The Rhetoric of Firearms Advertising: a Generic Criticism
Class
Article
Graduation Year
2017
College
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department
Languages, Philosophy and Communication Studies Department
Faculty Mentor
Jennifer Peeples
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
Recent incidents of violence have brought marketing in the firearms industry under increasing scrutiny. The political debate between individual rights and collective safety has created important opportunities for research. Using the descriptive method of rhetorical criticism, this essay asks the question, "does a new genre exist among gun advertisements, outside of the traditional themes of hunting, sporting, and self-defense?" The presented and suggested elements of four advertisements for various modern firearms are examined for rhetorical connections. The findings of this exercise indicate that a new genre of patriotic duty has emerged in firearms marketing, shaped by ideologies of masculinity, militarism, and membership in the militia. This essay adds to other works in the field of visual rhetoric, an increasingly important lens of study in a global society saturated with visual messages that are designed to persuade, inform, and influence us. Understanding these messages can help us understand the society we live in, the community around us, and even ourselves.
Location
Room 101
Start Date
4-13-2017 10:30 AM
End Date
4-13-2017 11:45 AM
The Rhetoric of Firearms Advertising: a Generic Criticism
Room 101
Recent incidents of violence have brought marketing in the firearms industry under increasing scrutiny. The political debate between individual rights and collective safety has created important opportunities for research. Using the descriptive method of rhetorical criticism, this essay asks the question, "does a new genre exist among gun advertisements, outside of the traditional themes of hunting, sporting, and self-defense?" The presented and suggested elements of four advertisements for various modern firearms are examined for rhetorical connections. The findings of this exercise indicate that a new genre of patriotic duty has emerged in firearms marketing, shaped by ideologies of masculinity, militarism, and membership in the militia. This essay adds to other works in the field of visual rhetoric, an increasingly important lens of study in a global society saturated with visual messages that are designed to persuade, inform, and influence us. Understanding these messages can help us understand the society we live in, the community around us, and even ourselves.