THE GODFATHER

Vito Corleone as American Adam

Visual Rhetoric

I don’t think  I have ever thought of the huge influence visual rhetoric has on my life. It is so present in so many situations, which is very intriguing. And I think it is becoming even more prevalent in our world today. There are so many up rising ways that people are expressing their views and opinions. For instance facebook and instagram create such a unrealistic view of peoples images. I think of times where I have noticed the visual rhetoric in my life, or when I use it personally. Of course my style of clothing choice comes to mind. I would say I care of how I portray myself. I want to look professional in certain situations yet still fashionable. I think the reason I care of fashion for myself is because I notice it in other people. I enjoy seeing others express themselves through their clothing choices. It can say so much about someone.

This past summer I was able to spend a month in Europe. I traveled most thoroughly through Italy, France and Germany. I noticed so much visual rhetoric while I was there that I didn’t even realize it. The way the people were able to express their feelings through their art and architecture is amazing. We visited so many museums where I saw so much art by so many different artists. The Louvre was such an extraordinary experience, as I witnessed art expression through the centuries was incredible.  It amazed me how different peoples ideas and artwork can be.

In high school I was able to take AP art and there I learned many of these concepts. I had so many friends that were so unique with how they sent out their image. What I loved most about it all was that their artwork and outfits portrayed who they were so well. I also think of photography. By different angles, so many people are able to see things to differently which I just love.

I also think of music, although it is not necessarily “visual” with the attention on Taylor Swifts new music video (that my roommates just made me watch) I think that is also an interesting concept of rhetoric.

I am so impressed with the ways people are able to express themselves in such a beautiful manner. Everyone is so unique but I love that we can all write, speak and show visually how different we are.

Visual Rhetoric

Jenna Sutherland

WRTG 150

December 5, 2014

Visual Rhetoric (EC Blog Post)

            As we have learned this semester, rhetoric is the art of persuasion, and it is often found in literature. However, rhetoric is found in other aspects of life outside of writing. One example of this is visual appeal. There are many ways in which individuals and organizations use visual rhetoric to either make a statement, draw attention to, or express themselves.

            The most obvious of these examples is the way we dress. We dress differently for different activities, such as going to a sporting event, interview, or Christmas party. The way that we choose to represent ourselves in each of these situations will have a weighty influence on how our audience will initially perceive our character. As cliché would say, first impressions make a statement that often sticks!

            In addition to the way we dress, individuals (myself included) use visual rhetoric almost daily on social media. We create profiles for ourselves on sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. In the case of Instagram, the pictures that we choose to post often are pre-contemplated and posted for a specific purpose. Whether this purpose is to share beliefs, experiences, or life events, the person posting the photo is in control of what their followers/the “public” sees. Because most individuals choose to post the positive aspects of their life, their profile is often a partially false—or rather, unrealistic—representation of what their life truly consists of. However, it is persuasive to their target audience (followers; they clearly “like” what they see because they continue to follow that specific person.

On the flip side, Instagram and other social media sites can become constrictive when focused too much on the persuasion aspect of visual rhetoric. I know individuals who are obsessed with gaining “followers” and who do ridiculous things in order to get more people to follow them. However, in gaining these followers, they are learning/discovering the art of visual rhetoric.

The last aspect of visual rhetoric that I see most commonly in my life is that of advertisements on the internet and other sites. They have a specific target audience, and they base their designs on what that specific group is most likely to relate to. Visual rhetoric is everywhere, and is important to understand and be aware of in order to use it most effectively.

Visual Rhetoric

Visual rhetoric is an interesting topic I had never thought much about before, and I didn’t realize how much I use it in my everyday life. The most common way I use visual rhetoric in my everyday life is by the way I dress. When I dress, I try to look fashionable, neat and clean. I care about my image. I don’t like to stand out though, and most of the clothes in my closet are darker or more neutral colors. Everything I put on is sending a message to people. When I see other people’s clothes, sometimes it is easy to see their personality.

Another way I use visual rhetoric is through social media. I don’t post too often, but when I do, it is usually about some fun activity I’ve done with my family or friends.

As I was sitting writing this, I noticed on my wall and my desk I have a ton of pictures hanging up. I think that this is a type of visual rhetoric, even though not many see it.  If people saw it, it would show them a lot about what is important to me. Most of what is hanging up on my wall is pictures of my family. Pictures are a way to show what can’t be expressed in words, especially with emotions. One picture can express what might take hundreds of words to explain.  

Visual rhetoric is definitely an important thing to be aware of and learn how to use. If you learn how to use it correctly, it can become a useful tool in your everyday life, especially with business. People buy or pick things out based on its looks. If you want to sell something, it needs to look good. Take books, for instance. When I go pick out a book to read at the library, I notice how a book looks. I usually walk through the isles, and if the picture or color stands out to me, I pick it up and then read the back to see if I’m interested in it. I’ve heard a million times, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but that is exactly what I do (only with books though). Most of the time, if the cover doesn’t look very interesting, I’m not as inclined to read it. It is the same with movies, websites, electronics, etc. If it doesn’t ‘look’ right, most people won’t bother with it.

