Everyone Wants To Be Sexy - An Analysis of Ashton Kutcher's "Dream Speech" FINAL

Running Head: Everyone Wants to Be Sexy
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Everyone Wants to Be Sexy: An Analysis of Ashton Kutchers Dream Speech

Alexa Kempton
John Carroll University

Alexa Kempton
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Dr. Brent Brossmann

CO 441-51
December 10, 2016
Introduction:
Since 1999, Fox Network has presented the Teen Choice Awards, an event dedicated to
recognizing teen icons in film television, music, sports, comedy and the web. Every year, the
choicest idols are asked to accept awards onstage and are given the opportunity to speak to the
audience. In 2013, Ashton Kutcher, American actor and producer, won the Ultimate Teen
Choice Award. With vague description as to what the award acknowledges, Kutcher accepted
his award on stage but did so in a riveting manner. Kutcher managed to use his time for an
acceptance speech as a thought-provoking session of life advice instead. His words undoubtedly
gained attention due to where his message was given. In the realm of self-indulging acceptance
speeches and corrupt icons under the spotlight of the Teen Choice awards, Kutcher raised
attention with a different approach. A show for pop-culture-crazed teenagers gained attention in
other areas of interest due to Kutchers speech. Different appeals of the speech aimed towards
different audiences, making it effective to many. My analysis will lead to answering the question
as to what those appeals were and how they were effective towards the different audiences.
Kutchers speech was composed of elements that developed a triggering form of rhetoric
that spread across many platforms. He intended for change within his speech and therefore, came
up with a well-thought act of rhetoric that instigated change. The elements that assisted his
speech played a vital role in the outcome. The success of his speech can be examined through an

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Aristotelian approach, focusing on the effective components of the speech. By doing so, it will
be easy to answer the question of how these elements casted this effect.
Literature Review:
Prior to analyzing the text, research will be presented that proves that the existing
information does not examine my critical question. Throughout the media coverage and reviews,
people fail to acknowledge the distance Kutchers speech went. There is a space that needs to be
filled across the landscape of response.
To start, a controversy from reviews of Kutchers award acceptance was the overall
intention of the speech. Some found that his goal was to promote his upcoming movie Jobs.
Within the final lesson of Kutchers speech, he acknowledges Steve Jobs and the making of his
movie. Many have also examined his speech as being a replica of Jobs commencement speech at
Stanford University. The similar corresponding words and structure are supporting factors to the
whole speech being a persuasion to go see his new movie - not persuasion of the actual message.
Despite the belief that it was all just a PR scam, some took the speech very seriously and noticed
a political agenda within his words. The speech attracted a lot of political favoritism across the
media. This attention was specifically generated from a more conservative side of the political
spectrum. Kutchers idea of blaming the individual, opposed to society, is somewhat of a key
point in conservative belief. Rush Limbaugh praises Ashton in his radio segment review. With
people as extreme as Rush Limbaugh praising a rhetorical act, many would fear that Kutchers
speech did have more of a political agenda, which could also be a turn-off of the success of the
rhetoric due to where Kutcher was in the state of this speech (Limbaugh, 2013). Emily Goodin,
writer for The Hill, acknowledges how much political attention Kutchers speech attracted.
Goodin recaps on comments from conservative names such as, Senator Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin,

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Mark Huckabee, as well as Rush Limbaugh (Goodin, 2013). Another response to the speech in
the area of politics was Glen Beck. Beck uses Kutchers message to prove the common ground
between liberal and conservatism. He takes the positive feedback of the speech and uses it for his
own political agenda (Beck, 2013). In the episode, Beck discusses how liberals actually want
what conservatives want. If they agree with Kutcher, which they seem to do, they are agreeing
with the same views conservatives have.
Kutchers credibility is at fault because of his history as a model and actor, making his
speech hypocritical in some eyes. However, it seems hypocritical to preach to a crowd of
teenagers with very different experiences about the importance of hard work and the irrelevance
of appearance (Plank, 2013). With Kutcher redefining sexy as smart and not just an aesthetic
matter, Plank runs into frustration because Kutchers success is highly accredited to his
appearance. Kutcher does not recognize the privilege of his appearance and demographic
positioning in the media. His message does not seem to coincide with his past. In relation to
Planks exploration of Kutchers hypocritical speech, others thought that Kutcher was taking on
another persona as well. Rush Limbaugh, conservative radio talk show host, questions what
Kutcher actually believes in regarding his message. Limbaugh praises Kutchers conservative
sounding words but is left confused with Kutchers past involvement with the Democratic Party.
I don't know if the things he's saying here from Sunday night are things that he has always
believed or if they're new... (Limbaugh, 2013). This inconsistency leads to questioning of
genuinity. This then correlates with the idea that Kutcher has another agenda on hand for this
speech.
Some were also wary of Kutchers persona in the media and its misalignment with his
words. Elizabeth Plank, senior correspondent at Mic news, reviewed Kutcher as untruthful with

