I chose the Budweiser Lost Dog Commercial for my rhetorical analysis. The commercial uses pathos in multiple aspects to draw viewers in. The commercial begins with an adorable white lab puppy busting through a pile of hay as a clydesdale horse friend and rancher walk in. The puppy then ends up running into a trailer and closed in. The trailer opens in an urban setting and the puppy jumps out. Then there are scenes of signs being put up for the puppy. The puppy goes through rain and shine to get back. As he finally arrives at a hill overlooking his home a wolf comes out with malicious intent. The horse stalls are shown shaking and then a trumpeting of clydesdales run to the puppy rescue.The ending features the puppy leading the clydesdales home to the rancher where he’s washed up the puppy. Then all ends with a happy reunion of the puppy, clydesdale friend, and rancher.

The commercial is an incredible example of how pathos can be used in advertisement. Most people have a soft spot for puppies so that immediately connects viewers with the commercial. That creates a strong draw into the rest of the commercial. The small puppy getting lost makes people want to help. It also draws them in even more to the emotional strain. As the commercial continues through the puppies journey it keeps people locked in. The use of pathos to hit peoples emotional center drives the ending to be so powerful. When people see the small delicate puppy standing up to a wolf it both shocks them and helps make them worry. When the clydesdales run to the rescue its an immediate overdose of relief and joy. It makes people happy and as the puppy makes its way home to be washed and reunited with its family people relax. This allows the focus to end with the Budweiser. 

The entire goal of this commercial is primarily centered around using pathos to draw people into the product. When you think about that commercial you think Budweiser. That can lead people to go out and get some. As well as hit those emotional triggers when they see the product on the shelf. What sets pathos apart is its emotional and effects you inside. That means in many ways it has a lot more control over how one looks at a product. In the end the key to this commercial working was its use of pathos to draw viewers in.

Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents 

Rhetorical Review, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Spring, 1997), PP. 264-279

Keith Grant Davie

  The article begins by talking about Ken Burns’s documentary, The Civil War. This discussion leads into the main subject of rhetorical analysis and how it’s used. It describes how it can be used when describing historical works like Burns. Burns describes how Bitzer, Vatz, and Consigny had articles describing rhetoric. He explains how they each had definition but if combined you come up with a better definition. The constituents of a situation are the exigence, the audience, and the constraints. It talks a lot about discourse and how it relates to different parts of the topic. It explains different aspects behind what discourse is about, why it’s needed, and its goal to accomplish. It then describes rhetors, Audience, and constraints in more detailed paragraphs.

 Compound Rhetorical Situations- Discussions of a single subject by multiple rhetors and audiences.

Exigence- The matter and motivation of the discourse.

rhetor(s)- Those people, real or imagined, Responsible for the discourse and its authorial voice.

Audience- Those people, real or imagined, with whom rhetors negotiate through discourse o achieve the rhetorical objectives.

Constraints- factors in the situation context that may affect the achievements of the rhetorical objectives.

In many works we have done its key to think about audience, constraints, exigence, and rhetors. Then apply it to the work.

What is the best balance of a paper to allow Audience, Rhetors, and Constraints to all be evenly applied?

Rebecca Jones:

“Finding the Good Argument OR Why Bother With Logic?”, pages 156-159 and  “The Appeals”, Pages 166-168.

In Jones article “Finding the Good Argument OR Why Bother?”, she breaks down the different forms of arguments. She explains how certain arguments don’t work due to an overly aggressive approach that makes it difficult to read as an opposer. This is done in part by a very funny cartoon. She also breaks down an argument not having enough strength which leads to it being useless. Then explains the point in which it flows well. In Jones article “The Appeals”, breaks down inductive and deductive reasoning. It goes through a series of examples to help describe and show these methods in use.

Deductive reasoning is the simple and basic form of reasoning. Inductive reasoning is the more complex form of reasoning with more elaborate aspects. 

It connects to my own work in that I’ve used these forms of reasoning. At the time I did not realize their true form but now I know.

What is the best way to decide wether to use deductive or inductive reasoning?

1. Dr. Mona’s actions helped bring a greater awareness to the medical issues and overall issues associated with the flint water crisis. This helped start change in the way of new pipes and precautionary measures.

2. When I was younger I watched a movie called The Cove. It was a bloody and truly heart wrenching movie for someone like me. It pictured the killing of thousands of dolphins in a costal Japanese cove. I couldn’t believe the destruction on these beautiful and highly intellectual animals. In order to try and help I wrote a paper about the issue and told many in my school. I was called Free Willy by coaches and students for my caring. In the end it didn’t matter because I stood for something that mattered and made people see it.

3. Stand up for those that don’t have the ability to escape poverty, abuse, racism, and other forms of struggle. Help all living things you feel need help. Be the person who speaks out about the real issues that many don’t want to see or feel they’ll be socially criticized for.