Erin Lamb

        Black eyes, bloody noses, bruised arms and faces, and broken limbs. Visible wounds for the whole world to see. This is what we view bullying as, because we can see the damage of others. However there is another form of bullying that we do not visibly notice right away. Not everyone is willing to look past the exterior and dig deep into their mind to figure out if they are hurting. Most people will simply ignore a problem if they can not physically see it.

 "God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes/ 'Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues/ Then you really might know what it's like"

People will always remember when they were wronged, tormented, embarrassed, and ridiculed rather than when they were praised. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Some people live by this, I call it nonsense. Give me the name of at least one person who likes being called a “fag”, “slut”, “fat”, “repulsive”, or  “freak”.  Not one single name comes to mind. These images bring this awful thought into reality. The first kid is attempting to erase 'freak' off of his locker, but as many times as he tries it will never go away. The locker is his memory. his feelings. The word 'freak" will never be erased from it. It has been blackened by the hatred his receives. It has been trashed will awful messages about the way he look, dresses, fixes his hair. It really incorporates the emotional (pathos)side to the prey of bullying. I still remember the time I got called a 
'dyke' because of a short, hot-pink wig I had to wear in our school musical. And this was by someone who knew me and was also in the musical. For me it really hurts when I am referred to something I am not. I'll admit that I was a bit odd in elementary/middle school, but people never really took the chance to get to know the person I really was. All they saw was a little, messy haired girl who cried a lot. No one ever wrote 'freak' on my locker, but they wrote freak on my heart.

 "The pen is mightier than the sword" describes this next photo to the tee. This young child is being choked by the invisible hand of destructive language. It is way to much to handle. There is no glimmer of light, happiness or hope represented in the picture. This is a young boy. A boy who will grow up with the belief that he is a worthless nobody, who views the world only as a hate filled, disgraceful place. There is so much 'pathos' incorporated wrapped onto one small box. There are tears are rolling down the child's face, a painful look in his eyes, and a mouth that wants to scream but no one would take any notice.

This person was out and about minding his own business when some people beat him to a bloody pulp all because they thought he was gay. No. He is just as straight as they are.Those people had absolutely no clue where he came from, who he was, what he believes or about the life he leads. They assumed he was gay most likely because they thought him to be different. No two people are the same though. So what if that girl has bubblegum hair, or he wears skinny jeans and has piercing all over his face. She might dress in baggy jeans and over sized t-shirts but she is just as much of human being as the person next to her. This photo shows a lot of 'pathos' in it. His blood runs in the color of the rainbow, which represents why he was beat up and how he has now become an ally. He chose not to run away and hide, but to come out and show his support for others. Just like the first two examples, we see the hurt and torment that these people have gone through. However in this photo we do not see his eyes. A persons eyes can always give away their emotion, if that person says their alright.

                                                                  

The lyrics of "What It's Like" by Everlast ties the whole message together in 5.04 minutes. Throughout the entire song, we encounter the grittiness of different lives around us. The lyrics tell an anecdote (story) of people that are bashed, abused, ridiculed, tormented every single day.

"We've all seen the man at the liquor store beggin' for your change
The hair on his face is dirty, dreadlocked and full of mange
He ask the man for what he could spare with shame in his eyes
Get a job you f****n’ slob's all he replied"       

    

In the music video we see the man attempting to 'fit it' with the rest of society, but they constantly sneer at him because he is smelly, ragid and without a home. The song is trying to tell us that there is so much more to the story.Most people tend to only look at the outside layer of other people. The homeless man holds his hands up in the air as if to say, why do these people dislike me? 

   

"Mary got pregnant from a kid named Tom who said he was in love

And then she heads for the clinic and she gets some static walkin' through the doors
They call her a killer, and they call her a sinner, and they call her a whore"

 Mary was just an average teenager who was very much in love with her boyfriend. he later abandons her after he gets her pregnant. Her life has been turned upside down and the only place she has left to go is the clinic, where even there she gets called a 'killer' and a 'whore'. She walks aimlessly around throughout the video as of she has given up on finding someplace that will accept her after all she has done. At different times in the video the homeless man, Mary, and the members of Everlast, appear to be  drowning in a giant pond. The pond represents the hatred and weight of their lives, pushing them further and further down, so they will never escape their horrible lives.

Each person in the photos or video have all been ridiculed and highly misjudged, especially due to their appearance. The gif shows a boy that would be classified as 'emo', the teenager was thought to be gay, the homeless man doesn't exactly wear designer clothing and Mary is now very far along in her pregnancy. No one knows who these people really are though.

