Epideictic Rhetoric and the Rhetorical Situation

2004-11-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

Three Categories of Rhetoric
Forensic (What Happened?) Very simmilar to court cases, this type of rhetoric searches for the past occurences. Easily related to forensic science or courtroom rhetoric, where lawyers and judges explain what occured.
Epideictic (Rhetoric of praise or blame) This rhetoric is most commonly seen in public service announcements. It is an opinionated plea, in which one side attempts to make a case campaigning its side. This is always seen during election times in campaigns.
Deliberative (What Should we do) Simply this is rhetoric where people convene and present a solution to a task, obstacle, or scenario.

Communal Exigency
Epideictic rhetoric is often an awnser to a communal exigency (urgent communal need). When JFK was assasinated in the 50's, the public needed someone to blame for this. The Dallas Police and other agencies suspiciously found an blamed Lee Harvey Oswald with the assasination. This is an explicit example of a communal exigency.

PSA's and the use of Epideictic Rhetoric
In the 1930's film, Reefer Madness, one witness's several exigencies of epideictic speech. It campaigned against the use of marijuana, claiming that it was the "public enemy number one" of the youth. It blaims the loss of individual values. The youth, once affected by the drug, become insane and loose all sense of communal values. In doing so, they begin to play "evil jazz" and loose all sense of reality. As well, all authority is lost. The movie blames the drug for being a disruptor of the peace. For example, at one point in the movie a high teenager runs over an old man. As well these kids loose their sense of identity. Again, when affected by the drug, the kids loose the ability of concious thought and create crazy "monstrous" ideas. This results in shocking violence by the identy absent kids. This video, intended as an adult education video, blames marijauna for all these acts. It makes marijuana the source of blame; and in doing so, it employes epideictic speech. Check out this website as a review for the movie.

Reefer Madness

National Geographic is a magazine which constantly works to present environmental issues to the general public. Through movies, articles, and television the organization makes strides to stop the public from damaging the environment. A movie called, Fire Call A Wildland Firefighter Speaks, uses an individual firefighter to campaign against wildfires. They make the correlation between global warming and the increasing extent of wildfires. It uses the individual struggle of one man to help gain the attention of the general public. By showing the strength of one man, it defines his identity. It shows his attempt to prevent these wildfires and defend those around him. As well, it outlines the essence of teamwork and core values. In order to succeed in such an environment, it requires constant communication and assistance. These are the core values it stresses. At such a confusing time, these men attempt to make sense of the world. Watching comrades perish, fires disentegrate, and houses consumed, these men struggle but acurately make sense of the world. This is not an authoritative scenario, and that is why it does not utilize authority as an epideictic strategy. These are strategies used to make the public aware of the dangers in fighting wildfires, which will only increase with our cause of global warming. Through this link, you may watch his movie.

Norbert Schustert Fire Call

Critique Drinking Age

Epideictic Rhetoric and the Rhetorical Situation