{"id":41,"date":"2021-03-06T17:55:32","date_gmt":"2021-03-06T17:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/chapter\/the-rhetorical-stances\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T21:20:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T21:20:24","slug":"the-rhetorical-stances","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/chapter\/the-rhetorical-stances\/","title":{"raw":"Booth and The Rhetorical Stance","rendered":"Booth and The Rhetorical Stance"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nBy the end of this chapter, you should be able to:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Define the rhetorical stance and the three corrupt stances.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Distinguish between the three corruption stances: pedant stance, advertiser stance, and entertainer stance.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>A Professional Hazard<\/h2>\r\nLet's start with an activity.\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercise #1: Summarizing Technical Content<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nWatch the video below. Before you move on to the questions below, summarize the technical content.\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wwmdf5m9khg&amp;feature=emb_title&amp;ab_channel=SciShow[\/embed]\r\n\r\nLink to Original Video: <a href=\"https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/retproturenc\">tinyurl.com\/retproturenc<\/a>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>How easy was it to summarize the content?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If it was difficult to do so, why?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>How could the speaker have made the content easier for you to understand?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div>\r\n<div id=\"ytEmbed44eb296f185c42868443f6d22edbfd98\" class=\"previewDiv ytIframeClass\"><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">Did you have difficulty understanding the innovative product that is being described?<\/span><\/div>\r\n<div><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"previewDiv ytIframeClass\"><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">If you are, it's because that video is meant to be an example of technobabble nonsense\u2014it's <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 1em;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/roadshow\/news\/turbo-encabulator-history-engineers-joke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an example of an 'inside joke'\u00a0<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">that's been circulating with engineers for the last 70 years.<\/span><\/div>\r\n<span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">What happens when our rhetorical communication loses its balance? <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\"><span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">The video above is just one example of Wayne Booth's (1963)\u00a0<\/span><strong>pedant stance<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\"> or corruption of logos appeals.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">This chapter defines the <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 1em;\">rhetorical stance<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\"> and explores what happens when a mode of appeal becomes distorted or corrupted in communication.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div>\r\n<h2>The Rhetorical Stance<\/h2>\r\n<\/div>\r\nDrawing on <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/chapter\/rhetoric-and-the-modes-of-appeal\/\">Aristotle<\/a>, Booth defines <strong>rhetorical balance<\/strong>\u00a0and explores the consequences of misusing the [pb_glossary id=\"258\"]modes of appeal[\/pb_glossary]<span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">:\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<blockquote><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">\"The common ingredient that I find in all of the writing I admire...is something that I shall reluctantly call the rhetorical stance, a stance which depends on discovering and maintaining in any writing situation a proper balance among the three elements that are at work in any communicative effort: the available arguments about the subject itself, the interests and peculiarities of the audience, and the voice, the implied character, of the speaker\" (Booth, 1963, p. 141).<\/span><\/blockquote>\r\n<span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">This means\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">we need to consider three parts when considering<\/span>\u00a0<strong>rhetorical balance<\/strong>. Does this sound familiar at all? It should. What do these parts make you think of? \u201cAvailable arguments?\u201d \u201cInterests and peculiarities?\u201d \u201cImplied character\u201d?\r\n\r\nBooth's three elements are the same as the modes of appeal:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\"the available arguments <span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">about the subject itself<\/span>\" = [pb_glossary id=\"221\"]logos[\/pb_glossary]<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\"interests and peculiarities <span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">of the audience<\/span>\" = [pb_glossary id=\"220\"]pathos[\/pb_glossary]<\/li>\r\n \t<li>\"implied character <span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">of the speaker<\/span>\" = [pb_glossary id=\"219\"]ethos[\/pb_glossary]<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nHe finds that he admires writing that keeps these three elements in balance, a rhetorical balance [pb_glossary id=\"302\"] <strong>[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong>, if you will. You should strive to maintain this balance whenever you craft a persuasive message.