“Before you talk, listen

Before you react, think

Before you spend, earn

Before you criticise, wait

Before you pray, forgive

Before you quit, try”

-Ernest Hemingway

RAP Morgan Howard

1

Morgan Howard

Hillery Glasby

ENG 1510

March 25, 2013

Rhetorical Analysis Portfolio of Related Texts

          Everyone deserves a friend in this world, somebody to stand up for them, and everyone deserves to have his or her voice heard. When doing research and having learned what people who do not fall under the “original” category of being normal go through is heartbreaking. People have had to come a long way with the fight for LGBT rights; battles have been won, but the war is not yet over.  People who are advocates for LGBT rights play a major role in the movement because sadly, their voice usually speaks for the rest of the people.  I have reviewed different uses of conveying the message of bullying and the hurt that it creates. Some have stuck with me more than others; however, I have found some really great techniques and campaigns that people have come up with that seem to be very effective on reaching out to both gay and straight people.

         

2

Respect of both genders is the key for gaining anyone’s attention and maintaining the respect of your audience. Most of the time people come out with their opinions and it is their way or no way. No matter what your fight is, being open to others viewpoints is most important. I think that Ellen Degeneres’  “It Gets Better” campaign is the most beneficial for gay people to turn to for a good positive voice.  She is already a well- known celebrity, with many fans. She is more so loved than hated. Her great personality and wit is an awesome combination to have. She is funny but knows when to be serious, and I respect that greatly. She is a person who has withstood the test of time. Most funny celebrities have a talk show that fizzles out within the first few years of being aired, but Ellen is still going strong after quite a bit of time, and I think that it speaks highly of the good that comes from her.

          I feel that her way of delivering her message is completely awesome. She is true to her beliefs and genuinely cares to be a voice for people who can’t, or do not get to speak out for how they feel and the problems that they face. The point of her campaign is to convey the message to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people that life will indeed get better for them. She uses excellent rhetorical techniques by using a hint of assertion to show what she firmly believes in and that she will not back down, but she is not obnoxious or threatening about it. She uses reasoning by

3

explaining what she has gone through so people can relate to her, as well as a serious tone when needed. Ellen invites other celebrities who will help support the campaign to talk as well. Musicians will perform and talk about their issues and everyone can relate. It is not derogatory towards any person no matter his or her beliefs. This campaign does not have any weaknesses. Ellen always produces fulfilling and uplifting material for people of all types to enjoy. There needs to be more people that are like her. It seems these days that celebrities are stars for being pregnant at sixteen, or being able to be a drunken idiot on television. People, young adults especially, need more positive influences in their lives such as Ellen Degeneres.

          Another campaign that I found to be interesting was the “NOH8 Campaign”. The campaign is really effective with a great meaning behind it. It promotes human equality just like Ellen’s “It Gets Better”. I really think that the photo shoots have a great meaning behind them. They show people of all shapes and sizes, religions and beliefs, genders and sexuality all supporting the need for equality. Some celebrities will do photo shoots, and some everyday normal people do them as well. Everyone has their own story to tell, and this campaign does a great job on showing that.

          4

I personally love how NoH8 points out who is denying human equality. It shows that this world has a long way to go before we reach peace. To me it is great, but the campaign might come off as too assertive to more conservative folks. That is where the downfall comes. In order for everyone to be on board with the campaign, the people who work for companies, etc. that do not support gay rights or equality will more than likely be offended because they might feel that they are on the spot. Essentially these people are on the spot, and I think that it is a great thing. I do however see that this is the major downfall of the campaign. The use of assertion is greatly used in the add. Plenty of examples are used to show people who have been neglected basic rights of freedom and quality.

          The last campaign that I found interesting to study was Lady Gagas Speech. I found this interesting because I was astounded that someone could be so ignorant and stupid, yet still be so famous. I believe that her intent of her speech for gay rights was fake and strictly for the use of her publicity. Anyone with any type of sense to them would have been annoyed and sickened by her delivery of her presentation.

          She overused assertion and looked like a total fool. I suppose that the fact that she was defending gay rights could be appreciated if one did not see it as a

5

plea for attention. When somebody is trying to reach out to others, that person must first earn their respect. Trying to dress like a man with a touch of hipster does not show authority, it shows stupidity. She will never change the minds of narrow-minded people; she might just cause those minds to go narrower. Throwing a temper tantrum and shouting is ridiculous as well. I was interested only because I was trying to figure out if she was genuinely serious with her speech. She was not open to others at all. I particularly did not care for her comments she made towards soldiers. She made it seem that all soldiers are anti- gay which is not the case at all. My father is a conservative man, and fought in the first Iraq War side by side with a gay man, and to this day they are still best friends. I am sure she does not hate every soldier, but her delivery on stories about a few soldiers does not speak for the millions of other wonderful men and women fighting for our freedom. She did not have any thoughts for others feelings at all, and that annoyed me more than anything.

