Family:
Genre Analysis of an Article and a You-tube Video
Various
institutions have been created to provide aid and relief for people and
communities. Women’s organizations, worker’s unions, community outreach
programs, and shelters are all examples of discourse communities an individual
may belong to. Schools and churches are
among some of the institutions known to shape and develop a person, but what
about a family? The family is usually the first discourse community a person
will belong to, this family will set the foundation for that individual’s life
and be the first to provide all of its basic needs. The notion of a family
however is deeper than its role as an institution. Is it the emotions connected
to a family that is so important? Today the definition of a family and its role
in a community is being challenged and explored. The religious article, The
Family: A Proclamation to the World, written by The First Presidency and
Council of The Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, attempts to inform its readers of the purpose of a family and its
duties to family members, and communities. The You-Tube video, The New Normal,
posted by, nbcTheNewNormal, is a TV trailer for the new NBC sitcom The New
Normal. The video uses fictional characters to promote families with single
mothers and homosexual parents as the new normal. Both genres will be compared
and contrasted by analyzing purpose, rhetoric, structure, and style.
Audience and Purpose
Based
on the title of the article, The Family:
A Proclamation to the World, the reader instantly identifies the intended
audience as the world. This means the article is intended to reach every
inhabitant, young and old, of the earth able to understand its message. Before reading this article the audience will
know that it was published by a religious organization, because the only ways
to come in contact with this article is through church literature, websites, missionaries,
members, or leaders. The fact that it is a religious article is also made known
by the names of the authors which also contain the name of the church, The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The audience might want to what
the church believes a family is. The main purpose of the article is to inform
the audience of God’s definition of a family. The article was also created to
persuade all readers to “promote those measures designed to maintain and
strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.” (The First
Presidency and Council of The Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, 1995, para. 9) The article was not created to
entertain. The audience will have an
unlimited amount of time to read the text. The article may be read various
times allowing an unlimited time to study and process the presented information.
The intended audience for the You-tube
video is adults with unusual circumstances in the home such as single or
same-sex parents. The show is not strictly for adults, but is definitely more
mature material than a cartoon. The
trailer contains different families with different situations which can appeal
to all kinds of people. Due to the fact that the video is trying to sell the
notion of new and normal families the intended audience is not only an
empathetic family but individuals who might not yet accept these families as the
new normal. The goal of this video is to shed new light on what may have
previously been considered unusual families. The trailer achieves its purpose to
persuade views of the new normal by entertainment. First, the audience will be able to recognize
that this video is a trailer is for a TV show because of the NBC logo which is a
widely known television station, as well as the fact that the video provides
the viewers with the air time and date of the show. The audience can most
likely infer that the show will contain fictional characters with intention of
capturing real life because it is a TV show. Perhaps the audience would be
curious to know just how life-like the show really is. The trailer beings by
asking about families, the audience will immediately know it is about families,
specifically a single mother and her mother, and a homosexual couple. Viewers
want to find out how these families function in today’s modern society. The
title of the show this trailer promotes is called The New Normal, given this information the audience can infer the
show will be about something modern that was once considered abnormal. The
audience might also want to know what the new normal is, why it is now
considered normal, and how it evolved to be so. The trailer itself is thirty
seconds long. The audience will have the full thirty seconds to analyze and
process the sound, text and images given to them. The audience may choose to
watch less of the trailer but not more, forcing every second of the trailer to
convey important aspects of the show. Important images include the male
homosexual couple together, and the mother and her child. Important spoken word
includes the men wanting to have children and the grandmother exclaiming how so
loves homosexuals.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos, Logos
The
article establishes credibility by stating the authors of this proclamation.
The reader can see that the president of the organization and his council have
written and approved this message. Further research of these men establishes
more credibility; these men all contain various degrees and may be considered successful
in their careers and personal family life. All of these men can be found
upholding the standards they have written about, thus establishing credibility
by actually practicing what they preach. If their actions were to be found
contrary to their teachings they would be stripped of their ethos. These men
also contain credibility based on the virtue of their authority as Prophets,
Apostles and Auxiliary Officers in their church. A scriptural reference and
citation is found within this article, and can be validated with the King James
Version of the Bible. The desired emotions from this genre are love, comfort,
and a sense of duty. The article explains the roles of each family member with
words such as love, support, progress, work, righteousness, and eternal. “The
divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond
the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it
possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to
be united eternally.” (The
First Presidency and Council of The Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1995, para. 3) The previous quote attempts to make the reader feel joy and
strength in the family unit. The article also gives the following warning, “We
warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse their spouse
or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand
accountable before God. Further we warn that the disintegration of the family
will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold
by ancient and modern prophets.” (The First Presidency
and Council of The Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, 1995, para. 8) This evokes fear. When the reader is called
upon, he or she may feel the urgency to act.
No other evidence is given or cited within this article. The article was organized to show the
elements and structure of the family. First, the article mentions marriage and
family in God’s plan. Second, the article talks about all human beings and
their role as individuals, and then the article explains how individuals and
families are a part of God’s plan. Fourth, information is given on the
commandment to procreate; fifth the article stresses the importance of all
life. The sixth paragraph explains the duties of husband and wife as the head
of the family and then the roles of all family members. After informing and
persuading readers of the sanctity of the family and the specific guidelines in
God’s plan, the article then produces a warning to all individuals and
communities who seek to pervert a family, this shows the issues at hand. Last,
the authors give a call to action attempting to have readers not only
understand a family but act upon what they have read.