\r\n\r\nHowever, this doesn\u2019t mean you will always have equal parts of ethos, pathos, and logos. Depending on your scenario, you may need to emphasize one over the others, but that doesn\u2019t mean you neglect the others. Instead, you need to respect them properly and ensure you don't focus too much on one at the expense of the others.\r\n\r\nBooth discusses <strong>rhetorical balance<\/strong> primarily through rhetorical imbalance: the three <strong>corruptions <\/strong>or<strong> perversions<\/strong> of the <strong>rhetorical stance<\/strong>. These[pb_glossary id=\"303\"] <strong>rhetorical corruptions\/perversions<\/strong>[\/pb_glossary] highlight the problems that arise when one mode of appeal is out of balance with the others. Let's look at each one now.\r\n<h2>The Pedant\u2019s Stance<\/h2>\r\n<strong>The pedant\u2019s stance<\/strong> \"consists of ignoring or underplaying the personal relationship of speaker and audience and depending entirely on statements about a subject\u2014that is, the notion of a job to be done for a particular audience is left out\" (Booth, 1963, p. 141).\r\n\r\nBooth dedicates most of his discussion to the<strong> pedant\u2019s<\/strong> stance, using professors as an example of corruption. He recognizes that, as a group, professors commonly fall prey to this corruption. This is because they tend to lecture students without ensuring their audience understands the information they are attempting to convey. Thus, pedants do not bother to adapt information carefully for a specific audience; instead, they expect an audience to interpret and prioritize information independently instead of targeting the information for a particular audience in a specific context.\r\n<h2>The Advertiser\u2019s Stance<\/h2>\r\nBooth (1963) indicates that <strong>the advertiser\u2019s stance<\/strong> \u201ccomes<span style=\"text-align: initial; font-size: 1em;\">\u00a0from <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial; font-size: 1em;\">under<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial; font-size: 1em;\">valuing the subject and <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial; font-size: 1em;\">over<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial; font-size: 1em;\">valuing pure effect: how to win friends and influence people\" (p. 143, emphasis in original).<\/span>\r\n\r\nWe can see an example of <strong>the advertiser\u2019s stance<\/strong> on companies using \"greenwashing\" to market their products. Greenwashing occurs when a company markets its product or service so that it appears to be environmentally friendly when, in reality, the product or service does not have, or hardly has, any environmental benefits.\u00a0 A good example of this is companies that sell bottled water. The images on their labels often use natural elements (mountains, rivers, lakes, etc.) even though the bottles are environmentally hazardous.\r\n\r\nAnother more recent example comes from Starbucks. Starbucks recently committed to banning single-use straws from its stores to reduce the amount of plastic waste. Instead, they would only use strawless lids. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2018\/jul\/23\/starbucks-straws-ban-2020-environment\">there are<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2018\/07\/12\/starbucks-straw-ban-will-see-the-company\/\">concerns<\/a> that the lids will use more plastic than the original straw-lid combo. This campaign has led to accusations of greenwashing against the company. While Starbucks does not dispute that this is an issue, they stress that the plastic used for the new lids is much easier for recycling infrastructure to catch and reuse, as opposed to straws, which are too small.\r\n\r\nSimilarly, a company can boost its public image by addressing the audience's environmental concerns. This is often done in combination with pathos (an emotional appeal).\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercise #2: Advertiser's Stance in Media<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nWatch the ad from Apple below.\r\n\r\nHow is <strong>the advertiser's stance<\/strong> being used here to push the company's agenda?\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ANOgCY6NlGs[\/embed]\r\n\r\nLink to Original Video <a href=\"https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/appleclimate\">tinyurl.com\/appleclimate<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>The Entertainer\u2019s Stance<\/h2>\r\nFinally, Booth defines <strong>the entertainer\u2019s stance<\/strong> as the \"willingness to sacrifice substance to personality and charm\" (Booth, 1963, p. 144). In communication, entertainers prioritize ego gratification over establishing appropriate relations with an audience or delivering a coherent message. Thus, entertainers often focus excessively on gaining their audience\u2019s approval or admiration, sometimes contempt, while failing to establish their professional credibility and persuade their audience.\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercise #3: Apply the Rhetorical Stance<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nIs a reality television show\u00a0<span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">like\u00a0<em>Dragon's Den<\/em>, similar to\u00a0<em>Shark Tank<\/em>, entirely about rhetoric? In the show, contestants pitch their ideas to potential investors. It focuses on persuading others to fund an idea or <\/span>product.