Described as “a man who is trying to unseat a presidency” by Entertainment Weekly, it’s quite obvious that Michael Moore was not a fan of George W. Bush. In previous documentaries and in Fahrenheit 9/11, Moore has used rhetorical moves. He has a biased approach and even talks for people. One example is when he stated thoughts that he believed were going through George W. Bush’s head when it became known that the US was under attack on 9/11. Moore doesn’t tell the real story, but instead gives his own biased opinions.
In Fahrenheit 9/11, Moore continuously talked about George W. Bush’s vacation time. He even used country music in the background when Bush was seen on a farm, which can cause one to interpret Bush as the all American guy. The beginning of the documentary shows Bush and other political leaders having their hair brushed and makeup applied, implying that they are pretending to be something they’re not. Bush and the other political leaders are no longer sincere, and the rhetoric device calls for sincerity.
Although Moore isn’t seen that often in the documentary, he is talking throughout most of it. The voice-over in documentaries usually state true facts, but Moore’s voice-over states personal thoughts. This is a rhetoric device because most people would not question the facts, or in this case thoughts, of Moore.
Interesting article, Jordan!
ReplyDeleteDuring the film, I interpreted the meticulous combing of Bush's hair as an attempt to look as good/perfect as possible. I've noticed, especially with the upcoming presidential election, that Bush wasn't and isn't the only one trying to look good. In fact, many current presidential candidates for 2016 are not only trying to look good physically, but also socially. From Hillary Clinton to current president Barack Obama, politicians are using social media in hopes to relate to more voters.
Have you noticed any other methods politicians are using in order to look good? Do you think trying to look good has every backfired on any politicians (whether it was through social media or another method of looking good)?
Hope to hear from you,
Lizzy
Lizzy -
ReplyDeleteThe most popular method I've noticed is social media, as you pointed out. I've noticed a lot of politicians are tweeting to appeal to the younger generation, specifically about the other candidates. I definitely think Donald Trump's tweets are backfiring as he has targeted specific people and made some very harsh comments. Whether he's tweeting about immigration or how attractive he thinks his daughter is, people are taking notice to Trump's odd and offensive tweets.