Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Caprica City!! (EXT CR #4)

I looked over analyzed Syfy's "The Caprican" (http://www.syfy.com/caprican) in respect to its rhetorical triangle (ethos, pathos, and logos) and found this "online newspaper" to be very believable.  This site really makes you believe that there is a Caprica City.  Through the use of the rhetorical triangle, the Caprican site creator explains articles and Caprica city in a professional and convincing manner, as well as adding elements (the various columns listed on the left side of the webpage) to inform his readers about this very realistic city of Caprica.
     In regards to the ethos of the newspaper, the website creator uses very realistic and professional language when he refers to the city of Caprica, its people, and it's lifestyle.  For example, he describes Tomas Vergis, a prominent inventor and engineer, leaving Tauron and becoming a Caprican.  This is discussed in a professional manner that leaves the readers with a sense that this is a real man with real talents that is about to undergo a lifestyle change in a new city.  The Caprican writer sounds like a real, unbiased writer in this and many of the other articles.  There is even a comments section that has comments about the Caprican citizenship of Tomas Vergis from real-sounding people.  Some of these people are Capricans and defend their city.  Others, whether Capricans or Taurons, have their realistic opinions about Mr. Vergis and his pending citizenship in Caprica.  These are believable comments made by believable and concerned people.  Almost any visitor to this website would believe, at least for some time, that these comments discuss or are aimed at an existing, real-life man named Tomas Vergis, who is moving to a real-life city named Caprica somewhere on this planet.  Readers are even able to "report" an offensive comment on any of the comments on any column page report.  Of course, when you "report" a comment, it says that the comment will be "sent to an administrator".  Many legitimate and true-life websites and communities include this "report" feature in their boards.  In those communities, however, the report feature actually works.  However, on The Caprican, how is a visitor/reader to know that this reporting doesn't work?  In the articles throughout "The Caprican", the writers seem fair and objective with their topics.  They have several people that give their opinions about events and goings-on in Caprica in the articles. Opinions are certainly commonplace in articles in most newspaper articles throughout at least the United States.  In most of the articles, too, the writers explain events and lifestyles of the Caprica City people in an understandable and common dialogue often seen in real newspapers across the world.  The writers try to and succeed in establishing a common ground with the readers of this mock online newspaper. 
     In accordance with the pathos of the site, "The Caprican" makes the readers feel like they live in Caprica City or somewhere like it.  The readers may feel like this is a different kind of city, but they can still associate with the city environment and lifestyles of the people.  Each writer makes the readers of his articles feel like they have a voice or at least a feeling about what is being discussed.  For example, in the article, "Dr. Amanda Graystone Apparently Jumps from Pantheon Bridge" in the News column, a tragedy is reported about a woman, Amanda Graystone, that apprently has committed suicide.  This was no ordinary woman, but one that many Capricans have put partial blame on for large-scale attack called the MAGLEV bombing that has put many Capricans on edge.  The articles says that Dr. Graystone might have killed herself because of the "intense scrutiny and pressure by the people of Caprica" against her and her family.  This makes the readers, as some of those Capricans that commented, feel anguish and sadness over this woman.  Many readers would feel she deserved it after what her daughter Zoe did, but they also realize that she was a person like you and I.  The articles grabs the heart of the readers as most of the readers can relate this to someone in their real life that has gone through the same sort of suicide or troubles after a troubled life.  Another example of a writer's emotional grab of the readers is the article, "RUMORS AND WHISPERINGS: Is Tomas Vergis Buying the C-Bucs?" in the Sports column.  As Matthew Riley explains, the C-Bucs are perhaps the most popular "home" sports team in Caprica City.  Their team is about to be bought by Tomas Vergis, a Tauron, as Daniel Graystone and his dynasty is collapsing and needing money.  The Caprica City people do not want this to happen.  The reader has no choice but to feel sad and angry at the same time for the Caprica sports fans who love to watch the C-Bucs.  It is the same as a huge Seattle Seahawks fan finding out the Seahawks are moving out of Seattle and somewhere east such as New York.  The reader is filled with despair and grief for these Capricans who have lost hope in keeping their beloved team as they possibly might be moved to Tauron.  Each article brings the reader to be happy with or sympathize with the people of Caprica City.  The readers have real feelings about people they believe are real persons in a real city over supposed real issues.  The emotional factors convince the reader that Caprica City HAS to be real and that this is the paper of that real city somewhere on Earth.
