Analysis of My Rhetorical Situation

This blog post will be my rhetorical analysis of my upcoming Project 1 on the Nightingale casting controversy.

Saltempo. "Self-portraiture + metadata." 12/15/2006. via flickr. Attribution-NonCommerical 2.0 Generic.

The audience that would read the quick reference guide based on the story that I am covering would be extremely particular. They would be extremely interested in this new wave of social media, and would likely be extremely active on other sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They would be young, and not only theatre enthusiasts, but also enthusiasts on social issues as well. It is most likely that the story would attract a liberal audience because they would find more sympathy in racism against the Asian community, and it would more than likely be attracted by more of the Asian community as well.

It is also likely that mostly it would attract those who are more directly effected in the local area, and therefore those on the west coast would be more interested in this story. Also the more liberal areas of the country such as the Northeast would be interested in this story because of their political opinions and their push towards political equality between the races. Those who also would find this issue important to them are those who have a major concern with white-washing, and would likely find what is going on recently with the Academy Awards and the lack of African American representation deplorable as well. It is likely that the audience would value social equality and political correctness as well.

The project should be able to enlighten the audience on the history of white-washing in popular culture, and it's most recent significance specifically in the area of entertainment and more specifically within theatre. I want for my audience to come out more informed on the topic as a whole, and also come out with a knowledge that this idea is wrong and have a desire to fix it. The project is not necessarily about telling the audience to fix it, or offering them a solution as to how to fix it, but the feeling should linger with them that this is a problem within the entertainment industry that needs to change.

I want to ensure that the side of La Jolla Playhouse is told effectively, and avoid too much focus on the outcry. It is within habit, especially for newer generations, to just pay attention to the victim's side of the story rather than hearing out who has perpetrated this controversy. I want to ensure that both sides are heard adequately, and while I want them to walk away enlightened on the issue, I also want them to feel knowledgeable on the ideas of the Playhouse as well rather than automatic vilification. I want them to understand that this situation is common in today's society and that all sides have a reason for doing what they do.

I personally have a passion for theatre that not many others within this current classroom setting have, and therefore I have passion for anything that goes on regarding any parts of the theatre. I believe that it is important for the theatre to be a place of joy, growth, and pure entertainment. While theatre can challenge the audience to think critically, there is certain tact within theatre that must be understood. For example, doing an all-white version of Hairspray is offensive and wrong, and while it is important that this sort of unspoken rule be understood and I believe that this is an instance where it was not and it is important to understand why.

Also, many of the attributes that I believe in personally match up with what the audience of this article would be. I understand what the audience would want to hear, but I also understand what is important for them to hear and these are not all necessarily the same thing. I am the perfect fit to tell this story because I have a passion for the ideas in this story, and I believe wholeheartedly in these ideas, but I understand the importance of objectivity and understanding both sides of the story which are not usually seen, let alone understood.