Appeal Activity

Appeals Activity

Now that you have explored the various types of appeals and ways to reach an audience, it's time to practice. Please choose two examples from among the following choices (all videos have close captioning):

• [Video] Chevy Runs Deep
• [Comic] Robert Crumb's "A Short History of America"
• [Article] Henry Jenkins, "Eight Myths about Video Games Debunked"
• [Video] Do Copyright Laws Stifle Creativity
• [Article] Nicholas Carr, "How the Internet is Making us Stupid"
• [Game] The Airport Security Game

As you have read, listened to, or viewed the examples, please make notes on the following questions for each example. You will be asked to answer these questions for each example you select as part of the assignment, so it is recommended that you type your responses in a word processing program to help check spelling and grammar:

1. Cite your selection in MLA style.
2. What is the central message of this text? Please explain it in your own words.
3. How would you define your position as an audience member (resistant, neutral, etc.)? With your own position in mind, what kind of audience do you think the author is trying to reach? Please provide an example to support your answer.
4. What appeal(s) are being used in this text (ethos, etc.)? Give a specific example from the text to support your answer.
5. Did you find the argument persuasive? Why or why not? If you were in charge of editing this example, what would you change? What would you keep the same?