Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Julia Botvinov
Ms. Babcock
English 137 Section 11
7 October 2018
Rhetorical Strategies Used by Banksy and the ASPCA Against Animal Cruelty
In October 2013, anonymous street artist, Banksy, created an art installation titled ‘Sirens
of the Lambs’ in order to target the harsh truth behind factory farming. He assembled a
screamed while the truck was driven around New York City for over a week. About six years
earlier, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) aired a public
service announcement known as the ‘Arms of an Angel’ commercial, which called for donations
to fight against domestic animal neglect and harm. Through different mediums, Banksy’s art
piece and ASPCA’s commercial use Aristotle’s three modes of persuasion, also known as ethos,
Both Banksy’s and the ASPCA’s pieces make use of celebrities and their first-hand
experiences with the cause to appear credible and execute this ethical appeal. With the ‘Sirens of
the Lambs’ art installation, Banksy capitalizes on his own celebrity. He is known worldwide for
his thought-provoking graffiti pieces and art sculptures which are all related in some way to
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taboo topics such as politics, policy, environment, and consumerism. He is the director and focus
of the award-winning film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, and according to StreetArtBio.com, he is
“arguably the most controversial street artist in the world.” His work is recognizable worldwide
and because the installation is a Banksy original, the fame that is tied to his name is ultimately
tied to the piece as well. The overall positive reputation he has fosters the audience to be more
inclined to believe him. Also, viewers who see this piece can listen to an audio guide that can be
accessed by a 1-800 telephone number printed on truck (“Better Out Than In Audio
Commentary”, 2013). In this guide, one learns that Banksy worked as an adolescent mincing
beef in a butcher shop, which validates his experience with the meat-packing industry. His
knowledge about factory farming deems him more competent on the matter than most of the
public, therefore they are far more likely to view him as honest. Banksy is a persuasive element
in his piece because he is not only an icon, but also a primary source on the topic of animal
cruelty.
Canadian singer who is known for numerous hits, including the song “Angel,” which airs in the
background of the PSA. She is not only narrating the commercial throughout, but also appears in
the commercial towards the end, with a dog in her lap, as she implores the audience to donate.
Because she is well-known, her influence on the public is much stronger than of a random actor.
Noted proof that her role was effective in the advertisement is expressed in the New York Times
states that, “Sarah made it possible to do in two minutes what took 30 minutes before… she
literally has changed the way we fund-raise” (Strom, 2008). In addition to her celebrity status,
she has also had experience within the field, by supporting a small animal shelter in Vancouver,
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British Columbia. Similar to Banksy, her affiliation with the cause, along with her star status,
Banksy and ASPCA shed light on the brutality behind animal cruelty using logical
ideology with their pieces. When looking at Banksy’s slaughterhouse truck, one easily notices
the boundless amount of animal puppets within it. This is representative of factory farming and
the barbarous conditions that are related to it. Hundreds of farm animals are crowded into
FarmSanctuary.com, the gross reality is that all of the animals “undergo painful mutilations and
are bred to grow unnaturally fast and large for the purpose of maximizing meat, egg, and milk
production for the food industry. Their bodies cannot support this growth, which results in
debilitating and painful conditions and deformities” (2017). Banksy captures the pain involved in
this process through a combination of uncomfortable visuals and sounds. Even though the
horrendous act of factory farming isn’t literally defined in Banksy’s art, the symbolism that is
encompassed within it speaks louder than words. The cruel nature of factory farming has been
documented countless times and the visual provocation through his art piece fuels his argument
In the case of the ASPCA public service announcement, the facts are written explicitly
into the video. Every few seconds or so, the screens present the following: “Every day in
America thousands of animals suffer from cruelty and neglect… thousands were rescued last
year… but for thousands of others help came too late” (ASPCA.org). The choice to emphasize
