Electronic Storytelling: Modern rhetoric at
its finest
Modern rhetoric is derived from older
schools of thought in rhetoric; it is entirely contingent upon classical
rhetoric to give it meaning, since it depends entirely on reshaping classical
ideals into new ways to create meaning. Philosopher Kenneth Burke defines
Modern Rhetoric as, “rooted in an essential function of language itself, a
function that is wholly realistic, and is continually born anew; the use of
language as a symbolic means of inducing cooperation in beings that by nature
respond to symbols.” (Burke, 43) As rhetoric continues to adapt and change with
the centuries, the art of storytelling has changed as well—with modern
storytellers choosing new methods with which to share their stories.
Rhetoric has
shifted beyond simple oration and written word into new media, with the
incorporation of photographs, video, Internet, and a variety of new technology.
Texts rarely stand alone—most effective means of communication include images
and diagrams that can further the point of the text. While a classical rhetor
might argue that something as simple as step-by-step instructions printed on
the web is hardly rhetoric, a modern rhetor would assert that the pictures,
text, and the web page that contains them both, make up the essence of modern
rhetoric—a means to assist the reader with how best to complete a project, with
every element working together to create meaning. Such scholars as Roland
Barthes devoted their work to the validity of photographs as a means of
storytelling, and Barthes focused on this, placing emphasis on the
effectiveness of sound and photograph as methods of conveyance.
Beyond this, print is waning as a main form
of communication. Modern journalism relies almost solely on web-based media to
inform readers and viewers of what is current, while newspapers across the
country have faded into the background. The Wall Street Journal, The New York
Times, and the Economist have all adopted online versions in an effort to
adjust to the changing climate of rhetoric in modern America.
Additionally, according to an article
printed by Ars Technica just over a year ago, 91 percent of the population own
and operate cell phones or mobile devices. Nielsen estimates that 1 in 2
Americans will own a smartphone by Christmas of 2011, and texting and
abbreviated language used within these messages has emerged as a new kind of
language. The smartphone has produced a culture with a world of information at its
fingertips—information that is conveyed through photograph and video. Rhetoric
has shifted beyond the use of pen and paper, or even beyond the simple word
processor, as a culture that loses attention span each year looks for a faster
means to access information. The iPad has contributed to this shift, where
tablets have allowed the average user to realize the Star Trek dream—a
touch-screen tablet that is capable of sharing information with other peers
effortlessly. These devices suggest a shift in our culture toward the tendency
of post-literacy—or a culture that no longer requires reading and writing to
communicate effectively.
Classical rhetoric laid this framework
thousands of years ago, but with a much more rigid structure. Published works
of Plato and Aristotle detailed exact formulas through which one might
formulate an argument; Aristotle’s Rhetoric
specifically details instances in which certain extrinsic proofs and
arguments may be made, and which places these arguments may not be used. The
use of logos, pathos, and ethos remained
formulaic—with arguments established with methods similar to that of completing
a mathematic equation.
The most effective method of constructing pathos and ethos was through storytelling. The classical communicators used stories
to sway the audience to their positions, with grandiose gestures and powerful
deliver to inspire emotion. William G. Kirkwood recounts a tale of Rabbi Jacob
Joseph and Bal Shem Tov in Storytelling
and Self-Confrontation, in which Bal Shem uses a parable to persuade the
rabbi to accept the emptiness of the temple. Kirkwood states that, “parables
are told to arouse both sympathetic and hostile listeners to recognize and
overcome those thoughts, feelings, attitudes and actions which impede their
spiritual growth.” (Kirkwood, 58) He conveys the significance of a story as an
addition to an argument, and the importance of the story has carried into
modern times in everyday communication.
Joe Sabia effectively communicates the shift
in rhetoric from classical to modern through his TED talk, “The Technology of
Storytelling.” Instead of employing traditional methods through which to give
his speech, he chooses to share the story of the evolution of the book as a
storytelling device—using his iPad as a visual. He engages his audience in
elements of traditional oration, but includes technology as a vessel for his
message.
The presentation itself is highly effective
as a means to communicate the history of the storytelling process. It
references the classic oration by whimsically mimicking the style of
traditional storytellers in the tradition of Homer’s Odyssey. He hypes Lothar
Meggendorfer up through a dramatic introduction, lifting him to an arguably
god-like status in the eyes of the audience. He uses such tropes as “Once upon
a time,” and “he changed the game forever.” In fact, his introduction tends to
reference not only the great epics, but hyper-dramatic movie trailers of
high-budget action thrillers.
His presentation itself is the perfect example
of a form of meta-commentary—while detailing the changes to the art of storytelling
throughout history, he is demonstrating them through iPad visualization. This
is an evolved form of classical delivery. Early rhetors gave a presentation to
an audience, face-to-face, sharing stories to convey their point; Sabia does
the same thing through his presentation, only he reconstructs this classical
practice with modern technology. Just as Burke suggest of modern rhetoric,
Sabia is rebirthing the practice of rhetorical thinking by revamping the
process.
Throughout his speech, he demonstrates
modern technology at work—he displays video clips, live browser searches,
photographs, and tablet technology to explain the detailed history of the
storybook. Although he incorrectly cites
Lothar Meggendorfer as the first pop-up book writer in history (Ernest Nisten
produced true pop-up books at around the same time), he still chooses a worthy
individual to mention. Meggendorfer himself could be considered a modern
rhetorician. Through the construction of a medium that was more suitable for
him to tell his stories, Meggendorfer shifted the tone of the story from 2D to
3D, opening the door for other elements to be included in the process.
Sabia further acknowledges the changes in
media by explaining where the story has traveled beyond the pop-up book—“opera
to vaudeville, radio news to radio theater, film to film in motion to film in
sound, color, 3D, on VHS and DVD.” (Sabia) He argues that those inspired by
Meggendorfer are agents of change within other media—that he set into motion a
chain of rhetorical adjustment, with individual interpretation of media
creating new mediums from which rhetoricians may learn and improve the learning
process. This would state that Meggendorfer, and every agent of change to
follow, is a modern rhetorician, with Sabia following suit by introducing a
revolutionary method of presentation.
Ultimately, Sabia succeeds as a rhetorician.
He caters to the attention span of modern society by engaging every sensory capacity
of the audience—restructuring ethos
in such a way as to allow the audience to wholly invest in his message. He
employs humor, creativity, and an independent meta-commentary on the evolution
of the presentation and story, while retaining the elements of classical
mantras of speech and delivery.
Work Cited
Burke,
Kenneth. A Rhetoric of Motives.
London, England: University of California Press, Ltd,
“Joe Sabia:
The Technology of Storytelling.” Ted.com. Nov 2011. Web. 23 Nov 2011.
Foresman,
Chris. “Wireless Survey: 91% of Americans use cell phones.” Ars Technica. 2010.
Web. 23 Nov 2011
<http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2010/03/wireless-survey-91-of-
americans-have-cell-phones.ars>
Enter,
Roger. “Smartphones to Overtake Feature
Phones in U.S. by 2011.” Nielson Wire. 26
March 2010. Web. 23 November 2011. <http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/
smartphones-to-overtake-feature-phones-in-u-s-by-2011/>