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what he was saying. Plank attacks the omission within his speech and deems this as being
untruthful to the audience. Being that the audience is of younger demographics, they are far more
likely to be unaware of this omission of information. Kutcher is omitting the fact that his career
started with a modeling job. A job that focuses on appearance, not intellect. Yes, Kutcher is
mentioning his blue-collar highschool jobs but he is forgetting that he was a model. Modeling as
a profession is often looked at as a job that is acquired by looks opposed to the intellect and type
of hard work Kutcher referred to. Kuther dropped everything in order to pursue this modeling
career, which is something the audience is less likely to be aware of. A lot of Kutchers criticism
seemed to have stemmed from this idea and many would deem him as fake with his
statements.
Some also saw Kutchers rhetoric content as unfair towards the audience. In Kutchers
first lesson, he claims that opportunity looks a lot like hard work. Plank has ill feelings towards
this portrayal. She resonates that he is setting the idea that people are to blame for failure.
Kutcher goes into his jobs and claims that hard work is where he gets his opportunity. Plank
finds this to be a problematic matter being that not everyones hard work leads to success and
opportunity. Kutchers words direct a lot of the responsibility and blame for failures onto the
individual. Plank also really took the audience into consideration regarding the impact of his
words. She expresses how psychologically damaging this can be towards children being that it is
degrading them in a sense. Few in the scope of reviewers saw this controversial issue but it is a
concern that many could lead to think to (Plank, 2013).
In general, Ashton Kutcher got a lot of praise from his presentation of advice. It is
difficult to sift through and find something negative about what he said or how he did it. So
much praise was granted to Kutcher because many saw his agenda to be for the good of all

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people. Many were invested in his content and ended up posting excerpts from the transcript in
order to pass along the information. This was easily done for reviewers because of the structure
of the speech (Barber, 2013). Josh Constine also praised Kutcher for his advice. Constine sees
the cultural impact that his approach to entertainment can have and how it can change the world
for better. If we want more engineers, more innovation, this needs to be curriculum, not cable
television (Constine, 2013).
Joyce Chen expressed how shocking Kutchers speech was to the audience. She claims
that there was confusion with his serious tone although the audience was still hooting and
hollering (Chen, 2013). This shock certainly came from the confused setting. The fun and lighthearted event did not expect Kutcher, the goof-off actor from Dude, Wheres My Car? to express
such powerful and emotional words. Many articles touched upon Kutchers past of goofiness and
were sure to mention his acknowledgement of his award being the old-guy award. With these
inclusions in reviews, it is legitimate to infer that the preconceived essence of Ashton Kutchers
personality was covered.
Being that Ashton Kutcher won an award, the audience was expecting a standard
acceptance speech. The celebrities who accept awards at a show like the Teen Choice Awards
generally thank their fans and those who have helped. They also may explain the work that they
did in order to receive the award. Kutcher did this from his epideictic rhetoric but was also found
to be adopting characteristics of a commencement speech. Many saw Kutchers speech adopting
a lot of components from Steve Jobs commencement speech at Stanford University. Cam Barber
discusses Kutchers capturing words and how the structure was relating to a commencement
speech. Barber finds that this chunk structure of a speech is a method used in order to get your
content repeated. It is easy for people to summarize what Kutcher had said, which enables it to

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be easily transferrable (Barber, 2013). With Kutchers speech adopting the chunk structure, it
makes it easy for the audience to engage and stay focused while being able to take something
away from it. A commencement speech is meant to leave the audience with something to take
away with them and this is a primary similarity with Kutchers speech.
An issue with epideictic rhetoric is that failure of the audience to see the sometimesunderlying meaning within a speech. Sheard explores how people see epideictic rhetoric as
somewhat artificial and not meaningful. As a viewer, many dont see the value in epideictic
speeches and therefore, do not appreciate and respect it, as one should (Sheard, 2013). He goes
onto say that in Aristotle's eyes, epideictic rhetoric is taken as something to spectate opposed to
something that can be judged (Sheard, 2013). This creates a less aware nature in the audience. In
Kutchers case, his audience is teenagers who would be even more susceptible to missing
Kutchers important message. Glen Beck covers this in his segment on the Blaze by claiming
that the audience does not even know what Kutcher is talking about. They are simply screaming
for the fact that it is Ashton Kutcher. He expresses that this is not the scene for Kutchers ideas
(Beck, 2013).
Many saw Kutchers act of rhetoric to have a different goal. Some saw his rhetoric to be
of an advertisement for his new movie Jobs (Wilson, 2013). Wilson talked to Tamara Smith,
director of marketing at DemGen and got her insight on Ashton Kutchers speech and delivery.
My personal experience made me doubt he actually wrote it himself, she says. I figure this
was part of the promotional machine's work for Jobs. Regardless, the overall message and
delivery were excellent (Wilson, 2013). Although the thought of it being a public relations
tactic was positive in Smiths eyes, many could see this as disingenuous; a prohibiting factor of
good rhetoric.

