Television and internet is a big influence

if you look at society today people are most influenced by what goes on in television. You see this a lot in youths. the parents can only do so much these days with the internet getting bigger everyday and the shows on television. i know me growing up i did not really listen or at least take in much of what people were saying until Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals came in and talked about going to school and how important it was to go to college and getting a degree. i always heard those sort of opinion from teachers, parents, or any adult of authority but when a famous person that i watch on tv every weekend it really meant something to me. you also see that on important commercial. you put a famous face in it to influence a person because an average joe would not make a difference. or when you have a tragic event like hurricane Katrina or 9/11 you see famous faces on television asking people or the audience for donations instead of a regular person because society would actually pay attention. i dont think its a bad thing for the audience to listen to famous people because a lot of the time they are promoting something positive. in some ways it could be a bad thing when you dont have a stable good role model at home and what ever that kid hears or sees on tv is what he/she is gonna do

If He Likes it, So do I.. Ethos

Now a days celebrities have the power to influence people to get out and spend their money. Whether it be a new car, or those brand new Nike shoes, celebrities seem to have the power to convince people that they have to go out and get whatever the product is. In many companies advertisement plans there is a hot shot athlete or a beautiful actress endorsing the product. Although they may be famous and wealthy what makes them such an expert about the product? I mean do they actually test the product out themselves? I'm guessing most of them don't, which leaves me with the question of why people value what celebrities or people of high power say about products.

My guess is that people see that they are celebrities and they think that if they have a certain product then they are on the same level or maybe they are even a celebrity themselves (as foolish as that may sound). For example, professional athletes that endorse shoes or other sporting goods are good endorsements because there is a huge possibility that they are using the product themselves. On the other hand if an actor/actress were to endorse sporting goods or equipment it wouldn't be a credible or very good endorsement.

In conclusion, in my personal opinion companies should target people that have a direct connections with the product they are endorsing. By doing that i believe companies will see more profit for their products because people value celebrities opinions very much.

For Dessert? I'll Try the Ethos...

In today's society, people live and breathe celebrity culture. From tabloids to commercials, people are just obsessed with seeing celebrities, knowing what they are doing, who they are dating, and what they are buying. Reputation is a huge part of what makes people pay attention. Today, a movie star, athlete, or even reality television personality can mention something one time and people become fascinated by that. On a recent episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians (E!'s big hit, which follows the now famous family of Kim Kardashian, who became famous herself for absolutely no reason), the girls were shooting an ad for a cupcake bakery that they are now endorsing. Considering they also endorse a weight loss product, and publiclicize their diet routines, it begs the question of why on earth we would trust the Kardashian family's opinion on this particular product. Sure, they are famous, but what do they really know about cupcakes? Have they tried all of the cupcakes in town? Do they even eat cupcakes?

While ethos, or public image, is an important part of selling a product or idea, it seems that we have forgotten that part of “ethos” is credibility. It should not entirely be defined as whether or not someone is famous, but do they know what they are talking about? For instance, Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, can believably endorse basketball shoes, which is why Air Jordans were so popular. He should know a thing or two about good basketball shoes. On the other hand, some new Chicago superstars, Gordon Beckham of the White Sox and Devin Hester of the Bears, are the faces of Berry Chill yogurt (one of those natural frozen yogurt places in the city). While Berry Chill is incredibly delicious, what about being an MLB rookie or an NFL wide receiver and punt returner gives them the credibility to promote this brand of yogurt? Beckham mentioned Berry Chill was his favorite place to eat in Chicago in ONE interview with mouthpiecesports.com, and all of the sudden he has a yogurt there named after him. Unless this yogurt has magical enzymes that enhance an athlete’s playing ability, in which case I would personally provide a lifetime supply to both the Sox and Bears, Beckham and Hester are just as reliable at promoting yogurt as I am. In fact, considering “The Hester” is comprised of mango, pineapple, and GUMMY BEARS, I might just be more dependable when it comes to this yogurty delight anyway. NFL star or not, he clearly does not have a feel for appropriate yogurt topping combinations.

Today’s “ethos” is established with very low standards. A company chooses a celebrity, takes some pictures of them, and that’s that. The celebrities don’t have to say much more than “I love this cupcake” (or yogurt, or sunglasses, or lawnmower…whatever), and not only do they have a “deal” with the brand and a nice paycheck, but people just believe them. No one cares what they like about the product, what makes it better than similar products, or how the product changed their lives. People’s fascination with celebrities takes away the need for persuasiveness. Ethos has become nothing more than a superficial image, eliminating the need for not only established credibility but logos and pathos, as well. While reputation should affect an audience’s response to a rhetorical situation, whether it be a speech or an advertisement, that should not be confused with image or celebrity status. Just because someone is famous does not prove that we should believe everything they say about every issue under the sun. It is a different matter entirely when they are persuading an audience to care about an issue or buy a product that relates to their reputation in some way, like Air Jordans, or even when the celebrity explains their choice of supporting something, but allowing public image alone to persuade an audience is embarrassing and ridiculous.