. Earlier this year, he was cut by two teams before landing with the Knicks. Even then, he saw little playing time, and was to be relegated to the D League (minor league basketball) to further develop his skills.

But then, a string of injuries forced Lin into a starting role, where he suddenly excelled, scoring more than 20 points in each of his first six games. Suddenly, the young man who lived on his brother's couch, was an NBA superstar. Now, Lin has a guaranteed contract, a starting position for the Knicks, an apartment in Trump Towers, and international fame.

This story is the type of feel good story of perseverance that people love to hear about. It makes them happy and feel that anything is possible if they work hard enough. Media outlets realize that fans are attracted to the Pathos of the story and know that if they keep printing stories about Lin, readers will keep focusing on the stories, as it makes them feel good.

If Jeremy Lin was a highly recruited star who played at the best basketball school and was drafted first in the NBA draft, nobody would care. That storyline is expected, and doesn't have the emotional edge that Lin's story does. It's not Lin that people like, it's the Pathos he presents that people are attracted to. The same thing happened to Tom Brady at first too. But if Lin is as good as advertised, Linsanity will soon die out as fans will look for the next emotionally attaching story.

TV Commercials and Doctors

Anyone who has watched a television commercial has probably seen an add for some weight loss drug that will "miraculously" help someone lose weight fast. There are numerous ways that these commercials will attempt to prove to the viewer that their product is the real deal. Many use side by side photos to inform the viewer that they could be ripped by using the product.

However, the weight loss advertisement that has always aught my eye is for Hydroxycut. Sure, it's just another commercial, but this one feel different. This one has an actual doctor recommending its use.

Of course, this doesn't make me actually want to use the product, but it made me realize that someone might, just because a doctor is recommending it. The producers of this commercial are using the rhetorical technique of Ethos by featuring a person of a well-respected profession. Viewers are more likely to invest in a product if a person they respect also uses the product.

Just because a well respected person does recommend something, doesn't mean that the product is by any means better. However, it is programmed into the human mind that these spokespeople are trustworthy. But really, that isn't the case at all. Just because a person is paid to sponsor something doesn't mean it is good for you in any way.

To prove that point, here's another product that was "doctor recommended."

How to lose a Florida Primary

On Tuesday, January 31, Republican voters in the state of Florida turned out to cast their votes in the state's primary. Mitt Romney won with 46 percent of votes, beating runner up Newt Gingrich by a staggering 15 percent. Prior to this vote, Gingrich was considered the frontrunner, before a quick collapse gave Romney the victory.

This collapse could be attributed not only to Gingrich's lack of morals, but also due to his rhetorical choices in the days prior.

The most obvious mistake Gingrich made were the ill-advised "moon colony" plans. These plans were a response to the exigence of a loss of jobs in Florida when President Obama shut down the National Space Program. Vocalizing this idea kind of makes sense. What would be a better promise to thousands of former technicians than to restart the space program?

Of course, Gingrich failed to take a few things into account. The first was the size of his rhetorical audience. According to some reports, these plans were a hit amongst Gingrich's rhetorical audience. However, these thousands of people that Gingrich is appealing to isn't nearly the entire state of Florida, and while he did attempt to appeal to other demographics, it wasn't enough to win.

Looking forward, this primary election was not the right time to bring up this "moon colony." There is a term for the right opportune moment, called Kairos. While Florida was an opportune moment and place to bring up his plans short term, it was not an opportune time or place for the rest of the primary.

The "moon colony" was only meant to appeal to Florida voters, but national focus revealed these plans to voters around the nation. Instead of buying into these ideas, people have regarded Gingrich as being crazy. It's also an especially bad time to propose a program that would cost taxpayers billions of dollars. With the state the American economy is in, it is not a good time to bring up additional spending.

This is likely to work against Gingrich's campaign, as the media has a tendency to remind viewers of goof ups such as this one (Dean Scream anybody?), which will most likely deter voters even more. So, due to Newt's poor rhetorical choices, his election bid is looking to be in doubt.

Seriously though,,, That moon colony idea is almost as dumb as Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, AKA Star Wars.

I Believe in Penn State Football

In November 2011, one hundred thousand fans gathered at Beaver Stadium to watch a football game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. This, however, was no ordinary game. This game was being played on the heels of sexual assault allegations that rocked the Penn State community, and resulted in criminal charges against school officials, and the firing of coach Joe Paterno. On this day, the community came together to not only watch football, but also forget the feelings of pain and betrayal, and have the emotional toll of the week lifted, even if for only a few hours.  

Football, unlike anything else, brings people together, and not just once either. Week after week, millions join one another in supporting, with all their heart, a few dozen athletes. Being part of such a community is a blessing to me, as I can unite with so many others, many whom I wouldn’t associate with otherwise. At football games, it doesn’t matter if I’ve known a person for years or minutes, I will befriend them, knowing we share a common emotional bond.

On this day, the bonds were bound together tighter than ever. Before the game began, Beaver Stadium, famous for hosting one of the loudest and rowdiest fan bases, transformed into the quietest, as everyone, fans and players alike, took a moment to mourn and reflect. However, once the game commenced, we cheered louder than ever. It was the first time in what seemed like forever that we could immerse ourselves in competition and joy. At this point, we wanted a win… something good that we could take away from this appalling situation.

             But, this was not our game to win, and as time expired, the final score 17-14, Nebraska, we gave the team a standing ovation in appreciation for providing such a critical escape. In mere moments, the weight of the real world crashed upon our heads. Some exhausted fans sobbed, with friends right their to support them.

            The community of football is so important emotionally. As a fan, you know others will be there help you cope and move forward, whether your team loses, or you face a scandal as crippling as we did at Penn State. For some, myself included, this makes football all the more appealing.

That game, despite being a loss, helped prove to the fans that if we stick together, we can push onward, and eventually overcome this pain.