Running head: BISEXUALITY

Bisexuality
Gustavo Ramirez
University of Texas at El Paso

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Bisexuality
Through recent history (1980`s to present day) bisexuality has been crowded with
sarcasm, doubt, unfairness, and disapproval; however, there are many research and personal
experiences that tell society that bisexuality does exist. Bisexuality by meaning is the attraction
to both men and women. The issue of how bisexuality exists will be addressed with two
different genres, one visual and the other one typographical. The first genre (visual) is a YouTube
video by BuzzFeedYellow (2014), entitled Things Bisexual People Are Tired of Hearing which
is about three people who identify as bisexual telling their stories through a series of sayings
(typical questions or statements) that all bisexual people are asked or told. The second genre
(typographic) is a research/article on the Biological Psychological journal, entitled Sexual
arousal of bisexual men revisited by Rosenthal, Sylva, Safron, & Bailey. It is about a report on
how aroused, men who are bisexual get by exposing them to erotic videos of both heterosexual
and homosexual content; measuring their arousal by a penile gauge. With these two genres, the
topic of how bisexuality does exist will be discussed.
Audience and Purpose
The visual genre, the YouTube video from BuzzFeedYellow, Things Bisexual People Are
Tired of Hearing posted on April 10, 2014, is a video talking about what bisexual men and
women are tired of hearing. Its main purpose is to put out in the open (inform) that bisexuality is
real and that bisexuals are tired of always being asked and told the same things over and over
again. The intended audience for this particular video is the general public, the LGBTQ plus
community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer plus) and unbelievers of
bisexuality. The typographic genre, a research article entitled Sexual arousal of bisexual men
revisited in the Biological Psychological Journal in the 88th volume issue one from

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September2011. The purpose of this research article is to compile evidence and research on
bisexuality (inform and present information). The main audience initially for this research article
was for the science community, considering most of the work was done in order to make the
claim that bisexuality does exists. This means that there are no real emotions brought up by the
information given in the research article.
One of the things that the audience, with the visual genre, would already likely know is
that there is a controversy with bisexuality as to whether or not it truly exists. If the audience is
curious, they will likely want to know if bisexuality does exist through the video. This helps tie
in with the audience, assuming they are likely forming an opinion on bisexuality or already have
one on the matter, considering their curiosity with researching videos on YouTube. With the
video it would only take two minutes and eight seconds to get all the information provided about
bisexuality since the message is very clear and straight forward (BuzzFeedYellow 2014). In
regards to the audience in the second genre (the article named Things Bisexuals Are Tired of
Hearing), what they would already know or want to know is if there is scientific evidence as to
whether or not bisexuality really exists. In a sense, it helps tie in the audience with the purpose,
considering most of the readers, if not all, are scientists trying to obtain knowledge and the truth
behind bisexuality. With the research article about bisexuality by Rosenthal et al, the amount of
time needed to read it, will vary between the readers. Since most of the readers have prior
knowledge about all the terminology, procedures, and have analytical skills, the reading of the
information would be fast with a maximum of about 20 minutes. However, if the reader does not
possess such things it could take them up to one hour to go through all the information presented
to them.

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In both genres, the general message is the same: bisexuality exists. They share the
common terminology of bisexuality and what it means in the bisexual persons life. However
they approach the subject in completely different ways. In the first genre (visual) the
BuzzFeedYellow video(2014), they approach the subject of bisexuality by having actual people
who identify as bisexual in the videos responding to questions that people ask them and sayings
people use. In the video, the language spoken is a cross section between formal and informal
because people are talking about their personal experiences and answering the questions they are
asked. The vocabulary they use becomes very appropriate for the audience since most viewers of
YouTube videos are there to relax and contemplate different subjects without the need of having
to understand difficult language and vocabulary. With the second genre, the research article its
approach is much more controlled and concise. In it they address the topic of how bisexuality is
real by creating sets of tests measuring penile erections in response to erotic videos. The
language it used was extremely formal, which is appropriate since it was published in a scientific
journal whose intended audience are scientists. The vocabulary the research article used was on
the academic side, since the jargon consisted of words that mainly scientists would understand
right away.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos and Logos
In both genres the use of the rhetorical issues differ slightly since one presents the
information with personal experiences ( BuzzFeedYellow ) and the other genre (the research by
Rosenthal, et al..) uses reliable sources and experiments to give the information .
Ethos
The visual genre uses people who identify as bisexual to justify that bisexuality is in fact
real. This group of people has stated that they have been openly bisexual for countless years,

