Rhetorical Analysis: The Real Cost

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States.” This makes it equal to about one in five deaths annually. Even though cigarettes are not the most common reason for a person’s death, the cigarette death toll can be easily decreased by educating the younger generation about the negative impacts of tobacco, especially when smoking cigarettes. The Real Cost wanted to point this out to young teenagers, in ads such as “Stay in Control.” By using a depicting storyline which goes from hopelessness to letting go, a relatable cast, and presenting viewers with an alternate outcome, The Real Cost 2011 commercial effectively convinces its target audience …show more content…
At the conclusion of the commercial, a different voice comes in. The voice proclaimed that “There’s a contract in every cigarette, when you light up, you sign up” to what the cigarette asks for. This means that no matter how many times you light up a cigarette, you are agreeing to let tobacco potentially take control of your life. The voice then adds, “Don’t let tobacco control you.” By bringing this up, the ad is clarifying how they want their audience to view tobacco products, such as smoking cigarettes. To not let tobacco control you, you need to let go of your past and move forward with another way to deal with the …show more content…
Cigarettes include tobacco, which is a very addictive product and that is why it quickly can take command of a person’s life. The cigarette withdrew Amanda away from her friends and became her new best friend, when it is supposed be her enemy. By reading the contract of the cigarette, it helped clarify that even though it may seem that the cigarette is in control and you can let go of what is controlling your life. To makes this commercial effective, you have to contribute everything the cigarette does, and how it can command a life and how you do not want it to command your