Comparing both President Barack Obama’s Farewell Address and Shepard Fairey’s We the People posters may seem a bit odd due to them being two completely different things, a speech and a series of posters. Despite what it may seem, there are plenty of similarities on the lines of their overall theme, rhetorical analysis, and how both appeal to the audience. Conversely, there are also plenty of differences when it comes to these as well.
The common theme both President Obama’s Farewell Address and Shepard Fairey’s posters share, is one of unity and hope. Both of these civic artifacts debuted roughly around the same time, and during that time the overall political climate was extremely hostile and divisive due to a messy and brutal Presidential election that ended with Donald Trump being its victor. Although they both take aim at the idea of unity in Trump’s America, they do it in different ways. President Obama lays down his hopes for the future and support the overarching idea for his speech in a more subtle and civil way, which is obvious due to his high position. Despite his apparent opportunity to bash President-elect Donald Trump, he did not and even went along and mentioned Donald Trump once throughout his speech. Shepard Fairey’s posters took a more head-on approach when it comes to supporting the overarching the main idea. When explaining the posters, Fairey stated the intent of the posters was to bring attention to the demographics that are seen as the most vulnerable in Trump’s America. He also goes on to explain that they were intended to be released in time for the Women’s March in Washington DC following Donald Trump’s Inauguration.
Both civic artifacts also strongly appeal to the audience but in different ways. President Obama’s Farewell Address uses strong diction and the rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) in his speech, while Fairey uses imagery and repetition to get his point across. As I previously stated, both of these artifacts debuted during the same time period which goes hand-in-hand with how the audience interpreted them. During this time, some people felt hopeless and were worried for the Trump Administration. These rhetorical devices worked and helped achieve the goal of offering hope and pushing for unity amidst the political chaos.