FROM: Israel Lopez
DATE: November 30, 2010
SUBJECT: Public Service Announcement
My Public Service Announcement is based on Euthanasia and the slow increase of awareness it has had in political and social issues regarding death. Initially it was difficult how to approach the subject, since it is not regarded by the public as a popular issue at the moment. Also trying to decide how to make death satirical proved a little difficult at the start, but it became much easier as the work progressed. It was important to make clear who the intended audience was, since approaching the correct discourse communities produces a much better rhetorical effect. Since the issue is more likely to be considerably important in the future, I decided to approach a younger audience, hence using some satire to make it appeal to that audience.
I selected this topic in particular because I found it interesting how many democratic societies tend to state that individuals have inalienable rights, but when it comes to the issue of death on your own terms, almost all countries make it clear that such acts are illegal, but overtime the governing bodies have become more lenient towards the matter. The most challenging problem that I encountered when creating this PSA was that I had to advocate a side of the issue, when in fact I was undecided whether to be for or against the legalization of euthanasia. Therefore I decided to look somewhat at both sides during the video, but eventually showed support against the legalization of assisted death. After deciding how to approach the PSA, creating it was not difficult. To start off, I introduce a fictitious setting in which euthanasia has been legalized in the United States. From there I try to illustrate what the slippery slope effect would eventually lead to, by portraying some fictitious ways in which they will assist people to kill themselves. Throughout the whole video, I try to employ comedy to make it appealing, but also use more seriousness towards the end to make an effective concise argument.
In terms of effectiveness, the best strategy that is employed throughout the PSA is the satirical manner in which assisted death is portrayed, which is comical in nature, but meant to appeal to the viewer’s common sense. Hence, the best rhetorical appeals used are Pathos and Logos; since the outcomes are comical and theoretical only, Ethos is not such a strong appeal. It is designed like a common television commercial to make it appear more mundane and ordinary, and the diction and syntax make it look like a convincing and persuasive announcement, thus making the viewer more interested.
Although the issue on euthanasia is one that appears hard to resolve, the most logical solution proposed by me is that the people make sure their thoughts are heard by everyone. While the government and congress might have a specific view on the issue, the public might have a different one. So if the population wants a specific mandate to be implemented, they need to communicate it and become politically and socially active about it.
