The television ad created by Exit International expresses their view on voluntary euthanasia. They want others to know that they should have the right of ending their life, if they suffer from a terminal illness. Exit International’s main purpose for creating this ad is to make the government of Australia give others the choice of ending their life, instead of enduring the pain. They try to get their message across that euthanasia should be legal in Australia, by the use of strong logos and pathos co-existing with one another and the use of weak ethos. The rhetorical techniques were effective because they make people relate to the pain the man’s going through, and they’re able to keep the video within reality and it’s not over exaggerated.
Logos is expressed in the ad when the terminally ill man states,” Life is all about choices,” (Exit International 2010) and he soon begins to reflect over the choices he’s made through his life. Such as going to school to become an engineer, drinking, getting married, choosing what to wear, and many other decisions that he’s made. It was also logical of him to say, “I’ve made my final choice. I just need the government to listen.”(2010) By him making this comment the viewers are able to see that he’s come to realize that his illness isn’t going to allow him to make his own choices, so he wants the government to grant his last wish, before the illness gets the best of him. His tone also helps achieve this rhetorical strategy, because he’s able to understand what he’s going through. He’s coherent and understanding in the thought of ending his life, by using the facts of his pain to help with his decisions, such as him going through endless pain and his family having to watch him suffer. A fact was also stated at the end of the video saying, “85% of Australians support voluntary euthanasia, our government doesn’t,” (2010) but it’s not known how or where they got this information.
Pathos is used effectively by the man reflecting over the choices he didn’t make, because he “didn’t choose to become terminally ill” (2010) and endure pain through the process of being sick. By describing his pain emotional appeal is attained by him saying, “I didn’t choose to starve to death because eating is like swallowing razor blades,”(2010) by him saying this viewers can see how much torture he’s going through. His suffering is also expressed because he doesn’t want his family to see him like this, and to undergo the suffering with him as well. He tries to reinforce his stance by showing that he is not the only one suffering from his illness, but also the loved ones around him. He wants his family to continue on with their lives, without suffering just because of his illness. By showing that a terminal ill person has a family, people can come to conclusion about his choice. The emotional appeal with his family is effective since people can relate to losing loved ones and seeing them in pain. His tone is also reflected in pathos because you can hear defeat in his voice and statements, that ending his life is his last resort, and there is no other way to get rid of the pain. This makes the audience sense that this man has been through so much for quite some time now. The viewers are able to grieve with him, making it effective enough to accept his decision, and making them wonder what it’s like to be in his shoes, all because of the emotion in his voice.
Ethos was a weak rhetorical strategy used in the ad, since the information provided didn’t come from a credible source. The ad had a terminally ill man talking about his experience, but it isn’t accurate since he’s a paid actor that’s supposed to say all these things, by Exit International. The only credible source is the organization itself, who’ve dealt with many people throughout the world that have had a terminal illness. By them dealing with the sick they have an understanding of the anguish these people go through, so they’re able to incorporate their knowledge into the ad. But there is a conflict of interest since Exit International paid the man to give his testimony in the commercial, while they themselves support voluntary euthanasia, which aims this ad on their beliefs.
The video was supposed to be directed towards the government of Australia and Australian viewers, but ad was banned from the network. The ad was aired on the Australian networks, because it was believed that an ad promoting any type of euthanasia encourages people to commit suicide, and end their life as they want. Other audience members are internet users, who can access the ad.
The ad is mainly about the man’s experience of being ill and for the government to get a sense of what he’s going through. Even though the ad has a paid actor it has a very serious issue stated clearly, making it compelling for others to watch. The video does have the ability to change peoples opinion on the matter of voluntary euthanasia, since the actor talks about his family and real life emotion that others are able to relate to. Voluntary euthanasia does bring a debate, since many wonder if it’s right for someone to take their own life, but this video shows that at times one taking his own life may be more than just a choice, but it’s humane.
Reference
Exit International. (2010, September 10). Banned exit euthanasia ad [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRDZFwlWU1s