          When Ellen speaks, she does so with grace and authority. It is the perfect balance of what a good leader needs to demonstrate to others.  When she first did the campaign what she said really stuck with me, “It is amazing. I spent my entire career trying to conduct myself in a certain way making sure no one walks all over me only to get to a point where people are going to walk all over me”. She talks

6

about how she had felt belittled when she found out how people react to gays, and she knew she needed to do something about it. Her use of tactic is better than Gagas lovely choice to begin her speech by saying, “I wrote this speech, this address, myself, I've spent 48 hours trying to find the perfect thing to say. My address to you today is called "The Prime Rib of America".  It was pathetic to know that she only dedicated two days to her speech that she claims to care so deeply about. People who are truly passionate about something spend their whole lives trying to do something to change it. Lady Gaga devoted two days of her time to give a pathetic speech so she could gain all of the fans that she can get. Ellen on the other hand has devoted her whole life to trying to change the world for the better. She is an excellent people person. Gaga should definitely take lessons from her. If Americans suddenly developed a bunch of aneurisms and elected Lady Gaga for president, then the United States had better say a prayer that we do not run into an issue with another country. The result would be all of us being baked to death by nuclear bombs being dropped on us because Gaga decided to try to scare the other country or she just point blank made them so angry that they decided to wipe out the entire country.

          The Noh8 campaign is similar to Ellen’s with its use of creativity and has a great message delivery as well. The only issue it has is its use of assertion towards

7

others who do not support gays. The idea behind it is great, but more people will be set up to be offended when reviewing that campaign rather than Ellens.

          Overall, Ellens is the best because she will reach the most people and the campaign is most beneficial. The NOH8 is a great thing for GLBT’s to turn to as well. Lady Gagas speech is an excellent thing to turn to if anybody, no matter who you, are needs a good laugh.

Works Cited

"Lady Gaga's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Speech: The Full Transcript." - Music, Celebrity, Artist News. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.

"NOH8 Campaign." NOH8 Campaign. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.

"Take the Pledge." It Gets Better. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.

1

Morgan Howard

Hillery Glasby

ENG 1510

March 25, 2013

Rhetorical Analysis Portfolio of Related Texts

          Everyone deserves a friend in this world, somebody to stand up for them, and everyone deserves to have his or her voice heard. When doing research and having learned what people who do not fall under the “original” category of being normal go through is heartbreaking. People have had to come a long way with the fight for LGBT rights; battles have been won, but the war is not yet over.  People who are advocates for LGBT rights play a major role in the movement because sadly, their voice usually speaks for the rest of the people.  I have reviewed different uses of conveying the message of bullying and the hurt that it creates. Some have stuck with me more than others; however, I have found some really great techniques and campaigns that people have come up with that seem to be very effective on reaching out to both gay and straight people.

         

2

Respect of both genders is the key for gaining anyone’s attention and maintaining the respect of your audience. Most of the time people come out with their opinions and it is their way or no way. No matter what your fight is, being open to others viewpoints is most important. I think that Ellen Degeneres’  “It Gets Better” campaign is the most beneficial for gay people to turn to for a good positive voice.  She is already a well- known celebrity, with many fans. She is more so loved than hated. Her great personality and wit is an awesome combination to have. She is funny but knows when to be serious, and I respect that greatly. She is a person who has withstood the test of time. Most funny celebrities have a talk show that fizzles out within the first few years of being aired, but Ellen is still going strong after quite a bit of time, and I think that it speaks highly of the good that comes from her.

          I feel that her way of delivering her message is completely awesome. She is true to her beliefs and genuinely cares to be a voice for people who can’t, or do not get to speak out for how they feel and the problems that they face. The point of her campaign is to convey the message to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people that life will indeed get better for them. She uses excellent rhetorical techniques by using a hint of assertion to show what she firmly believes in and that she will not back down, but she is not obnoxious or threatening about it. She uses reasoning by

3

explaining what she has gone through so people can relate to her, as well as a serious tone when needed. Ellen invites other celebrities who will help support the campaign to talk as well. Musicians will perform and talk about their issues and everyone can relate. It is not derogatory towards any person no matter his or her beliefs. This campaign does not have any weaknesses. Ellen always produces fulfilling and uplifting material for people of all types to enjoy. There needs to be more people that are like her. It seems these days that celebrities are stars for being pregnant at sixteen, or being able to be a drunken idiot on television. People, young adults especially, need more positive influences in their lives such as Ellen Degeneres.

