Rhetorical Analysis: Citizens Against Spouse Abuse PSA Relations

Donivan Ortega
The University of Texas at El Paso
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Domestic violence knows no gender, age or reason; cases with the involvement of

celebrities and public figures prove this to be true. With social media and entertainment

having such a heavily influence on what our generation sees today it would only make

sense that advertising not only products for consumers but even social issues such as

domestic violence would serve to be beneficial. There are numerous organizations in which

are advocating against battery, one worthy of an honorable mention would be Citizens

Against Spouse Abuse. Organizations as such are taking a stand to expose domestic

violence and the issues related with it by using public service announcements to reach out.

Rhetors of these public service announcements rely on the ethical/emotional appeal of the

viewers while addressing such urgent issues to draw connections to the deeper message

being presented all for the encouragement of them to advocate against domestic violence.

This paper gives us insight of these methods being deployed while also viewing some

conotraints such as gender biases related to the public service announcements.

The purpose of most advertisements is to get the audience to react a certain way,

this is done by the implementation of pathos, ethos or logos. For this public service

announcement specifically dealing with domestic violence, the rhetor uses two means of

persuasive strategies. Pathos and logos are used in attempt to evoke an emotional response

in the viewer while also trying to appeal to the logic of the audience. The targeted audience

in this case would primarily be millennials since they are technologically inclined and those

select baby boomers that know how to use newer technology. The methods of

advertisement are usually very subtle and simplistic when only looking at them for a glance

but if you actually take the time to analyze them they have much deeper meaning.
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At a glance, this advertisement

doesnt seem to entail much. The

picture provided is very vague and

seems to lack meaning because there

doesnt seem to be a very obvious

connection between the two mugs displayed and domestic violence. This is where the

rhetors use of logos is displayed; the rhetor is causing you to analyze this with a more

literal viewpoint in order to conceive the deeper meaning associated with the ad. It is then

when you can draw the connections of the two mugs with domestic violence. The mug

labeled Dad appears to be fine, opposed to the one labeled Mom this one is obviously

altered and disfigured. This symbolizes the physical abuse that the mother has endured by

the father.

The second image provided gets its message across very thoroughly with the help of

a textual context stating When he controls your life, its no longer your life. The rhetor

uses very stereotypical figures

to portray the message being

delivered. First thing you see

when looking at this image is

the gritty/rugged boot crushing

the pink high heel. When we

see this we automatically draw

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connections, the boot obviously represents a male figure that is hard at work and from that

we can assume he is the one providing financially for the household. Then we have the pink

high heel, which is being stepped on; the rhetor uses the color pink to have the audience

associate characteristics with it, feminine characteristics such as tenderness and delicacy.

These are subliminal methods the rhetor employs to get the audience engaged with the

advertisement by either intellectual or emotional appeal.

Along with logos, the rhetor combined the emotional appeal of pathos to create an

emotional affection of the audience towards the public service announcements. The

emotional influence that the rhetor has intended for the perception of the audience can be

labeled as sympathy, remorse and solicitude. When the audience has fully analyzed these

public service announcements they will have a whole new outlook on their appearance and

literal meanings Seeing the moms mug cracked, discolored and altered in many other ways

makes you really understand not only the physical but emotional abuse the husband (dad)

has brought upon her, the same can be concluded by the boot stepping on the high heel. It

would be oblivious of the viewer to see the females physical state in the visuals provided

and assume this behavior is not repetitive/reoccurring. Acknowledging these things

connects the audience with an emotional appeal and encourages them to stand up against

abuse whether it be physical or verbal both are forms of domestic violence.

Domestic violence is the urgent issue being addressed with the help of public

service announcements as such. These public service announcements are not only brining

exposure but also gaining attention to the issue and persuading people to stand out against
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such behavior. Unfortunately domestic violence is national epidemic that needs to be

addressed and brought to light. A constraint is presented in these public service

announcements, as it does seem to be gender bias. Most have the misconception that male

figurers are the only ones participating in the abusive behavior but that is not the case. Yes,

the percentage of woman being victims is higher and more frequent but that does not

necessarily mean that they arent also participating in battery themselves.

Todays society is a lot more technologically inclined than it was recent years ago so

the implementation of advertisements/public service announcements on various media

platforms is ideal. When social issues such as domestic violence is addressed throughout

these advertisements, the rhetors purpose is to convey the audiences emotions and

ideologies a certain way. With this advertisement example presented to us in specific the

main goal was to use the implications of logos to have the audience draw connections and

have a deeper understanding of the illustration while also combining pathos for the

emotional appeal and feelings of sympathy. While addressing the urgent situation of

domestic violence there was a constraint associated with the advertisement, this restraint

was gender bias which leads to the misconception of domestic abuse and its participants.

With the insight provided you may be able to conclude that most advertisements involving

social issue have deeper meaning and must be addressed with a more analytical point of

view in order to perceive their true meaning.