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Dicto Simpliciter

Isabel Edmondson and Camille Howard

Dicto Simpliciter
Definition: An argument based on an unqualified generalization

Examples:
1. Vegetables are good; therefore, everyone should eat them.
2. In a car accident seat belts save you; henceforth, everyone should
wear a seat belt.

Image that Represents Dicto Simpliciter


This image represents the saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" which is a
statement generalization that is not always true.

Ad Example
Lynch, Alison. "Vintage
Ads." Metro. N.p., 29 May
2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.

Ad Annotation

Rhetorical Analysis of Cola Ad


In a vintage advertisement for Cola, the main slogan uses dicto simpliciter to
convince their audience to buy their product. The slogan states in order to have a better
life the audience must drink cola earlier, which implies they should buy their product as
soon as possible in order to improve their lives. The picture of the joyful baby with his
smiling mother embeds ethos into the ad by displaying a desired mother child relationship
that many people yearn for. Now the company is selling the idea of a happy family which
can be more appealing than the product. Also, putting the soda in the foreground
highlights the idea of a better life and happiness rather than the actual product. This
marketing strategy is called lovemark where you sell a concept or idea rather than just
the brand (The Persuaders). The creators of this ad carefully chose the typography since
they bolded words such as cola and used larger font for more important points like How
soon is too soon?. All of these precise elements are clearly strategically placed in order to
persuade the possible buyers while hiding fallacies such as dicto simpliciter within the
advertisement.

Textual Annotation

Republican Debate Cold Open.


Dir. Don Roy King. Perf. Taran
Killam and Darrell Hammond.
NBC, 2016. Television Show.

Rhetorical Analysis of a Verbal Fallacy


This example of dicto simpliciter was found in a parody of a republican debate on
Saturday Night Live. Ted Cruz (Taran Killam) was accused of being born a Canadian by
Donald Trump (Darrell Hammond). Defending his title of American citizenship, Cruz
generalizes the Canadian population as rugged, genuine, and well liked, to pursue
the audience that he is a natural born citizen because he claims he is the opposite of the
ideal Canadian. Political advertising is just the artful assembling of nominal facts
into hideous, outrageous lies; hence, SNL decided to spoof this Republican debate
because it is filled with ridiculous generalizations. The audience, Americans at home, is
watching a comedy show, but the show is mocking the absurdity of political advertising,
which is also targeted towards the same audience. The real life purpose behind these lies
and generalizations is to pursue people to vote for the candidates, in this case it is Cruz.
On SNL, they take a common subject of race, and incorporate it into their humor, as well
as pointing out the topics that are actually spoken of in real debates. The sketchs
humorous tone clarifies that this generalization is a joke, but it points out the faults in
political advertising as well.

Advertisement ~ SnuggleSuit

Annotation
of Our Ad

Analysis of Our Ad
In our ad for SnuggleSuits, dicto simpliciter, overgeneralizing, post hoc ergo propter
hoc, begging the question, and either/or fallacy are used in order to persuade the audience
to buy the product. The advertisement assumes a life of comfort involves a
SnuggleSuit which is clearly defined as dicto simpliciter since it is a fact based on
generalizations. Using dicto simpliciter for the main slogan draws attention to the product,
and why people--of all ages--should buy it. The small paragraph in the bottom left corner of
the ad is also filled with fallacies: everyone needs to stay warm, the only cure, every
time you are guaranteed, are all perfect examples of various fallacies. All of the images
of the product are bright and warm colors, both catching the audiences eye and
harnessing the audience to feel comfortable and safe with this product. The pinks and
oranges of the SnuggleSuit makes the product appear warm and inviting. SnuggleSuit is
also in a different font, creating a space in the audiences mind to remember this product.

Commercial - SnuggleSuit
http://youtu.be/-iIEHrgfeaQ

Works Cited
Lynch, Alison. "Vintage Ads." Metro. N.p., 29 May 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
The Persuaders. Dir. Barak Goodman and Rachel Dretzin. By Douglas Rushkoff. Prod. Muriel
Soenens. PBS, 2004. Television Show.
Republican Debate Cold Open. Dir. Don Roy King. Perf. Taran Killam and Darrell
Hammond. NBC,
2016. Television Show.

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