Rhetorical Strategies In Supersize Me

There are many writers that affect our emotions or that make us think that his or her statements are reasonable, whether they are authors of books, or script writers for a movie or a play. In Morgan Spurlock’s film, Supersize Me, he uses three common rhetorical strategies: ethos, pathos, and logos. He uses all three effectively, however pathos has the greatest effect out of all three rhetorical strategies. Spurlock uses ethos, or ethical appeal, in his film. The definition of ethos is the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society. A way he uses the customs or practices is by following four rules he was given. He can only supersize if he is asked. He can only eat food that is from McDonald’s.

The definition of pathos is the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity, or of sympathetic and kindly sorrow or compassion. In other words, it is a way that authors and/or writers get to the audience’s emotions. Spurlock uses pathos by affecting the emotions of his audience with children. The beginning of the documentary shows kids singing and dancing. That automatically affects people’s emotions. It can either make them ‘awe’ or maybe even bring joy to their hearts listening to the little kids sing. Another way he appeals to the audience emotionally is with a testimonial effect. A girl was being interviewed about what she has done to lose weight. She was saying that it was extremely difficult for her to lose weight, and she felt like she could not do it. People may feel sorry for her. During his thirty days, Spurlock starts feeling ill. He decides to call his mom, and she tells him how she feels about his experiment. It makes the audience feel pity for him and his mother. Also the music that he uses during those specific scenes. As this generation calls it, it gets people in their feels. People start thinking about how he feels, and it put them in his shoes. Spurlock drives people in the movie with his emotional appeal. It makes the audience want to keep watching