Vince Cypress

English

November 11, 2020

Rhetorical Analysis

Our image and how we look on the outside is a big factor on how society treats you as a

person. This is the topic that the TED Talk speaker, Cameron Russell talks about. The main

audience for this speech is the general public. Cameron Russell is a model. The ted talk that

Cameron Russell speaks in is called “Looks aren’t everything, believe me i'm a model.” In the

ted talk Cameron Russell gives her story about how she got into modeling and her experiences in

the modeling world. Cameron Russell also gives information on how she herself is treated by

society because of her looks and how other people are treated. The main message that Cameron

Russell is trying to send out to people is that we as a society should stop putting so much power

on superficial things such as someone's outside appearance and treat people based on who they

are as a person and their character. This ted talk from Cameron Russell was very good and uses

rhetorical techniques such as ethos, logos, and pathos effectively.

In this ted talk Cameron Russell structured the speech by giving answers to some of the

most common questions she is asked about being a model. The most common question for

Cameron Russell was how did she become a model. Her answer to this question was very

different to what most people would expect. Most people would expect the answer to this

question to be that, “She was scouted” to be a model. However Cameron Russell emphasizes

that she is answering all of these questions truthfully and she would give a different response

then what most models would say. She said that the real reason she is a model was because she
won a genetic lottery and she is benefitting from a legacy. The legacy she is benefiting is the

beauty standards throughout history. For years the beauty standard for women is slender figures,

femininity and white skin. She supports her argument by showing us the results of a study done

on a runway at a fashion show. In the study there were 677 models on the runway. Only 27 or

less than 4 percent of these women were non-white. This is good evidence to suggest that what

she is saying about beauty standards are true. This is a good example of how Cameron Russell

uses Logos. This shows how Cameron Russell uses logos because she backed up her statements

with evidence and facts. Cameron Russell stated all of this because she wants to spread

awareness about how much your appearance affects your life, how society treats you and what

opportunities you are able to get.

In the speech she te rhetorical appeal of ethos. In her speech she kept saying that she

was a model. Saying that she is a model is an example of Cameron Russell using ethos because

saying she is a model makes her seem credible and trustworthy on the topic. Cameron Russell

being a model gives her statement of saying that “looks aren't everything” more credibility

because a model is all about your looks. There are also other examples of how Cameron Russell

uses ethos in her speech. In her speech you can tell how confident Cameron Russell is in the

way she delivers her speech. In her speech she doesn't stutter and she seems very confident on

stage. Her confidence in front of a group of people most likely comes from her modeling job. In

the beginning of the speech she also put on a skirt and a sweater over herself. This shows how

she is confident in herself and isn't afraid of being embarrassed.

The style and tone of the ted talk speech from Cameron Russell is formal but she delivers

the speech in a casual way. The way she speaks in the ted talk gives off a casual vibe. This is a
good thing because it makes the ted talk more appealing and inviting for people to listen to and

watch. Cameron Russell in this ted talk also uses the rhetorical appeal of pathos in her ted talk.

Throughout the speech she told a couple of stories that she has had in her life as a model and as a

person. One of her stories was about a time she got pulled over by a cop. When she got pulled

over by a cop for a driving violation all she had to say to the officer was “im sorry” and the

officer let her go. She then followed up her story with saying that if she wasn't a “pretty white

lady” that she would most likely get different treatment from the cop. She supported this

statement with the fact that 86% of the teenagers stopped by cops in New York City were black

or latino males. Her telling the audience her stories makes the speech feel more personal to the

audience and makes the audience members/ted talk viewers feel closer to the speaker.

A person's image is a big factor in how society treats you as a person. Cameron Russell

emphasizes this in her speech. Cameron Russell's main message in her speech is that society

should put more emphasis and importance on a person's personality and character instead of

putting so much emphasis on a person's outside appearance because image is superficial.

Cameron Russell conveys this topic in her speech effectively by using the rhetorical techniques

or ethos,pathos and logos. She used the rhetorical technique of ethos by telling people that she is

a model so that makes sure the audience knows that she is knowledgeable on the topic of how

your image affects how society treats you. She uses pathos by telling the audience her personal

stories which makes the speech have more emotional appeal. She also used logos by using

evidence from past studies to support her arguments and ideas. Cameron Russell’s speech was

good and she effectively used rhetorical techniques in her speech.