Introduction: The Short-Form Rhetoric

The contemporary media landscape is dominated by short-form video platforms, which serve as highly effective tools for both commercial and political persuasion. The format of platforms like TikTok encourages rapid consumption and emotional engagement, often bypassing the viewer's critical analysis. This project analyzes three distinct accounts—a fitness influencer, a government account, and a satirical content creator—to demonstrate how rhetorical appeals (Ethos, Pathos, and Logos) are deployed within the constraints of short-form video. The central argument is that the structure of these platforms, characterized by high production value, curated authenticity, and emotional framing, actively contributes to an erosion of critical media literacy, making consumers susceptible to simplified, often commerce-driven, messages.

Methodology

This study employs a qualitative content analysis approach focusing on the rhetorical strategies present in short-form video posts. Three accounts were selected from three distinct categories—Fitness/Motivational (Ashton Hall), Government/Official (White House TikTok), and Satire/Health Commentary (Wild Karens)—to represent the diverse persuasive fields present on the platform. For each account, a sample of three to four posts was selected based on their high engagement (views, likes) and their clear demonstration of one or more classical rhetorical appeals (Ethos, Pathos, Logos). The analysis focuses on three core elements within each post: the visual and auditory framing (editing, music, narrative), the explicit textual message (caption, overlays), and the underlying persuasive goal (sales, political normalization, or ideological alignment).

Analysis: Ashton Hall (@ashtonhall_fit) - Authority and Discipline

Ashton Hall’s content is centered on the Ethos of physical superiority and demanding discipline. His posts rely heavily on cinematic, hyper-edited footage set to intense, motivational music. This framing constructs a persona of moral and physical authority, immediately establishing credibility. The persuasive goal is not merely motivation, but the commercialization of this authority. Concepts like "The Struggle is the Message" utilize Pathos by creating a sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) or moral inadequacy in the viewer, implying that joining his lifestyle (and purchasing his products) is the only path to true success. His use of arbitrary metrics in Post 3 (e.g., "17-hour fast," "4 AM workout") acts as a form of Appeal to Jargon or simplified Logos, presenting a rigid routine as scientific proof of superiority, effectively bypassing deeper scrutiny of the claims.

Analysis: White House TikTok (@wh_official) - Normalization and Pathos

The White House's presence on the platform highlights the political imperative to reach younger demographics through platforms designed for entertainment. These posts frequently utilize Pathos through the use of trending sounds and nostalgic cultural references (Post 1). The strategic use of familiar music or visual gags attempts to normalize complex or potentially controversial policy discussions, making government feel accessible, relatable, and even 'fun.' This content is designed to establish an Ethos of "perceived authenticity," where the government figure is presented as a casual individual rather than a distant authority. While some posts may appeal to Logos through simplified policy bullet points, the primary persuasive mechanism is the emotional framing designed to foster a positive, uncritical association with the government brand, rather than a detailed understanding of the policy itself.

Analysis: Wild Karens — Reasoning Errors and Emotional Framing

This account satirizes and exposes health misinformation and fear-based persuasion by highlighting specific logical fallacies and rhetorical techniques that thrive in short-form content.

1. Dandelion Root and Grapes for Sleep — Fallacy of Composition (3 & 4): Both claims transfer a property from a small, isolated part to a complex whole where the property is not guaranteed. Dandelion: The “excellence” (cancer-killing ability) of the part (an extract acting in a dish) is transferred to the whole (a therapeutic cure in the complex human body). By ignoring metabolism, absorption, dose, and resistance, the claim commits a composition error. Grapes: The desirable property (melatonin content) of the part (the fruit) is transferred to the whole (promising “the deepest sleep of your life”). The argument fails because the dose in the part is too small to reliably affect the composite (the human sleep cycle).

2. Cleaning Products = 20 Cigarettes/Day — Fallacy of Faulty Analogy (14): The comparison equates casual household cleaning to smoking twenty cigarettes daily. The flaw is that the similarities (e.g., a statistic about lung function decline) are too remote to support an equivalence claim for a broad audience. Differences in exposure route, frequency and duration, mechanism, and dose-response dominate and break the analogy.

Conclusion: The Cost of Short-Form Trust

The analysis of these three accounts demonstrates a clear pattern: short-form video platforms incentivize the use of powerful, emotionally driven rhetoric that prioritizes rapid consumption over critical thought. Whether for selling supplements, political messaging, or even satirical critique, the tools of high-production, hyper-editing, and simplified appeals are consistently deployed. As Marwick suggests, the challenge lies in the viewer’s inability to distinguish manufactured authenticity from genuine information. For digital citizens, developing the discipline to interrogate the rhetorical frame—the music, the cuts, the emotional appeal—is the essential defense against persuasion that undermines rational, critical engagement.

Works Cited / Citations

Marwick, Alice. (Year). Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, and Branding in the Social Media Age. Yale University Press.

Vallor, Shannon. (Year). Technology and the Virtues: A Philosophical Guide to a Future Worth Wanting. Oxford University Press.

Foucault, Michel. (Year). Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Vintage.