UTEP
Genre Analysis
RWS 1302
Yeraldin Molina
2/18/2015
Introduction
“Beauty Pressure” is an ad, created by the Dove industry in which, through the use of
different appeals, portrays a solemn issue that society is not dealing with at its full, which the
beauty industry setting unreal standards of beauty. In contrast, the work “Celia: A Slave” depicts
what it was like, for an African-American, to live in the antebellum as a slave. This is done by
painting a picture from two perspectives of a homicide court case. Through this essay the
comparison between purposes, audiences, credibility, logic, and emotion of the previous stated
works will be demonstrated through facts and analysis.
Audience and Purpose
The “Beauty Pressure” ad is intended for middle and high class women who have
daughters. This is because within those classes beauty can be seen advertised the most. From
billboards, to commercials, to magazines and newspapers beauty ads have made women feel
‘unsatisfied’ to get them to purchase a variety of products however, these standards are the cause
of millions of eating disorders. The purpose of the ad is to persuade mothers to talk to their
children before the beauty industry does. In contrast, “Celia: A Slave” targeted audiences are
people, around the age of 17 and 24, of any race though born and/or raised in the U.S. The
reason being is that the book is a part of history that every citizen should be familiar with. The
purpose of this academic work is to enlighten people of the predicaments of the antebellum and,
to educate them on the struggles African-Americans went through because of the old beliefs.
Ethos
The “Beauty Pressure” ad was created by a prestigious beauty industry; Dove, which
builds its credibility by embracing natural beauty. The industry has been creating aging lotions
for women, as well as skin protectors, hair treatment etc. however, it does not advertise makeup
or any type of product that helps the ‘hiding’ of imperfections but it rather promotes products to
enhance natural beauty. On the other hand, “Celia: A Slave” builds credibility because of the fact
that is based on records, correspondences, and newspaper accounts (past and present) related to
the court case of Celia. This particular court case became very famous because it generated
threats towards the institution of slavery therefore, many accounts were recorded.
Pathos
The emotional appeal in “Beauty Pressure” ad is approached by highlighting the specific
parts of beauty advertisements that make girls and women feel unsatisfied about their physical
appearance. To embody this, an onslaught is showed, highlighting specific words used by
informative commercials that constantly appear on TV: “lighter, tighter, softer, younger, smaller,
thinner”. Overall, the ad created an emotional appeal by taking the viewer to the future worstcase scenario (eating disorders and pill consumption) in which their daughters could end up if
not educated properly. Similarly, the emotional appeal in “Celia: A Slave” is approached by
emphasizing the thoughts and feelings of Celia after the ultimatum that her lover, George, put on
her of giving an end to the ‘relationship’ (sexual abuses) between Celia and her master.
“Desperately seeking some means of complying with George’s ultimatum, Celia threatened to
hurt her master’s if he made any further sexual demands for her” (McLaurin, 34). This kind of
wording works because the reader can affiliate with Celia and George, and feel empathy and
justification for Celia’s further actions. It sets a picture of tragedy and pain, associating the slave
institution as immoral and distressing.
Logos
The “Beauty Pressure” ad approaches the logical appeal by enhancing the usage of every
day products and images and, using them to create a cause-effect scenario. The ad illustrated the
origin of the problem (beauty standards set by the industry) and, the outcome of these standards
(eating disorders, pill consumption etc.). Dove used a thin girl measuring her waist with a
measuring tape to promote a weight loss product. This image worked because this kind of
publicity is seen everywhere, from magazines to even Special-K cereal boxes. In contrast,
“Celia: A Slave” approaches the logical appeal by identifying the different perspectives of the
situation. From the white community perspective, a slave had refused to accept her master’s
approach when she was not permitted to, she afterwards committed a crime therefore, deserved
to die. From the slavery abolisher’s perspective, a woman committed a crime as a way of selfdefense towards the forceful sexual approaches of a man therefore, deserved to be heard and
have a fair trial. This works as a logical advance because it states facts over the two different
perspectives, and it elaborates on them through the interpretation of the law. “The legal code in
effect at the time of the trial, made it a crime to take away any woman unlawfully against her
will and by force, menace or duress, compel to be defiled” (McLaurin, 107). The entire book
revolves around the different interpretations of the wording of the code as it referred to “any
woman”.
Structure
The “Beauty Pressure” ad’s structure is arranged as cause and effect. It presents the
source of the problem, which is the beauty industry making the spectator feel unsatisfied about
their physical appearance, and it bestows the consequences from less serious to extreme. On the
other hand, “Celia: A Slave” follows a chronological structure, in which printed documents and
articles are arranged by date as evidence to sustain facts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the two different genres use a similar approach to the emotional appeal,
given that they both strive to develop negative feelings towards the particular institution (beauty
industry and slave institution). However, Dove’s credibility was approached overall by the name
of the company, while the book built its own by the gathering of documents and accurate
information. Logos was also approached differently; Dove used a gathering of every day images
and highlighted the problem in them. The book however focused on two different perspectives
and supported them by facts.
Reference Page
McLaurin, M. (1999). Celia, A Slave. New York: Avon Books.
Beauty Pressure. Prod. Dove. Dir. Tim Piper.