Celebrity Bodies Rhetorical Analysis PDF

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Celebrity Bodies Rhetorical Analysis...

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Rhetorical Analysis Assignment By [student name] I believe “Celebrity Bodies” by Daniel Harris is wholly successful in his argument that our society has created the “Hollywood image”. He argues that we hold celebrities accountable to standards that we ourselves do not adhere to. He points out that their influence is negligible in changing our own habits, but we put pressure on them to live a more virtuous life than ourselves. He recognizes that the audience for his essay are people whom are interested in celebrities, health, or pop culture. He makes references to actresses to which he assumes the audience is already aware of their situation. As a lot of his work has been featured in American publications, his audience also includes the American public. The rhetorical mode of this essay is that of an argument. Harris is expressing a point of view that he supports with facts. He mentions specific examples such as the number of times Nicole Kidman is viewed smoking a cigarette. This second hand evidence lends credibility to his claim that we believe celebrities must live a more upstanding life than ourselves. Although connotative language is used throughout to describe certain celebrity characteristics, the purpose of this essay is to argue a point instead of solely evoking sensory images. This is also neither a narrative nor an exposition as it lacks the storytelling element, and the opinion in this essay can be contested by other people. The style of Harris’s writing is effective in persuading the audience to consider his point of view. His words are carefully chosen to convey an intelligent and thoughtful opinion. It is clear that he is a talented writer that uses expressive language to present his argument. He uses numerous specific examples of celebrity actions which help to strengthen his position. The use of quantitative data is also an effective tool when giving the audience an idea of American obesity rates. Overall, the style is clear and direct. In establishing a tone, he chooses graphic words especially when describing thin celebrities. The description “frail scapulae and jutting vertebrae” enables the audience to effectively visualize the image.

It may sound as though he is criticizing their bodies and the image they are projecting to young girls. Other candid adjectives are used to capture the audience’s attention and convey an extreme image. The formality is moderate as he wants to come across as effective in presenting his point, without sounding too pretentious. He understands who his audience will be and adjusts to their expectations. Ethos is the appeal to the character of the author, and as evidenced by the numerous literature that Harris has written, he has knowledge in the area of pop culture. His published books range from consumerism to drag queens. Many of his written work has also appeared in notable magazines such as Harper’s and the New York Times. A collection of his work was anthologized in “The Best American Essays 1993”. This can be considered a testament to his expertise in the area, but also of the quality of his work. The style of his writing also helps to demonstrate that he is able to form educated opinions in a logical way. The main argument that celebrities rarely influence our daily lives is supported by the statistical data on the American obesity rate. Celebrities are constantly scrutinized by the public and there is immense pressure for them to continue to provide entertainment. Harris also points out the numerous times we demonstrate hypocrisy towards famous people. We expect them to exercise regularly and eat healthy, but we rarely mimic their actions. By also including examples, quotes, and statistics, logos is used to lend credibility to the argument. Pathos is demonstrated through the continual use of “we” so that Harris builds closeness and solidarity with the reader. He is not seen as an outsider but shares our sentiments. He builds sympathy for actresses and the pressures they face by describing their diet habits. This gives the reader a better image of how far they must go to conform to Hollywood’s standards. He also provides anecdotes such as the one with Greta Garbo which is meant to evoke some emotion. Through his use of expressive language and specific examples, this essay was effective in its intent. It raises many questions and relevant points as to the ramifications that have occurred due to our

obsession with Hollywood. At times Harris sounds critical of our hypocritical tendencies, but at the same time he tries to evoke sympathy with the reader. We are left to evaluate the pathological relationship we have developed with celebrities....