Rhetorical Distance

I already presented this to my classmates, so hang in there if you are from my class and reading this, but I felt it was an interesting topic and deserved to be mentioned in my blog entry this week. The topic I am speaking of is rhetorical distance, specifically the rhetorical distance present in sports rhetoric. In viewing the following Visa commercial, there is a certain message sent to the public about the leadership in sports.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk7QbKGgsm8

It is told to us that we do not root for athletes because of where they are from, but because they are human. We too are human, so we are able to relate to these athletes. In stating this, it is clear that there is a very intimate rhetorical distance formed here. The advertisement is persuading us that their product is good (Visa) by pulling us in through this close rhetorical distance. "They are human, and we are human, and when they succeed, we succeed." This statement alone creates clear, close distance between an athlete and the general public. We are able to relate to them because they are similar to us, and we look up to them, and root for them because they are successful, and we too are striving for success.

Another thing I noticed, that I did not pick up on the first time I watched this commercial is the fact that they show many athletes struggling in the commercial: broken ankles, tripping on the track, etc. Clearly this creates a close rhetorical distance as well because most people in society struggle to achieve their success, which is what these athletes have done. In looking at it this way, rhetoric played out through sports creates a message of hard work and success. Further, by creating this close distance, perhaps we are persuaded to use Visa because we feel an intimate relationship with the athletes, who are associated with Visa because they are the ones in the commercials. Looking beyond the advertising ploy, it is clear that there is certainly close rhetorical distance present here, as we can relate to the athletes we look up to on many levels.