Rhetorical Analysis Portfolio

Zachary Barton

Hillary Glasby

English 1510

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Rhetorical Analysis Portfolio

In a world full of bullying, everyone will become a target to the arrow of the insecure bully at one point or other. Whether it is over the clothes that we wear, the food that we eat, or even the cars that we drive, the majority of the population has felt the sting of a bully’s harsh words. Unfortunately, according to a 7 year study conducted by CBS and the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, Gay and Lesbian teenagers are three times more likely to be bullied than their straight counterparts. Of the 4000 students participating in the study, more than 3000 of them experienced severe bullying. This is a staggering number, and it goes to show just how bad off they really have it. Gays and Lesbians are acknowledged by many as the most bullied minority in the entire world. A vast amount of gay teens are pushed over the edge by bullying every year. Once they are pushed so far, and beaten down so low, some decide that they can take it no longer, and commit suicide. A study by the U.S Department of Health and Human resources showed that LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) youth are 30-40 percent more likely to commit suicide than their straight peers. Sadly enough, there isn’t really that many well running organizations that are trying to put an end to the bullying problem. Even worse, a very small percentage of our nation’s population has taken any measures to prevent this awful problem. Others though, have chosen to make a stand and speak out against bullying. Some people and organizations have made it their life’s dedication to stopping bullying, and to tear down the walls of discrimination.

 

                Author and artist Karen Ocamb is one of these dedicated individuals. Her blogs and art work have contributed greatly to the LGBT moment. Her artwork of the Statue of Liberty furiously kissing Lady Justice hit the internet (and the LGBT community) by storm. The picture, originally and understandably titled “Liberty and Justice for All’s” intended audience is anybody who is old enough to understand what the Statue of Liberty and Lady Justice stand for. The picture also uses many visual rhetorical techniques. To start off,  Karen Ocamb really sets the tone of the work. The tone is leaning towards the artist’s opinion that everybody, including gays and lesbians, deserve liberty and justice.  Karen also uses a very good choice of symbology. Every American knows what the Statue of Liberty is, and almost everybody knows what she stands for. The Statue of Liberty is an icon in America; she stands tall over New York’s harbor as a symbol for liberty and freedom for all. Lady Justice isn’t as well known as the Statue of Liberty, but in the picture, while they are kissing, the picture shows Lady Justice holding out the equality balance. This equality balance shows that even though the two are females, and they are kissing, that they deserve their equal rights. It is because so many Americans know of the Statue of Liberty, that she chose to use it in her art. People will see the Statue of Liberty, and relate to it instantly. The visual also appeals to one’s sense of ethos. The picture really shows viewers that homosexuality is indeed moral, and just. To deprive one of their basic right to be with who they choose would be unethical, and wrong. It goes against the basic principles that we, as Americans, stand for. We are taught from the time that we are old enough to learn, that America is a country that promotes freedom for all, but when we really analyze our system, and realize how much Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people get bullied and discriminated against, we realize that we don’t have as much freedom and equality as one might have thought. It is because of this that the picture really appeals to our morals, and ethical values as Americans.   It also appeals to a viewer’s sense of pathos. It makes viewers feel bad for the ones bullied and being deprived of their right to be with who they choose, regardless of sexuality. Drawing people in, via their emotions, is a great way for an artist or author to get viewers to side with them on a certain issue, making this a great method of delivering the intended message.

            GLSEN (Gay Lesbian and Straight Student Network) is one of the few groups that have made an unwavering stance against bullied homosexuals. GLSEN sets out to provide relief for gays and lesbians that have been bullied in school. They also to help non-gay, lesbian bisexual or transgender people understand what people of that nature are going through. GLSEN’s targeted audience would be any student or young adult that is willing to make a stand against bullying. GLSEN also provides support for gay, lesbian, or bisexual viewers on its well-constructed website. GLSEN argues that nobody should have unequal rights, and that nobody should be bullied based on their sexual orientation.  Unlike Karen Ocamb’s artwork, GLSEN uses many text based rhetoric techniques. GLSEN utilizes anecdotes on its webpage to help appeal to their audience. They share with readers, stories of LGBT students that have been hurt seriously, mentally and physically, by bullies. It quotes many different young students; one in particular was really appealing to me. It was the story about an 11 year old boy, named Carl, who hanged himself after receiving constant anti-gay bullying in his middle school. Not only are sharing stories like this an example of an anecdote, but they also strongly appeal to our emotions. Pathos is a very strong rhetorical device, and GLSEN utilizes it well. With so many touching and compelling stories, it is almost impossible for a reader not to side with GLSEN, and take a stand for what GLSEN believes in. Even though the techniques used by Karen Ocamb and GLSEN are very different, they have some similarities. They are both making a stand, and fighting for the same basic principles. They also both use ethos to appeal to our moral values. GLSEN uses ethos when explaining to us that no young one deserves to be bullied. It’s harmful to anyone, and can cause irreversible damage to one’s self esteem. This should be something that most people find to be morally unacceptable. The use of good rhetorical devices has helped GLSEN achieve their goal of educating people against bullying, and providing relief for the bullied.

