Can I Have a Piece?

Every time we used to go to the grocery store at home, standing in the checkout line, my brother would always ask my mom if he could get some gum. However, any type of gum did not satisfy him. He had to have 5 Gum. Why would he have to have that specific type of gum every time? Well, because it was cool. At least that’s what he would say. Then, my mom jumped on the 5 Gum bandwagon and gave up her previous favorite Trident so she could, in her words, “upgrade,” to something that was better. Whatever the reason people decide to buy 5 Gum, I think the packaging is one reason why people are so attracted to it. The color scheme and subtle design nuances work to appeal to consumers’ pathos without actually telling about the taste which is what consumers are ideally looking for.

One thing to note about all of the packages is their use of color. They are mostly black with a burst of a bright color on the side (different colors for different flavors). The contrast between the black and bright colors gives an aura of mystery, almost daring consumers to try the gum. Black is also a very commanding color, almost telling consumers to try it. Additionally, black looks very professional and sophisticated, making the package appealing to a wide variety of consumers. These characteristics of the color have similar effects on all age groups, keeping the potential customer base as wide as possible. The black contrasted with bright colors separated by the number five helps to keep the packaging clean looking and crisp, allowing people to associate those traits with the gum they could be chewing if they bought 5 Gum. Just as the gum transitions from black to sudden neon, people looking at the gum can associate the unexpected transition with the flavor of the gum hitting them.

Another place where the black is contrasted with a sudden pop of neon color is where the actual name of the flavor is written beside a small shot of what looks like fire, but is different for each flavor in color and design. This strategy grants energy to the flavor before the consumer has even tasted it. Also, the names of the flavors are unique from other gums, and the logo is used in very clever ways on the packaging (i.e. the 5 is a man throwing out the box in a trash can as opposed to littering on the back). This works as an appeal to pathos through ego gratification; consumers who get the cleverness of the logo’s use feel included by the brand and start to feel attached to it through that interaction. Other features of the packaging like slight grips on the back, the shape of the package compared to other gums, and way of opening are also unique, making consumers feel like they own something special, driving them to want not any gum, but 5 Gum.

It's Almost State Patty's Day

I am sure that if you are a Penn State student, you are well aware that next weekend marks State Patty’s Day. Though I have not experienced this festivity, I have the impression that it is chaotic and wild. Regardless, from the email warnings and word on the street, it is clear that the administration and police are not so psyched about what may happen. Therefore, I would like to take a closer look at one of the warnings the community has given to students discouraging a following for State Patty’s Day. This is a letter a friend of mine received from the local police, which he uploaded to Facebook.

I would like to start off looking at the top of the letter, which is ornamented, with the letterhead of the State College Police and two seals. It is clear that they mean business, and this is an instant appeal to the reader’s ethos. Surely, this letter is actually from the police, and the Chief of Police’s name and contact information are at the top as well. The overall arrangement of the letter adds to the appeal to ethos too. It is written as a business letter with bullet points and is a generic, noting that the greeting is just “Dear Resident.”

The arrangement of the letter also works to appeal to the recipient’s logos. Seeing it, the person knows it is from the police, creating the instinct to abide by the law and authority. The clarity of the bullet points helps to make the desired actions of the recipient clear. The specific arrangement of ideas works to create a sequence that helps the reader understand the concerns of the police and perspective they have. First, the police say that they “seek your assistance” as opposed to demand, an appeal to pathos through the gentler tone and use of first person, then appeal to pathos again by validating the reader’s knowledge by saying, “as you are probably aware,” then following with a brief summary of what State Patty’s day is, followed by examples of what happened in the past, and drawing the conclusion that it is dangerous, not only for the reader, but the community. Presenting the reader the facts and relating it personally to him/her appeals to logos and makes obedience easier and not forced.

