Got a lot of opinion, more than a centipede's socks
Objectivity and subjectivity are something that comes up almost every day of my life. My girlfriend doesn't consider me to be the nicest guy and I am quite blunt. Most of the time it's something along the lines of me saying, " Why would I want to watch videos of cats when I have the two cutest nekos(Japanese word for cats) in the whole world right next to me?"
Being able to write more subjectively is quite relieving. No forced, stuffy structure in these thoughts. Not that it doesn't have its place in scientific papers and research, it's just a little harder to focus when it feels like a robot is talking to you in an editorial. Writing in a manner that makes you feel familiar to the audience is one aspect of a subjective piece such as an op/ed.
Seeming approachable and equal to an audience is vital to such rhetorical situations. As Bret Stephens points out, "ideal reader of an op-ed is the ordinary subscriber - a person of normal intelligence" This is probably why most people stop their vigorous reading for pleasure ends in their teenage years, right before it's all boring school textbooks and manuals; there's nobody to relate to in these cases.
This is why op/eds are so appealing to a certain audience. Just as in the Nike ad campaign war, some may not like their news or product to be so opinionated. If I really wanted to stay up to date, I would like an objective view sometimes, but generally I don't really understand how one could dislike the genre. That's not to say I can't learn to aim properly still, writing wise. In Allena Tapia's words,"Think of who reads the paper."
Since, we're all reading this blog online, I think a rhetorical situation that I would like to cover in the future is net neutrality or the link tax. Both are current and will have long lasting effects on people on the web, which is at an all-time high, what with cell phones having a 60% addiction rate. The latter seems more interesting and ironic since I'm using hyperlinks right now.
Being able to write more subjectively is quite relieving. No forced, stuffy structure in these thoughts. Not that it doesn't have its place in scientific papers and research, it's just a little harder to focus when it feels like a robot is talking to you in an editorial. Writing in a manner that makes you feel familiar to the audience is one aspect of a subjective piece such as an op/ed.
Seeming approachable and equal to an audience is vital to such rhetorical situations. As Bret Stephens points out, "ideal reader of an op-ed is the ordinary subscriber - a person of normal intelligence" This is probably why most people stop their vigorous reading for pleasure ends in their teenage years, right before it's all boring school textbooks and manuals; there's nobody to relate to in these cases.
This is why op/eds are so appealing to a certain audience. Just as in the Nike ad campaign war, some may not like their news or product to be so opinionated. If I really wanted to stay up to date, I would like an objective view sometimes, but generally I don't really understand how one could dislike the genre. That's not to say I can't learn to aim properly still, writing wise. In Allena Tapia's words,"Think of who reads the paper."
Since, we're all reading this blog online, I think a rhetorical situation that I would like to cover in the future is net neutrality or the link tax. Both are current and will have long lasting effects on people on the web, which is at an all-time high, what with cell phones having a 60% addiction rate. The latter seems more interesting and ironic since I'm using hyperlinks right now.
Great description of an op/ed and nice integration of what others have said. Be sure to tie your topic to something that has happened recently!
ReplyDeleteGreat title! I thought it sounded familiar from a song, so I looked it up and found "No Flex Zone" by Karmin ft. Watsky. I had never heard of it but I clicked on it anyway and ended up really enjoying the song. And I even realized I recognized one of the artists, Watsky, from Epic Rap Battles of History where he played Shakespeare. Also I agree that reading writing that is very formulaic and robotic, can be very boring and drive me farther from being convinced even if the content is solid.
ReplyDeleteHey Manny,
ReplyDeleteFirst off, the title. Sick reference bro. Your references are out of control, everyone knows that.
I like the point that you brought up about the typical op/ed reader being a person of average intelligence. That's what's so refreshing about op/eds, you get to interact with your audience in a very genuine way, so it allows you to write in a style where you're most comfortable (the way you normally talk) and have a little bit of fun and add some pizzazz while still being serious about your views.