Genre Analysis 1 Running Head: GENRE ANALYSIS Breast Augmentation: Genre Analysis of a Website and You-Tube Interview Your Name Here University of Texas at El Paso
Genre Analysis 2 Every society consists of some form of gender expectations where people have certain values and thoughts of what constitutes gender, thus causing people to behave towards certain standards. In the United States, some strive to attain the perfect image, which now can easily be done through plastic surgery. For women, one standard of beauty that has been imposed on them is to have big, full breasts. This has lead to many women seeking breast augmentation, which has now become the most well known plastic surgery procedure in America. Women aren t necessarily alone in their decision-making. Many are influenced by the various genres of communication that promote this surgery. A genre is a way of presenting information, and depending on the type of genre, it will shape the information for various purposes. Two genres that deal with the breast augmentation issue are breastdoctors.com, which is a website, and a you-tube interview with Dr. Joseph Cruise from the American Health Journal. It is through the process of genre analysis where one can determine the power and influence each genre has on the viewer, depending on the way the topic is presented. Purpose and Audience The purpose of the breastdoctors.com website is to inform the reader about breast augmentation, but also to encourage and facilitate such a decision. They provide briefly some risks involved and some concerns to ask a doctor during a consultation, but in the overview they provide positive aspects of such a procedure and how it is possible for anyone to get it done. It provides information on financial plans and the fact that breast augmentation is the largest increased plastic surgery procedure making it safe and socially accepted. Most of the features on this website are positive and successful comments towards breast augmentation results. In contrast, the you-tube interview on breast augmentation with Dr. Cruise from the American Health Journal focuses on general breast augmentation information, but also on the risks or
Genre Analysis 3 concerns involved with the implants used for breast augmentation. The interview informs viewers, for example, that the FDA, also known as Food and Drug Administration, has reapproved the use of silicone implants after being banned from the market for fourteen years, but that women should still be cautious. The intended audiences for both genres are mainly women; particularly, young and middle aged women. For the breastdoctors.com website, it can be assumed that the audience already knows they might be interested in getting a breast augmentation because this is genre one has to seek out, or search for. It can also, therefore, be assumed that what they would like to know is procedural information, such as how it works and what should they expect when getting such a procedure done, what are the risks involved, where can they find an appropriate doctor either in their area or someone who is well known for the specific procedure they would like to conduct, how much will the procedure cost, and before and after evidence on past procedures to enforce their confidence and safety. With the Dr. Cruise you-tube interview the audience would probably also have some background information about breast augmentation. This genre would also have to be searched for, or could have come by, like many you-tube videos, as a recommendation from someone. Similar to the website, the audience for this you-tube video would not only have background information about the topic, but would also have to be technologically savvy enough to know of, and how to utilize, you-tube. The way that either audience might react to the topic of breast augmentation could depend with the person s age, background, religion, and moral beliefs. But overall, breast augmentation has become socially accepted and common within the United States, and, in a way it would be unusual to find someone shocked at the idea of the procedure. Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos, Logos
Genre Analysis 4 The information provided on the breastdoctors.com website was to inform and encourage the viewer of certain aspects to be aware of while thinking of getting breast augmentation. The information that they provided was categorized in five main components. The five main icons on the website provide procedure information, a photo gallery, a video gallery, a breast interactive model, and the ability to find a doctor in one s area. This type of menu selection is a way of establishing the website s credibility. It is attempting to create a professional-looking website that can provide all the information a user would want. In addition, the website s url address reemphasizes that this is a medical website, and implies that it is run by doctors. Within the Procedure icon the viewer can find information on the latest news of breast augmentation, the latest medication on pain control to ease the patient s recovery, and the ability to ask a surgeon any question about breast augmentation. All of this gives the website credibility it adds to the professionalism of the site. The website also offers testimonials from previous patients as a way of offering evidence that this procedure is safe. This can be effective in demonstrating the success of the procedure and how happy customers