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Another issue within epideictic rhetoric is the aesthetics that blind the audience from the
true meaning. There is favorability upon the speaker and the audience focuses on serving the
interests of the speaker (Sheard, 2013, p. 771-772). Ashton Kutcher is retrieving this reaction in
full force from his internal audience. The viewers are so invested in the fact that it is Ashton
Kutcher and may fail to take his words opposed to his presence as the valuable factor. Externally,
reviewers seemed to be drawn more to Kutchers oratorical skill opposed to the content of his
speech.
What many did not review was how effective Kutchers speech was with this
displacement of setting. Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck do say how this is new and that this is
the step towards change in society but I failed to find anything that poses the question if more
rhetoric like Kutchers existed in pop culture, would it make a difference to generate a different
culture? Many explained Kutchers strategies and techniques but little examined how it was
perceived by the different demographics. Reviews covered adult responses to Kutchers
presentation but failed to include what the actual target audience thought.
With a more clear understanding on how Kutchers strategies and techniques resonated
with his target audience, more can be uncovered with regards to the effect he had on society. As
shown in the existing literature that I have researched and presented, reviewers fail to uncover
the appeal Kutcher possesses in this setting in order to initiate change. This is why Kutchers
speech will be explored with a focus on how he presented it to a wide variety of audiences in a
setting of pop-culture and which of his strategies were effective towards them. Pop-culture plays
a critical role in generating the response to the speech. Pop-culture in the teenage world does not
tend to focus on such heavy topics. Teens are not used to being exposed to these concepts and are
instead exposed to more superficial ideas. Whether its Kim Kardashians new clothing line or

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who Justin Bieber is dating, teens are more familiar with these topics as news in pop-culture.
Kutchers type of speech does not particularly fit the formula that is presented in the media
coverage directed towards these teens. The event that he presented his speech is developed more
around the superficial side of the business. The Teen Choice Awards are known to being
something more of a popularity show and less on talent.
This is an important concept to explore because of how invested teens are into popculture. Pop-culture is known to be deteriorating the reality that Kutcher is speaking of, meaning
that the concerns Kutcher has is caused by the industry he is in. With that being said, if popculture can be altered or mitigated through Kutchers approach to his fame, then celebrities have
the power to use rhetoric in order to drastically change the entitled culture that the younger
generations are known to have. The shock and praise that Kutcher received for his rhetoric goes
to show how rare this form is on the media of pop-culture, particularly the Teen Choice Awards.
Kids should be hearing Kutchers message from their parents but not all are. Idolatry of todays
stars is seeming to be a far more influential component in kids lives. Teens are more likely to
welcome Kutchers ideas opposed to their own parents. Kutcher is bringing movement by
starting the discussion and being the idolatrized star. With more epideictic rhetoric with positive
life advice, teens and young adults will be subjected to the influential nature of these celebrities.
Answering the question of how effective this is can end in a result of advancing society; the
primary factor for why we critique. How can Kutchers approach to his acceptance of this award
alter the way in which we view pop-culture and the power celebrities have in order to persuade
the young audience of pop-culture?
Method:

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I have chosen to analyze this piece using a neo-Aristotelian method to uncover the effect
that Ashton Kutcher had on his audiences internally and externally. I intend to reveal the effect
Kutcher had on his audiences through his rhetorical manner and the neo-Aristotelian method of
analysis will be the most suitable way to do so. This paper will uncover how this method will be
beneficial to exploring and answering the critical question and the areas of the method will be
used in order to do so. I aim to see if the rhetors odd placement allowed the rhetoric to have
influence on the external and internal audience. If the rhetors end response proves that it was a
moving piece, it would be deemed successful in the eyes of Aristotle. The critical question is
based on the functionality of the speech and if it advanced society towards the rhetors goals
(Thonssen and Baird, 1970).
The rhetor being analyzed is known for his strong and loud personality within the
industry of entertainment. There is a significant past behind this rhetor and it is very clear and
understood by the audiences. Historical construct is the background of the rhetor that cannot be
seen or necessarily known at the time of the speech. This historical context holds an important
role within this piece and it is essential to be taken into account when developing research for the
critical question. It is explained that the Aristotelian method requires the critic to describe and
analyze aspects of the not only the rhetorical, but also the historical act based upon the rhetoric
(Brock, 1990). Setting up this context is exactly what I need in order to determine the effect the
speech had on the audiences (Hendrix, 1968). The previous situations (social, political, personal),
attitudes and relationships within the rhetoric will help me draw conclusions to the results. To
find this historical and contextual background of the situation, this paper will investigate the
rhetor, occasion, and the audiences history. The rhetors past experience will be researched with
the communicative efforts of persuasion. Analyzing past events that the rhetor attended and his

