A Rhetorical Analysis Of No Excuses

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People all around the world are always setting goals for themselves. Whether these are fitness or academic or career related goals, each one requires effort and motivation. While many will start our strong, full of hope and intent, many will fall by the wayside. When this happens, there are often excuses abound on why the goal was unattainable. Since 1989, the Nike slogan has flown in the face of these excuses and challenges people to “Just Do It.” As the New Year approached at the end of 2008 and people contemplated their New Year’s resolutions, Nike set about creating a commercial to try and motivate people to carry through with these resolutions. Dubbed “No Excuses,” director Errol Morris’s powerful commercial exemplifies the Nike message as it aims to inspire those who have set themselves challenging goals.

The “No Excuses”commercial features basketball player Matt Scott. For the majority of the minute long commercial, Matt Scott listing off …show more content…

The sudden discovery that Scott is in a wheelchair is where Morris is able to make an emotional connection with the audience. By having Scott list off excuse after excuse, it sounds familiar to the audience as many will have gone through a similar thought process before. By the time the big reveal comes about, the viewer feels as though it is them in that position, listing excuses. Suddenly seeing how Matt Scott has built himself into an incredibly fit man while being confined to a wheelchair drives a feeling of guilt. The purpose of all the previous excuses he had listed off suddenly make sense as reality dawns on the viewer. The fact that someone in such a difficult situation overcame all those challenges to reach the level he is at makes one feel guilty as to how those excuses stack up against Scott’s. The final moment when the Nike swoosh appears with “Just Do It”

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