In the movie Network, by Sidney Lument, Howard Beale a fired TV news reporter has the opportunity to return to TV and host a show about how everyone feels about the current situation of the United States during the 1970’s.  One the first night of the show, he gives a speech, which in turn causes tons of people around the US to follow his direction and yell “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more”.  So what caused his speech to empower so many to follow him blindly?  It boils down to the main subject and his use of pathos, to relate to the feelings of the majority of Americans during this time period.  He appeals to people’s desperation for answers to the problems of the 1970’s, and these people see Howard as a person who is also suffering from the same issues as the common American.

Finch, Peter, perf. Network. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1976. Film.