Wednesday, 1 February 2012

Topic Proposal: The Power of Oprah

http://www.coolmyspacecomments.com/barack-obama-3.html



The image I have chosen for our Rhetorical Analysis assignment is called "Oprah Winfrey vs. Barrack Obama". As you can see, Oprah's character is towering above and overshadowing that of President Obama's. There are no speech bubbles or captions, because the viewer is supposed to infer that during the election process, Oprah acted so strongly as an advocate to for Barrack Obama, that he essentially got elected due to the powers of persuasion Oprah has on her public.

I would like to look specifically at the body parts emphasized in each character. For Oprah, this is her mouth, due to the fact that she is well known for her persuasive speeches, and her talk show was watched almost religiously by millions of viewers five days a week. For Barrack Obama, his shoes are enlarged, representing the fact that he had large shoes to fill, based on the excellent persona that was projected on his behalf. This also balances the image because your line of vision is drawn across the entire image.

I would also to analyze the fact that Oprah is drastically larger than Obama, which is reflective of her celebrity status, and also correlates with their power roles. While technically Obama is running the country, it is sadly celebrities that have more control over how the population acts in today's society. As we have discussed in class, many ad campaigns employ celebrities to promote their products, and this political cartoon is applying the same ideology to Obama's past presidential campaign.

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2 comments:

  1. Jennifer Stranges4 February 2012 at 13:15

    Hi Nicole.

    Awesome choice for analysis. I really like this cartoon and I think you have tons to work with in terms of forming an argument. I like the approach you're taking in focusing on specific body parts and what they signify. Something you could consider is Obama's facial expression - he's happy. Despite the fact that he is literally in Oprah's shadow, he is unfazed. I think that says a lot in terms of the illustrator's message as well.

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  2. Dr. G-B5 February 2012 at 11:36

    I think Jenny has offered some great points for you to build on. I also noticed that their poses and facial expressions match one another's, so you may want to say something about that. I also think the context is important. When was this cartoon published? Was it right before the election, immediately following the election, or more recently. Be sure to consider where it was published as well. That, along with offering some insight into the audience, may help strengthen your argument as well.

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