Rage Against The Machine Rhetorical Devices

Rage Against Machines: Rhetorical Analysis

In the 1990s, the band Rage Against the Machines rose to fame due to the political viewpoints centered in their songs. Ten years after their rise to fame, they released their third album titled “Battle of Los Angeles.” On that album, the first track was titled “Testify,” and became one of their most political songs. “Testify” sends the message of how the people of America are blinded to what goes on inside the country. Rage Against the Machines uses rhetorical elements such as pathos and logos in their song “Testify” to send a message to the people of America, highlighting the issues within the government.

The song opens with a group of humans in suits, plotting to send a “mutant” down to earth.

Clips of sad children, starving people, and police officers searching people are shown to the audience right before showing more clips of the two candidates dancing, having fun, and eating large meals. Gas prices are then shown to the audience to show how expensive they were. The economy was centered around money, so the band used that in their song to relate the issues discussed in their song back to the audience. The prices of companies were then shown with Bush and Gore to show how they endorse these companies to symbolize how the candidates were not like the standard person, and that they support these companies and prices. The visual rhetoric in this music video is one of the most important ways the band tries to appeal to the audience. The band used images that trigger strong emotions to convince the audience of their overall

Another main point in their music video is that the two presidential candidates of the 2000 election were, in spirit, the same person. The band shows the audience this in the music video from the very start by showing presidential candidate Al Gore spitting into himself and George Bush. The video goes on to show many clips through the song of both candidates saying essentially the same thing. The video also shows the similarities in the things the candidates do such as dancing and eating large meals. While it may seem like a coincidence, the logic behind these similarities is noticeably clear; the presidential candidates ensure that there is no true choice in the election. This is because both candidates are pushing the same agenda so that no matter whom the people choose, the change that they want still happens.

At the end of the video, a message comes on screen: “In November it is estimated that the majority of Americans –nearly 100 million people- will not vote simply for the lack of real choice on the ballot.” This statistical quote is a prime example of the band using logos-based appeal. The band uses these statistics to further their point that the government is not giving the people a choice, ending their main idea that the government has been corrupt all