Amorisa Salgado
Professor Kylee Pastore
Freshman Composition
29 November 2021
Composition in Two Genres
- Genre: Celebrity Endorsement via Instagram post
2. Genre: TikTk Video
My topic statement is “We need to end animal testing and implement alternatives to do so.” In my inquiry-based essay, I concluded that modern alternatives are imperfect as of now but offer a step in the right direction. They are practical and will only continue to improve with time. I am addressing the newer generation of scientists. Older scientists are stubborn and will likely want to continue animal testing since it is a custom they are well acquainted with. However, the newer generation has less experience with animal testing, and therefore will be more likely to accept use of alternatives. I am responding to the obstacle of animal testing and how it harms innocent animals, as well as the stubborn people who resist new alternatives. My purpose is to educate my audience (younger scientists) and convince them that we can end animal testing by using effective and practical alternatives. My audience values the following genres: TikTok videos, Instagram posts, celebrity endorsements, memes, Twitter posts, Facebook posts, TV advertisements, newspaper articles, journal articles, and radio advertisements. Using a genre that is easy to understand will influence my audience. The younger generation has a short attention span, so I need to take a funny, engaging, and simple stylistic approach.
A TikTok video would be the most appropriate genre to use for my audience. Currently, TikTok is the most used platform by the newer generation. Gen Z has an extremely short attention span, therefore a TikTok video is the perfect way to grab their attention, since TikTok videos are quick, informative, and engaging. These traits can be used to convey the content of my essay. I am very familiar with the TikTok platform, as I use it daily. I want to practice using this genre since I am confident in my ability to create an influential and audience targeted TikTok video.
Another appropriate genre to use is an Instagram post. Instagram is tremendously popular within the newer generation. Countless people my age repost ‘activism’ posts on their own Instagram stories, to demonstrate allyship towards a specific cause. I noticed that these ‘activism’ posts are reshared even more if the post itself is colorful and straight to the point. Since animal testing can be categorized as activism, an Instagram post is sure to be successful with my audience and will likely influence them to repost it themselves. I am very familiar with Instagram and have posted on it before. I want to practice using this genre because I am familiar with it and believe that I can convey the content of my essay through this platform.
A third genre that would be appropriate to use is celebrity endorsement. Gen Z is greatly influenced by celebrity culture, as they value celebrity opinions highly. Because of this, many companies use celebrities to endorse their products. Majority of them do so through Instagram posts on the celebrity’s own account, therefore I think this genre could be combined with the previous one I mentioned. This can be done through a collaboration between a huge popstar (e.g. Ariana Grande) and a well-known brand that is famously against animal testing (e.g. PETA). Older celebrities (back when they were more relevant) have collaborated with PETA before. By using a fresh face, I can convey the content of my essay to a newer audience. I have not worked with the celebrity endorsement genre before, and most likely will not be able to. However, I want to work with this genre because it allows me to be creative. I can photoshop an Instagram post of Ariana Grande wearing PETA merchandise. I can write the caption of the post using information from my own essay while simultaneously using words and emojis that mirror her language and mannerisms.
A fourth appropriate genre to use is a meme. Memes can present the content of my essay in a simple and funny manner. Memes are applicable to my audience because Gen Z has grown up consuming memes and it is a genre that they are more than familiar with. I have seen many memes before and have created a few of my own. I want to practice making memes because it is simple to do.
A fifth appropriate genre to use is a Twitter post. Information on Twitter spreads like wildfire, making it a suitable platform to share the content of my essay. Twitter posts are applicable to my audience because a multitude of young people learn from Twitter posts. Some use the platform as their one and only news source. I have several friends who check Twitter first to stay up to date before they even consider checking the news. I have not really worked with this genre before. I had an account, but I never used it. I want to practice making Twitter posts because it’s a great way to see how people my age use the platform to communicate. From there, I can use what I learned and implement it in my own project.
After completing my research essay, I decided to work on my audience strategy first. I chose Gen Z scientists as my target audience for two reasons. First, I have the inside scoop on Gen Z’s likes and dislikes, since I am a part of it. Secondly, younger scientists are more open to change than older ones, therefore I am more likely to influence them. Next, I worked on finding potential genres. Then, I worked on photoshopping the fake celebrity endorsement. I found images of Ariana Grande on Google, imported them into an app on my phone, added PETA stickers, added text, and included real parts of Ariana’s actual Instagram account (e.g., profile picture and username). Then I wrote a caption using language I believed she would use. I noticed that she types in all lowercase letters, so I did the same. She uses the fairy emoji and the black heart emoji quite often, so I mimicked this as well. The final product came out much more realistic than I imagined. Next, I created the TikTok video. The audio I chose is connected to a TikTok trend in which the subject of the video makes hand movements while simultaneously answering questions that they are commonly asked. I decided to put my own spin on the trend and answer questions about animal testing alternatives that my audience might have.
One major barrier that I encountered whilst trying to communicate with my audience was that I was not able to incorporate all the information from my essay into my genres. Since Instagram captions are limited, I could not write an in-depth explanation of each alternative. Similarly, since the TikTok was only 15 seconds long, I could not include all the details I planned on including. To overcome these barriers, I kept the information condensed yet educational enough to inspire audience members to conduct their own research. By explaining that animal testing is harmful, teaching that use of alternatives solves this issue, and naming specific alternatives, I can inspire people to look further into these alternatives on their own time. I realized that if I make a big enough impact through my genres, it is not necessary for me to explain every piece of information from my essay.
The composition process for this assignment was vastly different from the composition process of my inquiry-based essay. Before writing the essay, I had to perform copious amounts of research. I had to find a model essay, copy its style, and use precise scientific language. I had to follow specific guidelines and was not left with much room for creativity. Contrarily, the composition of two genres granted me with more creative freedom, as I was able to choose the type of project I wanted to create and the information I wanted to include. With less restrictions, I was able to provide the same information as the essay yet in a more entertaining way. Additionally, I did not have to perform any secondary research to compose my genres since the research from my essay more than sufficed.
I knew that to captivate and maintain Gen Z’s short attention span, I had to use quick, interesting, visually appealing, and easily comprehensible genres. I settled on TikTok videos and celebrity endorsements via Instagram posts since both genres fit the criteria. Using engaging genres heavily affected whether my audience decided to agree with me or not. Had I chosen a boring genre, my audience would not have paid attention. They would not have even cared enough to take a stance on the topic. However, by using interesting genres, I can inspire my audience to become passionate about the topic and choose to side with me.
Some rhetorical practices I found myself using include audience, genre, and purpose. My use of audience was effective because I catered to a specific demographic. By doing so, I used the rhetorical principle of audience as a tool to make my work more precise and targeted. My use of genre was effective because I conveyed my message through two genres that align with the interests of my audience. Effectively using genre is what allowed me to captivate and maintain my audience’s attention. Since genre, audience, and purpose are all intertwined, I knew my purpose had to fit in with a specific audience and specific genres. My purpose, to educate and persuade, influenced how I used the other rhetorical practices. My effective use of purpose is evident in how well my rhetorical practices fit in with one another. The effectiveness of my composition in two genres will be determined during my presentation, as I will be able to see if my audience learned anything or chose to side with me.