There is also an appeal to pathos in the way that the letter compares State Patty’s Day to home football weekends and the Arts Festival. Allowing the reader to fill in the facts about these events and what they consist of validates his opinion and makes him feel knowledgeable. Explaining all of these events could come off as condescending to the reader, creating anger and bitterness, possibly resulting in disobedience and rebellion.

Giving specific actions to take against the potential dangers of State Patty’s Day leaves the reader with the feeling that he can be influential, again appealing to pathos.

With the intent of preventing a ruckus on State Patty’s Day weekend, the police’s letter appeals to pathos, logos, and ethos, but will it work? I guess time will tell.

Timing is Everything

Image from Yahoo.com I’m sure you heard about or saw M.I.A.’s gesture at this year’s Super Bowl. Surprising? I am not so sure. I would say that it was definitely obscene, especially for an event viewed by all ages and all types of people who were not necessarily tuning in to see if anything scandalous would happen at halftime. The world got a dose of that already with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. Using a halftime performance at the Super Bowl to make such a gesture is a bold choice. Talk about kairos. Would anyone care if this happened at a regular NFL game? Would anyone care if this happened on the street? My bet is that people would care, but not as much. I don’t think there would be articles online about it, radio conversations, or as much mention in small talk. This choice was all about the situational timing. Expertly chosen if she wanted millions to see it. But, I have to ask, what was the point? Was it M.I.A.’s way of establishing ethos as a hard, tough person? Is this even a representation of her character or personality? Does her choice persuade us into thinking differently about her? Was she even thinking about the timing or have such gestures become close enough to slang for our generation and age group that we do not associate them with offense anymore? I have no idea if there was a goal or what it could have been had the situation been forethought. This type of choice distracts people from the rest of what is going on: the game, other performers, the excitement of the surroundings, etc., but was this a rhetorically thought-out moment or an impulsive act? I have heard both opinions voiced. Some people say she was expected to do that while other sources say she was used to rehearsing with potentially offensive language and gestures. Yahoo.com says a source cited her as saying she was sorry for the incident. However, at the end of the day, timing is everything.

This I Believe

http://www.lyricsmania.com/aurelie_lyrics_colonel_reyel.html
(The lyrics in French. Sorry, but I couldn't find a good English tranlsation!)

Another song that I think is a prime example of civic engagement it Colonel Reyel’s “Aurélie” which highlights abortion and teen pregnancy.  I realize that since Colonel Reyel is a French artist, it is unlikely that his songs would be chart-toppers in the U.S., but his content in this song is universal. To summarize the song, he talks about a sixteen-year-old girl, Aurélie, who becomes pregnant, wants to have her baby, but is pressured by family and friends to get an abortion.  They look down upon her and make her feel like an outcast though she sees things differently, wanting to be a mother. Colonel Reyel voices his opinion saying that “we have all known a girl in Aurélie’s case/a girl for whom pregnancy is a crime/rejected by her friends and especially her family who don’t accept her wish to have the baby…to bring a baby into the would should not be punished/it is the most beautiful thing and if you deny it/ you haven’t understood anything…”

            Rhetorically, presenting this issue through a song with a story and character helps audiences relate to it.  Even for non-French-speaking listeners, it is easy to get the jist of the song from the music video where we can see the emotions of the situation through the actors.  Additionally, when he presents his stance on the issue, he avoids completely bashing people.  This way, the song remains a song and does not turn into a great debate.  The fact that it is a song presents some constraints in the sense that there cannot be a live verbal exchange between opposing viewpoints, it is not presented as a heated topic, and the rhythm can distract people from the emotion behind their stances/beliefs, keeping the argument under control. 

            The civic engagement factor comes in when he decides to present his stance on the issue.  I think it is effective near the end of the song because the listener has already been familiarized and acquainted with the story of Aurélie and the fact that he/she probably knows someone who experienced a similar situation.  That being said, even the listener is persuaded to agree with Colonel Reyel because it is difficult to condemn and hate a friend or loved one.  Merely throwing his opinion into the song invites people to consider their own, casting the issue into a public spectrum.