Animal Rights - Argument Analysis of a Animal Rights Cartoon

Argument Analysis of a Animal Rights Cartoon The cartoon, The Battalion, is an argument showing a member of Peta with a sign defending animal rights. This marketing campaign is targeting those individuals not supportive of animal rights. The artist used a member of Peta with a picket sign and a couple animals in the background design to appeal to the emotions of the audience. A rabbit holding a sign that reads, “I’m with stupid”, suggest that animals are sentient beings. The artist is targeting people who are not for animal rights, and specifically those individuals that are cruel to animals. This population may have a limited emotional response for the humane treatment of animals, however, many take it seriously and have even made it a personal part of their everyday life. Some people of the audience who are for animal rights may not eat meat for example because of the way animals are treated on the farms and processing places they are taken to. Using animals for testing or consumption is seen by those supportive of animal rights as an unnecessary evil. Marketing campaigns designed to persuade those individuals who have not taken a positive or negative position on this issue are rampant. Those people who do not take the time to reflect on animal rights might be persuaded by those advertisements. Individuals who are not for animal rights might have never had an animal they were close to or maybe they were brought up in a family that never gave much thought to animal rights. Other audience members may have a problem with the experiments on animal but do not feel bad for using them as a source of food. Some people may find animal cruelty upsetting because they may have actually seen someone being mean to or treating an animal poorly. It could be that they may have seen a news clip of a company or farmer doing unnecessary things to their animals. In an effort to avoid an argument on an emotional level, the artist uses the strategy of combining humor and emotion

Cited: (Peta) People for the ethical Treatment of Animals http://www.peta.org/ Bocco, Diane “What are Animal Rights” http://www.wisegeek.com.com/what are-animal-rights-.html Newkirk, Ingrid “Compassion For the Animals Who Are Killed for Our Plates” Web. 13 Jan. 2010