          Another campaign that I found to be interesting was the “NOH8 Campaign”. The campaign is really effective with a great meaning behind it. It promotes human equality just like Ellen’s “It Gets Better”. I really think that the photo shoots have a great meaning behind them. They show people of all shapes and sizes, religions and beliefs, genders and sexuality all supporting the need for equality. Some celebrities will do photo shoots, and some everyday normal people do them as well. Everyone has their own story to tell, and this campaign does a great job on showing that.

          4

I personally love how NoH8 points out who is denying human equality. It shows that this world has a long way to go before we reach peace. To me it is great, but the campaign might come off as too assertive to more conservative folks. That is where the downfall comes. In order for everyone to be on board with the campaign, the people who work for companies, etc. that do not support gay rights or equality will more than likely be offended because they might feel that they are on the spot. Essentially these people are on the spot, and I think that it is a great thing. I do however see that this is the major downfall of the campaign. The use of assertion is greatly used in the add. Plenty of examples are used to show people who have been neglected basic rights of freedom and quality.

          The last campaign that I found interesting to study was Lady Gagas Speech. I found this interesting because I was astounded that someone could be so ignorant and stupid, yet still be so famous. I believe that her intent of her speech for gay rights was fake and strictly for the use of her publicity. Anyone with any type of sense to them would have been annoyed and sickened by her delivery of her presentation.

          She overused assertion and looked like a total fool. I suppose that the fact that she was defending gay rights could be appreciated if one did not see it as a

5

plea for attention. When somebody is trying to reach out to others, that person must first earn their respect. Trying to dress like a man with a touch of hipster does not show authority, it shows stupidity. She will never change the minds of narrow-minded people; she might just cause those minds to go narrower. Throwing a temper tantrum and shouting is ridiculous as well. I was interested only because I was trying to figure out if she was genuinely serious with her speech. She was not open to others at all. I particularly did not care for her comments she made towards soldiers. She made it seem that all soldiers are anti- gay which is not the case at all. My father is a conservative man, and fought in the first Iraq War side by side with a gay man, and to this day they are still best friends. I am sure she does not hate every soldier, but her delivery on stories about a few soldiers does not speak for the millions of other wonderful men and women fighting for our freedom. She did not have any thoughts for others feelings at all, and that annoyed me more than anything.

          When Ellen speaks, she does so with grace and authority. It is the perfect balance of what a good leader needs to demonstrate to others.  When she first did the campaign what she said really stuck with me, “It is amazing. I spent my entire career trying to conduct myself in a certain way making sure no one walks all over me only to get to a point where people are going to walk all over me”. She talks

6

about how she had felt belittled when she found out how people react to gays, and she knew she needed to do something about it. Her use of tactic is better than Gagas lovely choice to begin her speech by saying, “I wrote this speech, this address, myself, I've spent 48 hours trying to find the perfect thing to say. My address to you today is called "The Prime Rib of America".  It was pathetic to know that she only dedicated two days to her speech that she claims to care so deeply about. People who are truly passionate about something spend their whole lives trying to do something to change it. Lady Gaga devoted two days of her time to give a pathetic speech so she could gain all of the fans that she can get. Ellen on the other hand has devoted her whole life to trying to change the world for the better. She is an excellent people person. Gaga should definitely take lessons from her. If Americans suddenly developed a bunch of aneurisms and elected Lady Gaga for president, then the United States had better say a prayer that we do not run into an issue with another country. The result would be all of us being baked to death by nuclear bombs being dropped on us because Gaga decided to try to scare the other country or she just point blank made them so angry that they decided to wipe out the entire country.

          The Noh8 campaign is similar to Ellen’s with its use of creativity and has a great message delivery as well. The only issue it has is its use of assertion towards

7

others who do not support gays. The idea behind it is great, but more people will be set up to be offended when reviewing that campaign rather than Ellens.

          Overall, Ellens is the best because she will reach the most people and the campaign is most beneficial. The NOH8 is a great thing for GLBT’s to turn to as well. Lady Gagas speech is an excellent thing to turn to if anybody, no matter who you, are needs a good laugh.

Works Cited

"Lady Gaga's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Speech: The Full Transcript." - Music, Celebrity, Artist News. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.

"NOH8 Campaign." NOH8 Campaign. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.

"Take the Pledge." It Gets Better. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013.