visual rhetoric: Cosmopolitan

I had never thought about the fact that all things around me were rhetorical. I feel like the most common way to persuade an audience is through visual rhetoric. I started to notice all the ads, commercials, movie covers, magazines and posters that I see everyday in a different way. I realized that all those different things were trying to convince or persuade me in thinking in of a certain point of view. The one thing that really caught my attention was my stack of Cosmopolitan magazines in my room. The first thing you see on the cover of the magazine is a beautiful actress. On January’s edition Scarlett Johansson is featured in a sexy, tight purple dress. When I think of the color purple I think of royalty, wealth, and luxury. It is also a very feminine color.  Obviously cosmopolitan is known for mainly getting the attention of young women and for selling sex. The front cover is also has big, bold captions catching the attention of the reader. All the captions are strategically placed around Scarlett Johansson so that it doesn’t take away from the main focus of the cover, which is obviously Scarlett.  You can get an idea of what is going to be in that month’s magazine by just reading the captions. This then makes you want to buy the magazine so that you can read all the articles in full and learn how to “catch” a guy.  Every month Cosmo puts a different actress on the cover. As a reader, I think that these women are obviously taking the advice that Cosmo gives about relationships, sex, and style so they are the “spokesperson” of the month.  Even flipping through the ads there are beautiful people selling different products, primarily perfumes. I am guilty of buying into the Miss Dior perfume ad after seeing a half naked Natalie Portman looking absolutely stunning. Even the font used caught my caught because it made it seem as if the perfume is very light and feminine.  I thought if she uses it then the perfume has to smell amazing. All in all the main point of Comso is to sell sex and they do a great job of it.