1 Maryann Wolonowski Writing and Rhetoric Tues/Thurs 1:30-2:45 Word Count: 3,120 March 27, 2012 Kony 2012:

Looking Inside the Persuasion that Became a Phenomenon

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Governor Rick Scottthree people with recognizable names, would you agree? What do these three people have in common? The answer to this question is simple: They are all leaders of something large, they were all voted upon for the position they hold, and they all fight for peace. You would imagine that every leader out there portrays each of these traits, correct? Wrong. I will tell you a little bit about a living devil by the name of Joseph Kony. He is an enemy of mine whose actions were brought to my attention through a YouTube video I viewed online. Within just a few days, this man has put the world in an uproar. Reactions are mixed by the audience due to the fact that Konys story has been shared by a non-profit organization who happens to also be the makers of the controversial video tiled, KONY 2012. Audiences are not necessarily against the actions caused by this man but by the group who is spreading the awareness of Konys actions. The question is asked, How far is too far until persuasion becomes a scam (Swingler, KONY 2102)? Emotions range from one end of the spectrum to the other. With that said, I must ask: How did this video cause so much controversy? One thing is for certain, the maker of the video has struck a serious chord in his audience. I ask you to please keep a bias attitude throughout this paper, pay attention to the structure of the video, and think deep into the techniques Ill be discussing. By the end of my paper, Im sure you will be boiling with hatred towards Kony just as much as I was after I Kony 2012: Looking Inside the Persuasion that Became a Phenomenon

2 viewed this video.

Ugandan citizen, Joseph Kony, claimed to be a distant cousin of Alice Lakwenas and the natural successor to lead the Holy Spirit Movement. Soon after, he assumed management of the group and changed the name to the Lords Resistance Army, or LRA. Unable to maintain the group's number or regional support, Kony started stealing food and abducting children to fill the ranks of his army. They were trapped in a place they were unable to get out of. The young boys were made into fighters and the girls were turned into sex slaves. An estimated 66,000 children became soldiers and two million people have been internally displaced since 1986 (Green, 121). BCC news says, Mr. Kony himself is thought to have at least 60 wives, as he and his senior commanders take the pick of the girls they capture (Riddle, The Echo). Subsequently, Kony lost any remaining regional support. What had started out as a rebel movement to end the oppression of the north became an oppression of the north in itself (Invisible Children). Im sure you are wondering what it is that he is so hell bent about. The answer to that question is quite shockingnothing. Kony was never appointed this position and is under no legitimate leadership. He yearns to have nothing more than the feeling of powera power that must be taken away.

I believe that I have the power to put an end to this 26 year long horror story. I cant do it alone but I have made the first step because I believe. I can thank one man for empowering me like no one ever has before and his name is Jason Russell. Over the next few paragraphs, I will explain the background of Russells story. He is a big part of the KONY movement for he is the man who has taken a stand. He is the maker of this much talked about YouTube phenomenon who urges you to join this movement. This video wasnt put together in a hurry. There was deep Kony 2012: Looking Inside the Persuasion that Became a Phenomenon

3 thought as to the placement of scenes, action, and voice. You will begin to realize how just by the use of a little rhetoric, how much you can make a person do!

In 2003, college student, Jason Russell, visited Uganda with two of his buddies. They intended to make a documentary on Darfur but bullets in the direction of their truck caused them to change direction (Sinclain, Kutv). This change of direction was something that would not only lead Russell into the biggest project of his life but his actions were about to quite possibly change the world forever.

