Modern Rhetoric
rhet·o·ric
Pronunciation: 're-t&-rik
Function: noun
1 : the art of speaking or writing effectively: as a : the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times b : the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion
2 a : skill in the effective use of speech b : a type or mode of language or speech; also : insincere or grandiloquent language
3 : verbal communication : DISCOURSE
I left Florida in 1999 for the military. I was in Missouri for a few months and then I was in Arlington, Virginia for the next four and a half years. At any given time, leaving a familiar environment for a new one will be cause for adaptation. A new landscape rose before me. My vernacular was enhanced to include words like hill, ridge, and valley. Those features became very comfortable. After a few years away from home, I returned for a short visit. The first thing I noticed wasn't the fact that everything was flat, but there were all kinds of billboards polluting my vision.
They appeared in the Carolinas as I traveled southbound on Interstate 95. At first a small trickle, these man made wonders slowly eased there way into my subconscious. By the time I reached the Sunshine State it was nothing to see five or six within my field of vision. Most were lovingly adored with a small seal at the bottom and centered that read either 'Viacom' or 'Clear Channel'. I had forgotten about the modern pièce de résistance of our consumer society. I tried in vain to place these images in their former residence: the Seventh Layer of Hell in my subconscious. It was a miserable failure. I rediscovered what I had left: a Florida that lost its soul in the 1930's when tourism took over.
In general, most of us do not have a problem with these signs, and the few that do are often outnumbered and outgunned. Billboards support a multi-billion dollar annual industry that rakes in cash surprisingly well. Most incorporate relatively small agencies and generate massive revenue for a parent company. This advertising medium employs the use of color, picture, and a catchy jargon to get their message to you, the consumer. Billboards persuade and argue using a form of written communication. However mutated from gracefulness they are, they are one of the most prominent forms of rhetoric in modern America.
Pronunciation: 're-t&-rik
Function: noun
1 : the art of speaking or writing effectively: as a : the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times b : the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion
2 a : skill in the effective use of speech b : a type or mode of language or speech; also : insincere or grandiloquent language
3 : verbal communication : DISCOURSE
I left Florida in 1999 for the military. I was in Missouri for a few months and then I was in Arlington, Virginia for the next four and a half years. At any given time, leaving a familiar environment for a new one will be cause for adaptation. A new landscape rose before me. My vernacular was enhanced to include words like hill, ridge, and valley. Those features became very comfortable. After a few years away from home, I returned for a short visit. The first thing I noticed wasn't the fact that everything was flat, but there were all kinds of billboards polluting my vision.
They appeared in the Carolinas as I traveled southbound on Interstate 95. At first a small trickle, these man made wonders slowly eased there way into my subconscious. By the time I reached the Sunshine State it was nothing to see five or six within my field of vision. Most were lovingly adored with a small seal at the bottom and centered that read either 'Viacom' or 'Clear Channel'. I had forgotten about the modern pièce de résistance of our consumer society. I tried in vain to place these images in their former residence: the Seventh Layer of Hell in my subconscious. It was a miserable failure. I rediscovered what I had left: a Florida that lost its soul in the 1930's when tourism took over.
In general, most of us do not have a problem with these signs, and the few that do are often outnumbered and outgunned. Billboards support a multi-billion dollar annual industry that rakes in cash surprisingly well. Most incorporate relatively small agencies and generate massive revenue for a parent company. This advertising medium employs the use of color, picture, and a catchy jargon to get their message to you, the consumer. Billboards persuade and argue using a form of written communication. However mutated from gracefulness they are, they are one of the most prominent forms of rhetoric in modern America.
posted by Ben at 8:20 AM
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