Claire Salem
Blog 2
Invention, Arrangement, Style, Delivery and Memory make the
up Rhetorical Canon. At least four of those five are extremely necessary for
effective communication, however an addition could be very beneficial for
communicators to perform at optimal levels. Kairos, the timely and appropriate
response, would prove very beneficial if added to the canon.
Kairos acknowledges that timing can mean everything. It
realizes that if good information is released when no one shows any interest
then it is going to have little effect on the public. However, if the right
information is released at the right time then there will be plenty of public
interest and it will make the influence in society that the author hoped it
would.
Take a look at the 2016 presidential election, at the moment
it is too soon to know anything for certain but there is much speculation about
potential candidates and all the potentials are being more carefully watched
than they probably realize. For Hillary Clinton, this is of little surprise
because she was once the wife of the president, but now as a possible candidate
herself the release of previously secret documents in the William Clinton
Presidential Library are of great interest to those that care about politics
and her future. The timing of the release of the private documents generated
interest for the public, but also for Clinton because if something comes up
that negatively effects her public image, her chances for future nomination are
going to be effected. This is all speculation of course, but it shows the
weight that kairos has on rhetoric. If Hilary Clinton had not remained so
politically involved after her husband’s presidency no one would be interested
in this new release.
Another example from a hopeful presidential nominee falling
victim to Kairos is Chris Christie. At the moment, the news of Christies
involvement in the closing of a bridge is New Jersey is still unclear. However,
the controversy and conflict caused by this scandal has resulted in much less
support for Christie as a presidential candidate. Kairos “seized the moment”
for those that were not in support of seeing Christie advance politically. Many jokes and comics have been a result of
this recent scandal. This example of Kairos also shows how closely rhetoric is
linked to power. The idea that knowledge is power and that information shared
at specific times can greatly effect any situation by shaping how people view
it.
Finally, the dramatized television show, Gossip Girl, about
an anonymous blogger (known as “Gossip Girl”) who knows scandalous information
about young adults living in the upper east side of Manhattan, New York. Gossip
Girl chooses to release information at opportune times that provide for the
most damage possible or for the most pain to be inflicted. However, the blogger
knows that knowledge is power and that the moment the information is released
is very important in how a situation will play out. Gossip Girl takes the
constructionist view of Kairos and attempts to create her own moments of drama
and scandal, which of course make the television show that much more
entertaining. This clip shows gossips girls desire to hurt people and how
important the timing of her posts are so that they are able to cause her
desired effect.
Kairos and seizing the moment to get the optimal reaction
from the largest audience possible is both important and difficult. It should
be added to the Rhetorical Canon because it would help communicators develop
important skills on when best to release information, articles, social media
posts, movies, documentaries, etc. to get the desired result by the most people
from the person who authored the medium.
No comments:
Post a Comment