Rhetorical Analysis Of Speech By Clare Boothe Luce

Clare Boothe Luce was an American writer and politician best known for her satirical sense of humor and role in American politics. Luce gave a speech at the Women’s National Press Club in the 1960s that was both controversial and accusatory towards her audience, calling out the practice of writing “false journalism”, playing up facts about a story to sell more papers. Throughout the speech, Luce uses the conflicting tones of admiration and disapproval to make the journalists feel like they’re doing something wrong by lying to the public. Luce uses pathos and ethos to force her audience to reflect on their morals and integrity, simultaneously establishing herself as a credible source and emphasizing the importance of honesty in journalism. During
Her message is laced with loving remarks in between her criticism in order to play up to the egos of her audience, therefore allowing her to smoothly present her argument. By presenting her audience with a sandwich method of presenting, it allows her as a speaker to manipulate the audience's opinion of her and her topic. In the beginning of the third paragraph of the speech, Luce begins by saying, “.you are an audience of journalists. There is no audience anywhere who should be more bored— indeed, more revolted — by a speaker who tried to fawn on it, butter it up, exaggerate its virtues, play down its faults, and who would more quickly see through any attempt to do so.” Luce uses a disapproving tone towards the audience of journalists to better imply that her argument of the dangers of playing into public perception is important. The way Luce chooses to frame her sentences makes it so her audience feels a sense of guilt about the situation she speaks