have been. Even though the website mentions risks and issues from breast augmentation procedures they ensure that the procedure is safe and easy to get done. The audience should know that the website will only show the positive results because part of its purpose is to persuade to get this procedure done. The website also provides statistics on how breast augmentation has become so popular and accepted within the country, indicating that breast augmentation has increased by 476% since 1992. They use this as evidence to prove the safety behind the procedure, and would convince much of the audience of the website, since a lot of people are taught that a majority is a positive thing. The before and after pictures support the successful results, and the testimonials from women that have gotten breast surgery express their
Genre Analysis 5 content and satisfaction through such an experience as they recommend and encourage it to interested viewers. Finally, the fact that the FDA approves the kind of implants being used for breast surgeries allows the interested viewer to have peace of mind that whatever one is placing into their body is in some way medically approved as safe. The website also provides a breast interactive model which allows the viewer to put her own information according to her weight, how far apart are her shoulders, how thick is her waist, and her potential base of breast. The rhetorical purpose of having this is to evoke emotions from the viewer; namely, appealing to self-esteem and self-confidence. In some ways, it appeals to a person s insecurities giving a woman a chance to see what she would look like with the idea that she could look better. After putting her information, there is a scale of the implant sizes in cc allowing the viewer to put in different numbers of implant sizes they are interested in. A sketch of her body will appear with the different implant size, she can then test this to get an idea of how she will look with that breast size. With the breast interactive model the viewer can play around with the tester, either adding more or reducing until she finds a cc she is comfortable with. This allows the viewer to physically view how she will look like with that size of implant. The emotional appeals, or pathos, are all directed as a person s perception of what makes someone attractive, which again, connects with the persuasive purpose to encourage women to get this procedure done. In contrast, the you-tube interview with Dr. Cruise focuses more on the medical side of the breast augmentation issue. Its credibility relies on Dr. Cruise himself and the fact that he is a medical doctor and associated with the American Health Journal. For many viewers of the video, this will establish its ethos well. This is something that is definitely necessary to do because many videos on you-tube are simply for entertainment purposes, so some viewers would
Genre Analysis 6 not necessarily take something found on you-tube seriously. However, this interview with Dr. Cruise establishes its credibility early by demonstrating itself to have an informative purpose, rather than a overtly persuasive (to sell something) or entertainment purpose. In fact, it deals with breast augmentation issue with concern and with a health focus. The information provided from the interview with Dr. Cruise concerned the fourteen year ban of silicone implants by the FDA to be used for breast surgeries, due to the suspicion that silicone was connected to tissue problems. But despite the banning of silicone implants, the return of their use to the market determined their safety. Even though more women have suggested that silicone implants look and feel more natural, in some situations, a saline implant will benefit the patient. A major factor when doing breast augmentation is making sure that the doctor and the patient agree on the ideal size of implant for the patient. He emphasizes that the number one reason a woman would get a reoperation is because she was not satisfied with the breast size. Most of Dr. Cruise s comments based on certain issues of breast augmentation were positive and professional to ensure interested viewers that such a procedure can be safe but that potential patients should exercise caution and conduct research before making their decision and to ensure good results. The you-tube video of Dr. Cruise also evokes emotions from its viewers but instead of focusing on insecurities like the website, it focuses more on being cautious in regards to breast augmentation. This video has a much more conservative outlook towards the procedure and in some ways, a negative tone it. At some points, it will mention advantages of getting the procedure done, but then will quickly follow with a disadvantage. For example, Dr. Cruise explains that even though many women suggest that implants are more comfortable to have, the disadvantage is that some types of implants will be heavier than others. This will not benefit a
