Sorry, again, for the lateness of this post. All I want you to do this week is compare and contrast two websites:
http://www.peta.org and http://www.humanesociety.org
Read the About Us page for each, and then browse the websites, watch some videos, read some articles, and answer the following questions:
1. Who is the audience for each website?
2. What gives each website its credibility?
3. How do these websites compare with each other in their audiences, goals, and rhetorical approaches (logos, pathos, ethos)?
4. How do the websites compare with what you thought about these organizations in the past?
Please be thoughtful in your answers.
As usual, your first post is due by Monday. Try to get the post done before class, and then respond to three of your classmates by Friday. Please try to give reasons for agreeing and disagreeing with evidence from the website, or any personal experience you have with these organizations. Stay academic and professional.
Comparing humane society to peta is like comparing an orange to an apple, yes they have the same shape but they have a totally different inside. While the audiences for both organizations are similar – people who support the well treatment of animals –, they go about presenting their ideas in different ways. The humane society understands that many animals are food, (e.g. pigs, cows, and chickens) while, Peta views that vegetarianism is the only and correct way to live. They are both well-funded by massive support and both use pathos methods to reach out to their supporters and even non supporters. They use photos, videos, and real like stories of animal abuse to tape into the emotional side of any who will listen. While I personally don’t support peta’s ideas or often hostile approach in presenting them, I do support in general the well treatment of animals. However, I don’t support how animals are now placed at a higher standard than a child. Kick a dog in public and you will be looking at a high fine and possible jail time, kick a child in public and just hope no bruises appear. Both websites do a wonderful job at using all aspects of logos, pathos, and ethos to reach out to humanity, in attempts to educate and enlighten us to their ideas.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty wrong that society looks at an animal in a higher standard than a child and in most ways its very true because like you said you need to leave a mark on a kid while just hitting a dog or cat or whatever animal you will be looked at as a monster. PETA is defintly overly extreme and is probably more two faced then most people think. At least the humane society understands that humans are omnivorous and are just against the mistreatment of animals.
DeletePETA and the humane society are two completely different approaches to one problem. PETA uses disgusting attack ads and relies heavily on pathos to get there point across. The humane society on the other hand uses logos, pathos, end ethos to promote better care for animals. I personally have never been a strong supporter of PETA because they continuously drag there name through the mud and there volunteers are usually uniformed and try to use guilt to make you think that you are a bad person. The humane society is always taking in animals getting them into good homes without looking for credit much unlike PETA. Both of these organizations reach out to the general population to promote animal health and safety. After scanning both websites my mind was not changed about any organization. I believe that the humane society is a professional organization run by people that actually care about the treatment of animals. PETA to me feels like they do allot of talking but take no purposeful action to keep the animals safe.
ReplyDeleteYour first sentence is awesome and sums it all up. You say PETA's volunteers are usually uniformed, did you learn that in the news or have you had a personal experience that lead you to think that about them?
DeleteI don't know if I would say PETA doesn't actually do anything to keep animals safe, but they are less relatable to the public because of the extreme measures they take. The Humane Society is more of a household name and I agree that they do care about the welfare of animals without looking for credit the way PETA does. It's sad the way media has such a big impact on society.
DeletePETA and the humane society are alike at their basic level, however are also completely different in the overall aspect. Both are for the protection and well-being of animals, however PETA goes, in my opinion, too far. My favorite article on the PETA website was about "Outdoor Cats" and how they believe it's cruel to have an outdoor cat. The amazing thing is before this I read several articles about how keeping other animals in enclosures is cruel. They seem to be contradicting themselves. I have supported the Humane Society and have had pets that I have adopted from them. The audience of both is people who like and care about animals, however PETA's audience extends further to extremists on the subject. Their credibility extends from that they are both organizations that have a history behind them. They both use Ethos and Pathos to get their points across. You could say logos is used in both as well, however when it comes to PETA it depends on what you believe as an individual to decide whether it's logical. For example some of their beliefs to me have flawed logic.
ReplyDeleteDrama, we need drama! Professor wants chaos and murder! Thus, Shaun you are my victim, you have just been stabbed sir!
DeleteYou sir claim that Peta has flawed logic, what are your details to back up such words? For sake of argument I will take the side of Peta on this one. Peta's views are solid! Wanna save animals and stop the abuse? DON'T EAT MEAT! So simple, why can't the world open their eyes and see this! Wanna stop child abuse? STOP HAVING KIDS! Hell we don't care if the humans die off at least the animals will live on!
Vegetarianism is the most awesome way to live and the only way you should live! At least India is on the right path with making "cows" holy. They just need to make ALL animals just as holy and then at least 1/6 ~ 1/5 of the world would convert to vegetarianism!
(Question) Is breast-feeding against vegetarian views? As your taking in a substance from other living animal? Food for thought!