the word ‘thousands’ – by using it three times – exploits the statistic in a way most effective for
the audience. After leading off with a disturbing fact, the second sentence explains how many
animals were rescued in the past year, leading the audience to feel hopeful. Instead, the last part,
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stating that those efforts were not nearly enough, finishes off the phrase with the cancellation of
potentially any positive claim. Not only is ASPCA sharing legitimate and convincing evidence,
but also utilizing the information cleverly. It leaves the audience with no other choice other than
to feel guilty and responsible for the thousands of animals they did not save – a positive
externality which dips into the usage of pathos. The application of logos in both this commercial
and Banksy’s art piece provide less room for argument, boosting their ability to convince
Pathetic appeal was used by both parties to draw the public to their cause. Banksy’s
disturbing use of cuddly puppets shrieking for their lives truly evokes pity. NPR writer Maanvi
Singh records that, “One look into those animals' unblinking glass eyes will obliterate any fond
childhood memories of playing with Teddy” (Singh, NPR.org). Using anything reminiscent of
children immediately brings a vulnerability to the piece. The combination of toys that represent
innocence and youth, while contrasted with disturbing elements such as the eerie slaughterhouse
truck and spine-chilling audio, create a rather unsettling and grotesque atmosphere. Eliciting woe
in this way guilts the public into becoming concerned with the wellbeing of animals. The use of
In the ASPCA video, it is easy to say the nervous and frail cats and dogs not only
dissolve any joyful thoughts, but decimate them. Throughout the whole commercial, clips of
suffering pets fill the screen while emotional music runs in the background. It is so unbearable to
see the disheveled, disabled, and sickly animals, even McLachlan herself says – in an interview
with Makers – that she finds the public service announcement difficult to watch due to its
poignancy. The concept of utilizing dogs in a video in order to grab at the audience's emotions is
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not just a coincidence. Discussed in an article from the DailyMail.com, a study showed that
“dogs elicited more empathy than abused humans… Professor Levin reckoned findings would be
similar for cats. He said: ‘These are animals to which many individuals attribute human
characteristics’” (Weston, 2017). This explanation holds true, using pets that need rescue in the
ASPCA video are a large part in why the commercial is known for its efficacy to this day. Both
the advertisement and Banksy’s art piece showcase their ability to induce commiseration with
their viewers. They reaped the benefits of utilizing pathetic appeal when it came down to
engaging their audience, urging them to become involved in fighting animal cruelty.
Angel” video demonstrate use of Aristotle's three mode of persuasion: ethos, logos and pathos, to
persuade their viewers to get civically engaged in the fight against animal cruelty. They each
took strides to develop credibility, perfect their logical support, and successfully appeal
emotionally as a ploy to draw their audience in. Despite the disparate mediums used, both
Banksy and the ASPCA were exceptionally powerful and encouraged the public to take action
against something as significant as animal abuse through their of use of rhetorical strategies.
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Works Cited
“About Banksy Biography | Street Artist.” Street Art Bio Street Artists Biographies,
www.streetartbio.com/banksy.
Banksy. Banksy "Sirens Of The Lambs" Audio Guide #6, Better Out Than In, 2013.
Lefave, Samantha. “Sarah McLachlan Reveals the Truth About Those Sad ASPCA Ads.”
Redbook, Redbook, 16 Oct. 2017, www.redbookmag.com/life/pets/news/a41805/sarah-
mclachlan-aspca-commercial/.
Reporter, Daily Mail. “Abused Dogs Get More Sympathy than Abused Adults, but about Same
Amount of Sympathy as Abused Children.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers,
12 Aug. 2013, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2389202/Abused-dogs-sympathy-
abused-adults-sympathy-abused-children.html.
Singh, Maanvi. “Banksy's Latest Work Takes On The Meat Industry ... With Puppets.” NPR,
NPR, 16 Oct. 2013, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/10/16/235334278/banksys-latest-
work-takes-on-the-meat-industry-with-puppets.
Strom, Stephanie. “Ad Featuring Singer Proves Bonanza for the A.S.P.C.A.” The New York
Times, The New York Times, 25 Dec. 2008,
www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/us/26charity.html.