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including one person in the video who stated that they have been openly bisexual for over 14
years. This helps to evoke the emotional response that bisexuality is real by giving personal
experiences that the people in the video had. By establishing the premises for the research they
conducted on male bisexuality, the second genres (research article) credibility is present from
the very beginning of the article because they begin by presenting sources and previous research
published in many scientific magazines. The evidence that the article/research provides is
appropriate because they have followed the scientific method, making it easier for any other
scientist to pick up where the researchers left off.
Pathos
The visual genre, it is contains pathos because of its emotional connection with the
viewer. It brings up the emotions that the people in the video felt and experiences they lived in
real life, rather than just reading it through paper. This helps their argument that bisexuality
exists, by appealing to their viewers feelings and emotions. An example of this is when one of
the persons starts talking about how they have gotten rejected by not only gay men but
heterosexual women because they are bisexual, leaving them sore in pain since they took a good
hit to their self-esteem. In contrast, the research/article has no evident pathos in it because it is
following the scientific method which lowers, if not removes, any emotions in their search.
However, this is intentional because it is a scientific paper; it must remain objective by taking all
feelings out of the equation so there is no reasonable doubt on the credibility that the test was
altered.
Logos
The visual genre, has little to no logos because the video is intended to appeal to the
viewers emotions and not their logical side. Since logos is not present, it helps it by seeking

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empathy and even some guilt on the viewers side. On the other side of the spectrum the
research/article is full of logic. From the very beginning of the writing it brings up logical
appeals that bisexuality exists by stating different findings and tests conducted to identify its
existence. The logical side of the genre helps the readers better understand the thought process as
to why such research is conducted and why they need to demonstrate it. In the reading it presents
the results of the study they conducted by using the scientific method leaving little to no error in
their delivery.
Structure and Delivery
The way that the BuzzFeedYellow video and the research by Rosenthal, A., Sylva, D.,
Safron, A., & Bailey, J. all this info is not needed, present the main idea that bisexuality exists is
very different. The structure and delivery of the visual genre is very relaxed and casual, letting
the audience know from the very the beginning that it will be bisexual people talking about
typical questions they are asked. While the second genres structure and delivery is more on the
objective and straightforward side, since they present the information in a methodical and
scientific way that leaves no stone unturned. The way that the information was presented in each
genre was correct for what it was. In the first genre its restrictions where its blessing and its curse
since they needed to keep the viewers entertained in a topic that some might say extravagant.
While in the second genre they needed to have all the evidence presented so that no one could
rebut their findings making their presentation and delivery altered by adding extra time to
understand.
Conclusion
In the world where only two types of people exist, people who use their emotion and
people who use their logical side, both genres are successful in presenting their main topic,

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which is that bisexuality exist. The first genre was intended to use the emotions of the viewers to
persuade them into believing that bisexuality exists more than the second genre. The second
genre was more intended to be presented using only facts and no opinions or feelings. Both
genres express the main idea that bisexuality exists in different ways, which will help the general
public and unbelievers of bisexuality to question their current opinions on the topic.

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References
BuzzFeedYellow. (2014, April 10). Things Bisexual People Are Tired of Hearing [Video file].
Retrieved from https://youtu.be/k6SXrK0l-ZA
Rosenthal, A., Sylva, D., Safron, A., & Bailey, J. (2011). Sexual arousal patterns of bisexual men
revisited. Biological Psychology, 88(1), 112-115. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.06.015