The study of what rhetorical tools public personalities use in their speech can be a beneficial aspect to study. With its help, people can get an understanding of how, when, and where people can use rhetorical components. This work aims to study Michelle Obama’s opening remarks at the White House Convention on Food Marketing to Children. The main message of the First Lady was to draw attention to the suppression of the advertising of unhealthy food to minors. In addition, the main appeals that Obama uses are logic and emotional.
The first aspect of rhetoric used in this speech is logic. It implies the justification and reasons for a particular action or event. Michele Obama stated that “between 2008 and 2011, obesity rates among low-income preschoolers dropped in 19 states and territories across the country” (Read Michelle Obama’s Speech on Food Marketing para. 10). Therefore, Obama provides a justification of how important it is for television changes to encourage a proper lifestyle among the younger generation.
The next valuable component of rhetoric in the studied speech of the first lady is the emotional aspect. Thus, Obama emphasizes that “while we have made important progress, when one in three kids is still on track to develop diabetes, and when the diet has now surpassed smoking” (Read Michelle Obama’s Speech on Food Marketing para. 11). In this case, Michele Obama points to the positive results already achieved while also highlighting that children are still at risk.
In conclusion, this work was engaged in analyzing Michelle Obama’s speech on the topic of the harm of the media for introducing the younger generation to healthy habits. To better convey the main idea, the first lady used such components of rhetoric as logic and emotion. They helped to better form and give important information, gave the speech solidity, and improved the audience’s ability to persuade.