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intentions at them will give an idea as to how the rhetor usually responds in situations with
communicative power. With content displacement of the artifact, this paper will investigate the
occasion and how it expected the rhetor to act. This paper will also examine how the rhetor
approached the occasion and his feelings towards the setting. For the internal audience, research
can be conducted on the audience in order to find average demographics. The immediate
responses throughout the artifact will then be reviewed. After, the analysis will collect lasting
responses from the internal audience. This paper will focus on interpreting the rhetors existing
relationship with this audience. This paper will investigate the source in which the external
audience was given the artifact and to who it was being received by. There will be a high focus
placed on interpreting the rhetors existing relationship with this audience. These components
built within the Aristotelian method will place context on the situation of the rhetoric. This will
assist in getting a better understanding of who will be giving and receiving the effect I am
searching for (Foss, 2004).
The particular piece I have chosen instigated shock and clearly had intentions beyond
what was asked. ...every activity, every art and every science, had a state of fruition that was
ultimate for it, but that, in broader perspective, sub served yet higher activities with higher ends
(Black, 1965 p. 92). Every little detail of the rhetoric plays a function in achieving those higher
ends. My text supports this idea in that there are a lot of minor details that cultivate the end
means. This is why I have chosen to determine the success of the rhetor and neo-Aristotelian
method focuses on this idea. The method of Aristotle relies on the functionality of the speech.
The strict and rigidness of the criticism will be useful in order to determine if this text met those
intentions. The canon elements in the method will help me analyze piece by piece the tools that
were used in order to get the message across. The inventions of logos, ethos, and pathos will give

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insight on the specific appeals towards humans. This method entails the exploration of these
persuasive tools, which will cast the extent taken in order to achieve the desired response (Ethos,
Pathos & Logos Modes of Persuasion).
For this particular text, pathos will be examined to a great extent. This method will
examine if the logical appeals in the rhetoric can stand on their own. It will be questioned if this
is the primary focus within the rhetoric that leads to the emotional and personal elements of the
text (Edwin Black, 1965, Rhetorical Criticism A study in Method). In order to construct the
answer to the question, the ethos from the text will need to be evaluated. This will start off with
the analysis of the reputation or prestige enjoyed by the speaker with respect to his particular
audience and subject at the moment he begins to speak (Brembeck and Howell, 1952). This will
then lead to reviewing ...the increasing or diminishing of that prestige as a result of what he
says and does during the speech (Brembeck and Howell, 1952). To analyze the ethos, focus
will be shifted towards the rhetors beginning expression and it will be reviewed throughout the
course of the speech. How the rhetors character and personality paced throughout the speech
will be examined. With this, the expression with the content of the language in order to
determine the rhetors credibility with the content can be correlated. This credibility can prove if
a speech is going to be effective or not, especially to the external audience.
The paper will research and observe how the rhetor presented and delivered their speech.
The four elements will be considered: the mode of delivery, the general appearance, the bodily
action, and lastly, the voice (Thonssen and Baird, 1970). Through analysis of these delivery
elements, it can be captured how each action placed an impression on the audience. With insight
on the delivery, how the rhetor projected their emotions onto the audience can be uncovered.
Through the mode of delivery, answering the question as to why the rhetor gave this speech

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through this channel will help clarify the rhetors objectives. This element is specifically
important to this piece being that it is off-setting for the content of the speech. The delivery
channels that were utilized will not only provide insight on the rhetors intent, but it will also
indicate how the hearers received the rhetoric. Throughout the various channels this particular
rhetoric had, this will be very helpful when building a solution. Bodily actions will also play a
large role when utilizing this method. Gesture, facial expression, and movement are the three
elements that can also be examined. Power, emphasis, and passion can be revealed through these
actions and this can be purposely demonstrated to the audience and become an effective manner.
Focus will then turn to the audiences bodily actions to determine effectiveness. The sympathetic
muscle response within the audience will measure if the audience is complying with the rhetor
(Oliver, 1946). Moments of silence will also indicate audience attention. Voice (articulation and
pronunciation). This will help me determine if the rhetor was able to gain attention, hold interest
and what the rhetor developed for their image (Thonssen and Baird, 1970) .
The piece I have chosen is also modern and presented through many different channels.
This creates a long term component to this rhetoric. It is able to be referred to and captured
through video and audio as well as shared throughout the internet. Having a long-lasting
presence, this piece then has a long-term effect being that anyone can view it. The neoAristotelian method specifies the need to uncover this lasting effect in criticism. Being that this
method does not only focus on the immediate response, the question can be uncovered in a
broader spectrum. The type of organization that the speech is in will be significant to determine
eligibility for the differentiating audiences and different channels of access. The rhetor can
arrange a speech a certain way in order to extend its longevity in this day in age, thus leaving a
more long-term effect. The style is another canon within this method that can help me interpret

