Ethos Pathos Logos
This public service announcement is a response to the need for change, regarding the distribution of wealth in the U.S. “The latest data shows that roughly 75 percent of the financial wealth in America is held in the hands of the top 10 percent of households. Or to invert this, 25 percent of all US wealth is divided up amongst the bottom 90 percent of the population.” (MyBudget360, 2013). Why should only 10% of Americans deserve 75% of the wealth? America is a country where everyone, whether you’re rich or poor, black or white, protestant or catholic, and democrat or republican there is supposed to be an equal chance to prosper and an equal voice in how this country is run. We are all supposed to be treated equally, yet only an elite, wealthy few are afforded privileges due to their financial status. In my view, the rich are in power and influence the most change, and it’s usually to help them become even richer. In Figure 1 (the background of this ad), the stars on the American flag are replaced by well-known corporate logos. This picture incorporates the use of pathos, or appealing to emotion. Originally, the stars on the American flag represent the 50 United States that each have a number of votes in democratic elections.
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Replacing the stars with corporate logos represents how these corporations influence decision making in America and may have more influence than the average U.S. citizen. Many people will recognize most of the logos on the flag and it may trigger their perception of the connections between how money and power are used to influence the increasingly corrupt “democratic” process in our country. Furthermore, the American flag background serves to draw the attention from the many citizens of the U.S. that take pride in our country and our democracy.
Figure 2 is a cartoon of what seems to be a wealthy business man sitting on top of stacks of money while drinking champagne. An arrow points to the wealthy business man telling the viewer he represents big corporations, while another arrow points to the money representing how the profits of big corporations are at an all-time high. This image is placed in the center of the page and surrounded by a red circle to represent its’ importance to understanding the meaning of the infographic. Below the image I include the text, “The majority of wealth is held by only the wealthiest 10% of Americans” to make the message clear. This image injects pathos to the ad by using a lazy, white, greedy old man to represent big corporations. Also, the arrows coming out of this image point towards other images which represent the wide-reaching control held by big corporations and wealth.
An arrow is used to connect Figure 3 to the central image (figure 2), and represents a middle class worker oppressed by the wealth of corporate America. This particular middle class worker appears to be worn down and controlled by his employer, which is indicated by the winding key on his back. This leads to a perception that the middle class workforce is stuck in a life that demands they work at least a 40 hour work week but can never seem to get “ahead”. Many middle class citizens work in jobs provided by large corporations with CEO’s who refuse to compensate them fairly. However, these same citizens cannot leave their job or voice their opinions for fear of failing to be able to provide for their families. This photo also invokes Pathos by appealing to the hopelessness of middleclass workers as they continue to work each day knowing they will never have the wealth needed to reach upper class status. Figure 4, also connected to Figure 2, illustrates how the distribution of wealth would look if it was converted to land owned in U.S. This representation of wealth distribution uses Logos, appealing to logic or reason by using factual data.
Fig 5 is an image that depicts a man looking at his wallet with distress, while a women beside him smiles as she holds up shopping bags. This depicts the connection between consumers and the control that corporations have over the supply and cost of the goods they consume. Big corporations wield their control not only directly by their production of goods but also by influencing the consumer through advertising and other propaganda. For example, big oil companies can shut down a refinery triggering a cascade of price increases. Fig 6 implies that the White House and the laws that are passed there are also controlled by corporations. Corporations spent over 3 billion dollars on lobbyists in 2014 to ensure that their interests would be protected or promoted (Bump, 2015). Money controls many aspects of the U.S. and with the wealthiest 10% owning 75% of the wealth their influence is more prominent in decision making. Both of these figures used pathos, since they both can be interpreted freely and will appeal to some sort of emotion.
Figure 7 is an image of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi is well known for his leadership during India’s independent movement in the 1930’s and 1940’s. He led the movement through passive ways, giving speeches and leading non-violent protests. His teachings have long been remembered and have inspired people around the world to advocate for equality, tolerance and a lifestyle based on need instead of greed. “Earth provide enough to support every man’s needs, but not every mans greed.” (Mahatma Gandhi) this quote is beside the picture of Gandhi and gives insight on how Earth’s resources, as I’ve learned in Environmental Science class, are currently being overused by the U.S. and industrialization/industrial waste are some of the main concerns. Using an image of Gandhi invokes feelings of trustworthiness and goodness, and thereby appeals to the ethos of the reader.
The title, America controlled by the wealthy, for the wealthy, is a play on words coming from the Gettysburg address “by the people, for the people” (Abraham Lincoln).
The title is located at the top of the page in white outlined with red, and underlined also in red to make sure it stands out from the American Flag background. The rest of the text typed out in this public service announcement is in plain white, to make it stand out slightly but not take away from the images and title that are much more important. The arrows pointing outward from figure 2 are in light blue to also contrast from the background slightly, but also not taking too much of the reader’s attention away from the important aspects of the
ad.