\r\n\r\nAfter watching the clip below, address the questions below.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4KhxwXQWK4M\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Who is saying what to whom and for what purpose?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Is Steven's pitch to the Dragons an example of effective persuasive communication?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>If not, which stance did Steven fall into during his presentation?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Considering a balanced rhetorical approach, how could Steven's pitch have been improved?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div>\r\n<h2>Chapter Quiz<\/h2>\r\n<\/div>\r\n[h5p id=\"7\"]\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Key Takeaways<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Booth states that\u00a0<strong>rhetorical balance\u00a0<\/strong>is essential in a given <strong>rhetorical situation<\/strong>. Specifically, he says that the most admirable writing is that which maintains a balance between three elements (which are the same as the modes of appeal): the available arguments (logos), the interests\/peculiarities of the audience (pathos), and the character of the speaker (ethos).<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Of course, it may not be possible to perfectly balance all three modes of appeal in a given <strong>rhetorical situation<\/strong>. Sometimes, one or two modes may need to be emphasized over another. What matters is that you do not overdo it at the expense of the other modes of appeal.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>When the three modes are out of balance, this is a <strong>rhetorical corruption\/perversion<\/strong>. He mentions three corruptions: <strong>[pb_glossary id=\"304\"]the pedant's stance[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong>, <strong>[pb_glossary id=\"305\"]the advertiser's stance[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong>, and <strong>[pb_glossary id=\"306\"]the entertainer's stance[\/pb_glossary]<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\r\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">References<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\r\n\r\nBooth,\u00a0W.\u00a0C. (1963). The rhetorical situation. In\u00a0<em>College composition and communication<\/em>\u00a0(pp.\u00a0139-145). National Council of Teachers of English.\r\n\r\nBritschgi,\u00a0C. (2018, July 12).\u00a0<span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><em>Starbucks bans plastic straws winds up using more plastic<\/em>.<\/span>\u00a0Reason.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2018\/07\/12\/starbucks-straw-ban-will-see-the-company\/\">https:\/\/reason.com\/2018\/07\/12\/starbucks-straw-ban-will-see-the-company\/<\/a>\r\n\r\nHyatt,\u00a0K. (2018, February 25).\u00a0<em>The turbo encabulator's long, weird and very funny history<\/em>. Roadshow.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cnet.com\/roadshow\/news\/turbo-encabulator-history-engineers-joke\/\"><span class=\"https:\/\/cnet.com\/roadshow\/news\/turbo-encabulator-history-engineers-joke\/\">https:\/\/cnet.com\/roadshow\/news\/turbo-encabulator-history-engineers-joke\/<\/span><\/a>\r\n\r\nMahdawi,\u00a0A. (2018, July 23).\u00a0<em>Starbucks is banning straws \u2013 but is it really a big win for the environment?<\/em>\u00a0The Guardian.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2018\/jul\/23\/starbucks-straws-ban-2020-environment\"><span class=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2018\/jul\/23\/starbucks-straws-ban-2020-environment\">https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2018\/jul\/23\/starbucks-straws-ban-2020-environment<\/span><\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox textbox--learning-objectives\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Learning Objectives<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Define the rhetorical stance and the three corrupt stances.<\/li>\n<li>Distinguish between the three corruption stances: pedant stance, advertiser stance, and entertainer stance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>A Professional Hazard<\/h2>\n<p>Let&#8217;s start with an activity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercise #1: Summarizing Technical Content<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Watch the video below. Before you move on to the questions below, summarize the technical content.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-1\" title=\"April 1st Episode - The Retro-Proto-Turbo-Encabulator\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wwmdf5m9khg?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Link to Original Video: <a href=\"https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/retproturenc\">tinyurl.com\/retproturenc<\/a><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>How easy was it to summarize the content?<\/li>\n<li>If it was difficult to do so, why?<\/li>\n<li>How could the speaker have made the content easier for you to understand?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div id=\"ytEmbed44eb296f185c42868443f6d22edbfd98\" class=\"previewDiv ytIframeClass\"><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">Did you have difficulty understanding the innovative product that is being described?<\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"previewDiv ytIframeClass\"><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">If you are, it&#8217;s because that video is meant to be an example of technobabble nonsense\u2014it&#8217;s <\/span><a style=\"font-size: 1em;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/roadshow\/news\/turbo-encabulator-history-engineers-joke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an example of an &#8216;inside joke&#8217;\u00a0<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">that&#8217;s been circulating with engineers for the last 70 years.