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the effect. Within the style of the speech, the analysis will focus on memorable phrasing....the
two factors which give power to ideas are the quickness and clarity with which the ideas are
received, and the ease with which they are recalled (Oliver, p. 245-258). Memorable phrases
will be determined within the speech in order to examine how the speech can be easily translated
into this long-term effect. The type of organization and style the speech will be significant to
determine eligibility of the text for the differentiating audiences and different channels of access.
This method of criticism places an emphasis on the text. In the analysis, if the text was
strong and predominant enough, there could be a large influence on the people. This paper will
use these Aristotelian canons of organization and arrangement in order to determine how
influential the text was. The Invention aspect of the method allows me to dive deeper into the
logos, pathos and the ethos.
The measurement and the effects of the speech can also be examined through this method
which is also a reason why I have chosen it. Although this particular text is difficult to assess,
this method still allows me to draw conclusions on the effect. ...a ceremonial speech may not
exercise a profound influence upon the life of a community, as far as observable changes in
belief or action are concerned The judgment of such a speech will be made with the type of
oratory constantly in mind. (Thonssen and Baird, 1970 p. 535-536 ). This paper will not be
seeking many observable changes for the rhetorical manner that will be measured. The act I have
chosen is based more upon a ceremonial speech which does not necessarily lead to observable
actions. The rhetors speaking skills will be utilized in order to determine the effect. These skills
can be interpreted and projected to measurement of effectiveness.
However, the analysis will then focus on two elements of the measurement: direct
response and later response. Within the direct response, internal audience research will be used

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while observing. Being televised, footage of audience expression will be available for review.
For the second element of later response, this paper will be seeking more sources from the
external audience. These sources will be reviewed and their placement in society will be
reviewed. With the setting of the rhetorical manner, this paper will be able to see what measures
and areas it was taken to in order to get a sense of how far and serious the rhetoric was taken.
This method is ideal to measure this celebratory speech because the analysis of the canons allow
space for measurement without tangible action.
Historical Context
Ashton Kutchers career took off after he got scouted in college. He jumped right into
modeling for Calvin Klein then not too long after, landed the starring role in American sitcom,
That 70s Show. America adored this charming and hilarious heartthrob and was then exposed to
his devious side after he produced and starred in MTVs Punkd. He was an entertainer.
Kutcher has won 16 Teen Choice Awards. Looking at the preceding time he won, his
speech consisted of him leading the whole crowd in singing an acapella of Katy Perrys Teenage
Dream for no apparent reason. This reveals Kutchers power over the audience. He managed to
get the whole room singing and clapping along within minutes, even though many were confused
as to why they were singing it. Kutchers manner was very nonchalant and boisterous when
accepting his 2011 award, which took attention away from his little piece of advice that was
given. His advice was to never use a credit card if you dont have the actual money to pay for it.
Giving this advice was not easy to do being that the crowd was screaming and laughing when
Kutcher was on stage. He kept saying that what he had to say was serious and that he wanted
all America to hear.

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As previously indicated, the Teen Choice Awards is an entertaining event that is filled
with jokes and surprises. The award recipients dont necessarily take their awards too seriously.
The award itself is a surfboard and some recipients have been known to use the award to surf.
Being that the recipients do not particularly take these awards seriously, this projects onto the
audience and makes it safe to assume that they dont see the awards as something serious. It is of
mere entertainment for the industry.
Analysis
With Ashton Kutchers pre-conceived jokester persona, the audience already had a
preceding view and expectancy of him. Within his speech he still maintained this character when
being responsive to the internal audience of teenagers. While doing this, Kutcher still needed to
gain the trust of his audience and lead them into a serious note. He maintained his loveable
personality while positioning himself as an intellectual by generating a new but compliable
character. The effective technique that gained the trust of his internal audience would be his
genuine nature. The neo-Aristotelian component of invention, ethos, comes into play particularly
when Kutcher reveals the insider secrets that Hollywood conceals. It proves that Kutcher is
trustworthy and of good character for revealing the truth. It looks as if Kutcher was revealing his
loyalty to the teens opposed to his loyalty to Hollywood. He was seen as giving these secrets
for the greater good and by doing this he was drawing in the younger audience to trust the rest of
his message as well. By revealing his real name, Chris, he again casted an honest platform for
his speech, showing that it was derived from someone who will not lie to this audience. This was
pressing information to teenagers. The fact that a celebrity was coming clean to his fans earns
the respect of this audience and then granted Kutcher with a predominant element of ethos
among the teens. This was a very successful tactic used towards teens on Kutchers part.

