Amos Lee Professor Mia Eaker ENGL 1101-067 04 November 2013 Just Once: Rhetorical Analysis By definition, a rhetorical

situation is a situation which calls for a spoken or written response addressed to an audience. I believe that any occasion with a given purpose would take the opportunity to persuade a target audience into doing something. For many, the driving motive would be making a profit, for others, to raise awareness, to inform or to entertain; the possibilities remain endless. How you approach the message and the way you format is completely up to you. However, the end goal ultimately remains the same; to influence and shape ones opinions, beliefs, and actions. In this ad, the driving motive would be to deter the use of meth due to its rising numbers and damaging effects within a community. The creation of this ad is behind businessman Thomas M. Siebel. In response to the growing Meth epidemic in the US, Siebel established the nonprofit organization known as The Meth Project. The Meth Project is a large-scale prevention program aimed at reducing Meth use through public service messaging, public policy, and community outreach. It is credible by the success of research-based marketing campaigns, community action programs, and in-school lessons, all designed to communicate the risk of Meth use. Although the ad itself has no statistical proof of meths detrimental effects; logic is established through common sense, portraying the realistic effects of meth and its impact on your life. The primary message, Dont do Meth is targeted to teens and young adults because of the increased susceptibility to drug use at this stage in life. It begins with a girl around this age,

trying meth for the first time. As a result, she quickly becomes addicted and goes on to engage in proclivities such as doing drugs, stealing from her parents and sleeping with strangers for money. Towards the end, you see her lying unconsciously on the bed and at the foot is her little sister, sneaking some meth for herself, saying shes going to try meth, just once. This appeals to values such as lifestyle, family, friends, and self-image. The ad influences audience by exemplifying the negative outcomes of meth use, and appealing to reason through graphic simulation of whats normal and what isnt. It also appeals to emotion by showing how meth not only affects your life, but the lives of those around you. In this case, emotions such as anger and pity are evoked; first in the scene where the addict steals from her parents, and later where her sister tries meth for the first time. Again, the ad itself has no real credibility, and some may argue that it is too misleading. Despite this, I believe it is fair due to its overall purpose to discourage harmful drug use without the intent to make profit or delude audiences. The structure of communication is arranged through a series of events of a girl who tries meth for the first time. The ad starts off with her saying shes going to try meth, just once. Quickly, it becomes evident that her need for meth grows as well as her desperation to get more. The end of the commercial shows the effects of continuous meth use, not only on herself but her family as well. At first, the tone and atmosphere is very ordinary, however, after meth use, scenes become bleak and ominous. The ads reoccurring message just once correlates with the Meth Projects overall message, Not even once. It implies that, by doing meth just once your life can be affected as it was in the advertisement. I believe the ad effectively reaches its intended audience as current meth users may relate to the effects of meth while potential abusers will see what may happen if they start. The format of the ad portrays meth use as a cycle and how if you use it, more than likely you will influence

someone to do the same. I believe this complements the overall cause because as the ad goes on, the general appearance becomes somber and more depressing. Repetition of the phrase just once keeps the ad focused on the main message with simple dialogue being enough for the message to be conveyed. Through effective imagery and intuition, audiences can immediately digest what is being shown and apply it to their lives.

Bibliography
"About Us." About the Meth Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. <http:/www.methproject.org/about/>. "Methamphetamine." The Partnership at Drugfreeorg. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. <http://www.drugfree.org/drug-guide/methamphetamine>. "Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: The Rhetorical Situation. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/625/01/>. "University Writing Center." University Writing Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/for-faculty/teaching-writing/assignments/the-rhetoricalsituation/. "What is Crystal Meth Addiction - Side Effects of Meth and Long Term Crystal Methamphetamine Effects." What is Crystal Meth Addiction - Side Effects of Meth and Long Term Crystal Methamphetamine Effects. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. <http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/c