PETA and the Humane Society have many good intentions, but go about their goals in differing forms. PETA, who received admirable praise many years ago, has radicalized their message and appeals to a polarized segment and rather small portion of the U.S. population. PETA's position of "animals are NOT ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any way", says it all. I believe most rationale Americans can agree with not abusing or experimenting on animals, but some of PETA's other points alienate the organization, labeling it as an ultraliberal and vegan diet lobby. PETA has and continues to use likeminded celebrities to help advance its mission, but in my opinion, only further isolates the organization, such as using Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez hugging filmmaker, Oliver Stone. PETA’s message heavily depends on utilizing pathos to persuade to its predominately American audience.
ReplyDeleteThe Humane Society, however, leverages all three forms of rhetoric; with logos being its most powerful, and pathos being a very close second. The Humane Society is a much more palatable and respectable organization than the chest pumping, vegan diet promoting, socialists, known as PETA.The Humane Society message is much simpler and and is by most accounts, non-confrontational, as compared to PETA’s. The Humane Society’s message, simply put, is to act as an advocate for responsible pet ownership and the humane harvesting of animals and their products, for human consumption. Thereby in acting without a political agenda, the Humane Society will likely be the respected watchdog for animal rights for years to come.
The Humane Society as well as PETA both drive towards audiences that agree with and support the the organizations fight against animal cruelty and prosecution. Both websites have credible success stories and ways in which both have had a positive impact on animal treatment. However, both websites take different approaches on ways to attract followers and supporters. For example, the humane society uses more of pathos approach by using emotions drawing in sympathy, love, and passion for the fight in a better human animal relationship. In contrast, PETA uses more of Logos to appeal to its audience by showing imagery and stories attracting to a social and more wide ranges of people. For example, on the PETA website they talked a lot about and support how a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle will promote less animal cruelty; however, don't show the other side to the argument. Both websites show different ways to appeal to the audience using pathos, logos, and ethos but differ on who they are mainly attracting; for example, one uses celebrities (PETA) and the other uses other large corporations like starbucks (Humane Society) to show large value on the support and try to draw people in with relations. I initially thought that maybe these specific organizations were using largely idealistic people and groups to give a mutual relationship in order to gain support to a much larger group of people to better there own support; thus, forgetting the people that actually have a very serious passion and love for this topic.
ReplyDeleteWell, both use celebrities to advertises, but defiantly in different ways, like Jennifer Aniston is a big advocate for the Humane Society. But agree, with that the way they present there arguments are totally different. Like showing that being a vegan might make you less prone to abuse animals, which can be right but that's a matter of opinion and that's where logos comes in like you said. When you say they both have credible stories, is what I found interesting and true so there is two ways to see the Humane Society and PETA and that can be a good thing then everyone just be against it all the time.
DeleteThe Audience i feel that both PETA and The Humane Society is targeting is anyone who feels that animal cruelty in any shape or form is wrong. PETA is more for killing no animal at all no matter what Even if it is for food. While The Humane Society on the other Hand knows that pigs,chicken cows are a form of food there for its not cruelty. Each website has its own Creditly by using pictures and real life examples of how they are supporting there cause out in the community. I believe they both use logos to get there points across. I still feel the same about both sites. I have always been on the side of The Humane Society, Because meat is good but cruelty to animals is never ever okay.
ReplyDeleteI agree that meat to feed us is very different then killing a fox for a coat. I can see, after watching the video of how cows are treated before they are killed for meat,why PETA would have a problem with the care of the animal. Like you said meat is good, we do need it.
DeleteI agree that the humanes society and PETA are different in the aspect that PETA doesn't want any animal killed, even if its for food as the humane society is just against animals being mistreated. I think more people are going to be on the humanes sociesties side just because they allow eating meat as PETA is against anything it.
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I like your perspective; Humane Society, identifies that animals are sources of food, but consuming those animals is not cruelty. Of course if we abuse or a cruel to animals, then of course than those performing these actions should be held responsible. Unfortunately for PETA, their opinions and actions, have and will likely continue to alienate them. And there emotional (pathos) form of persuasion lacks the logos infused approach that is the Humane Society.
DeleteAfter reviewing the websites for PETA and the Humane Society, I noticed there are many similarities between the two, one being that they are both non-profit organizations and rely on donations. They are also advocates for animal rights, but present their beliefs in very different ways. PETA is well known for their controversial advertising, using nude celebrities to promote their mission to the public. I personally find their ideas to be on the extreme side, based on an experience I had a few years ago when I took my family to the world arena to see the circus. On their website, PETA lists things you can do when the circus cones to town, including organizing a demonstration. While I respect their views on animal cruelty, I don't find using scare tactics at a family event to be acceptable. While the Humane Society has the same beliefs that animals should be protected, I think their approach is less harsh than PETA. I have visited the Humane Society many times with my family, and we have never had an uncomfortable experience. I believe both organizations use logos, pathos, and ethos, just in very different ways.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, there are many similarities between the two. So many that they almost seam like the same people are running both but have made one for extremest and one for people that don't need things thrown in their faces.