Genre Analysis 7 women who wants a breast augmentation because her natural breasts tend to sag, as some implants will only increase the sagging. He also mentions the difficulties women face in getting bras and shirts that fit well, and additional health issues that may come with bigger breasts such as back problems. Structure Since breastdoctors.com is a website, the makers of the website have the liberty and space to provide as much information as desired, making it a good place for interested viewers to find most of the information needed. They are able to provide seemingly an endless amount of links to give more and more information. In addition, because of the freedom to add information, they are able to utilize their rhetorical strategies more often and with more effectiveness. If a person is not convinced with ethos, the website can persuade using their forms of logos and pathos and well. The simply have more space to persuade from different angles. The you-tube interview with Dr. Cruise is not as fortunate to have this structural freedom. When a viewer goes on you-tube, it is not with the intent of sitting to watch long, extended videos. They would utilize other mediums for that such as television or film. Those who post on you-tube understand this about their audience, and in addition, are limited by you-tube itself in the amount of content for each post. If it is a long video, it has to be broken up into several posts which very easily could discourage a viewer from watching. As a result, Dr. Cruise is limited by interview questions and time which will prevent him from going into more detail, and will probably limit his ability to persuade from several angles. This genre is structurally dependent on time, which in the case of this interview, is a disadvantage. Style and Language
Genre Analysis 8 Most of the information presented on the breastdoctors.com website was in a formal manner since the purpose of the website was to be informative. The colors used in the website are a light baby blue and white background, with a picture of the ocean, and small black text. The sense of the colors and the ocean give the viewer a relaxed appealing approach. The website s eye catching features and more appealing basis are the pictures and videos it has, which encourage, motivate, and ensure the safety of breast augmentation. It is within the small boring text that the website mentions some risks and disadvantages that a patient can face after getting a breast augmentation or any type of breast surgery. The lengthy, small writing does not really encourage the reader to read these hazards which was probably purposely done. Specialized vocabulary in the website consists of acronyms like FDA, or words like saline implants, spectrum implants, silicon filled implants, mammaplasty (which is a cosmetic procedure that uses implants to enlarge and shape the breasts), mammography (which is a technique used to look for breast cancer that affects the implants), or other medical terminology like capsular contracture which is a medical jargon term that means scar tissue. Dr. Cruise, in the you-tube interview, uses soft, casual, confident tone of voice which helps engage the viewer and for them to trust him more. The interview provides video clips of Dr. Cruise working with other patients while they smile and consult about breast augmentation, they show him at a computer looking through a book as if he s doing some kind of research, getting ready to perform an operation, checking on the patient after surgery, and talking directly at the camera, but he never makes direct eye contact instead he has his eyes fixed on the person conducting the interview. Some reasons that the video clips are being played in the background of Dr. Cruise s voice as he answers to the questions could be to keep the viewer interested, attentive, and to demonstrate his credibility that he knows what he is talking about because he is
Genre Analysis 9 a professional at work. Specialized vocabulary used in the interview consists of medical and professional terms like saline implants, silicone implants, braw sizing, breast augmentation, breast lift, and breast reconstruction. All along the interview in the bottom left hand corner of the camera is the logo of the American Health Journal to ensure viewers that this interview is an educational interview that only consists of facts that are supported by medical science. Conclusion The way both genres portrayed breast augmentation was to be medically safe, socially accepted, easy to get done, and accounts for positive outcomes. However, since the breastdoctor.com website had the opportunity to expand on the information of breast augmentation they were better able to discuss both the negative and positive conditions of breast augmentation, and they went used stronger rhetorical strategies towards the positive conditions of breast augmentation, persuading and facilitating the viewer to overlook the negative conditions. In contrast to the interview with Dr. Cruise where in this genre the information and time was more limited, being that his goal was to ensure the safety and positive conditions of breast augmentation, he only mentioned one negative condition of breast augmentation procedures, which he was unable to go into more depth about. He was definitely limited by the genre he was communicating within. This is why a genre analysis is so important because it really allows the viewer to understand the concept of the message in a more critical manner, and to realize when certain information relies on a bias perspective. In most cases it is within the power of persuasion that a genre holds that may influence the actions of the viewer, for better or worse.
Genre Analysis 10 References Link to Breasdoctors.com website: http://www.breastdoctors.com/index.html Link to the interview of Dr. Cruise from the American Health Journal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d6kufymj6s