<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">What happens when our rhetorical communication loses its balance? <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\"><span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">The video above is just one example of Wayne Booth&#8217;s (1963)\u00a0<\/span><strong>pedant stance<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\"> or corruption of logos appeals.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\">This chapter defines the <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 1em;\">rhetorical stance<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 1em;\"> and explores what happens when a mode of appeal becomes distorted or corrupted in communication.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2>The Rhetorical Stance<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p>Drawing on <a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/chapter\/rhetoric-and-the-modes-of-appeal\/\">Aristotle<\/a>, Booth defines <strong>rhetorical balance<\/strong>\u00a0and explores the consequences of misusing the <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_41_258\">modes of appeal<\/a><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">&#8220;The common ingredient that I find in all of the writing I admire&#8230;is something that I shall reluctantly call the rhetorical stance, a stance which depends on discovering and maintaining in any writing situation a proper balance among the three elements that are at work in any communicative effort: the available arguments about the subject itself, the interests and peculiarities of the audience, and the voice, the implied character, of the speaker&#8221; (Booth, 1963, p. 141).<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">This means\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">we need to consider three parts when considering<\/span>\u00a0<strong>rhetorical balance<\/strong>. Does this sound familiar at all? It should. What do these parts make you think of? \u201cAvailable arguments?\u201d \u201cInterests and peculiarities?\u201d \u201cImplied character\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>Booth&#8217;s three elements are the same as the modes of appeal:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;the available arguments <span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">about the subject itself<\/span>&#8221; = <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_41_221\">logos<\/a><\/li>\n<li>&#8220;interests and peculiarities <span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">of the audience<\/span>&#8221; = <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_41_220\">pathos<\/a><\/li>\n<li>&#8220;implied character <span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;\">of the speaker<\/span>&#8221; = <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_41_219\">ethos<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>He finds that he admires writing that keeps these three elements in balance, a rhetorical balance <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_41_302\"> <strong><\/a><\/strong>, if you will. You should strive to maintain this balance whenever you craft a persuasive message.<\/p>\n<p>However, this doesn\u2019t mean you will always have equal parts of ethos, pathos, and logos. Depending on your scenario, you may need to emphasize one over the others, but that doesn\u2019t mean you neglect the others. Instead, you need to respect them properly and ensure you don&#8217;t focus too much on one at the expense of the others.<\/p>\n<p>Booth discusses <strong>rhetorical balance<\/strong> primarily through rhetorical imbalance: the three <strong>corruptions <\/strong>or<strong> perversions<\/strong> of the <strong>rhetorical stance<\/strong>. These<a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_41_303\"> <strong>rhetorical corruptions\/perversions<\/strong><\/a> highlight the problems that arise when one mode of appeal is out of balance with the others. Let&#8217;s look at each one now.<\/p>\n<h2>The Pedant\u2019s Stance<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The pedant\u2019s stance<\/strong> &#8220;consists of ignoring or underplaying the personal relationship of speaker and audience and depending entirely on statements about a subject\u2014that is, the notion of a job to be done for a particular audience is left out&#8221; (Booth, 1963, p. 141).<\/p>\n<p>Booth dedicates most of his discussion to the<strong> pedant\u2019s<\/strong> stance, using professors as an example of corruption. He recognizes that, as a group, professors commonly fall prey to this corruption. This is because they tend to lecture students without ensuring their audience understands the information they are attempting to convey. Thus, pedants do not bother to adapt information carefully for a specific audience; instead, they expect an audience to interpret and prioritize information independently instead of targeting the information for a particular audience in a specific context.<\/p>\n<h2>The Advertiser\u2019s Stance<\/h2>\n<p>Booth (1963) indicates that <strong>the advertiser\u2019s stance<\/strong> \u201ccomes<span style=\"text-align: initial; font-size: 1em;\">\u00a0from <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial; font-size: 1em;\">under<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial; font-size: 1em;\">valuing the subject and <\/span><em style=\"text-align: initial; font-size: 1em;\">over<\/em><span style=\"text-align: initial; font-size: 1em;\">valuing pure effect: how to win friends and influence people&#8221; (p. 143, emphasis in original).