Rhetorical Analyses - Essay Example

READING ALTERNATIVE ‘REALITIES’ of of Reading Alternative ‘Realities’ Liza Featherstone has criticized magazines like Jump, Teen People, and Glossy, which resort to packaging manifestations of ‘realness’, consequently resulting in antithetical results due to the choice of illustrations, articles and themes used by these teen magazines. Featherstone believes that such subversive manifestations of reality have a miscalculated effect on the readers and she seeks to expose such magazines using her sense of discretion to analyze and describe a few of them.

By employing various strong statements such as, (trying to seduce as many underage girls) and (pressured to be skinny), which are obviously derived from personal beliefs that she garners, as well as that of society’s on the whole. Featherstone eventually evaluates magazines such as Blue Jean, Teen Voices, Hues and Reluctant Hero that are certified to provide far more fruitful and substantial content. Featherstone seeks for the ‘realness’ in these magazines that play in the minds of young juvenile minds but does not find any, thus resorting to a bit sullen but far sophisticated magazines on the shelves.

The author’s arguments clearly indicates her preferences for the teen girls’ reading materials through the provision of examples and citing relevant support from identified slogans, celebrities, and choice of feature articles that were believed to evoke the readers’ emotional response. Featherstone contends for a woman who has her own voice over that which is lent. Her liking toward magazines such as Blue Jean is reason enough to understand that she shoots over the voices of ‘women activists’ whom she considers to be quite a rage for the propaganda of these magazines.

On reading further about TEEN VOICES she voices her concerns about the delicate nature of the age and the need for advice regarding ‘Teen Pregnancies’ and ‘body Reading Alternative ‘Realities’ 3mutilations’ which are common occurrences in society. She pleas the nubile Teens to look further than ones external appearances; to climb out of their fashion closets and discover a more meaningful world.

Her choice of vocabulary is pretty strong and goes from easy-to-read to difficult-to-comprehend-the-context, and has a rather defying logical order. This is definitely an appeal to ‘logos’, to derive the right emotion through channelizing the content into a definite lopsided argument. For example; a paragraph describing Blue Jean, for instance, begins with a logical description of the magazine which was confusing the reader on what really was the message about.Featherstone brings out a ‘reasoned discourse’ which is highly effective by comparing the two similar genres and the effect it has on the girls reading it.

First is the analysis of magazines that are popular and discuss petty matters, and probably even are misleading. Then there are magazines that talk of more relevant matters which can be quite a stir, especially, those dealing with health issues and politics. Let’s look at two comparable quotations of Featherstone from the text itself: 1. Teen People deserve some credit for putting out a model-free magazine. Only a third of Teen People is devoted to fashion and beauty, and it has refreshingly little advice about how to find a boyfriend.

Reading Alternative ‘Realities’ 42. Hues, a feisty, multicultural quarterly, has a high-quality, attractive, innovative layout. A recent issue features "Get on the Bus!," an account of Philadelphias little-covered Million Woman March; "Making It Big," a profile of a successful and gorgeous 190-pound model whos outspoken in her criticism of the fashion industry; and a cultural dialogue between two young Indian women about arranged marriage.

Overall, Featherstone’s appeal to use logos was commendable through appropriate use of analogies, quotations and citations to provide illustrations and examples to prove her points. The development of ethos was fairly achieved since she openly lambasted the first set of magazines over the other set and therefore waived a fair-minded presentation. Finally, the appeal to the readers’ emotions was successfully attained through vivid and emotionally packed language with figurative and connotative meanings.

The result effectively relayed to her audience the preferential reading materials deemed to be read by girls.ReferenceFeatherstone, L (2011, July). Writing Today: Chapter 9: Rhetorical Analysis. Pp. 189-191.