Discussion

The purpose of this visual is to inform people, plastic pollution could be harming us if we eat fish. Since it’s stated that studies show fish off the west coast ingest over 12,000 tons of plastic a year (Surfrider, 2011), this could affect those who eat fish. The visual shows what appears to be sushi wrapped in plastic. The plastic that the sushi is wrapped in has a very thick and wet look and the center of the sushi is stuffed with plastic also. The plastic resembles the plastic bags that we get from grocery shopping because of the wording you can see on the plastic. The sushi does not have a very appetizing look, even with the chopsticks that are laying along side of it. The sushi has a blue center which draws your attention to the words in blue print. The blue wording is in all caps and is also bolded. The bolded text in caps gives viewers an immediate alert. The text brings attention to the eye as it forces you to focus on the blue centered sushi as well. The smaller print below provides details about the image and gives more of a clear understanding of why the sushi is wrapped in plastic. The text also reference a website that’s stated to help turn the tide on plastic pollution.

There are many effective elements considering the Rhetorical situation. To inform was the purpose of the visual, the visual was effective in doing so by first catching the viewers eye by text which went along so well with the visual because it included just enough information to inform you of the what and why. The wording “What goes in the ocean goes in you”, can cause one to pause and think about what does the ocean have to do with me and what goes into it. The message was made clear with a brief explanation of what studies have found. I felt as though the visual elements were presented well. The most effective aspect of the visual was the image itself, the sushi which is fish being wrapped in plastic was a great way to describe plastic pollution and how it can affects us.

The Rogerian model could best be supported with this visual because the issue at hand could have more than one perspective. The Rogerian model allows for an argument to be led from problem to solution, and the visual provided us with the problem of plastic pollution and then it provided us with a solution which was how to turn the tide on plastic pollution by providing a website to visit. What goes in the ocean goes in you would not pose a clear statement from a viewer’s standpoint. However, the visual and information provided presented a problem and a solution to help piece together an understanding of this visual making it very effective.