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Teenagers are known to being fascinated by the personal lives of celebrities. Their lives offscreen are intriguing and sharing this secret is giving the younger audience what they want to
hear. They then believed that Kutcher is on their side opposed to the entertainment industry. They
will not only trust the rest of his argument, but they will also be keen on listening for other
secrets that Kutcher might reveal. The secret would be memorable to the teens and make them
more cautious the next time they hear something coming from Hollywood. It could be a lie like
how Ashton Kutchers name really is not Ashton. This reasoning proves the effectiveness of the
speech and how it will be helpful to Kutchers objective of changing the world. The teen
audience of the Teen Choice Awards might to be so gullible the next time when hearing
information from the Hollywood industry. The ethos development encourages the audience to
trust Kutchers words opposed to the industrys and this is what is a great factor leading to
Kutchers success.
From another lens, this form of ethos did not particularly pertain to the other audiences
exposed to Kutchers rhetoric. Being more knowledgeable about the entertainment industry,
adults, specifically the teenagers parents, are going to be more aware of the fact that a lot of
stars change their names. The fact that Ashton Kutchers real name is Chris is not going to be
surprising or effective towards this older audience of parents or political experts. They are
already aware of these secrets and it will not change their mind on anything.
Adults were exposed to Kutchers incorporation of ethos in a different sense. Within the
text, Kutcher went about explaining the various jobs that he had prior to becoming an actor.
From washing dishes in a restaurant, to sweeping cheerio dust off of the ground, Kutcher
explained his philosophy of hard work and how he would not quit his job until he found another.
Being in a new world where one is a celebrity for the fact of being a celebrity, self entitlement is

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inevitable and adults tend to notice the lack of work ethic within up-coming generations. Kutcher
defied these odds with the character he presents of himself. Finally, a celebrity that understands
and has experienced hard work. Adults resonated with Kutchers words and enabled them to
make clear judgments on his character. This part of the speech made Kutcher very likable to the
older audience, making the rest of his rhetoric easy to side along with. This was a very effective
approach aimed towards an older audience. Once having gained older audience attention, the
passing of information to children was plentiful. The message reminded parents to have this
discussion with their children. This was effective for Kutchers objectives because the parents
then condoned his message. Children saw their parents praising Kutchers words, making them
think even greater of him. This particular development of ethos was successful and helpful to
Kutchers message in getting it affirmed and talked about.
Kutchers speech developed a sense of empowerment over his audience. When one is
transitioned into feeling empowered from words, it is a clear sign of pathos in play. Empowering
the audience is heavily weighted within Kutchers third lesson. Kutcher says, ...everything
around us that we call life was made up by people who are no smarter than you, and you can
build your own things, you can build your own life that other people can live in. This particular
text can have a powerful effect on the audience that may be in their later teens. Kutcher
understands that children are expected to live this life of going to college, graduating, and
starting a family, as stated in his speech. He uses this to expand their minds and develop a
limitless outlook. He passionately told the audience that they are smart. Recognition and
complimentary acts are known to trigger strong emotions and this particular text gave the
younger audience a sense of belief and confidence to take initiative. His words of empowerment
contributed to his success in effectiveness. They encouraged and inspired, instigated action and

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improvement among his audience. This is also successful due to psychological reasoning behind
teens. Evidence proves that teenagers are susceptible to a low self-esteem. Kutchers words of
empowerment and praise boosted self esteem and triggered thoughts of self-worth that lead to
self improvement thus, leaving his words effective.
Kutcher also incorporated some emotional appeals that instigated effectiveness.
Generating his scenario of his past work experience stirs up emotions being that it is relating as
well as an opening of his past life. This particularly targeted an older audience of Kutchers. This
mentioning also broke a barrier between Kutcher and his older audience. He identified with them
by consubstantiality expressing his past. Many people were a cashier and worked in a deli as a
kid and this instigated an emotional connection with Kutcher. He understands what it is like to
undergo hard work. This led the older audience to supporting his claim that opportunity looks a
lot like hard work. Many watching would more than likely agree with Kutcher that those entrylevel positions got them to where they are today. The incorporation of emotional appeals led to a
success in Kutchers effectiveness by gaining parental approval. If parents and teens approve of
Kutchers character and message, conversation and affirmation is being initiated. This
conversation between the parent and child is essential to Kutchers goals. Kutchers persona and
message linked the parent and child, which is an important link for messages like the one he is
expressing. This use of pathos is also successful towards the political audience because Kutcher
advocated for hard work, even with our harsh economy. Being that politicians generally advocate
the same concept, commonality is being built and politicians are getting pulled emotionally
because of their agreeing. Politicians will then discuss Kutchers words within their own
segments, spreading and praising the message even further.

