The Rhetoric in Macintosh v. PC Advertisements

The art of rhetoric is communicating any given message in a fashion that is meant to persuade an audience. Rhetoric has been alive and flourishing since as far back as Greek antiquity. For my first major critical theories analysis I decided to evaluate a short Macintosh computer advertisement in order to interpret the greater meanings the commercial is broadcasting.

Upon closer dissection the advertisement is almost deceitful in its nature. Macs are displayed and being incredibly popular, therefore making PCs desperate for attention. The man representing the Mac computer is hip, young and quite fashionable. On the other hand, the man representing PC computers is short, plump, balding and very unattractive.

In Plato’s Ion Socrates explains to Ion that his “…art requires [him] to dress up in fine clothes and look as splendid as possible…” (Murray 1). Ion is a rhapsode, or a person who recites persuasive rhetoric. I believe that the Mac computer in this advertisement symbolizes a rhapsode because the audience is being persuaded, perhaps in a deceitful manner, to credit Macintosh computers as being in some way better than PCs. This assertion is amplified by the idea of Macs “dressing up in fine clothes,” much like rhapsodes. Macintoshes, according to this advertisement, are much more attractive than PCs. Macs are “dressed up,” so to speak. It makes one think that this is perchance all part of the greater “show” that is rhetoric itself.

Socrates unravels rhetoric further by making the assertion that “…you have to understand [a poet’s] thought, not only his words – an enviable lot indeed. For a rhapsode would never be any good if he didn’t understand what the poet says” (Murray 1). The creators of this Macintosh ad understand what their audience is going to absorb, which is why they know exactly what rhetoric to employ in the commercial, much like the way a rhapsode uses his creatively guileful rhetoric.

Conclusively, I believe the rhetoric in commercials today, much like this Mac advertisement are acting like rhapsodes in the mass media. The media knows exactly what to say to strike up the emotions of an audience and continue to capture their attention with their constant persuasive nature.

Works Cited
Murray, Penelope. Classical Literary Criticism. New York: Penguin Classics, 2000.
"YouTube - Apple "Get a Mac" ad: "Sales Pitch"" YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 05 Feb. 2009 .