Misinformercials

I'll kick this post off by telling you guys the fallacious comment my aunt tried on my cousin. He attempted to eat a banana, one of the small variety, in one bite because my brother did it. He gagged when trying. "If Sergio [my brother] jumps out a window, would you to?" 

"If he survived I probably would."

"If he survived I probably would." Wow. That was the stupidest retort I've heard AND it sounded worse in Spanish. Sergio could lose both arms and a leg and still survive. There's nothing left to say here.

This little occurrence just took place in my house and was perfect to get in a rhetorical mood. 

There's an ongoing debate on topics like gay marriage and abortion. I ask myself whether the "right way" foul applies to this argument. I consider that like beauty, what's right and what's wrong is up to the person to decide. Concepts as abstract as these have no right or wrong. In my opinion, it just can't be determined. Others have a truth. One doesn't know if the opponent is lying, so one must focus on trying to find out.

1. Try to discover who's needs the persuader is trying to meet.

2. Understand how much of an extremist your opponent is.

Back to abortion, I asked some people whether they supported it, didn't, or wouldn't respond. More tan 80% of the people I asked told me "That depends on the situation, if my girlfriend got pregnant I'd make her get and abortion / I support abortion in are of rape." In this case there was no space for sussing but it was very close to assessing practical wisdom.

Off to another topic, Juliana's blog. Good analysis on the Pajama Jeans commercial even though, sadly, this product already exists and goes by the name of jeggings. Yup, you combine leggings and jeans to get these pants, which are just as comfortable as the Pajama Jeans and much prettier (as I see it). I do agree with Juliana when she says that the comparable experience is very clear and I do see it in many commercials when I wake up! Like this one. Or this one. Or all the other commercials that make me want to go back to sleep. And Isabella has the same thoughts.

Seems like every blog I've read (of the people who did their homework) talks about Infomercials. And it seems like I'm a rhetorical wit. Isabella's post showed me all the fallacies in the video she linked when  all I saw was an easy way for people with weak, not-so-sexy midsection into a world of ponies and better looking abs. Restating Isabella's rhetorical question, who'd have thought? Definitely not me!