Pathos
Pathos is utilized in Fed Up mostly through using carefully selected language techniques, as well as giving real world examples of young children struggling with obesity.
The five main types of pathos, as discussed on the definition of pathos page, and their use in Fed Up are exemplified below.
a. emotional appeals - The producers of the documentary are able to clearly reach out to the audience since obesity is such a prevalent topic in society today. They document the stories of four children who are fighting the disease. These four kids are all very candid about their situation and their struggles. Through their own emotion they are able to draw a connection to the audience. One of the boys in the movie has been working as hard as he can to lose weight but can't seem to quite find a way to shed the pounds, he sums up his situation as "I look at it as I am failing, and they look at it as he's just another fat kid." By starting the movie off with this the producers are able to play upon the emotions of the audience.
b. concrete examples of data - As stated before, the documentary uses the lives of four children struggling with obesity. The children help to portray that the issue is here, prevalent, and impacting the lives of thousands of people everyday. By following the day to day lives of these children, a certain relationship is developed, and the audience feels attached to the lives of the children. This helps to create a stronger argument for the documentary due to the fact that the audience is compelled to wholeheartedly believe what the children are saying.
c. appropriate language for a given audience - Even though the advocates of the argument who speak throughout the movie are obviously very intelligent, they keep both their vocabulary and explanations simple. They already acknowledge the fact that the general public is confused about the causes of obesity, so they focus more on educating in an easy to understand way. The more down-to-earth language also helps to make the speakers seem more approachable, making it easier for the audience to relate to them and listen to what they have to say.
d. recognition of audience’s values and beliefs - The writers know that Americans believe they should be healthy, but don't understand how to live a healthy lifestyle. The writer acknowledges the facts that Americans value price and believe that all healthy food is more experience, but they clearly prove that wrong. In doing so, the writers effectively take the audience's beliefs into account and refutes the obstacles that prevent them from following those beliefs.
e. direct appeals to the audience - The key speakers and narrators repeat the use of the word "we" throughout the whole documentary. This is to ensure that the audience understands that the issue is a problem for everyone, both writer and viewer alike.
The five main types of pathos, as discussed on the definition of pathos page, and their use in Fed Up are exemplified below.
a. emotional appeals - The producers of the documentary are able to clearly reach out to the audience since obesity is such a prevalent topic in society today. They document the stories of four children who are fighting the disease. These four kids are all very candid about their situation and their struggles. Through their own emotion they are able to draw a connection to the audience. One of the boys in the movie has been working as hard as he can to lose weight but can't seem to quite find a way to shed the pounds, he sums up his situation as "I look at it as I am failing, and they look at it as he's just another fat kid." By starting the movie off with this the producers are able to play upon the emotions of the audience.
b. concrete examples of data - As stated before, the documentary uses the lives of four children struggling with obesity. The children help to portray that the issue is here, prevalent, and impacting the lives of thousands of people everyday. By following the day to day lives of these children, a certain relationship is developed, and the audience feels attached to the lives of the children. This helps to create a stronger argument for the documentary due to the fact that the audience is compelled to wholeheartedly believe what the children are saying.
c. appropriate language for a given audience - Even though the advocates of the argument who speak throughout the movie are obviously very intelligent, they keep both their vocabulary and explanations simple. They already acknowledge the fact that the general public is confused about the causes of obesity, so they focus more on educating in an easy to understand way. The more down-to-earth language also helps to make the speakers seem more approachable, making it easier for the audience to relate to them and listen to what they have to say.
d. recognition of audience’s values and beliefs - The writers know that Americans believe they should be healthy, but don't understand how to live a healthy lifestyle. The writer acknowledges the facts that Americans value price and believe that all healthy food is more experience, but they clearly prove that wrong. In doing so, the writers effectively take the audience's beliefs into account and refutes the obstacles that prevent them from following those beliefs.
e. direct appeals to the audience - The key speakers and narrators repeat the use of the word "we" throughout the whole documentary. This is to ensure that the audience understands that the issue is a problem for everyone, both writer and viewer alike.