fallacy project

FALLACY PROJECT

Carolina CrowderAP Lang

November 13, 2011

What is a Fallacy?

  A fallacy is an incorrect or misleading notion or opinion based on inaccurate facts or invalid reasoning.

Appeal to AuthorityThis appeal attempts to justify an argument by citing a highly admired or well-known figure who supports the conclusion being offered.

Proactiv• Message: Use Proactiv because Justin Bieber does.

• Persuasion: Justin Bieber is a teen idol and can persuade his fans to using proactive.

•Strengths: Justin Bieber is a well known celebrity who can capture the audiences attention.

•Weakness: Justin Bieber is not a dermatologist, therefore he is not qualified to comment on skin care products.

Summary

• Proactiv commercials use appeal to authority as a tactic to attract more buyers. Celebrities have the power to influence people because so many idolize them. If Justin Bieber claims to use proactiv and it works then more people will be drawn to the product.

Appeal to Fear

The audience is told that unpleasant consequences will follow if they do not agree with the author.

Drugs• Message: Meth makes you do things you wouldn’t normally do.• Persuasion: Scare the audience out of using meth.• Strength: The message is powerful and scary enough to appeal to the audience’s emotion.• Weakness: The ad may be over exaggerated.

SummaryAnti Meth advertisements use

fear to persuade their audience to stay away from drugs. Using vivid pictures sends a clear and powerful message to young adults.

Red Herring Raising an issue that has

little or nothing to do with what is being argued

in order to force the argument in a new

direction.

Fashion•Message: Women that are addicted to fashion.•Persuasion: Women will become addicted to this fashion line.•Strengths: Bold and eye catching. •Weakness: Clothing are not visible.

Summary This ad raises a lot of controversy

in the fashion industry because of its regards to drug use. The ad is suppose to represent a fashion line but the cocaine use forces the audiences attention to another issue.

Appeal to Emotion When someone manipulates peoples’ emotions in order to get them to accept a claim as being true.

Self ImageMessage: Failure to use a helmet will not only affect you and ultimately your family. Persuasion: Motivates people to wear helmets by showing the consequences of not wearing one.Strength: Connects emotionally and has a powerful visual. Weakness: Ad can be to overwhelming.

SummaryThis ad aims to persuade people to wear helmets. Not wearing helmets has become a cliché in the modern lives of young adults. Using a powerful image and statistics helps the audience connect on a more emotional level.

BandwagonWhen peer pressure

is substituted for evidence in an

argument.

Diet• Message: Being thin makes you feel better.

• Persuasion: Offers special diet for teen girls to lose weight and feel better.

• Strength: Straight forward and has a clear message.

• Weakness: Offensive and over exaggerated.

SUMMARY This ad aims to target young girls wanting to fit in and be skinny. Young adults often feel pressure from their peers to be a certain way and to conform to what society wants them to look like.