The first time I ever heard about electronic cigarettes was through a co-worker. While online I came across an advertisement that claims the electronic cigarette is a healthier alternative to smoking as there is no flame, tobacco, tar, chemicals, smoke, smell or carcinogens which allows you to smoke it anywhere you would like. It provides the satisfaction of nicotine without the smoke and harmful chemicals.
It seems to me that California has outlawed smoking in almost all public places. Smoking in designated areas for most people is inconvenient, myself included. Typically when I wanted to smoke, I could not find a designated area, nor did I know which events or places were deemed smoke free. So for me it was better to adjust my life style choices rather than continue smoking. After dissecting this advertisement, I came to the conclusion that this alternative could help me to abide by these laws.
A common complaint this advertisement also addresses is the gross smell that is a byproduct of smoking. People who do not smoke can smell a cigarette from a long distance away, and for some it is enough to make them sick. Cigarette smoke lingers on people, their clothes, and car or wherever else they smoke also creating problems with the non smoker.
Although there is no scientific data currently that supports the claim that second hand smoke causes cancer, second hand smoke is still a concern for everyone. People, who do not smoke, do not want to be around people that do. Simply because when in close proximity, they are breathing in the exhaled smoke, causing them to cough and feel like they are smoking as well. In California it is also illegal to smoke in a vehicle where there are minors in the car, mostly because of second hand smoke issues.
The advertisement promises a healthier alternative to the smoker, and after further analysis, it is healthier for the innocent bystander as well. It has been my experience that the use of the electronic cigarette has established a foundation for my efforts to be healthier and one day, quit smoking altogether. In closing, it is my opinion this advertisement is accurate.
Hi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteInteresting and very current topic you have. I think you are leaning a bit on the side of summary rather than rhetorical analysis. You want to focus on the specific choices the "author" makes and their effects on the audience. You don't mention any specifics of the ad, and this is where you would start/focus. For instance: how does the author use color? Blank or white space? Which images are portrayed? Once you identify these, you would seek to explain why the author chose to represent things as he/she did and what effect these choices seem to be intended for the reading/viewing audience.