Rhetorical Analysis- Music Video

Today, I will attempt to break down a music video to analyze it's persuasiveness.

~WATCO: What are the consequences of pretending to be someone online on how cool I am to others?

~Enthymeme:(Claim): "I'm so much cooler online."
Assumption (Reason): Because I'm someone else online; I can be handsome, talk to women, drive nice cars, play the guitar like Brad Paisley and rock the concert.

~Audience: The audience is "has-been" or "never-was" people who were never popular. They'd still be living with their parents with no excitement and adventure in their life.

~Goal: The goal of the music video teaches a lesson about how aspiring to be someone big and famous is cool at first, but realizing that what you seek in life could be right in front of you.

~How & Why: The role of this guy (Jason Alexander) dreams of becoming someone cool and famous, namely Brad Paisley. The audience can identify with the nerd-like character. Though this analysis is more on the video it correlates with the lyrics how when online, he's six-foot five, he drives a Maserati, gets on the cover on GQ, six pack abs to blow your mind, and 'even on a slow day he has a 3-way chat with two women at one time'. It's pretty accurate, because many people lie about their lifestyles, or make up stories to make them more appealing. It's typical because even if they don't actually impersonate someone, they dream of being like them.

~Effective: The effectiveness of the video gave a twist at the end of the video. Jason Alexander finally realizes that it's not him, but he can be famous/desirable in his own immediate life. The girl next door has always liked him, but he's been to afraid to do anything about it. He makes a bold move and goes for her, and they literally march off into happiness. Thus, the effectiveness in persuading that being online makes you cool isn't great, but a better solution is given to the audience at the end.


Credits: Online by Brad Paisley. From the album 5th Gear.
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This weeks post may not be the most successful in terms of being persuasive, but I wanted to do a country song. There are a lot of people out there who don't like country music usually due to the twang of artists' voices and the subject/content they sing about. I used to be one of them. I still don't like it too twangy, but many of the songs have much better lyrics than what's being put out these days. Whether it be in terms of clean language, or telling a good story or just a simple love song. Plus, country music videos are usually good to watch because they're tend to parallel with the lyrics and they often quite funny.

So to you who despise country I say, "Give it a chance." If you're one who likes it already, don't be bothered by the haters- We'll always know what they're missing out on.