Assessment 1

I would say that the ethics of this presentation involve an appeal to a cardinal value of man… that connection to the earth is virtuous, and in no way wrong. In a time of urbanization, how can we judge as questionable the images of the working farmer, with sweat on brow, and fields to tend? The voice of Paul Harvey, a trustworthy voice, a voice from an age of trustworthiness some would say has past, lends to a sense that no ethical quandary can be derived in the words from past elaborations on a farmer.

The point of this commercial is to convince the viewer to purchase a Ram Truck, and in many of the images you see the quintessential farmer working out of the back of his truck, moving hay, or sitting on the tailgate ingrained in a task requiring hand-eye coordination… a direct insinuation, similar to the medieval knight and his sword, that the Ram Truck is an extension of the farmer, and without his truck, he cannot accomplish the tasks that are the purview of his craft. The images of the farmland, family, and the farmer at prayer, lend to the peripheral attributes that pertain to the lifestyle of the farmer, and appeal to the demographic of individuals who are the farmer type, and or grew up working on a farm.

I think that it is difficult to “pin down” a firm logos when one is analyzing a commercial… if anything, the one logos attribute that rings of “truthy” is that farmers are sturdy individuals, and Paul Harvey’s narrative enhances this fact. However, this commercial has much Pathos and Ethos to offer. The images of the farmer in church, and his family at prayer at the dinner table, lend to a sense of “traditional values,” and this gives the commercial a sense of character in the eyes of those with a conservative home-type mindset. Paul Harvey’s words about a farmer “stopping his mower for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadowlark,” are heart touching appeals of a gentle sensitivity that only can be found in the emotional disposition of a farmer.

This commercial highlights the necessity of a farmer to have a vehicle that can go long distances, and serve him well… that the truck he drives is both a symbol of who he is, and a symbol to others of his virtuous lifestyle. It is the endeavor of the producers of this commercial to capitalize on this knowledge of the symbols associated with farming culture to sell Ram trucks. The words of Paul Harvey are moving, and his elocution lends to a persuasive narrative about the lifestyle of a farmer, which to the urbanized individual, may inspire a desire for “trucks,” and a need to travel far, and work hard.

One of Reich’s Cultural Parables that I think best describes this commercial is The Triumphant Individual. The idea that if you work hard, and apply ones self to what may seem to be an impossible task, an individual can reach honorable and worthwhile heights. If you have hard tasks to accomplish, you’re going to need a Ram Truck. Right on the heels of The Triumphant Individuals, we have Positive Altercasting from Marwell & Schmitt, which is a persuasive appeal to what is smart and “right,” in an effort to convince the viewer that buying the Ram Truck is what a good farmer would do.

In terms of the Motivational Process Premises involved in this commercial, I think it pertains to the Need for “reassurance of worth,” in that farmers values are validated in the commercial. The Emotion of “pride” is displayed by the images of farmers in a positive light. The Attitude of “emotional influence” is evident by the use of Paul Harvey’s speech. Lastly, consonant traits can be identified by the “reassurance of security,” that farmers will need trucks, and that if there is a need, then the farmer way of life is “going strong.”