Ethos Without Words

Ethos is an appeal to ethics as means to convince a reader of an author’s credibility.  Scott McCloud, best known for his work in the production department of DC Comics and his many own comic series, establishes ethos in one of his most famous works, “Understanding Comics”.  In this series, a caricature of himself explains and traces the relationship between the use of words and pictures in a comic strip.

Of the first sixteen panels of this comic, six without words at all, McCloud is able to portray a very clear depiction of his young self during his class’ Show and Tell.  He stands at the front of the room, introducing his toy robot to his teacher and classmates.  He stumbles trying to explain the functions of his toy aloud but has a very easy time showing them.  In the fourth frame, his teacher insists that the boy TELL the class about his robot, not demonstrate.

This can be related to the idea of the combination of and harmony between words and pictures in comics.  An author/artist must choose between illustrating their comic through words, pictures, or both.  For many people, if they are given an image, they either want the exact words to know how to feel or they like to make their own dialogue.

I especially remember last year when my mother told me to listen to my baby sister read me a book for school.  I had read the book to her probably close to fifteen times and it was one of her favorites.  As she started reading, I realized that she wasn’t actually reading at all.  She would look directly at the pictures that accompanied it and would make up her own story.  There were times when she “read” to me and it would have absolutely nothing to do with the actual plot; her imagination would run wild.  Not only did I find this entertaining but I almost admired her for it.  She was able to look at a picture and explain exactly how it made her feel.  She could come up with a page worth of words for just one scene.  The pictures simply weren’t enough for her to be satisfied with.

McCloud tries to explain this exact theory through his comic.  He wants readers to see all of the variations of comics.  By portraying one of his childhood memories, he is able to help guide us to understand this.  He is able to establish ethos through this memory.

Also, the seventeenth frame interrupts the Show and Tell scene.  His older, more experienced self-caricature talks about how we have all been in a situation like this; where we “use words and images interchangeably.”  He is able to establish ethos in this way as well because he is proving to his audience that he has dealt with this for much of his life and is experienced in his opinions.

Unfair and Unrealistic Standards (That Are All Our Fault...)

Society seems to become infuriated and/or repulsed by the thought of celebrities living unhealthy lifestyles.  We gossip about those who smoke when nearly one in five of everyday humans has or is smoking currently.  We gawk at the idea of an overweight model.  We think it’s crazy for a celebrity to go to the grocery store without makeup on.  Why do we do this?  The answer is actually quite simple…

According to “Celebrity Bodies” by Daniel Harris, it was brought to my attention that “Hollywood didn’t create fat, anxious Americans; fat, anxious Americans created Hollywood, a vision of humanity that bears little resemblance to the typical dissipated physique…”  So often do we place unfair standards on our celebrities that we forget that most of the time they are actually quite unattainable and sometimes even detrimental and dangerous.

The essay opens with the proclamation of the death of two Uruguayan fashion models.  Harris claims that in the months before her death, one model only ate lettuce leaves in order to stay fit and healthy.  Now, this is not truly fit and healthy, for we know that a truly healthy diet is composed of a balance of proteins, fibers, etc.  But at the sign of a fashion model, we think that they really are being healthy.  We strive to be like this skinny woman but little do we know that she probably isn’t fueling her body very well.
Most common in the average adolescent, “thinspiration” is sought.  Kids want to be just like the skinny celebrities that they see on television and at awards shows.  However, it is fair to ask something like, “Does Lindsay Lohan’s waspish waistline make us skip meals and induce vomiting…?”  The answer is, of course, no.  Even if you were compelled to say “yes”, it isn’t her, only the idea of her that actually encourages you to transform.  Society created celebrities to reach the standards that are too high for the average human to reach.  We choose the most “perfect” humans to take on the most “perfect” lifestyle so that we don’t have to.
One of the things that struck me the most when reading this essay was that “The typical American woman is 5’4”, weighs 140 pounds, and wears a size 14; the typical fashion model is seven inches taller, twenty-three pounds lighters, and twelve to fourteen sizes smaller.”  We blame pop culture for x, y, and z, yet it is our fault that they feel like they have to live up to the standards we have set on them.  They are starving themselves, overworking themselves, causing harm to their bodies, just for our entertainment.

At the beginning of the year, my class watched a TED Talk by Cameron Russell.  She went on to tell us about how looks truly aren’t everything and that what we see may not actually be how it really is.  Russell is a fashion model who is actually very unhappy.  She is extremely insecure due to the fact that she knows she cannot go out unless she looks her best.  She is not allowed to have an off-day.  She is not allowed to look ghostly when she is sick and she is not allowed to wear sweatpants unless she won’t be seen.  Why are we placing these harsh standards on the lives of our celebrities when we do the exact things that they “should not” or “cannot” do?

