Chapter 1 and Hot Pockets

In Chapter 1 of Everything’s an Argument it says “reports typically aim to persuade readers rather than to win out over opponents.” An example of this is Jim Gaffigan’s routine about Hot Pockets. He is not trying to persuade us to buy a different product, but he is telling us how disgusting Hot Pockets are. He uses sarcasm, comedy, and an appeal to the average person to argue his point. When he talks about Hot Pockets being either ice cold, or boiling hot in middle, the audience laughs because everyone has had that happen to them before, this helps him to get the audience to agree with his point.   

                    

  Other foods make arguments, just like Hot Pockets do. On the macaroni  and cheese box they now have a microwave option. They are arguing that if the stove take too long for you, then you now have the option to microwave your mac and cheese. This is an example of pathos. Pathos is the appeal to emotion. Many products use pathos to appeal to their consumer. On the macaroni box, they appeal to people who are short on time, but on the 1oo calorie pack snacks they appeal to people want to watch what they eat. Many times products will print a story on the box, like someone who had trouble with dieting, and then started eating that product, and are now losing weight. This is pathos, they are showing you the story to play on your emotions and to make you think that you can do the same thing. They are making the connection between their product and your personal life.

Pathos can also be used through photographs. In chapter 2, the book talks about how photographs can add a lot of power to an argument.  On packaging for weight loss products, they always show a person holding up their old jeans showing how much weight they have lost by using that product. This gets to they consumer’s emotion much more quickly than if the packaging had just written about the person. The photographs are very effective pathos because it is very fast, and you understand with just a glance.