Steven Russell - Blog Post 3 - Analyzing Pathos

     The CONVENTION (Nixon, 1968) ad, created by filmmaker Eugene Jones  is without a doubt one of the best examples of the fear appeals technique of pathos.  This narrator absent clip uses a collage-type construction of unsightly images from Viet-nam, racial conflicts, the struggles of the poor and other general lawlessness mixed with human anguish to show the trouble of the times.  Periodically inserted into these images is the smiling face of Presidential hopeful and Nixon opponent, Humphrey.  The images of Humphrey are often blurred over or transposed with other images to create a distortion effect while the background music promotes a wild sense of loss of control.  This concurring overload of the senses creates panic and disorder to the viewer and plants the notion that Humphrey will only make the escalating situation at home and around the word worse should he be elected president.  

     The selection of images showed were specific and intended to shock the audience into acting from a state of fear and self-preservation.  The same negative political campaign tactics of nearly 50 years ago can still be seen employed today, striking at our psychological need to feel safe according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs.  

     If we look 8 years down the road in history, we find a very different kind of ad from Jimmy Carter in BIO (Carter 1976).  This wholesome campaign ad uses warmth appeal and also appeals to pride and patriotism as forms of creating pathos.  The ad highlights Carter's family roots in Georgia and pulls on his "working man" background.  He becomes relate- able to average Americans in this way.  The ad goes on to show his mother talking about what a good boy Jimmy was, and how she never even had to spank him.  It is very down home and has a mellow feel to it.  

     The ad briefly covers Jimmy Carter's Naval service and thus, endears himself to the men & women of the armed services.  This ad was critical in capturing the then new face of candidate Carter.  His use of positive and wholesome advertisements did much to reassure voters of the time that politicians had not all gone completely insane.  By likening himself to the American people in a genuine and meaningful way, Carter was able to advance his agenda beyond that of his opponents.

     Carter stands on the rung of self-actualization on Maslow's hierarchy, as he views the change of the future with optimistic eyes.  He promotes good triumphing over evil, exemplifying Steele & Redding's American value of Puritan & Pioneer Morality.