Sarah Jones
January 26, 2009
This commercial, advertising Macs, is a commentary of America's fast paced lifestyle, focusing on the problems of PCs; while Macs appeal to this busy lifestyle, PCs just hinder it, this comparison being shown not only through the commentary but also through the appearance of the characters playing “Mac” and “PC.” Every person wants to find success and their own version of the “American Dream.” Through this commercial, the American Dream is shown to be possible through Macs. Through the comparison and contrast of the Mac versus the PC, the commercial tries to persuade people’s preference in operating systems. The Mac is shown to be superior in image, portrayed as a skinny man versus the fat man that represents the PC. Macs win out in clothing choice in the commercial, showing a trying too hard look of the PCs versus a laid back, casual look of a Mac. The commercial persuades people’s opinions of the operating systems by representing the Mac as a well known, cool, good looking actor versus the dorky looking, older boring version of the PC.
The image and body structure of the two men, a “bloated” man representing a PC and a skinny man representing a Mac, is parallel to the structure of the two operating machines. The bloated man represents everything that people do not want in a computer and in turn what they themselves do not want to be. No one is born fat, but it comes with laziness, idleness, and a lack of drive. This is the embodiment of a PC, as shown in the commercial. Although a PC is not bought sluggish and useless, it becomes this way after being loaded with information it cannot sort out. PCs are shown in the commercial to be slow, packed with useless tidbits of programs that are necessary for proper use of that machine; however, in a Mac these programs are not needed. A Mac comes with everything that is needed, like ITunes, I photo, and many other programs that are not trial software. Because of this, the Mac gives the image of being neat and tidy and in top shape. This is not the image of the “American Dream” that everyone wants to be a part of; instead, it is the image that people are trying to get America away from. We do not want to be shown as a nation of fat, lazy people with no ambition, instead, we want to be known as a nation with all the resources to make anyone great. Like the Mac in the commercial, we want to be considered a nation full of people with energy rising up in the world and accomplishing great tasks. Much like the skinny man, a Mac has more “energy,” lasting longer and holding more important information. They are able to be trusted with value and worth. Because the PC has all of this useless information, it eventually becomes slow and useless, crashing at the most inopportune times. The epitome of the American Dream is wrapped up in the Mac; therefore, they are more appealing to the customer.
Throughout the commercial many persuasive arguments are presented in various forms. A persuasive part of the commercial is the setup of the scene and how the two people are dressed. The commercial is setup with a complete white background with nothing in the surroundings, and the only things present in the scene are the two people representing Macs and PCs. This causes for the audience to focus on the two people. With the focus being only on the two people more emphasis is put on how they are dressed and act. Because the only colors in the commercial are the clothes they are wearing, the viewer is able to analyze their color choices more than if they were blurred with a background or other figures in the commercial. In the visual, the PC is wearing a suit and the Mac is wearing a casual outfit. This makes the PC seem like a dork, as opposed to the Mac who appears to be relaxed and laid back, just how anyone would want to appear to be. Because the viewer relates to the character of the operating systems shown rather than the computer itself, the consumer will want to buy a Mac over a PC, wanting to be viewed as relaxed and carefree. The PC appears to be trying to look better than he actually is by wearing a suit. The Mac is shown as down to earth, representing himself as being who he is and not trying too hard to be something else, or even appear to be something or have something he does not and cannot have. People will be more inclined to buy something they feel more comfortable with rather than something that just looks nice. Not only is the PC wearing a suit and the Mac is wearing casual clothes, the PC has on a red tie and the Mac has on a blue shirt. These are opposing colors, representing the juxtaposition of the two operating systems and the extreme difference between the two. The “American Dream” is shown through wearing the right clothes and looking the right way because of a person’s success. People will want what they think is the most appealing, in this case, the Mac. The author of the commercial’s strategy of using opposing appearances enhances the appeal of the Mac, showing the immense difference and bringing to the front the reasons for getting a Mac.
Rhetorical appeals greatly persuade the viewer and influence their decision to choose one product over another. This commercial compares the actors representing the two products. Justin Long represents Macs, a young, popular movie star, and John Hodgman portrays the PC, an older, more boring, lesser known actor/ writer. When people buy products because they have seen them advertised on TV, it is usually due to their attraction to the character or actor that is displaying the product. The majority of consumers that buy computers are college aged or students because every student is required to own a laptop. Every college student can relate to Justin Long because he is young and plays in movies that are comical and appeal to people in their teens and twenties. Because he is well known, more people will be willing to buy a product that he endorses because, even though they do not know him personally, they trust his decisions. Unlike this cool, fun-loving guy, the actor playing the PC is not as well known. John Hodgman is mostly known for his writing, not his acting; therefore, people do not know his face. He is older and not as good looking as “the Mac.” People will consider him a joke because of the way he looks and his anonymity. This is not a commentary on the anonymity of PCs, because there is no discrimination in the number of PCs versus Macs, but on people’s preferences and their preference in a product they can relate to rather than something they do not want to compare themselves to. The commercial influences people’s bias and opinion and their underlying need to feel recognized and well known. The “American Dream” is to not only find success but to be praised and find satisfaction in other people’s opinions. By comparing Justin Long and John Hodgman, the commercial gives preference to Macs through the popularity of the character that plays each operating system.
The Mac commercial is an analysis of the benefits of a Mac shown in the failures of a PC. Although the commercial does not show the cons of a Mac or the pros of a PC, it persuades the viewer to make a choice based on the information they are given. Through the comparison and contrast of the two, the consumer is encouraged to buy a Mac rather than a PC. Using rhetorical strategies and appeals, the commercial makes it very convincing to buy a Mac by showing the many downsides to a PC. Through the juxtaposition of many elements, Macs are shown to be superior.
Works Cited
Alfano, Christine and Alyssa O’Brien. Envision in Depth: Reading, Writing, and Researching Arguments. Pearson Longman. 2008.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EbCyibkNB0
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