Kempton 20
Kutchers incorporation of logical appeals was particularly effective towards a more
political and adult audience. Kutcher utilized testimony of authority when mimicking Steve Jobs
structure of his commencement speech at Stanford. Being a well-known individual that is
accredited with altering a generation and advancing society, Steve Jobs was a righteous person to
mention during this time. An older audience has seen all of what Jobs has done and have praised
him for his creative and astonishing achievements in the world of technology. Kutcher reiterated
Steve Jobs life philosophy and is sure to accredit him in his speech. This emphasized Kutchers
credibility within his speech being that he is referring to someone so intellectual and respected.
Someone who may be seen more of a genius wins the audiences belief and support. This is
effective towards an older audience who would appreciate a credible source that backs up Ashton
Kutchers reasoning. The audience is more likely to stand by the fact that the youth cannot be
expected to live a life and therefore, cast a mindset to their own children that life is created, not
lived. Kutchers success of effectiveness also lies within the speechs logical appeals because the
audience will be more likely to live by these words, especially if they are inspired and endorsed
by one of the most creative man of our time. Even just the mentioning of Jobs will generate buzz
and therefore attract attention. This incorporation of logos aimed Kutcher for success in being
effective. People clearly picked up on the fact that Kutcher adopted Jobs manner, evident in the
literature analysis.
Along with Kutchers praised incorporation of ethos, there does seem to be areas that lack
this component. Kutcher promising his audience that what he is saying is right is not the way
to go about when capturing an older, more intellectual audience. In a kids mindset, this can be
seen as a logical appeal and this shows where there is a fine line between catering towards
Kutchers audiences.
Kempton 21
Delivery
How Kutcher delivered this speech plays a large role into the impact it can have on the
audiences. Different techniques of delivery cater to different audiences. First off, his appearance
was noticeably different than any other actor accepting an award. His baseball cap and flannel
affected the internal audience of teenagers to focus on the message and not so much his clothing.
This appearance is also a tool that pertained to the older audience as well. From an intellectuals
lens, one would notice Kutchers downplayed attire and how he resembles one from a working
class. A more casual attire complies with Kutchers claims of dissatisfaction with the system of
Hollywood. He came across as not being bought into the glamour of the industry and this also
levels with this audience. It is effective in the sense that it can be eye-catching of adults that are
not familiar with Kutchers casual style. He resembled an average human among individuals that
are adorned for the occasion. His appearance encouraged the idea that life and success are not
about the glamour and material life, but more reliant on the metaphysical aspects. Being that
Kutcher is an icon, this can encourage others to adapt his casual style and to case more for these
concerns. Kutcher is sexy when not focusing on the adornment card- he is sexy because of his
intellectual confidence.
In general, Kutcher incorporated a lot of hand gestures that supported a passionate and
strong delivery. There are a few that stand out and address the critical question. Towards the end,
Kutcher preached to the audience to always be sexy. When stating this, he pointed to his head,
indicating his mind and intelligence. Kutcher did this in order to redefine sexy. This
specifically affects the teenage audience. Symbols and gestures are easily captured and
remembered in these settings by the youth. Kutchers gesture supported his previous words
exclaiming that being smart is sexy therefore, his end gesture turns into something of repetition.

Kempton 22
This was done to be effective to the internal audience and teenagers in general. Repetition and
visuals are knowingly effective with children and that is a piece of the rhetoric they will
remember and take away.
Kutcher also demonstrated bodily actions, which are known to be used by an
authoritative leader. He demonstrates the power of the pause between statements. This is
known to grant the speaker with authoritative demeanor. It presents his information as careful
and thought out. This also raised eyebrows of other authoritative leaders and political
professionals. Demonstrating a leadership role along with his powerful message is a rare
occurrence at this particular occasion. Kutcher resembled a leader and revealed his ability to be
one in this element. This is effective for Kutchers initial intent because it gave him the ability to
gain more significant attention and proved to them that Kutcher has what it takes to be this leader
and it is supported by his authoritative speaking skills and movements (McConnon, 2016).
Kutcher had heavy arm movements, which also demonstrated passion and authority. These
actions aim towards an effective outcome because it puts Kutcher into this leadership role. His
words will be taken seriously and important, leading the audiences to take his words into
consideration to changing their life and mindset.
Within the speech, Kutchers voice becomes notably stronger and serious throughout. He
starts the speech at an even and collected tone. A staccato rhythm develops as Kutcher goes into
the bulk of his speech, which is the three takeaways from his career. This staccato rhythm is
accompanied by a more powerful and authoritative tone. With this, Kutcher develops an
inspirational type of speech. Kutchers speech did not only surface around his tone of
seriousness. The text still involves a more playful demeanor. Using the word sexy,
acknowledging the audience mid speech and saying hi still gives his known personality to

