The Onion Rhetorical Analysis Essay

549 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The Onion's satire of modern products

Throughout our lives, we encounter promising advertisements from desperate companies attempting to campaign the next innovative product. The Onion's satirical article on MagnaSoles utilizes several rhetorical devices to sell its latest, groundbreaking item. By applying the MagnaSoles as a model for modern day products, The Onion humorously mocks the ridiculous promises and claims that companies offer their customers to market such "marvelous and unmatched" novelties. By presenting a sarcastic, exaggerated tone throughout the essay, we are able to dwell in the true hilarity of advertisements' impetuous pleas. The Onion uses doctors and "experts" to explain the revolutionary technology that MagnaSoles offers the public, even going as …show more content…

We are educated about the effects of its miraculous technologies, and how they " utilize the healing power of crystals to restimulate dead foot cells with vibrational biofeedback . . . a process similar to that by which medicine makes people better," despite crystals not being successfully used in medical research today, and despite cells not being about to revive themselves after they decay. Furthermore, one customer claims that MagnaSoles helped to heal her sprained ankle after seven weeks, which is contradicting the credibility of the product itself since such an injury would take far less than seven weeks to heal, especially if supported by a supportive insert such as the MagnaSoles. Additionally, another customer challenges the public and those who have not yet purchased MagnaSoles, asking "why [he] should pay thousands of dollars to have [his] spine realigned with physical therapy when I can pay $20 for insoles clearly endorsed by an intelligent-looking man in a white lab coat?” This mocking review of the product reveals the customer's ignorant awareness of who develops the product and how to judge his credibility, along with his oblivious choice of MagnaSoles over a proven medical

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis

    854 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jonathan Kozol revealed the early period’s situation of education in American schools in his article Savage Inequalities. It seems like during that period, the inequality existed everywhere and no one had the ability to change it; however, Kozol tried his best to turn around this situation and keep track of all he saw. In the article, he used rhetorical strategies effectively to describe what he saw in that situation, such as pathos, logos and ethos.

    Read More

  • The Onion: Mock Press Release

    436 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Magnasoles that are drawing people in because the are being endorsed by doctors and have science backing the product. After all the soles are described as being, “ Integrated products by some of the nations tops pseudoscientists” (The Onion). To the average person having a sole inserts that was

    Read More

  • Onion's Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    656 Words  | 2 Pages

    “The Onion’s” mock press release on the MagnaSoles satirical article effectively attacks the rhetorical devices, ethos and logos, used by companies to demonstrate how far advertisers will go to convince people to buy their products. It does this by using manipulative, “scientific-sounding" terminology, comparisons, fabrication, and hyperboles. For companies to portray the advantages of their products this article shows how heavily hyperbolized their products are, and uses comparisons to attract buyers. Such is portrayed through customer testimonials.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Magnasoles

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Onion’s mock press release markets a product called MagnaSoles. By formulating a mock advertisement a situation is created where The Onion can criticize modern day advertising. Furthermore, they can go as far as to highlight the lucrative statements that are made by advertisements that seduce consumers to believe in the “science” behind their product and make a purchase. The Onion uses a satirical and humorous tone compiled with made up scientific diction to highlight the manner in which consumers believe anything that is told to them and how powerful companies have become through their words whether true or false.

    Read More

  • Chipotle Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    1791 Words  | 4 Pages

    In recent years, it is not even necessary to turn on the news to hear about the bad reputation farming has been getting in recent years. What with the media focusing on things like drugs in animals and Pink Slime, or Lean Finely Textured Beef, it is a wonder that people are eating “non-organic” foods. However, many pro-farming organizations having been trying to fight back against these slanders. Still, the battle is not without heavy competition, and a good portion of it comes from Chipotle, a fast food Mexican restaurant that claims to only use completely organic ingredients in their food. Chipotle is constantly introducing advertisements claiming to have the natural ingredients while slandering the name of farmers everywhere. Perhaps the most well-known is “The Scarecrow,” a three minute ad that features some of the most haunting images Chipotle has ever featured. While “The Scarecrow” uses tear-inducing images and the almost eerie music to entice the audience to the company’s “free-range farming” ideals, it lacks substantial logos yet, it still

    Read More

  • Visual Rhetorical Analysis Bmw

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    Our lives are influenced by visual rhetoric on a daily basis. Rhetorical components go unnoticed unless one is intently searching for them. Companies carefully work visual rhetoric into advertisements and use it to their advantage to lure in potential consumers. The German car company, Bayerische Motoren Werke, or more commonly known as “BMW”, uses a clip from NBC’s Today Show in 1994. In the clip, the characters are discussing the newfangled idea of the internet. BMW uses nostalgia of the 1990’s as bait to attract an older audience who remember the ‘90’s and when the internet was a new invention. BMW uses the rhetorical elements of character, dialogue, and focus to sell their product.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Devices Used In The Onion

    609 Words  | 2 Pages

    How naive are product consumers today? People assume things are factual without questioning the credibility of a person or product. An article in “The Onion” mocks advertisers in a satirical tone to show the bizarre tactics companies use to market their products to customers. The author writes on the topic of “MagnaSoles” shoe inserts, a fictional brand used for his demonstration. He uses devices such as humor, false authority/science, and irony to display the outlandish strategies of advertisers.

