I felt that this flash movie was trying to convey the message that both candidates are pretty ridiculous (no offense to their supporters)...they were showing some examples of the dumb arguments and accusations that Bush and Kerry use against each other to try and win public support...It seems that the movie makes fun of Kerry's ethos : Kerry is known for having three purple hearts which is considered ethos(credibility) and the movie makers constantly ridicule this fact. Kerry (in the movie) keeps saying "but I won three purple hearts"..they show him throwing a grenade from a boat in Vietnam and saying "I won them right"..The movie makers seem to be making fun of his 'heroism' and his credibility of having three purple hearts...Also the movie makers mock the logos that both candidates use in their campaigns. For example, ads against Sen. Kerry always seem to mention how Kerry can't "make up his mind" about various things like tax cuts etc...and the movie ridicules this showing Kerry holding a sign that keeps swinging with words like "Yes" and "No" and "Maybe".
I noticed that the movie used pathos when they showed a Native American man at the end of the movie saying "This was my land" and the voices answering him "But now its our land"...I think that this is using pathos to make the audience feel for the Native Americans and see how the candidates both just want the power.
Another use of pathos was using amusement to appeal to the audience..the whole movie was hilarious and extremely amusing to me..and I think most people who don't feel too strongly about either candidates would agree on that...the whole movie was making fun of both candidates, but to be a little more specific I would give this as an example of the use of amusement (pathos): The movie showed Kerry as a baby wearing a diaper and Bush saying "You're a liberal sissy", while Bush is shown leading tanks to battle with kerry calling him a "right wing nutjob"..In my opinion this is using pathos because it shows liberals and right wings from different points of view (liberals are sissy? right wings are nutjobs ??)..so this use of amusing pathos could influence the audience and make them look at the whole election campaigns in a totally different way.
I think you did a great job explaining that video since I was able to watch it I think I got a pretty clear idea of it. I think that those comedies are fun and they definately get the point across, and I know their objective in those satires is to seek to correct, but I can never tell exactly what they want the viewer to go away with as far as a positive understanding of who, they the viewer, will vote for in the election if they're making fun of both candidates.
Posted by: Josh at October 7, 2004 10:50 AMAlia, I think you did an awesome job explaining the falsh movie! You really know how to identify the rhetorical appeals. I had a hard time identifying them. After reading your interpetation of the flash movie, I think I need to try and look at some things differently in order to identify the rhetorical appeals effectively. Good job!
Posted by: Kawe0005 at October 7, 2004 11:26 AMHey thanks guys !! Your comments are really encouraging !!
Posted by: Alia at October 8, 2004 01:54 PM