     In regards to the logos of the site, the site creator does much to support his ideas and uses effective arguments.  His ideas and arguments about Caprica City and its representations sound very real and believable.  He uses a professional and mature tone throughout his online mock newspaper.  The articles are written and the paper is structured very similar to most major newspapers in the United States if not the rest of the world as well.  The "writers" of the articles are very convincing in the issues they write about.  The Caprican site creator, such as in the articles about the C-Bucs Pyramid team, follows up on articles.  For example, in "Whither the C-Bucs?", the readers see a struggling C-Bucs team as well as owner Daniel Graystone, and they know something big is about to happen.  We see the date of that article as "MARTIUS 23, YR42", meaning March 23, 42.  The date of the followup article, which shows the C-Bucs in a possible sale to Vergis due to the financial downfall of Dan Graystone, their owner, is shown as "APRILIS 5, YR42".  This translates to April 5, 42.  The second article is only 13 days after the first.  This is a very realistic time frame in real life sports for a struggling owner to reportedly be selling his team to another owner.  The readers of "The Caprican" would rightfully be convinced that this is a real sports team with a financially-troubled owner that is going to sell his team.  This has happened at least a few times in sports in the real world.  Another example of effective arguments for a real city of Caprica is found all throughout the "Caprica City Visitors Guide".  Realistic-sounding places, including the Ambrosia Distillery, Caprica Art Museum, Holo Cafe, and the Pantheon Bridge are discussed as exciting places for visitors of Caprica City.  Each tourist spot is discussed in a realistic, warm and inviting way.  The Holo Cafe would excite people with its "easy access to cyber land".  There are actual cybercafes in the U.S..  The Ambrosia Distillery wants visitors to "schedule a tour and a tasting", such as many real distilleries in the U.S. allow to their visitors  Finally, the Pantheon Bridge allows visitors and residents to take "leisurely strolls" across it, such as some major bridges of major cities of the world allow.  These uses of tourist spots and their commonplace characteristics and descriptions help create the imagined environment of a real city for readers that aren't sure if Caprica City is real or not. 
     I wanted to mention, too, that "The Caprican" has a stock watch section similar to that of many real newspapers, although only the Vergis Corporation and Graystone Industries stocks are listed as Caprica City is not a large city. 
     All in all, with several columns, each with their own related articles, convincing writers, realistic people with realistic concerns, a home sports team, real matters that real cities face, realistic pictures and descriptions of tourist hot spots that mimic real world tourist spots, and a professional tone throughout, "The Caprican" carries the feel and impact of any real  online or real life newspaper.  The ethos, pathos, and logos rhetorical triangle is abundant throughout "The Caprican" site.  The ethos, or etchical appeal, of the mock newspaper is felt by fair, understandable and objective articles and real-sounding information about Caprica City.  The pathos, or emotional appeal, of this newspaper is put out to the readers in several articles that the readers can relate something from their real life to. Whether it makes the reader sad, angry, happy, or depressed, most of the articles discuss something that the reader has a positive or negative feeling for, and the articles grab that emotion from the readers as they read about Caprica City and its events.  The logos, or logical appeal, of the newspaper is evident in the way the site creator creates a very realistic and true-to-life visitors guide that describes many realistic places with realistic descriptions.  The site creator, at least in the visitor's guide, uses effective arguments that would persuade the reader that Caprica City is a very entertaining and educational place to visit.  In other articles, he indirectly intimidates the readers, through comments by "others" and his own "writers'" articles, to stay away from Caprica City because it is full of financial trouble, violence, and corruption.  "The Caprican" mimics an online newspaper very well and complete.  If the newspaper had more sports scores, articles, pictures, stocks, and pictures, it would be only more convincing to those site visitors that believe Caprica City is in existence and that it is the most influential of the "12 colonies". However, the average visitor to this site, I believe, will be searching out Caprica City in a real life atlas and planning a vacation soon after their rustle through the pages of "The Caprican".

Works Cited:

THE CAPRICAN.  5 Apr. 2010. 12 Apr. 2010 http://showblogs.syfy.com/caprican/index.php.

1 comment:

  1. got the credit marked for this - pretty neat, huh! you did a good job.

    ReplyDelete