The Media

We've all been there, just sitting on the couch watching some TV,  wishing the commercials were over. Then suddenly you hear "in the arms, of an angel," with the cutest little dog.

I don't know about you, but I reach for the remote as fast as humanly possible and change the channel. I can't tell you the amount of times I've cried watching that commercial, it's like two minutes straight out of hell... but with cute, sad looking animals.

Don't get me wrong, I feel bad. I myself own the world's cutest dog (please, there is no use in arguing with me, I know it's true).  But after doing our projects on ad analysis, I've started to view the commercial as a ploy.  I don't think anyone can really argue that it doesn't draw on pathos... unless you hate animals I guess.

In a way, it's kind of awful that companies abuse these types of images and songs, which draw highly on emotion. Yes, it may be for the greater cause of getting donations, but in a way companies like SPCA are exploiting the animals they are showing.

This led me to think about if the commercial is actually effective.  Yes, our hearts bleed for these animals, but how many people have actually picked up the phone or gone on the computer to donate money? Most of us haven't.

Is it okay for a commercial to use techniques like this solely to bring in money, even if it is for the animal's own good?

Another example of this is the KONY12 video. The video draws on pathos, just like the SPCA commercial.  Millions of people posted about the KONY12 video, but no one actually did anything to solve the problem, a problem that has been going on for years.

We feel awful about these problems, but do nothing to stop it, so is really necessary for these commercials and videos to be made? It doesn't seem like it.