Visual Rhetoric

Visual rhetoric is constantly being used. Any pictures, videos, actions and even body language can be visual rhetoric. Visual rhetoric is often more effective when combined with language.  I think the type of visual rhetoric I use most often would be body language. My roommates know the puppy dog eyes expression I make when I am trying to convince them to make an ice cream run. I post on social media to convince my followers that I actually do fun things. I wear nice clothing to please my mother. I smile at those I like. I employ sarcasm constantly and my body language can give context to my tone and words.  Everyone does things to affect other’s perceptions. People buy fancy cars to give others the impression that they are wealthy or a sign of status. Print and TV advertisements combine the use of visual and written rhetoric.  Some of these things I do consciously and some are unconscious. I am also influenced by visual rhetoric. I am new to this whole living on my own thing and I am greatly influenced by the designs on foods in the grocery store. Bright bold colors and pictures of delightful looking food always catches my eye. I am way more likely to buy anything at attracts me. Recipe books always have beautifully staged heaping plates of the recipe. These pictures influence my meal choices. However after I cook the recipe and my food comes out not looking so great I am less likely to make it again. The media understands the power of visual rhetoric and uses it to their advantages. Stark images of violence and destruction stir emotions that words do not. The ASPCA commercials with the sad, abused puppies are a prime example of this. This is an important part of visual rhetoric; it is easier to compare. Visual rhetoric is incredibly useful and important to be aware of. We all use rhetoric constantly even without knowing it. I think that it is important that we become more aware of the influences in our lives and how we influence others. Most people are aware of written rhetoric, but visual rhetoric can affect us even without our knowledge. As we look for these influences we become a more informed people and can make educated decisions. Visual rhetoric is used in society everywhere, on web pages, commercials, advertisements and in the media. We should learn to be aware of how we are influenced by visual rhetoric. 

So that's what they call that!

For nearly 22 years (probably more like 17 if I'm being honest) I've been dressing myself without even realizing I was composing an argument. Next thing I know, along comes this "Visual Rhetoric" concept and I discover that all this time I've actually been trying to persuade people to see me in a certain way based on the way I put my pants on: one leg at a time.

Jokes aside, visual rhetoric is all over the place! I intentionally don't where really expensive clothes, not just because I don't want to spend the money, but because I don't want anyone I associate with to think I'm too vain. At the same time I wear short sleeve t-shirts because I want people to know I excercise regularly. I keep a relatively short haircut because I want to project neatness (I get it cut every three weeks) and I want to look more mature. I bought whitening toothpaste because I want that huge orifice on my face to look clean and not just smell clean! (Two years in England doesn't wash off so easily.)

I don't just apply visual-rhetorical principals to my manner of dress and grooming, it makes up the way I act. I smile to show that I'm friendly, I make funny faces and engage in impromptu physical humor to show I'm easygoing and lighthearted. I look people in the eye to tell them I'm interested in what they're saying or avoid eye contact showing that I feel shy.

I use visual rhetoric in other areas as well! I clean my apartment when I have guests because I want to persuade them I'm not a slob. I keep my door open to let people passing know I'm available for interaction. All of these things are conscious efforts to send a message and persuade others to think about or respond to me in a certain way.

These ideas are useful, but perhaps the value of understanding visual rhetoric is in seeing how others are using it. If I wasn't aware of visual rhetoric I might not realize that my politicians only wear nice suits so I'll think they're credible and professional and my fast food restaurants have pictures of scrumptious fake food on their menus so Ill buy their less delicious real food. Rhetoric is everywhere, and if you don't know its there it might just be used against you; persuading you to do things you shouldn't, buy things you don't need, or believe things that aren't true. By learning to recognize visual rhetoric we can recognize these traps before we fall into them, and where this rhetoric is utilized for positive purposes, appreciate it for the creativity and wit that goes into it.

Visual Rhetoric

There are many different ways we as humans use visual rhetoric in our day to day life. We use it to determine one's true feelings by their body language, and in choices we make concerning advertisements. Those are the two I want to focus on.

Body language can tell a lot about a person. While some people are brutally honest, in most cases people hide their true feelings. We can't know a person's true feelings from their words alone because they are able to craft them and to deceive with them. But when we observe a person's body language we can discern many of their thoughts. When a person is bored or they dislike something, they tend to lean away from the speaker, gaze around the room, and have their arms folded. They aren't open to the conversation. But when a person is entertained or pleased with the speaker, they lean closer in, maintain eye contact, and have a more open position towards them. We can also use our own body language to show others what we want them to know. This is just one of the ways visual rhetoric is used in our lives each day.

The other way we use visual rhetoric daily is by the way we're persuaded. Advertisements we see on the television, on the computer, and around the places we go each day have been made carefully to persuade us. The styles and effects used to create the ad are there to please the eye and make us more likely to buy the product. This is also used in fliers that we see around campus. They have been made to make us want to go to the event. Using the definition C.R.A.P. (color, repetition, alignment, and proximity) for the design, the ads are much more effective at persuading us. 

I think that visual rhetoric is a very useful technique to know, whether it be for deciphering others thoughts, making your own thoughts known, or persuading people visual rhetoric is a great method to use. It's very important to also be aware of it, and how people use it on you. That way we can be less likely to be persuaded by the pretty design of some ad and instead decide for ourselves what we need or want. Being aware of the visual rhetoric that is used in our lives is a simple, yet effective, way to to convince someone, and I think everyone should come to this knowledge.