Possible Rhetorical Artifacts

I had some difficulty narrowing down the options to write my rhetorical essay and speech. It was hard to find something that would interest me and be suitable for the assignment. I chose two “artifacts” I enjoy reading and would love to analyze.

KanyeWest’s speech at the VMA’s this year is my first choice. I found the speech to be both funny and moving. It tells of his daughter’s transformation in his view on how he should present himself before the public. He suggests that it’s difficult to please everyone. This is harder for celebrities than for you and me. He discusses what he believes are the flaws within award ceremonies. Finally, he remarks on how we should raise children. Only to conclude the speech by declaring that he will run in 2020 for President. For winning an award, a thirteen-minute speech…that covers topics that span from children to the presidency.. What message does he want to convey? Is it meant to convince us, or is it just publicity? If I were forced to analyze his speech and come up with conclusions, I’d like to be able to answer each question and make my own decisions about his intentions and its impact on the media.

Second, I would choose a video I saw in comm150 about a Chinese factory that produces Apple products. You can find it here. This video shows clips from news broadcasts that cover suicides in China and America, and also highlights the harsh working conditions of Chinese workers. This is a great way to inform Americans about the origins of their smartphones and computers. These devices are used every day, but we don’t know where they came from. The video is accompanied by sad music that invokes emotion. At the end, there’s a clip with humorous information about China’s efforts to solve this problem. This video has a message. I want to research the issue further and find out what it is trying to say.

Although I’m not sure if I’ll choose one of these topics, I look forward to hearing your feedback about my thoughts and what you think.