Most of the images I chose use pathos. Using pathos ensures that the ad will appeal to more viewers since each one can interpret the images in a way that is most relevant to their life and experiences. Along with the more open interpretations, the images are also prominent enough to get the message across without forcing the viewer to take a stand on the issue. In addition, if the reader is unable to connect with the implications of the images, I made sure to include a short interpretation in text beneath each photo. By viewing each piece of this ad as a whole, I believe that my message will not only be understood by the audience but will also be informative and inspire them to want to know more.
Replacing the stars with corporate logos represents how these corporations influence decision making in America and may have more influence than the average U.S. citizen. Many people will recognize most of the logos on the flag and it may trigger their perception of the connections between how money and power are used to influence the increasingly corrupt “democratic” process in our country. Furthermore, the American flag background serves to draw the attention from the many citizens of the U.S. that take pride in our country and our democracy.
Figure 2 is a cartoon of what seems to be a wealthy business man sitting on top of stacks of money while drinking champagne. An arrow points to the wealthy business man telling the viewer he represents big corporations, while another arrow points to the money representing how the profits of big corporations are at an all-time high. This image is placed in the center of the page and surrounded by a red circle to represent its’ importance to understanding the meaning of the infographic. Below the image I include the text, “The majority of wealth is held by only the wealthiest 10% of Americans” to make the message clear. This image injects pathos to the ad by using a lazy, white, greedy old man to represent big corporations. Also, the arrows coming out of this image point towards other images which represent the wide-reaching control held by big corporations and wealth.
An arrow is used to connect Figure 3 to the central image (figure 2), and represents a middle class worker oppressed by the wealth of corporate America. This particular middle class worker appears to be worn down and controlled by his employer, which is indicated by the winding key on his back. This leads to a perception that the middle class workforce is stuck in a life that demands they work at least a 40 hour work week but can never seem to get “ahead”. Many middle class citizens work in jobs provided by large corporations with CEO’s who refuse to compensate them fairly. However, these same citizens cannot leave their job or voice their opinions for fear of failing to be able to provide for their families. This photo also invokes Pathos by appealing to the hopelessness of middleclass workers as they continue to work each day knowing they will never have the wealth needed to reach upper class status. Figure 4, also connected to Figure 2, illustrates how the distribution of wealth would look if it was converted to land owned in U.S. This representation of wealth distribution uses Logos, appealing to logic or reason by using factual data.
Fig 5 is an image that depicts a man looking at his wallet with distress, while a women beside him smiles as she holds up shopping bags. This depicts the connection between consumers and the control that corporations have over the supply and cost of the goods they consume. Big corporations wield their control not only directly by their production of goods but also by influencing the consumer through advertising and other propaganda. For example, big oil companies can shut down a refinery triggering a cascade of price increases. Fig 6 implies that the White House and the laws that are passed there are also controlled by corporations. Corporations spent over 3 billion dollars on lobbyists in 2014 to ensure that their interests would be protected or promoted (Bump, 2015). Money controls many aspects of the U.S. and with the wealthiest 10% owning 75% of the wealth their influence is more prominent in decision making. Both of these figures used pathos, since they both can be interpreted freely and will appeal to some sort of emotion.
Figure 7 is an image of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi is well known for his leadership during India’s independent movement in the 1930’s and 1940’s. He led the movement through passive ways, giving speeches and leading non-violent protests. His teachings have long been remembered and have inspired people around the world to advocate for equality, tolerance and a lifestyle based on need instead of greed. “Earth provide enough to support every man’s needs, but not every mans greed.” (Mahatma Gandhi) this quote is beside the picture of Gandhi and gives insight on how Earth’s resources, as I’ve learned in Environmental Science class, are currently being overused by the U.S. and industrialization/industrial waste are some of the main concerns. Using an image of Gandhi invokes feelings of trustworthiness and goodness, and thereby appeals to the ethos of the reader.
The title, America controlled by the wealthy, for the wealthy, is a play on words coming from the Gettysburg address “by the people, for the people” (Abraham Lincoln).
The title is located at the top of the page in white outlined with red, and underlined also in red to make sure it stands out from the American Flag background. The rest of the text typed out in this public service announcement is in plain white, to make it stand out slightly but not take away from the images and title that are much more important. The arrows pointing outward from figure 2 are in light blue to also contrast from the background slightly, but also not taking too much of the reader’s attention away from the important aspects of the
ad.
Most of the images I chose use pathos. Using pathos ensures that the ad will appeal to more viewers since each one can interpret the images in a way that is most relevant to their life and experiences. Along with the more open interpretations, the images are also prominent enough to get the message across without forcing the viewer to take a stand on the issue. In addition, if the reader is unable to connect with the implications of the images, I made sure to include a short interpretation in text beneath each photo. By viewing each piece of this ad as a whole, I believe that my message will not only be understood by the audience but will also be informative and inspire them to want to know more.