This is Clint Eastwood's speech at the 2012 Republican National Convention. I chose it mainly because it was something that grabbed my attention immediately. When I first heard of Eastwood's appearance at the convention, the first thing that came to my mind was how annoyed I was by celebrities entering politics. Then, my mind went more towards, "I'm so glad to see a celebrity using their influence for good!" As of now, I'm still kind of torn on where I stand with this celebrity-appearance-attheGOP thing. What gives celebrities the right to speak at major world political events? Is that ok and just? Like many of you, I also don't really like getting into political debates. However, I do like giving credit where credit is due. Clint Eastwood did a great job in this speech delivery, and whether or not I agree with what he said, I can confidently say that this is a prime example of rhetoric in the political world.
Lol, so we begin with an "idol of the mind" or meme. The Pale Rider, The Outlaw Josey Wales...a product of mythical Americana. This establishes the speaker in terms of Ethos and Pathos.
ReplyDeleteHis characters embody a set of values that are unspoken. This is apparent with the audience reaction "make my day." This is what they "see."
He enacts another meme to his crediabiltiy, "actors are left of Lenin." Beautifully deployed. The Logos is his puncturing this idea.
The whole empty chair with rhetorical questions is...Platonic, lol. Pathos with humor.
He assaults attornies-"devil's advocate"-with further use of stereotypical memes. Describing Obama as "empty talk."
Ending, I see him appealing to the idea of Oligarchy by naming people "owners" and instilling the enthymeme of implied proprietorship. Wealth+proprietorship=profits=business man.
pretty good...and this is why you would want an actor, they are pros at business and rhetoric.
The start of this video reminded me of the Academy Awards. It was a dramatic spectacle meant for the amusement of the crowd compared to the "real people" who actually depend on this election to make their livelihood. I fully understand that all politicians use actors as a means of persuasion because their power is obvious. Clint Eastwood is an American legend, and his credibility (ethos) was apparent as he walked on stage. This credibility quickly waned however as I heard him speak (to an empty chair). I am personally tired of ALL politicians talking about their opponents weaknesses when I truly do care about the issues. I want to hear their plans for the future and how Romney will fix the job market, how he will react to global issues and how he plans to accomplish this in four years. I do not want to hear Clint Eastwood use his power over the western wannabees to convince the public to vote for Mitt Romney.
ReplyDeleteThis turned out to be a media highlight of the convention, only because Eastwood's presentation was so rambling and fairly incoherent, and it stepped in front of Romney's own triumphal entry. It raises questions about the value of celebrity endorsements and etc, too. But this has become one of those "campaign moments" that will shape the election narrative - Romney's talk at the fundraiser that we watched is another one. There will be many more, for sure!
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