Look for an example of a syllogism (see chapter 5) in real life and discuss if it is sound or not. Make sure you define the major premise, minor premise, and conclusion.

In this blog post, I will be discussing syllogisms. According to Google, a syllogism is an instance of a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two given or assumed premises, each of which shares a term with the conclusion, and shares a common or middle term not present in the conclusion. Syllogisms are prevalent in our daily lives; however, one I think I see the most is the advertisement industry. The creators of products and these advertisements are after one thing: money. 

A lot of people crave likes on social media. Some people want nothing but acceptance from other people and feel bad when they don’t get many likes, or attention, online. One example of a syllogism I’ve seen on social media involves this:

Major premise: A lot of followers on Instagram makes you Instagram famous.

Minor premise: Victoria Fuller has over a million followers on Instagram.

Conclusion: Victoria Fuller is Instagram famous. 

I decided on this syllogism because it isn’t sound. Although it is valid, it is not factually proven and cannot be “true,”. It is a generally accepted truth that the more followers you have, the more famous you are. In this day and age, people have grown up along side technology and are very into having a presence and being well-liked online. Instagram famous people are typically making a lot of money on each post they make. Seeing this, a lot of people care about likes and views more than real life and hope to get on the Instagram famous train.

Even though the entire social media population believes this syllogism is correct using their shared sense of logic, it is not factually true. People’s opinions are very subjective. For instance, someone might believe that if someone has fewer followers on Instagram than them but receives more likes and comments per picture, that they’re more famous and popular since they’re receiving more attention. 

Using chapter two as a guide, specifically the checklist on page 71, write a question-driven annotation of the lyrics that are associated with the song you are using for your visual rhetorical analysis paper.

Jidenna’s song “Bambi” focuses on the issue where Jidenna’s love of his life is moving on with someone that treats Bambi better than Jidenna ever could. Jidenna knows that he’s messed up with cheating on and lying to Bambi. The song relates to his real life and includes deep lyrics that surround his insecurities with a trap-lullaby melody; but at the end of the day, Jidenna is singing to Bambi, whoever she may be. He admits his wrongdoings; however, he says he can’t be at fault due to what he’s learned in his upbringing. It is mentioned in the song that Jidenna’s grandfather was a chief and had seven wives. He grew up watching it be okay to be with many people at one time and you should never settle for one girl. The idea of only being with one person is extremely foreign to Nigerian Chiefs. Jidenna doesn’t have the ability to commit to just one person. He believes people will see his side once they understand that he’s supposed to follow in his family’s legacy. The purpose of “Bambi,” is to entertain his audience, his fans, and ultimately reach out to Bambi and explain to her that he deserves to have her back. Jidenna is so crazy for Bambi that he will go to the furthest lengths for her. This plays on people’s emotions, appealing to pathos when the audience realizes that he’s hurting so badly inside that he crashed her wedding. This evidence proves the thesis as he genuinely wants her back and that he is willing to do whatever it takes. The lyrics are easy to understand and relate to which makes the song catchy. Jidenna uses homophones in his song a lot to help reveal deeper meanings to what he’s actually singing. Most of the references he makes in this song are easy to relate to which makes them more credible to us as the audience, and especially to Bambi. 

I disagree with the points Jidenna makes in this song. I believe that cheating is wrong and you should only be with one person. Your upbringing doesn’t change the fact that dating multiple women at once is okay for someone who prefers monogamous dating. I understand where he is coming from but I think that anyone can change if they truly want to. If Bambi wanted to be in a one-on-one relationship then Jidenna should have changed the first time around.

Every day, driving home on the interstate, I pass a ton of billboards. At least half of these billboards picture Morris Bart, AKD Law and other injury lawyers. I decided to do my visual rhetorical analysis on AKD Law. When I look at AKD Law’s billboard, I take note of several things. The only colors used on the billboard are black and white, even the lawyers’ clothes. This to-the-point, minimalistic billboard is reaching out and grabbing attention from those that are injured from accidents and looking for lawyers by a combination of many things. In the center of the billboard is AKD Law’s logo. It breaks up the billboard into halves; one side containing the picture and the other with the text. A one-worded question jumps out at you right away: Injured? This word is bolded and bigger than any other text on the board. This is the attention-grabber. Underneath is their website, AKDlawyers.com, and an easy-to-remember phone number to contact them at. Even though this font is smaller than the text above, it is still easily readable. 

In the picture, the lawyers are portraying themselves as trust-worthy and attractive with a smile; the exact kind of lawyer you want on your team. These three lawyers’ names are underneath their pictures, but this font is small so it doesn’t take away from the picture. When you read the names, it becomes apparent that their last names are what makeup AKD: Alvendia, Kelly, and Demarest. To the injured people who are looking for injury lawyers, this billboard is perfect. They have all of the information needed to contact them and see if they are a good fit. People who want to sue others for being injured are looking for financial compensation and they want to go to whoever is going to help them get the most they can. These lawyers give off the appearance of the type of lawyer who will do that. The purpose of this billboard is to pursue the injured population that they can help them get a lot of financial compensation. They look professional due to being well-dressed and good-looking on the billboard, and sometimes that’s enough.

I decided to go to their website listed on the advertisement and right away it says “Experienced Injury Advocates in New Orleans since 2003,” with another nice picture of the three lawyers. AKD has attained credibility for being a major injury firm and has proven results of helping people. Sometimes people put too much on billboards but AKD Lawyers did it right by being smart: short and sweet. 

I’m not bossy, I’m the boss.

— Beyonce

Hello RJ, class, and whoever else stumbles upon this funny blog feed, although you might not think so. My name is Hannah but my friends call me Han. (Han with a long “a” sound, not like Han Solo.) I’ve had a personal blog for years that I like to post to in my free time who I feel has helped me become in-tune with myself. In my first school-related blog post, I am establishing my brand as a writer. A couple years ago, you would have considered me a spokesperson for the not-so-basic white girls who like to enjoy a PSL from time to time, who come with a constant sense of impending doom, and also believe they could be stand up comedians in their free time. (I could, I’ve practiced a couple of times in the mirror before.) A couple of my favorites that I really connect with are Sarah Silverman and John Mulaney. If you watch them, you’re in the right place. If not… 

All jokes aside, some things you can expect from this recovering people-pleaser are some real, honest blog posts. I’m clearly not here to write what I think will get me by with a passing grade. People who deal with anxiety, such as myself,  on the daily may look like they are detail-oriented, active and extremely loyal people; however, we are really just overthinking to the extreme, can’t slow down for anything, and have a problem creating boundaries. I am a panicky college kid who never knows what day it is or what I’m eating for dinner that night, and wants everyone to know that’s 100% okay. I’m pushing myself, and want to push others, to become a strong and independent woman who can take care of herself physically, mentally, and financially. I’m taking life day by day, standing up for myself more than usual and I’ve recently started telling people “no” when I know I can’t add any more stress to my plate. I know vividly what it’s like to have no one and feel as if you have to do everything for everyone so someone will acknowledge your existence – but I don’t have to do that anymore:

Han is strong, brave, and unstoppable.

Han is capable of self-love and taking care of herself spiritually and emotionally.

No one can get in Han’s way.

(The first Han related pun of many. I apologize for how many there will be this semester.)