Years before his son Gavin was born, Russell says, The course of my life was changed entirely by another boy, Jacob (Russell, YouTube). Jacob was running for his life. He told Russell what he and other children in Uganda were going through. In the video, you experience the raw emotion pouring from Jacobs heart as he tells his story. Jacob said, We worry the rebels when they arrest us again then they will kill us. My brother tried to escape then they killed him using a panga. They cut his neck (Russell, YouTube), says Jacob. As if it wasnt enough to be abducted from his family, he then witnessed his own brother, the only person he had left, get brutally murdered. But why would Russell want us to hear such a horrible story? Why would he want to put anyone through having to watch a helpless child weep in their own tears? These are questions that will later be answered. When Russell heard this story, he wasted no time to take action. His exact words to Jacob were, We are going to do everything we can do to stop them. He made that promise to Jacob not knowing what it meant but now he does. Wouldnt you agree that this statement made him credible? Think about leaders that you admire. Do they take charge? Do they fight for what is right? Do they waste time? I will admit to have hoped right on

Kony 2012: Looking Inside the Persuasion that Became a Phenomenon

4 the bandwagon to fight for this cause. But why? How did Russell, a man that I have never met, persuade me to the extent that I feel I can make a change on an issue so massive?

For the past nine years, Russell has fought to full-fill his promise and his fight has led him to the video that shook me to my core. It is the YouTube phenomenon that went viral over night. It is the video that made the believers passionate. It is the film that could quite possibly change the world forever. What is all of this talk about you ask? Instead of a film, Russell ended up creating a massive movement to save children from the abduction into Kony's rebel army. His movement has galvanized hundreds of thousands of young people all over the world (Eldred, Discovery News). Developed in 2005, Russell and his team have created a Kony stopping organization called, Invisible Children. The organization developed to end this war is to fight for not only Jacob, but for the children of Uganda. He has instructed us to make this man a house hold name. Russell says, In order for Kony to be arrested this year, the Ugandan military has to find him. In order to find him, they need the technology and training to track him in the vast jungle. Thats where the American advisers come in. But in order for the American advisers to be there, the U.S. government has to deploy them. Theyve done that, but if the government doesnt believe the people care about arresting Kony, the mission will be cancelled. In order for the people to care, they have to know and they will only know if Konys name is everywhere (Russell, YouTube). Together, we can spread the word and put an end to the war. His message is being heard and together we are all capable of helping him make a difference. He did this by using a simple thing we like to call, rhetoric. He has successfully persuaded me and the other 85,764,797people of the world to watch this film and become inspired.

How did maker of the video, Jason Russell, do that? How did he persuade me to that Kony 2012: Looking Inside the Persuasion that Became a Phenomenon

5 extent in a short 30 minute video? These questions can be answered by learning the study of rhetorical analysis and how Aristotles Appealsethos, pathos, and logos, help define it. Today, I will just be focusing on ethos and pathos. I will discuss how these two techniques stirred the pot per sea, in relation to the Kony video. By the end, it will be clear how Russell strategically placed certain scenes, action, and voice to make such a massive reaction to his audience.

I will start out with the definition of rhetorical analysis. It is defined as, the study of whether and how texts actually do affect, influence, or change auditors (Covino, 6). Language is a complex thing. One cant even imagine all that it is capable of. One word can make you happy, sad, jumping for joy, or really mad. It can make you respond or stay silent and it can make you listen or ignore it. Language has no limit and no matter where you are from or what langue you speak, language will affect you in some way, good or bad. This is what makes the beauty of rhetoric so appealing to me. Language has no end. That is something way too mind blowing to wrap around my brain. We have the ability to dissect language and discover fascinating things beneath it. On the other hand, it is something we can research and learn more about as well. As I said, language is complex so there is a rule when interacting with it. We must be able to have an open mind, open to challenge and change, open to the unexpected. This is part of what allows us to have room in our heads for the other, the space for possibilities that is such a critical aspect of dialogue (Anderson, Conversation). If one opts to not go into such an intricate subject with an open mind, it will be quite a task to walk away saying you actually understood. With that said, lets take a look at the first of Aristotles three appeals.

