On Thin Ice

Humor is perhaps the least appropriate method of argumentation I can think of in regard to our current topics.  Needless to say I didn’t exactly feel giddy after watching Thin, nor did I feel the need to crack a joke while reading various posts on pro-ana sites.  Humor is missing in this topic for good reason though.  It can play an important role in breaking the ice while making a presentation or a speech, but it is definitely a type of argumentation best reserved for certain situations.  A lame or offensive joke can immediately ruin a person’s credibility, as the use of humor in the arena of eating disorders would certainly mare the ethos of any source.  Humor is best, and most effectively used in arguments involving less serious subject matter.  One won’t necessarily fail using a funny line or two while addressing an audience on a meaningful issue, but when doing so a person puts him or herself on thin ice.  On false step could cost a person the respect or attention of the listener.  Offensive material puts a person’s focus on those one or two lines, and he or she will often hear little else the presenter, whether an author or speaker, has to say.  One of the areas humor is best left to in my opinion is television, and specifically commercials.  Within 15-30 seconds a commercial has to memorably persuade a person he or she absolutely cannot survive without the said product or service.  Humor can sometimes overshadow the product, but it is an essential tool nonetheless.  It is a type of argumentation that can swiftly make an impact and stick in a person’s mind forever, so it is perfect for the small amount of time given.  One commercial I saw recently about digital cable made great use of this technique.  It combined star power and name recognition with humor to create an unforgettable argument–for some reason I need to switch to digital cable…