Topic For Rhetorical Analysis Paper

For my Rhetorical Analysis paper I chose a very controversial public awareness commercial that is shown in Britain but not in the US. Its purpose is to prevent teens from texting while driving, and it is composed of very graphic images that are meant to really influence people on an emotional level. The scene begins with a girl in the car with her friends, she is texting while driving on a highway. Soon after she gets in a terrible multiple car pile up that occurs in slow motion. The video was created by the British police department to really get the message across to teens, but many people, including me, feel that it is simply too graphic to show. I found the video effective yes, but only for a certain age group. If a young child (14 and below) saw this commercial they would not grasp the meaning and only perceive the violence. For many young children it could even prove to be emotionally scarring. If the violence was toned down, for example; removing the images of the dead infant, the small child telling his dead parents to wake up, and the brain matter all over the windshield, the commercial would gain influence and it could even be shown globally. I found it somewhat unjust that only teen FEMALE drivers were shown as being responsible for the wreck. If they added a male it would demonstrate more equality and make it seem more realistic for teens.