Rhetorical Analysis for Music Video-Engl 312

Taylor Swift- You Belong With Me

1. The argument of this music video is that dating popular people is not always the best because there is usually someone else who may be less popular but is a better friend and knows the audience better.

2. The audience is teenagers who are watching this video and are dating or are concerned with dating "popular" people, but find themselves unhappy with their relationships.

3. The goal of this music video is to get the audience to realize he/she would be happier if they left their "popular" significant other, and dated someone who has been their friend for a long time.

4. The music video tries to accomplish this goal through several elements of rhetoric.

Pathos- The video shows scenes of the speaker (Taylor Swift) writing "I Love You" on a sign that the boy she is trying to persuade cannot see, thereby evoking the emotion of sympathy for the speaker because of her seemingly unrequited love. The music video also shows scenes of the speaker dancing in her room and being funny, thus using humor to try to get the audience to realize how much fun this person is, and this helps the audience relate the speaker to a person in their own life that could be a potential relationship.

Ethos- The music video uses prominent characters such as well-known singer Taylor Swift and an attractive younger actor to play the roles in the music video. By using Taylor Swift to play the "quirky best friend", the audience will give more credit to the idea that dating the most popular kid in school is not always most important, because someone as successful as Taylor Swift endorses the idea.

Typical- This music video is representative of the teenage audience it aims for; however it does seem to have the fallacy of Ad Populum, or it seems to jump on the "band wagon" of sappy teenage relationships. This video would still however, probably be acceptable to the audience it aims for and the audience would be able to relate to it.

Relevant- This music video gives information that the audience can relate to and that is relevant to the goal of persuading the popular boy to go for his nerdy best friend. The scenes of the speaker (Taylor Swift) just wearing baggy t-shirts sitting alone on the bleachers contrasted against the popular girl that is a cheerleader and is the center of attention is relvant to the goal. It is a scene that would be acceptable to the audience because it is something they are familiar with in their own environment, and this helps the speaker with the ultimate goal of relating this video to the lives of the teenage audience.

5. This video is effective in its use of STAR elements such as being typical and relevant; however, I feel it lacks sufficient evidence to support its claim that best friends who are not popular make the best partners for a relationship. I feel like the audience may be informed, but not necessarily persuaded to feel that way. I also feel like the argument while although may be relevant, is not exactly original and therefore might lack interest with the audience. There is good use of ethos and pathos; yet, once again, the argument is cliche and therefore I do not feel it is a strong argument.