My Zombie, My Fight

“My Zombie, Myself” by Chuck Klosterman talks of zombies and their immoral qualities.  Although there many medial incidents where humans attempt to kill zombies, they never completely die.  Even if they do, it doesn’t matter because there will be another zombie right behind the one that was just killed.
In my opinion, these zombies represent the common human’s addiction.  This does not necessarily include the common drug and alcohol addiction but also the minor addictions.  Perhaps we are completely unaware that they even exist.  To me, my addiction is my anxiety.  Even if I seem to kill it and it ends, it always seems to come back and haunt me.
On an average day, I go to school, go home, and then go to either dance or cheer.  It seems simple, and it is.  But at the same time it is extremely difficult.  I always seem to get anxious about the stupidest things.  I know how to control it and most of the time I am successful in doing so.  However, it always comes back.
The idea of killing zombies is no different.  Klosterman writes, “If there’s one thing we all understand about zombie killing, it’s that the act is uncomplicated: you blast one in the brain… That’s Step 1. Step 2 is doing the same thing to the next zombie that takes its place. Step 3 is identical to Step 2, and Step 4 isn’t any different from Step 3.”
Perhaps your own zombie is social media, or maybe it’s something more private.  Either way, the only way to overcome it is to persevere and be determined.
“Don’t travel at night and keep your drapes closed. Don’t let zombies spit on you. If you knock a zombie down, direct a second bullet into its brain stem. But above all, do not assume that the war is over, because it never is. The zombies you kill today will merely be replaced by the zombies of tomorrow. But you can do this, my friend. It’s disenchanting, but it’s not difficult. Keep your finger on the trigger. Continue the termination. Don’t stop believing. Don’t stop deleting. Return your voice mails and nod your agreements. This is the zombies’ world, and we just live in it. But we can live better.”

Hip Hop Nation

Abiodun Oyewole, founder of the Last Poets (para 18) once said, “A lot of today’s rappers have talent. But a lot of them are driving the car in the wrong direction.”

Especially at the very beginning of the hip hop movement, rappers appeared to create meaningful poetry.  Rap was a musical composition without an accompanying backbeat and harmony.  It didn’t have a negative effect on the general public.  It didn’t create uneasiness with older generations.  It was just a feel-good genre for a new kind of musician.

As time passed, rap seemed to revolve.  It was less about the artistry and more about an individual’s ruthless activities and rebellious attitudes.  Artists began to brag about their lives of crime and illicit behavior.  Lyrics were less poetic and more disruptive and violent.  Although this is certainly not true for every hip hop track today, the numerous examples started to build the genre’s decadent reputation.

There are artists today that support these ghastly lifestyles.  Lil Wayne, Chief Keef, and Young Thug are a few examples.  Most, if not all, of their music is disruptive and troublemaking.  Young children who find this music catchy and entertaining are being exposed to the seditious lyrics.  They may try to act like the rapper to be more like the rapper.  However, this is hurting our children.  They are growing up to think that what is wrong and even sometimes illegal, is okay because their idol can get away with it.

On the contrary, there are some artists who have kept the original hip hop vibes.  Drake, J. Cole, and Tupac Shakur are some examples.  They are rhythmical and eloquent and write their lyrics with positivity and motivation.  Rap truly isn’t all about the money, drugs, and alcohol.  Although many artists choose to portray their music like that, it should not define the genre.

Appealing to Majority over Honesty

To become president, it is the goal of each candidate to win over the majority of the peoples’ votes.  To do this, people must feel as if their opinions are being supported and confident that positive actions will be taken to achieve these views.

It is no surprise that politicians are sometimes extremely dishonest.  They often appeal to the more clever and deceitful side of politics in their campaigns and speeches than the truth in their beliefs.  To win over the votes of the people, it is easier to just take the shortcut and give the majority what they want; or at least say that it will happen that way.  According to W. W. Norton & Company, “candidates must devise a strategy, either by slightly changing their message or by finding a consistent middle ground, that does not alienate these voters.”  Irrespective of a politicians own beliefs, most will often alter their campaigns to grasp the attention of the majority of the people in whatever area they are speaking to.

Another strategy would be for the politician to indirectly answer any questions or speak on the subject of any specific topics.  It is common that if a politician is uncertain about what the “humanely correct” response should be, they will try to disregard or work their way around the suggested topic.  This may trick some voters into thinking the candidate’s views are more closely associated with their own.

Other than appealing to the general majority, a final effective strategy for presidential candidates is to have a consistent group of followers no matter where they choose to speak next.  With a common support group, the everyday person may feel more closely connected to one alike himself.  Seeing other everyday people out on the streets rallying and supporting this candidate might make a voter want to follow this candidate as well.

Although these many strategies are not honest in any way, they have been proven successful.  It is clear that many of today’s candidates use some of these strategies to gain the popularity and backing that they have attained.

However Extreme, It's Still a Solution

With Ireland experiencing such extreme and horrific conditions, Jonathon Swift provides a satirical solution.  Too many families continue to have babies without taking into consideration the economic side of this responsibility.  Being too poor to provide for their children, Swift suggests that these families turn to carnivorous ways of life.  By appealing to certain rhetorical strategies, he is able to portray his message in an almost serious and convincing tone.

 

To establish ethos, Swift sets the scene.  He includes his everyday observations and the lives of the people around him.  He also includes the fact that he has thought about this topic for a very long time.  He has his opinions that he believes will benefit the majority of his people.  This makes readers think that he is credible due to the fact that he has devoted so much time and effort into this matter.  He feels strongly about his opinions and values them enough to share them with everyone.

 

Swift establishes pathos by discussing the topic as if it can be laughed about.  While it is, in fact, a very serious and shocking suggestion, it is also extremely uncomfortable for readers.  Especially when he claims that “A young healthy child well nursed is at a year old, most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or broiled”, I felt my stomach turn.  For him to talk about eating young children is very sickening but also extremely emotional.

 

Swift finally establishes logos with his calm and convincing approach.  He seems to be completely persuaded by his own wild considerations and calls for a reader’s acceptance.  He states nothing but the advantages of eating such young children which only exposes our minds to positive solutions for a nation’s hunger.