This advertisement shows Michael Phelps smoking marijuana and states that he not only has been successful, but is still healthy even while smoking marijuana. This ad is obviously a pro-marijuana advertisement. What element of this ad is most powerful in supporting the pro-marijuana argument? What effect do the facts at the top of the page have on the viewer? Also, the author chose to use a very popular figure in Michael Phelps as the center point of the ad. What effect does this have on the viewer in terms of thinking marijuana is positive over an advertisement with a random, generic person?
Blog Prompt 5:
ReplyDeleteThis advertisement seems to be directed toward people who do not smoke. Typically, people who smoke know a lot about the long-term effects and how they compare to the effects of smoking tobacco. The phrase “Don’t let the government fool you” will make people who do not know much about the drug to doubt the things they think they do know, since most of the anti-marijuana information that they receive is from the government. This also appeals to the audience by showing an example of a well-known athlete that uses marijuana. The statistics listed at the top of the page lead the viewer to believe that marijuana cannot lead to lung problems because the Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps smokes and he was still able to win 14 Olympic gold metals. By using such a well-known individual that many people look up to, the advertiser makes marijuana seem like something that is not dangerous and could possibly even make a person cooler. Because of this, people that may not have smoked before become more likely to support marijuana legalization.
In response to Taylor's remarks. Are you suggesting that the ad is targeting persons who do not smoke cigarettes or marijuana? if the latter; the comment, "people who smoke know a lot about the long-term effects" surprises me because of the rarity of such documentation. There just has not been enough studies to prove anything. Regardless of that statement I agree with Taylor, the ad does a great job of promoting it's subject through idealization of a sports star, and it's use of his achievements. The use of Michael phelps in the is strange in a way, it takes an event in his life that the media blew out of proportion and almost made him lose his credentials. Then twists its for ultimately, a message they are trying to convey, and a better PR stint for Phelps. The author not only chose phelps to promote marijuana legalization however; they did it as a way to redeem phelps and take away the gravity of the situation. The comment about the phrase "Don't let the government fool you" was a perfect paraphrase in my opinion. It is funny how we can start to realize where all of the anti etc. etc. ads come from, and what tatics they use to manipulate minds.
DeleteI am responding to Jake’s questions. This advertisement depicts an image of Michael Phelps, the famous swimmer, using a bong to get high. At the top of the advertisement, it states “14 olympic gold medals. 37 world records. 2 awesome lungs.” And at the bottom it states “Don’t let the government fool you.” There is also a small paragraph that simply states that marijuana is less harmful to people than tobacco smoke and that people will not develop emphysema from heavy usage. The most powerful element in support of the pro-marijuana argument is the quotation at the top, which states all of Michael Phelps’ accomplishments and inevitably draws the reader to the conclusion that marijuana has in no way hindered his potential. The facts at the top of the page allow the reader to understand that multiple people have achieved a great deal and still managed to use marijuana. Michael Phelps was an ideal choice to place as the centerpiece of the advertisement because he is a figure that everybody knows and everybody knows that he is the absolute best at what he does. If the advertisement were to use just a random, generic person, then most people would not correlate this ad to be in favor of marijuana usage. Overall, this advertisement was incredibly successful in getting its main message across, and still allowing the audience to come to their own conclusion from it, while they were directed in similar paths.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Trevor. This ad is effective because it uses Michael Phelps, an excellent Olympic Swimmer. By stating his accomplishments on the ad, it makes people begin to question why people think that smoking marijuana is bad. He is able to win 14 gold medals and smoke weed. It also helps that he is a swimmer because the lungs are very crucial when it comes to swimming. One thing that may not help this ad is the fact that Michael Phelps is by no means ordinary. He is an Olympic swimmer, so not everyone is like him. He could in fact be an exception to the facts.
DeletePrompt 6: The claim that is clearly stated is that marijuana will not affect your lungs in the same toxic way cigarettes would, or that marijuana is bad for your lungs. This topic is controversial because many government advertisements and laws are against the use of marijuana, but this ad uses a very prominent athlete from our generation. Michael Phelps is seen as a role model and since he is so highly decorated as an athlete the audience is able to make the assumption that he is in good health and that his lungs are in fact healthy as well. In explaining Phelps's good fitness and explaining marijuana's affect on the lungs the ad is able to persuade the audience to believe that marijuana will not have a lasting affect on your health as the government would otherwise have you believe.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Casey. The ad does a good job making an argument for the legalization of marijuana by using a well known and successful person in Michael Phelps. Michael Phelps is generally associated with good fitness and health as he is the winningest Olympian of all time and making a connection with him and Marijuana might make people think about the reasons for its legalization.
DeletePrompt 7: The poster is trying to claim that marijuana does not cause the harm that the government says it does. By including such a accomplished, well-known athlete the picture is trying to get the audience to believe that marijuana had no negative impacts on Phelps. By showing such a popular role model, the poster hopes the audience will gravitate and relate to seeing a famous person and hopes they will maybe stop and think about the poster's claims. By showing him actually in the act the poster becomes much more shocking. Most people never expected to see the best Olympic athlete of all time smoking and when they do, the poster hopes they maybe will reevaluate their thoughts because of how shocking and potentially unbelievable this picture may be.
ReplyDeleteI am responding to Jake's questions: The most powerful part of the ad is the use of Michael Phelps, a famous athlete, and his Olympic swimming statistics. The creator of the ad uses a well-known marijuana user and claims that his long-term use of the drug had no detrimental effect on his success. The author uses the statistics at the top of the ad to support his claims.
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