Ethos is defined as the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as seen in its beliefs and aspirations. It gives it viewers the reason why they should watch this video. What Kony 2012: Looking Inside the Persuasion that Became a Phenomenon

6 exactly does this mean? It means that the language spoken is trusted. The question is why did I trust Russell? I dont know him en yet I put full trust in him that he was telling me the truth. Aristotle maintained the former position: He taught that a text must demonstrate that the rhetor is a person of good sense, virtue, and good will (Covino, 15). Russell seemed credible. He did all the right things to persuade me to believe this whole movement is legit. But what did he do to make me feel this way? Lets try to uncover this answer.

A lot of his strategy has to do with how he broke down this video. He began with the subject of social media and how far weve come. Vibewire.org quotes Russells video saying, Right now there are more people on Facebook then there were on the planet 200 years ago. Humanitys greatest desire is to belong and connect. We hear each other. We share what we love. And this connection is changing the way the world works (Vibewire). As a 90s child, that will of course suck me in. I am a child of the internet era. I am a child of new technology. We are the era that has the ability to make a change. It was a good tactic to use when deciding on an audience. As an audience member, I want to see professional work. I want to see something that looks like it was carefully put together and appears flawless to the naked eye. By placing that statistic in the beginning of the video with dramatic music that made me feel as if I was about to watch something really important made him credible to me. You only get a first impression once and Russell not only successfully sucked me in, but 80 million other audience members around the globe.

Another form of ethos that Russell used was incorporating his family into the video. He shows us the video of his son's birth, and then tells us that each of us needs to pass this process in order to come to this world. Later on, he describes how he meets Jacob, a Ugandan who escapes Kony 2012: Looking Inside the Persuasion that Became a Phenomenon

7 successfully from Kony's military organize, but left a sorrowful memory in his mind. He uses two kids' example to tell audiences who am I. Gavin is just a normal child as all the American children, grow up with a lot of love surrounded; Jacob is a misfortune kid that was born in Uganda, which is the base camp of Kony's military (Wang, Blog). Jacob and his brother became Kony's target because of their age. I think, if Jacob and his brother were born in America, a set of African American brothers, they couldn't meet Kony and be his military slave. This message tells the audience that we all stem from the same root. We are all creatures of the world and we all got here to same way. It is our duty to help each other in a time of need. It doesnt matter where you are from in the worldspeak out and lend a helping hand. Aristotle had a wonderful quote that touches this point. He stated, The man who fears the right things for the right motives in the right way at the right time and feels confidence is brave (Gill, Aristotle Quotes). Be brave, take a stand, and make a difference. The world is relying on you. Now that I have discussed a little bit about ethos, lets move onto the second part of this discussionpathos.

Aristotles second appeal is known as pathos. The term means, persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions (Moncur, Quotations by Authors). What was it about this Russells video that made it so emotional to me? What was it about this video that brought me and many other viewers to tears? In the video, Russell uses a very sensible method to convoke people help the kids. This is an example of a time in the video where you can see the psychology and strategic placement of rhetoric. The breakdown of this dramatic scene goes as follows:

First, Russell brings us into his time line on Facebook, and starts to introduce Jacob. At first, I didn't notice who Jacob was and how he was related to this video. Later, I understood what Jacobs role was in this persuasive video. He was the person who uncovers the evil actions Kony 2012: Looking Inside the Persuasion that Became a Phenomenon

8 of Joseph Kony; and Jason Russell was the linker who uses Jacob's story to tell people what happens in Uganda. Russell brings a VCR in front of Jacob and lets him speak about the day he watch his brother get murdered. He knew just what to put in this video to make it attract viewers. How can you not feel heartbroken for Jacob when his hands are his in face and hes crying because he misses his brother? How can you not cry when a little child tells you, It is better when you kill us, and if possible, you can kill us, you kill us. For us, we dont want to stay (Tabachnick, Talk to Action). No one is more innocent than a child. No one is more helpless than a child. No one needs more guidance than a child. No one should ever be saved before a child. Sights of a child being abducted is heart wrenching. Sights of them being abducted to be turned into sex slaves and soldiers is plain sick. As I researched for this paper, I came to the realization that this scene was not only the most viewed but the most controversial. This leads us to another question. Why was this?