This You-tube video lacks strong
credibility because the show is based on fictional characters and scenarios,
but does not necessarily need ethos since it is a fictional series designed to
entertain. In order to gain credibility the script writer and directors based
their show on research and current social issues. There is no evidence to
support their claims of what is normal. Segments of love and support are shown
throughout the trailer. These feel good scenes try to depict a happy family and
support the notion of diverse families being the new normal. The trailer
attempts to evoke two strong emotions from its viewers, love and joy. The
mother is shown embracing her daughter then saying, “I need a way to change my
daughter’s life.” (nbcTheNewNormal, 2012, sec. 6) This makes the audience feel
love. The mother and child are also shown laughing, evoking joy. Humor plays a
major role in this trailer, the grandmother’s outrageous comments such as, “I
feel like I just ate a Black and Gay stew” (nbcTheNewNormal, 2012), might make
the audience laugh and perhaps identify with her character. The video uses logic to strategically organize
the delivery of its message. First, there is music that is catchy and
uplifting. Then a question is asked, “What makes a family?” (nbcTheNewNormal,
2012, sec. 0-2) Within a few seconds into the trailer the viewers already feel
positive about families setting them up to more readily except any answer to
the question. Then the trailer gives clues such as: a mother, a grandmother,
and two fathers. They portray each as happy and intelligent. Some viewers might
laugh while others with strong religious beliefs might not find any humor in
this video. At this point the audience should want to know more about the show.
The video then informs the viewers of the title of the show there for giving
the definition of the word (or phrase) before the word. Had the title the new
normal gone first viewers would automatically think of what is considered
normal, with the title last the viewers instantly think of normal as a mother,
grandmother, and two fathers.
Structure
The structure builds on what and how a family
should be. It successfully relates the fundamentals in the family unit with
certainty. The beliefs and standards of the family from this religious
organization are proclaimed, not suggested or questioned. A very solid
testimony of families is formed and defended. The very first thing you
will see on the article is the title, The
Family. It is the largest text on the page at the very top. Underneath, the
text a proclamation to the world is smaller than the family, but still large.
Third in size and order the authors of this article are found. The article is
then organized with a line in the middle of the page and small paragraphs meant
to be read from top to bottom, left to right. All of the paragraphs begin with
the topic of the paragraph bolded and the very first letter larger in size,
creating attractive and attention getting words. Although the article is one page, readers may lose interest and choose
not to finish the article. In order to keep readers from doing this, only the
most important information is presented and all other information must be
researched further. This genre is also limited to strictly text. No images or
sounds can be used to catch and keep a reader’s attention. This genre is very
accessible because it can be found in physical materials such as books,
pamphlets, pass along cards, magazines, etc., it can also be found on the
internet through all types of technology. This makes the article readily
accessible to both religious and non-religious people.
The structure of the You-tube video is an
important way to make sure viewers want to watch the show. The organization of
the trailer gives the creator control over what the viewer’s think, feel, hear,
and see. Without structure the creator would not be able to produce his/her
desired results. The trailer is meant to capture the viewer’s attention, make
them want to watch the show, all while slipping in the message that a single
mother, a grandmother, and two dads is a normal family. Throughout the trailer
the color blue is used often creating a peaceful or happy feeling. The various
shades of blue are all bright and grab the viewer’s attention. The big white
lettering against the blue background makes slides easy to read with limited
time. All of the characters are attractive, and carefully dressed to represent
who they are. Simply by noticing the outfits the audience might be able to deduce
what that character may act like. All of the environments in the trailer are
either sets or actual places; both are meant to make the audience feel a real
life connection to the show. There are limitations placed on the information
because of the genre. This genre is only thirty seconds and may use less, but
no more time to relate its message. The time limit also limits the story line,
only crucial points and images can be used to quickly tell a complete story.
Although there is little time to process the information, any number of the
images or words shown/said can be stored into the human mind very quickly. A
funny phrase or bright bow ties are all details that stick out allowing a viewer
to remember and be reminded of the trailer very easily. Even the same shade of
blue may trigger a connection between reality and the TV show. This genre can
be accessed by many means but only of those that pertain to media such as, TV,
phones, computers, and iPods.
Style and
Language
The language found in the article is
very formal. It resembles an academic format with an authoritative tone. The
language is meant to be clear and concise, no slang or casual conversational
language is used. This article contains specialized terms such as: apostles,
commandments, and covenants. All of these words can be found in a dictionary
but are more commonly understood in a religious discourse community. All other
words in this article pertain to everyday communities with and without
religious affiliation.
The
language in the video is slightly mature as it uses grandmother instead of
grandma and contains words such as bigot. It is still a degree casual when a
doctor uses the term bio dad instead of biological father. The language is not
one as formal as scientific or academic speeches, but is considered more formal
than a personal letter or a text message. The language is set as intelligent
casual because of the audience. The audience must be able to understand and identify
with what is being said. If the characters were depicted as unintelligent based
on their language the video would fail to persuade the audience that
homosexuals are normal and equal human beings. There is no specialized
vocabulary in the trailer.
Conclusion
Both the article
and the video contain strong points and weaknesses because of their genre. The
article concentrated more on informing, and the video entertaining. The two
genres managed to achieve their main goals successfully. However the video
message was not as straightforward as the article and because of its genre
contained more limitations on information than the article. The advocating of
Families was done more effectively by the article because this genre was able
to provide its reader with candid information and opinions whereas the video
could only provide a subliminal message while entertaining in a limited amount
of time.
References:
The First Presidency
and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints (1995). Proceedings from the General Relief Society Meeting September
23, 1995: The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Salt Lake City, Utah.
NBCTheNewNormal. (Producer). (2012). The New
Normal-Promo:30[Web]. Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHjQ0fnSfO0
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