    Read More

  • Into The Wild Rhetorical Analysis

    1626 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the book Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer wrote about Christopher McCandless, a nature lover in search for independence, in a mysterious and hopeful experience. Even though Krakauer tells us McCandless was going to die from the beginning, he still gave him a chance for survival. As a reader I wanted McCandless to survive. In Into the Wild, Krakauer gave McCandless a unique perspective. He was a smart and unique person that wanted to be completely free from society. Krakauer included comments from people that said McCandless was crazy, and his death was his own mistake. However, Krakauer is able to make him seem like a brave person. The connections between other hikers and himself helped in the explanation of McCandless’s rational actions. Krakauer is able to make McCandless look like a normal person, but unique from this generation. In order for Krakauer to make Christopher McCandless not look like a crazy person, but a special person, I will analyze the persuading style that Krakauer used in Into the Wild that made us believe McCandless was a regular young adult.

    Read More

  • Satire In The Article 'The Onion'

    518 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article The Onion the satire being made criticizes how easily it is for people to believe in an advertised product even though it may be false. The purpose of the writers use of diction, exaggeration, and sarcasm is to make it clear as to how manipulative people have become believing in any products shown in ridiculous advertisement. In this specific article it targets the way an advertisement uses exaggerated stories such as Helene’s or Geoff DeAngelis in order to try to create a connection to an everyday person. Moreover the way they make themselves more credible by their use of a credible source such as the doctors. In total the way an advertisement builds itself to make themselves seem credible to sell their product.

    Read More

  • Satire In Magna Galoles

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    Satire is a literary genre based on criticism of people or society, ridicule and mockery are mixed with humour throughout a work of satire. It usually attacks human frailty, people, ideas and institutions. Through celebrities, advertisements and false integrity, products are made to be more believable and influential to consumers. In this present day, consumers are more likely to purchase a product if they see that a celebrity uses it, or it comes with something free or a very low price compared to similar products. The Onion, a publication devoted to humor and satire, satirizes how products are marketed to consumers, through exaggeration of functionality, scientific data, and medical explanations (diction-large words.)

    Read More

  • South Park Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    South Park is an animated TV series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, which first aired on Comedy Central in 1997. The show features four boys Eric Cartman, Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Kenny McCormick. South Park has been seen as one of the most controversial shows due to its raunchy humor and obscene depiction of characters in the show. South Park deals with many current issues in the news surrounding anything from in politics to religion. In dealing with these issues South Park involves adult comedy that parodies current issues going on in the United States and around the world. South Park also uses many other rhetorical deceives, such as

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis

    929 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pollan’s article provides a solid base to the conversation, defining what to do in order to eat healthy. Holding this concept of eating healthy, Joe Pinsker in “Why So Many Rich Kids Come to Enjoy the Taste of Healthier Foods” enters into the conversation and questions the connection of difference in families’ income and how healthy children eat (129-132). He argues that how much families earn largely affect how healthy children eat — income is one of the most important factors preventing people from eating healthy (129-132). In his article, Pinsker utilizes a study done by Caitlin Daniel to illustrate that level of income does affect children’s diet (130). In Daniel’s research, among 75 Boston-area parents, those rich families value children’s healthy diet more than food wasted when children refused to accept those healthier but

    Read More

  • rhetorical analysis

    684 Words  | 2 Pages

    The movie trailer “Rio 2”, shows a great deal of pathos, ethos, and logos. These rhetorical appeals are hidden throughout the movie trailer; however, they can be recognized if paying attention to the details and montage of the video. I am attracted to this type of movies due to the positive life messages and the innocent, but funny personifications from the characters; therefore, the following rhetorical analysis will give a brief explanation of the scenes, point out the characteristics of persuasive appeals and how people can be easily persuaded by using this technique, and my own interpretation of the message presented in the trailer.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of In The Dove Self-Esteem Project

    1194 Words  | 3 Pages

    In everyday life we are bombarded with advertisements, projects, and commercials from companies trying to sell their products. Many of these ads use rhetorical devices to “convey meaning [,] or persuade” their audiences (Purdue OWL) . Projects, such as the Dove Self-Esteem Project uses native advertising in their commercials, which refers to a brand or product being simultaneously and indirectly promoted. In this essay, I will analyze the rhetorical devices, such as ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos, as well as the fallacies corresponding to each device, that the Dove Company uses in their self-esteem project .

    Read More

  • A Modest Proposal - Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1729, Jonathan Swift published a pamphlet called “A Modest Proposal”. It is a satirical piece that described a radical and humorous proposal to a very serious problem. The problem Swift was attacking was the poverty and state of destitution that Ireland was in at the time. Swift wanted to bring attention to the seriousness of the problem and does so by satirically proposing to eat the babies of poor families in order to rid Ireland of poverty. Clearly, this proposal is not to be taken seriously, but merely to prompt others to work to better the state of the nation. Swift hoped to reach not only the people of Ireland who he was calling to action, but the British, who were oppressing the poor. He writes with contempt for those who are oppressing the Irish and also dissatisfaction with the people in Ireland themselves to be oppressed.

    Read More

More about The Onion Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Open Document