The emotions portrayed by these children in the video were real. They were raw emotions by innocent little human beings that were born into a world they didnt bargain for. It is amazing what ones emotions are capable of. Whenever you accept a claim based on how it makes you feel without fully analyzing the rationale behind the claim, you are acting on pathos (Bean, Aristotles Appeals). I can fully admit that I accepted Russells claim mostly due to pathos and the emotions it made me feel. This raw portrayal of pathos takes audiences to the past, and let them feel the sorrow of losing a closest family. It makes me want to cry and help him to stop Kony (Wang, Blog). It immediately led me to order my action kit to not only raise money for the cause but help spread the word. In my opinion, he was strongest in his usage of pathos. He may not have gotten a positive reaction from everyone but I can guarantee he impacted the emotions of not only the believers of KONY 2012, but also the doubters. It takes a person of Kony 2012: Looking Inside the Persuasion that Became a Phenomenon

9 special talent to tap into emotions to the extent that you affect everyone around you. Russell defiantly has a solid grasp on what it means to be a rhetorical guru.

Before I end this whole topic of the Kony/Youtube hoopla, Id like to answer a question I stated in the beginning of my paper which was, How far is too far until persuasion becomes a scam (Swingler, KONY 2012). The best way for me to answer this question is this: Rhetoric is the form of persuasion, in attempt to make an audience view something as you do. It is all about timing, voice, and the placement of words. Its not an easy thing to do and the process is quite complex. I wouldnt call this situation a scam. I would just view it as someone who is a damn good rhetor.

As Aristotle once said, All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire (Moncur, Quotations by Author). Russell and I have the compulsion to end this war. It is in our nature to sit there and let war happen. Lets get rid of that habit. Lets wake up with the desire to help these innocent children. I can honestly say that Im more passionate about this movement than I have ever been to anything in my 21 years of living. Help me, and together we can make a change in the world.

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Anderson, Harlene. "Client Voices." Anderson, Harlene. Conversation, Language, And Possibilities: A Postmodern Approach To Therapy. New York: Basic Books, 1997. 135.

Bean, Matthew. Aristotle's, Appeals. 29 3 2012. 29 3 2012<http://courses.durhamtech.edu /perkins/aris.html>.

Covino. "An Introduction to Rhetoric." What is Rhetoric (n.d): 6.

Covino. "An Introduction to Rhetoric." What is Rhetoric (n.d): 15.

Eldred, Sheila. Discovery News. 29 3 2012. 27 3 2012 <http://news.discovery.com/human/joseph-kony-120307.html>.

Gill, N.S. Aristotle Quotes. 2012. 25 April 2012 <http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/aristotleworks/a/121610-Aristotle-Quotes.htm>.

Green, Matthew (2008). The Wizard of the Nile: The Hunt for Africa's Most Wanted. Portobello Books. p. 121.

Moncur, Michael. Quotations by Author. 29 3 2012. 27 3 2012 <http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Aristotle>.

Russell, Jason. YouTube. 29 3 2012. 27 3 2012 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc>.

Sinclair, Gary. Kutv. 29 3 2012. 27 3 2012 <http://www.kutv.com/news/topstories/stories/vid_640.shtml>.

Swingler, Lauren. Kony 2012 Maryann Wolonowski. 24 4 2012.

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Tabachnick, Rachel. Talk to Action. 29 3 2012. 28 3 2012 <http://www.talk2action.org/story/2012/3/19/11232/3015> Wang, Mandy. Blog: Mandy Wang. 13 March 2012. 25 April 2012 http://mandy0717mandy0717.blogspot.com/2012/03/ethos-pathos-logo-stop-kony-2010.html>.

Kony 2012: Looking Inside the Persuasion that Became a Phenomenon