You know Twinkies and Ho-hos, go-gurts and Lucky Charms; you know Dr. Pepper and Pepsi, and Totino’s and Blue Bell. But do you recall how much sugar is in them all? Without literally reading their nutrition labels, author Michael Moss assembles the facts about snacks and explains what makes these food-products as tempting as they are. Additionally, Moss uses his article, “The Extraordinary Science of Addicting Junk Food,” to establish a case which labels food manufacturers as chief culprits in the American obesity epidemic. Nevertheless, Moss’s article presents a few logical fallacies in the areas of ethos, but beautifully uses logos and pathos to express his main idea. To explicate, the foundation of a rhetorical body of writing is its credibility,
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For example, Moss often uses characterizations of the industry to strengthen his numerical evidence, and remarks from early on, “I talked to more than 300 people in or formerly employed by the processed-food industry, from scientists to marketers to C.E.O.’s,” (Moss, par. 15). Now, because this statement is used in the prefacing paragraphs of the article, and considering the grandiose-ness of the number in the claim, this statement is certainly poised to be a supporting piece of evidence for all of the industry characterizations that Moss uses hereafter. Unfortunately, we learn nothing else after he makes this claim; this statement is isolated, isn’t followed by any kind of chart or list of those individuals, and consequently illustrates that the claim lacks its own foundation to support the foundation of any …show more content…
By using the technique of storytelling to embed facts and by objectively addressing a relatable issue, the article does a great job of blending pathos and logos while also avoiding additional fallacies. To be more specific, the bare truth can be boring on its own, so Moss chooses to present his collection of facts using a narrative form. For example, and despite not being fully cited, there are over 10 people interviewed in this article; likewise, the body of the article is divided into five sections that each come with a unique point of view. When combined, the article begins and ends in a fashion that is informative, on topic, and avoids burying readers in a snow job fallacy (Williamson, par. 57). At the same time, Moss gently intertwines an appeal to pathos by mentioning one of the most concerning issues in today’s general public: the obesity problem. In the introductory section of his article, he initially writes, “So why are the diabetes and obesity and hypertension numbers still spiraling out of control? … What I found, over four years of research and reporting, was a conscious effort … to get people hooked on foods that are convenient and inexpensive.” In the proceeding paragraphs, Moss presents the audience with the findings of his investigation. Rather than over generalizing ideas, he builds and rests his case with a bulk of statistics and extensive insider testimonials of incriminating behavior in the
For example, Moss often uses characterizations of the industry to strengthen his numerical evidence, and remarks from early on, “I talked to more than 300 people in or formerly employed by the processed-food industry, from scientists to marketers to C.E.O.’s,” (Moss, par. 15). Now, because this statement is used in the prefacing paragraphs of the article, and considering the grandiose-ness of the number in the claim, this statement is certainly poised to be a supporting piece of evidence for all of the industry characterizations that Moss uses hereafter. Unfortunately, we learn nothing else after he makes this claim; this statement is isolated, isn’t followed by any kind of chart or list of those individuals, and consequently illustrates that the claim lacks its own foundation to support the foundation of any …show more content…
By using the technique of storytelling to embed facts and by objectively addressing a relatable issue, the article does a great job of blending pathos and logos while also avoiding additional fallacies. To be more specific, the bare truth can be boring on its own, so Moss chooses to present his collection of facts using a narrative form. For example, and despite not being fully cited, there are over 10 people interviewed in this article; likewise, the body of the article is divided into five sections that each come with a unique point of view. When combined, the article begins and ends in a fashion that is informative, on topic, and avoids burying readers in a snow job fallacy (Williamson, par. 57). At the same time, Moss gently intertwines an appeal to pathos by mentioning one of the most concerning issues in today’s general public: the obesity problem. In the introductory section of his article, he initially writes, “So why are the diabetes and obesity and hypertension numbers still spiraling out of control? … What I found, over four years of research and reporting, was a conscious effort … to get people hooked on foods that are convenient and inexpensive.” In the proceeding paragraphs, Moss presents the audience with the findings of his investigation. Rather than over generalizing ideas, he builds and rests his case with a bulk of statistics and extensive insider testimonials of incriminating behavior in the