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>We can see an example of <strong>the advertiser\u2019s stance<\/strong> on companies using &#8220;greenwashing&#8221; to market their products. Greenwashing occurs when a company markets its product or service so that it appears to be environmentally friendly when, in reality, the product or service does not have, or hardly has, any environmental benefits.\u00a0 A good example of this is companies that sell bottled water. The images on their labels often use natural elements (mountains, rivers, lakes, etc.) even though the bottles are environmentally hazardous.<\/p>\n<p>Another more recent example comes from Starbucks. Starbucks recently committed to banning single-use straws from its stores to reduce the amount of plastic waste. Instead, they would only use strawless lids. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2018\/jul\/23\/starbucks-straws-ban-2020-environment\">there are<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2018\/07\/12\/starbucks-straw-ban-will-see-the-company\/\">concerns<\/a> that the lids will use more plastic than the original straw-lid combo. This campaign has led to accusations of greenwashing against the company. While Starbucks does not dispute that this is an issue, they stress that the plastic used for the new lids is much easier for recycling infrastructure to catch and reuse, as opposed to straws, which are too small.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, a company can boost its public image by addressing the audience&#8217;s environmental concerns. This is often done in combination with pathos (an emotional appeal).<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercise #2: Advertiser&#8217;s Stance in Media<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Watch the ad from Apple below.<\/p>\n<p>How is <strong>the advertiser&#8217;s stance<\/strong> being used here to push the company&#8217;s agenda?<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-2\" title=\"A climate change promise from Apple\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ANOgCY6NlGs?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Link to Original Video <a href=\"https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/appleclimate\">tinyurl.com\/appleclimate<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The Entertainer\u2019s Stance<\/h2>\n<p>Finally, Booth defines <strong>the entertainer\u2019s stance<\/strong> as the &#8220;willingness to sacrifice substance to personality and charm&#8221; (Booth, 1963, p. 144). In communication, entertainers prioritize ego gratification over establishing appropriate relations with an audience or delivering a coherent message. Thus, entertainers often focus excessively on gaining their audience\u2019s approval or admiration, sometimes contempt, while failing to establish their professional credibility and persuade their audience.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Exercise #3: Apply the Rhetorical Stance<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Is a reality television show\u00a0<span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">like\u00a0<em>Dragon&#8217;s Den<\/em>, similar to\u00a0<em>Shark Tank<\/em>, entirely about rhetoric? In the show, contestants pitch their ideas to potential investors. It focuses on persuading others to fund an idea or <\/span>product.<\/p>\n<p>After watching the clip below, address the questions below.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-3\" title=\"Dragon&#39;s Den example\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4KhxwXQWK4M?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Who is saying what to whom and for what purpose?<\/li>\n<li>Is Steven&#8217;s pitch to the Dragons an example of effective persuasive communication?<\/li>\n<li>If not, which stance did Steven fall into during his presentation?<\/li>\n<li>Considering a balanced rhetorical approach, how could Steven&#8217;s pitch have been improved?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2>Chapter Quiz<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"h5p-7\">\n<div class=\"h5p-iframe-wrapper\"><iframe id=\"h5p-iframe-7\" class=\"h5p-iframe\" data-content-id=\"7\" style=\"height:1px\" src=\"about:blank\" frameBorder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"Quiz - Rhetorical Stance\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--key-takeaways\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">Key Takeaways<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ul>\n<li>Booth states that\u00a0<strong>rhetorical balance\u00a0<\/strong>is essential in a given <strong>rhetorical situation<\/strong>. Specifically, he says that the most admirable writing is that which maintains a balance between three elements (which are the same as the modes of appeal): the available arguments (logos), the interests\/peculiarities of the audience (pathos), and the character of the speaker (ethos).<\/li>\n<li>Of course, it may not be possible to perfectly balance all three modes of appeal in a given <strong>rhetorical situation<\/strong>. Sometimes, one or two modes may need to be emphasized over another. What matters is that you do not overdo it at the expense of the other modes of appeal.