Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. Techniques of persuasion are most effective when they are directly prepared for and applied to a specific audience. Thus, one of the most fundamental concepts championed by Aristotle is the rhetorical triangle, or in deconstructed terms, the intertwining elements of ethos, pathos, and logos.
In today’s contemporary environment, the rhetorical triangle faces a unique new challenge. Audiences have evolved in so many ways- intellectually, demographically, culturally- that generalization and traditional stereotypes are no longer always accurate measures of what will or will not work on a certain group of people. However, there is one remaining common thread that could be the key to the continued efficacy of Aristotelian audience appeal: the unifying power of pop culture.
Obviously there are different kinds of pop culture depending on age group, geographical location, etc. It is not so much a matter of what the make-up of pop culture is but rather how you, as a rhetorician, manipulate certain cultural images to emphasize a point.
My visual rhetorical art piece concerning the didactic subjects of Plato’s Gorgias illustrates the utilization of the pop culture motif in a work created for a modern day audience. The piece is comprised of a series of transparent layers. All the layers have the same general outline, that of the human body- when they are lying on top of one another, a single coherent image is seen. Each layer represents one of the elements that Plato claims one must maintain, or attain, in order to lead a good and successful life. Elements include strength, health, justice, restraint, and goodness.
The visual composition of each layer is made up of a series of pop culture images. These images are either represent the element, represent directly the opposite of the element, or represent the element but in an odd or negative way. For example, the strength layer has both a picture of Muhammad Ali, an icon of physical athletic prowess, and Adolf Hitler, an icon of political strength. In the restraint layer there is an image of Lindsey Lohan, an out of control celebrity, next to that of a Catholic priest. The contrasting connotations carried by the images provide modern day examples of the Plato’s teachings while simultaneously revealing the ironic failure by much of society to “live a good life.”
The entire composition approaches the rhetorical triangle in a new way. The ideas of ethos, pathos, and logos are not clearly laid out for the audience; the audience must engage with the piece in an active way to find its meaning. Logos is encountered first. The audience is puzzled as to why certain people and images are on the layer with a certain subject (i.e. Lindsey Lohan on the restraint layer). They must look at all the images on a certain layer to try to find a connecting theme and thus the logic behind it. Pathos comes next. The audience reacts to the images in an emotional way, either negative or positive. Individual connotations will direct the reaction. If an individual has mixed feelings about the Catholic Church, the image of the priest will be ironic on the restraint layer. If an individual is a devout Catholic, the priest will be an affirming positive symbol of restraint. After the audience has reacted, mused, and found the logic they then begin to get an impression of author ethos. These steps are the potential pattern followed by the audience to whom the piece is directed: students and intellectuals. The accessibility of the piece lies in the fact that it does not underestimate the intelligence of the audience. Everyone is engaged by pop culture images but not restrained to a singular oppressive “greater meaning.” Individuality is maintained and no audience member is alienated.
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