            The Trevor Project is another web-based support group similar to GLSEN. Whereas GLSEN’s main point is to fight bullying, the Trevor Project mainly focuses on preventing bullied LGBT youth from preventing suicide. Trevor Project strongly argues that all people and teens deserve to live. Nobody should ever be pushed to the brink of suicide, regardless of their sexual orientation. Trevor Project immediately addresses the issue of suicide, giving people reasons they should live, and showing them how committing suicide isn’t the easy or best way out of their problems. They have made numerous efforts to prevent suicide, and have even made a hotline you can call if you are ever in a situation where you feel the need to take your own life. The Trevor Project targets LGBT youth that are contemplating suicide, or people who want to help support those who are on the edge of doing so. Trevor Project also uses several different rhetorical techniques. Unlike GLSEN and Karen Ocamb, the Trevor Project focuses mainly on logos when trying to deter LGBT youth from committing suicide. The Trevor Project does this by explaining to people that committing suicide would simply be giving into the hate, and that giving into the hate and bullying by killing yourself, would be letting down other LGBT people all over the world. The Trevor Project also does a great job of showing people how much they really have to live for. Life is a beautiful and precious thing, and it should be, to everyone. They also use logos to show youth that it really does get better as they get older; they show them that if they can push through the temporary pain, they will end up living good, successful lives. Like GLSEN, the Trevor Project also uses anecdotes in their writings. Using success stories of previous youth on the brink of suicide that decided to live, and now live very fulfilling and successful lives. Though the Trevor Project uses very different techniques than Karen Ocamb’s work, they are still fighting for a very similar cause. Overall I feel that the Trevor Project is very effective, as it is credited with saving multiple lives.

            Lady Gaga is a very well-known celebrity, on and off the stage. Since the start of her fame, she has always stood up for LGBT rights, and has fought publicly to support and secure more rights for LGBT people. Recently she made a speech, titled “The Prime Rib of America”, in which she was standing out against “don’t ask don’t tell” policy that is used in the military. (In case you are unfamiliar, the don’t ask don’t tell policy is a policy used the military that states that the military won’t ask you about your sexual orientation, and as long as you don’t tell them you are gay or lesbian, you can still be in the military. Otherwise, they will kick you out.) In her speech, her intended audience was clearly Pro-LGBT supporters, and other people that are very strictly against the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy, and is strictly one sided. If you aren’t LGBT, or an LGBT supporter, she demands that you leave, and not listen to her speech. Her arguments all rooted back to the same cause, people should be allowed to serve in the military, regardless of their sexual orientation. Though her methods of delivering the speech are questionable, she did a good job of including rhetorical devices in her work. The main rhetorical device that Lady Gaga utilizes is logos. She explains to viewers that it is illogical to not allow gays in our military. Gays make up a decent percentage of our population, and thousands of them have the same fiery desire to serve our great country as straights do. If they are openly gay, however, they are not allowed to serve. Allowing these gays and lesbians to serve would greatly increase our military prowess. Some of these gays and lesbians could be one of the bravest and most dependable soldiers. She explains to her viewers that there are no valid arguments as to why gays should not be allowed to serve. She then goes into ethos, setting a very fired up and tempered mood. Lady Gaga starts to scream and yell as she is delivering her speech, throwing her body about as she does so. As she begins to throw her papers and stomp about on the stage, you can almost feel the audience start to become enraged as well. Using pathos to fire up your audience is a very intelligent way of getting people to side with you. If one can show enough emotion in their work, their audience will begin to share that same emotion with you. Her use of pathos was very similar to that of the Trevor Project and GLSEN. Though she used pathos in a different manor, while Trevor Project and GLSEN leaned towards the sad and happy emotions of people, Lady Gaga kept a very angry and offensive tone. Lady Gaga, like Karen Ocamb’s work, are leaned towards an already pro-LGBT audience, whereas Trevor Project and GLSEN are leaned towards a more neutral audience, offering education and insight on the point of view of LGBT youth. Overall, I feel that Lady Gaga had the least effective method of delivering her message.

            Of the different methods used to stand up against and fight out against bullies and inequality, some methods are better than others. In my opinion, Trevor Projects direct approach and Karen Ocamb’s powerful drawing were the two most powerful methods of driving the intended message home. Although I feel that they were the most powerful of the four sources, the others still do a good job of getting their readers and viewers to side with them. Even though all four of the sources used were completely different, they all come together and fight for the same cause. From Karen Ocamb’s work to Lady Gaga’s speech, they are all fighting for the same cause, and all work together fabulously. They almost converse with one another, by adding points that the other texts might have left out. Where one text might have a weakness, the other text picks up and helps support that weakness with strong and powerful points. All four of my texts really seem to “complete” one another. Trevor Project and GLSEN are more laid back and LGBT supportive, whereas Lady Gaga and Karen Ocamb’s “Liberty and Justice for All” are more in your face and racy. They also use different rhetorical techniques, which hit viewers differently. Where one reader might not like the approach Lady Gaga takes, they might like the approach GLSEN takes, and vice versa.

There are only a small group of people in this world who dare combat hatred and those who promote it. It takes courage beyond measure to stand up against people who mean to do others harm, and while most of us sit idly by, these select few groups and individuals fight to make a difference. In a world like the one we live in today, where hatred and inequality are around every corner, it is not Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman who are the heroes, it is people like this, people who stand up for the little guy, people who dare to fight back.

 

 

Works cited:

·         Stone, Randy. "The Trevor Project." The Trevor Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://www.thetrevorproject.org/>.

·         Gaga, Lady. "Lady Gaga's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Speech: The Full Transcript." - Music, Celebrity, Artist News. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1648304/lady-gagas-dont-ask-dont-tell-speech-full-transcript.jhtml>.

·         Ocamb, Karen. "Love in New York: Statue of Liberty Kisses Lady Justice." LGBTPOV Love in New York Statue of Liberty Kisses Lady Justice Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://lgbtpov.frontiersla.com/2011/06/26/love-in-new-york-statue-of-liberty-kisses-lady-justice/>.

·         Jennings, Kevin. "GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network." GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. <http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/home/index.html>.