DeleteI agree that scare tactics at a family event is not acceptable. That was the first time I had ever been introduced to PETA. It made me mad and not want to understand them and their goals to stop mistreatment of animals.
I defiantly agree that PETA advertises in a very different way then the Human Society. They make it seem like a modeling shoot then just an advertisement for animals. I cant believe they did that in the circus that is insane, I new there were other places that PETA just do these crazy protest at. I also believe that they used ethos, pathos and logos
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DeleteIt's pretty messed up that the PETA organization will go to those kind of family events and be extreme at them while their are families with little kids their trying to enjoy it. And depending on how extreme the organization wants to be could be an very unpleasant time for the children and could really scare them.
DeletePETA stands for the ethical treatment of animals. It seams all animals, in their eyes, are little souls with personalities walking among us and they have rights as we do. PETA's audience is for like minded people or anyone questioning them as their site is filled with scary videos, thankfully because I had ran out of nightmare material . I think their websites credibility comes from the video's they post as proof of animals being abused. As a child I didn't know anything about PETA so my view of them could not change. The Humane Society on the other hand I did know about and volunteered as a child. Their views in general seam to be similar to PETA. Both want us to stop wearing fur and both want equal and fare treatment of animals, but they seam to have two different main focuses.
ReplyDeletePETA thinks that we should never kill any animal for any reason and will do extreme things to make you see things their way. The Humane Society also wants us to treat animals with kindness, but focus more on puppy mills,abused pets and animals that are killed just for fur. The audience for the Humane Society is anyone that loves domestic animals and would like to adopted,but, like PETA, they have the nightmare inducing videos. Their credibility like PETA also comes from their posted videos. The site is registered as a non-profit organization and they also use celebrity endorsement.
I think both sites post videos to appeal to logos, pathos, ethos. The Humane Society websites showed me that they do more then adopted out animals like I understood as a child. Both sites are for animals just in different ways.
Hey Peta is all about not killing animals huh, lets gather 100,000 of the nastiest bugs we can get our hands on and throw it into their offices. I bet, they kill them off with bug spray and other means! Better yet, lets get a man eating tiger and trap it in a room with the CEO of Peta and hand him a shotgun.
DeleteIts easy to point fingers and curse at the world for doing wrong when you have masses behind you but hell I bet even some crazy Peta jerk offs eat meat secretly! You know there is a saying, those who judge others for their actions, are the ones committing to the actions the most!
They both try to attract animal lovers and people who are interested in the rights of animals. However the PETA organization is more focused on animals who are harmed in the media, farms, clothing lines and laboratories while The Humanes Society work more on creating better laws for animals and their rights, campaigns on reform industries, and providing animal rescues and emergency responses. They both appeal to the pathos aspect because they rely on your emotions to help them out and their causes. They also use ethos to make an impact on their audience by getting celebrity spokespersons to speak for their causes. PETA didn't suprise me because when i went to their website the first thing that poped up was a picture of Juaqean Phoenix drowning and I've always assumed they were overly extreme.
ReplyDeleteI agree that both organizations attract animal lovers and people that are passionate about animal rights. I think it's sad that pretty much everyone from our class agrees that PETA is too extreme. Maybe that's what they want their image to be, to attract more people to support their mission. Some would say any publicity is good publicity.
DeleteOverly extreme, what a great way to summarize their actions and beliefs. PETA is in one word-radical. And they only attract the truly bizarre and il-respected celebrities to be their advocates and representatives. While the Humane Society, as you imply, performs honorable and moral services on behalf of society. You pointed out, emergency responses, like animal rescues. Where was PETA? Just pointing fingers, telling us we need to eat lettuce and that eating animals, even riding horses, is wrong.
DeleteI believe that the Human society and PETA have some similarities, such has having love for animals and being anti-abuse and all work on donations and I believe that they display all ethos,pathos and logos . PETA has many over baring qualities then the Human Society, like they display very unnecessary images and videos of abuse to animals, and protest in the middle of a KFC parking lot, from experience and make you feel like the worse person ever, and more places and have really crazy advertising. The Human Society is more just the pure love of animals and wanting you to donate for abusive animals or for you to adopted.
ReplyDeleteProtesting in the middle of a KFC parking lot? I never heard of that... that doesn't surprise me though. PETA is way too polarized and radical to gain the respect and legitimacy that they want. They are the types that stand around with clipboards in big cities, that you avoid, because you know that they are going to put you down and make you feel guilty of eating meat or drinking milk. That is the wrong approach to adopt if any organization is to gain any credibility for themselves, or the animals they claim to protect.
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