High Points

Although some arguments will certainly be easier to follow than others, the multi-faceted view of what does and doesn't constitute visual rhetoric is extremely comprehensive. Some of the more interesting points are those that were least expected. I found myself doubting what I thought I knew was a firm boundary between semiotics and rhetorics more and more with each new article, which reinforces the notion that the more you learn the less you know. I also found myself giggling at the thought of such silliness as the rhetoric of textiles, only to feel that I must have been unperceptive not to see it being practiced in modern day examples such as AIDS quilts. Keeping these revelations in mind, the following are what I find to be particularly innovative examinations of rhetorical practice:

• Hill's argument that professonal persuaders exploit our emotions and values to manipulate our subconscious, with an added disclaimer that "most people are probably convinced that such manipulations do not work on them," which actually facilitates the process.
• Blair's assertion that some items (such as a favorite food) we desire to such an extent that avoidance of the thought of these items and persuasion in the form of advertising is the only way to overcome our desire. Such that the persuasion in these advertisements solicits "unconscious causation" rather than results in "rational persuasion."
• Goggin's text/iles and the voice they lend to various cultures, classes and genders considered inferior through examining as rhetorical pieces.
• Blakesley's examination of Hichcock's use of voyeurism to instill fear and establish character identification in viewers.
• Finnegan's example of LOOK magazine's application of images as an afterthought to support Roosevelt's rhetoric.
• Kostelnick's dissection of the development of modern statistical representations from bizarre graphical experimentation in early Census reports.
• Dickinson and Maugh's insightful rhetorical trip through the organic grocery store.

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