Blog 3

ARCS Ch 4
This reading was really uninspiring to me, more like something you would read on how to write a paper.  I think people (or at least I) automatically use common topics to make their arguments relatable and give the audience a reason to care.  Obviously playing off certain topics and places makes your rhetoric more directed to a particular audience and therefore can be very convincing to them.  I wish I had more to say about this reading, but I can't really think of anything else!

RT Aristotle p 169-240
Aristotle's rhetoric primarily discusses Logos, Ethos and Pathos but defines other forms of argument as well.  Most of us are familiar with logos, ethos and pathos because that's how we are taught to write papers from Engl 101.  Examples of Aristotle's rhetoric can be found everywhere.  It's rare that an ad is without logos, ethos, pathos or all 3.

For example, the truth campaign that attempts to prevent teens from smoking cigarettes often uses all three of Aristotle's elements in their pretty effective ad campaigns.  I'm not sure what affect their ads have had on the number of teens that smoke, but I think they're definitely effective.  Because the ad campaign has been going on for so long, I think the organization has ethos because we're used to seeing their ads and we understand that the organization has a good cause.  Also, their ads contain facts and facts=logos.  The images used are for pathos, the pictures are never pretty and never make you want to try smoking after seeing the ad.  This is just one example of how Aristotle's rhetoric is still visible everywhere today.