Re: Visual Arguments

Visual arguments are ubiquitous in this modern day life inundated with product placements, commercial advertising and entertainment.  Images have the power to evoke a full range of human emotions and responses, and the use of images to develop an argument is a tool used by many people for many different purposes.  Politicians attempt to portray themselves as determined, reliable leaders through the use of professional attire, strong body language, and confident countenances in order to win elections.  Patriotic imagery is used to evoke a sense of nationalism and unity in the midst of disaster and strife.  Companies who hope to sell a product use imagery to make it seem as appealing as possible, and associate their goods with well-known people, in order to make use of their popularity.  Additionally, all manner of individuals and charitable organizations use visual arguments to promote their causes by evoking emotional responses and generating general awareness.  These are just a few ways in which visual arguments are employed.

One method of visual argument of particular interest to me is the use of comics and cartoonish imagery for the purposes of satire and social commentary.  They can shed a humorous light on otherwise serious topics, and reveal the ridiculousness of today's issues.  Sometimes, it's nice to just have a little levity to offset all the negativity and partisanship.

Here's an example:



Here we see a Somali pirate sitting in a tiny desert hideout, listening to the radio.  (For some reason, this one likes to wear sunglasses at night.  Maybe the only radio station they get is 80s pop.)  Next to him, somebody has been whisked away rather abruptly, leaving behind a pair of sandals and can of soda.  In the distance under the light of the moon a helicopter hovers, with a pair of Navy Seals (or maybe the individuals who were rescued) dangling from ropes.  Thus, this comic is celebrating the raid which occurred under cover of darkness and successfully freed two aid workers, and giving President Obama as well as the Navy Seals credit.  Interestingly enough, this raid was carried out just before the president's State of the Union address.  Intentional or not, the timing seems to be in his favor and may help to boost his popularity and approval ratings.

More details on the raid can be found here:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/SEALs-snatch-captives-from-Somali-pirates-2712858.php

Finally, here is an image that can be said to represent a different kind of argument:

And that argument is...kids are cute.

WP1 topics


Oh yes, by the way...I do have a plan for WP1.  Part one will involve analysis of a visual argument presented by a corporation attempting to redeem itself after a massively embarrassing public failure.  Part two will consist of putting a twist on a classic conflict in the video game realm, and drawing parallels to the lesser-known side a real-life conflict that has been ongoing for centuries that I think more people should know about.  I don't want to give away the specifics just yet ;)