<\/li>\n<li>When the three modes are out of balance, this is a <strong>rhetorical corruption\/perversion<\/strong>. He mentions three corruptions: <strong><a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_41_304\">the pedant's stance<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_41_305\">the advertiser's stance<\/a><\/strong>, and <strong><a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_41_306\">the entertainer's stance<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--examples\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">References<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>Booth,\u00a0W.\u00a0C. (1963). The rhetorical situation. In\u00a0<em>College composition and communication<\/em>\u00a0(pp.\u00a0139-145). National Council of Teachers of English.<\/p>\n<p>Britschgi,\u00a0C. (2018, July 12).\u00a0<span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><em>Starbucks bans plastic straws winds up using more plastic<\/em>.<\/span>\u00a0Reason.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2018\/07\/12\/starbucks-straw-ban-will-see-the-company\/\">https:\/\/reason.com\/2018\/07\/12\/starbucks-straw-ban-will-see-the-company\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Hyatt,\u00a0K. (2018, February 25).\u00a0<em>The turbo encabulator&#8217;s long, weird and very funny history<\/em>. Roadshow.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cnet.com\/roadshow\/news\/turbo-encabulator-history-engineers-joke\/\"><span class=\"https:\/\/cnet.com\/roadshow\/news\/turbo-encabulator-history-engineers-joke\/\">https:\/\/cnet.com\/roadshow\/news\/turbo-encabulator-history-engineers-joke\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mahdawi,\u00a0A. (2018, July 23).\u00a0<em>Starbucks is banning straws \u2013 but is it really a big win for the environment?<\/em>\u00a0The Guardian.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2018\/jul\/23\/starbucks-straws-ban-2020-environment\"><span class=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2018\/jul\/23\/starbucks-straws-ban-2020-environment\">https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2018\/jul\/23\/starbucks-straws-ban-2020-environment<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"glossary\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\" id=\"definition\">definition<\/span><template id=\"term_41_258\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_41_258\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>Aristotle's means for persuading an audience. The modes are ethos, pathos, and logos<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_41_221\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_41_221\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>a rhetorical appeal that requires the use of logic, careful structure, and objective evidence to appeal to the audience<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_41_220\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_41_220\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>a rhetorical appeal that tries to tap into the audience's emotions to get them to agree with a claim<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_41_219\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_41_219\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>a rhetorical appeal that addresses the values of an audience as well as establishes authorial credibility\/character<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_41_302\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_41_302\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>a way to construct a persuasive message that keeps a balance between three rhetorical elements: logos, pathos, and ethos.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_41_303\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_41_303\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>any issue that arises when one of the modes of appeal is out of balance. These corruptions\/perversions are the pedant's stance, the advertiser's stance, and the entertainer's stance<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_41_304\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_41_304\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>a rhetorical corruption that occurs when the speaker or writer underplays the relationship of the speaker to the audience<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_41_305\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_41_305\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>a rhetorical corruption that occurs when the speaker or writer undervalues the subject of the message and focuses more on the effect of the message<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><template id=\"term_41_306\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_41_306\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>a rhetorical corruption that occurs when the speaker or writer undervalues establishing their credibility to an audience<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><\/div>","protected":false},"author":101,"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-41","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":36,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/41","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/41\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2813,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/41\/revisions\/2813"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/36"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/41\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=41"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=41"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/2250organizationalcommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=41"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}