In the
Jerry Springer video, “Jerry Springer vs. The Church of Euthanasia” Jerry hosts
two members and a priest of the cult on his talk show. As members and
representatives of the organization they are qualified to speak on behalf of
it. Throughout the video they speak about how the Church of Euthanasia believes
the world is dying from overpopulation and the cure is suicide and cannibalism.
This group is a credible source of information because they have firsthand experience
of the cult’s activities and rituals. Along with the members of the church,
Jerry is also a prominent figure in the video. As the host of the show he has a
strong extrinsic ethos. Jerry was involved in politics before his television
career; he served in both Kennedy’s presidential campaign, Congress and Cincinnati’s
City Council. Because of his political background, and the previous episodes of
his show, Jerry was a well-known public figure before this specific episode
aired. It was common knowledge that Springer was well versed on both social and
political issues, such as the one discussed in the video. This makes it easier
for the audience to support his criticisms and claims throughout the episode.
-Hannah H
I like how you mentioned springer's extrinsic ethos. I believe that in this case extrinsic ethos is the most important variable in many of his actions. Being involved in politics generally inclines one to have a higher extrinsic ethos as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that the members of the church do have credibility on their own church. However, I think it is important to remember that although Springer was political, in terms of his show he was mostly just trying to stir up as much drama as possible, so I would not consider his actions to be legitimately objective.
ReplyDeleteI think it is good that you did an analysis of Jerry Springer since he is the host, however I think it is more important to examine the ethos of the church members. For example, go more in depth about their extrinsic ethos (i.e. what the public thinks of them). Or even evaluate what they're saying on the show that makes what they believe credible .
ReplyDeleteI like the way that you analyzed Jerry Springer's credibility, putting aside any opinions on the matter of cannibalism and suicide. You went in depth about how Jerry was a member of this movement prior to the airing of the video, demonstrating how Jerry had considerable experience in the Church he was in.
ReplyDelete