Rhetorical Analysis Paper Rough Outline
My Civic Artifact was a Jordan sneaker so for my Rhetorical Analysis paper I have decided to talk about Macklemore’s song “Wing$” that appeared on his first studio album with Ryan Lewis, The Heist. The song talks about materialism and consumerism in the United States, specifically referring to Jordan sneakers.
A link to the music video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAg3uMlNyHA
How the artifact targets/responds to/constructs its audience:
What is really interesting about this song is that the medium Macklemore uses to bring light to the consumerism behind sneakers is the same medium that helped basketball sneakers, especially Jordans. Sneakers have been a big part of hip hop culture for awhile now. Macklemore’s goal is to get people to think about the consumerism and materialism behind sneakers so what better way than using rap.
How do the pieces’ rhetorical choices make meaning?
The whole song is meant to help the listener understand why sneakers were so important to people and show why their reasoning is false.
Aristole’s 3 Appeals
- Pathos: The main appeal that Macklemore uses is Pathos. Throughout the song he constantly is trying to engage people’s emotions through various techniques. He uses stories of his childhood to talk about his experiences with Jordans. He talks about that feeling of putting on the sneakers and feeling like it made him play like Michael Jordan.
- Ethos: What gives Macklemore his credibility is his current wealth. If someone who doesn’t have much money talks about the negative aspects of expensive sneakers then one just thinks to themselves that the person simply cannot afford it and is envious. When someone who has plenty of money says “Hey I was in that position before, don’t fall into the same trap” then it makes you stop for a second and think about what they are trying to get across.
- Logos: Throughout the song he uses various analogies to help the listener understand the importance of the shoes.
How do social and historical contexts, ideologies, and commonplaces come into play?
Sneaker culture goes back quite a few years. Over time it has evolved from shoes being a little hard to get to an entire sneaker resale market. I’ll also elaborate on the crosses between sneaker culture and the hip hop culture.
What world does the text desire?
The text desires a world where people don’t get caught up in all the hype. People should spend money on things they truly like, not just trying to flex that they have expensive sneakers.
I am so glad you picked that song, it has always been one of my favorite songs by Macklemore. I completely agree with what he is saying, and how the consumerism culture in sneakers is slightly ridiculous. I know some people that have hundreds (not an exaggeration) of pairs of shoes, and do not wear any of them because they do not want to crease them.
I think it is good to keep the ideas of ethos, logos, and pathos in mind, but I think you should elaborate more on common places and other rhetorical devices in your actual essay. I think you can talk a lot about why people want to be a part of this movement, and maybe where the sneaker culture is headed. I look forward to reading this final product.