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Rhetorical Analysis
Rhetorical Analysis
English
Rhetorical Analysis
Our image and how we look on the outside is a big factor on how society treats you as a
person. This is the topic that the TED Talk speaker, Cameron Russell talks about. The main
audience for this speech is the general public. Cameron Russell is a model. The ted talk that
Cameron Russell speaks in is called “Looks aren’t everything, believe me i'm a model.” In the
ted talk Cameron Russell gives her story about how she got into modeling and her experiences in
the modeling world. Cameron Russell also gives information on how she herself is treated by
society because of her looks and how other people are treated. The main message that Cameron
Russell is trying to send out to people is that we as a society should stop putting so much power
on superficial things such as someone's outside appearance and treat people based on who they
are as a person and their character. This ted talk from Cameron Russell was very good and uses
In this ted talk Cameron Russell structured the speech by giving answers to some of the
most common questions she is asked about being a model. The most common question for
Cameron Russell was how did she become a model. Her answer to this question was very
different to what most people would expect. Most people would expect the answer to this
question to be that, “She was scouted” to be a model. However Cameron Russell emphasizes
that she is answering all of these questions truthfully and she would give a different response
then what most models would say. She said that the real reason she is a model was because she
won a genetic lottery and she is benefitting from a legacy. The legacy she is benefiting is the
beauty standards throughout history. For years the beauty standard for women is slender figures,
femininity and white skin. She supports her argument by showing us the results of a study done
on a runway at a fashion show. In the study there were 677 models on the runway. Only 27 or
less than 4 percent of these women were non-white. This is good evidence to suggest that what
she is saying about beauty standards are true. This is a good example of how Cameron Russell
uses Logos. This shows how Cameron Russell uses logos because she backed up her statements
with evidence and facts. Cameron Russell stated all of this because she wants to spread
awareness about how much your appearance affects your life, how society treats you and what
In the speech she te rhetorical appeal of ethos. In her speech she kept saying that she
was a model. Saying that she is a model is an example of Cameron Russell using ethos because
saying she is a model makes her seem credible and trustworthy on the topic. Cameron Russell
being a model gives her statement of saying that “looks aren't everything” more credibility
because a model is all about your looks. There are also other examples of how Cameron Russell
uses ethos in her speech. In her speech you can tell how confident Cameron Russell is in the
way she delivers her speech. In her speech she doesn't stutter and she seems very confident on
stage. Her confidence in front of a group of people most likely comes from her modeling job. In
the beginning of the speech she also put on a skirt and a sweater over herself. This shows how
The style and tone of the ted talk speech from Cameron Russell is formal but she delivers
the speech in a casual way. The way she speaks in the ted talk gives off a casual vibe. This is a
good thing because it makes the ted talk more appealing and inviting for people to listen to and
watch. Cameron Russell in this ted talk also uses the rhetorical appeal of pathos in her ted talk.
Throughout the speech she told a couple of stories that she has had in her life as a model and as a
person. One of her stories was about a time she got pulled over by a cop. When she got pulled
over by a cop for a driving violation all she had to say to the officer was “im sorry” and the
officer let her go. She then followed up her story with saying that if she wasn't a “pretty white
lady” that she would most likely get different treatment from the cop. She supported this
statement with the fact that 86% of the teenagers stopped by cops in New York City were black
or latino males. Her telling the audience her stories makes the speech feel more personal to the
audience and makes the audience members/ted talk viewers feel closer to the speaker.
A person's image is a big factor in how society treats you as a person. Cameron Russell
emphasizes this in her speech. Cameron Russell's main message in her speech is that society
should put more emphasis and importance on a person's personality and character instead of
Cameron Russell conveys this topic in her speech effectively by using the rhetorical techniques
or ethos,pathos and logos. She used the rhetorical technique of ethos by telling people that she is
a model so that makes sure the audience knows that she is knowledgeable on the topic of how
your image affects how society treats you. She uses pathos by telling the audience her personal
stories which makes the speech have more emotional appeal. She also used logos by using
evidence from past studies to support her arguments and ideas. Cameron Russell’s speech was