Kempton 23
shine through. The diction of the term sexy specifically captured attention. The concept that
sex sells is supported in Kutchers language choice being that this word caught the attention
and is seemingly out of the ordinary or more of a taboo word. This playfulness breaks the
serious tone to remind us of the Ashton that we know. The playful delivery characteristic
appeals to his younger audience, leading his words to cater to and be more impactful for them.
What can be very stern topic was also twisted with an appeal to the teenagers and potentially
entertained them while he was delivering this message to maintain attention. Kutchers diction
with the word sexy essentially appeals to a wider audience. It is known to capture the attention
of many and be memorable.
Lastly, the structure of Ashton Kutchers speech was also suitable for both audiences. The
simple numbering method holds the attention of the youth and also keeps organization. This
structure was adopted from Jobs Stanford speech, which Ive previously mentioned. The
technique of listing engages the reader with the count and encourages memory. This is also
favorable for the media as an audience. The numbering allows the text to be easily transmittable
through word of mouth as well as on text. This is very effective in the sense of disseminating the
message. Kutcher also utilized repetition within his speech. Kutcher restates a lot of his points
and important words that he mentions in order to encourage memory to take place. This is also
effective when spreading the message.
Measurement
Directly, Kutchers speech seemed to be of a time filler to the internal audience. The
audience seemed to respond to Kutchers winning with enthusiastic manner. Interrupting
Kutchers speech with I love you and hi supports the prior perception of Kutchers character.

Kempton 24
The vivacious and direct response of an audience full of teenagers proves that they may have not
been taking the speech very seriously. Being that it is a speech that triggers thought, it is difficult
to believe that if they thought of Kutchers words, their direct response would be screaming.
Regarding the later response, it is clear in the literature analysis that reviewers that were
drawn to this speech tended to be more significant than a typical review on a Teen Choice Award
winner. Political figures, such as Rush Limbaugh, acknowledged the speech, showing that
Kutchers goal of spreading his message beyond the internal audience was successful. These
political figures praised Kutchers words and deemed them to being politically aligned with a
Republican Party mindset. In general, he media coverage that Kutcher received was enticing.
Still, to this day, individuals are talking about and reposting Kutchers speech. This messages
reach is beyond what was expected and proof that it is in fact a powerful and effective speech.
In conclusion, Ashton Kutchers speech managed to touch the lives of many. It was a
successful speech in the sense of reaching to a large and varying group of people. Some
implications of this analysis arise with the difficulty of evaluating the intrinsic data deriving from
the speech. It was difficult to grasp the thoughts of the internal audience when all I could access
was audio footage. The older audience appeared to be more vocal online, granting me access to
reviews and video responses. On the other hand, I was not able to maintain a direct response for
the measurement of the older audience. The intrinsic data for the older audience was absent.
This complication within the analysis could pose differentiating results.
The analysis also possesses quite a few strengths. One being that the method allowed me
to focus on this historical context of Ashton Kutcher, which was very helpful when explaining
his relationship with the audience. This affects how the audience responds to him as a person as

Kempton 25
well as a rhetor. It allowed me to reveal his past in order to draw connections with the effect that
he had. Another strength of the analysis was the way in which the method allowed me to
traditionally and effectively cover the canons within the speech. Pathos, ethos, and logos and
prime components and especially pertain to the entertainment industry. Being a show of
entertainment, I discovered these canons generously throughout which significantly added to
Kutchers persuasion. Lastly, the analysis focused on the communication dimension. How
Kutcher communicated played a large role in evaluating his success of capturing and impacting
these audiences.
In conclusion, Ashton Kutchers Dream Speech will be remembered as a necessary
message for all to hear. Being that Kutcher led this speech towards a vast array of audiences, he
managed to make it appeal to these audiences to a point at which they must comment or share it.
Kutchers words were best analyzed by the neo-Aristotelian method in order to decipher whether
or not his speech was effective towards his goal of spreading his message. In the scope of
existing literature, there is a missing piece of analysis on the dispersion of Kutchers content and
to what effect it had on the different audiences. It is rare to find a Teen Choice showing up in the
political section of a newspaper and I managed to analyze how Kutcher got this far. Through the
elements of pathos, logos, and ethos, as well as strong delivery techniques, Ashton Kutcher
catered his words towards all through this opportunity and generated a pleasant response. In an
after note, another existing question would be how people have been affected by Kutchers
words long term. Personally, I know it has been in the back of my mind for some time now.
Perhaps others feel the same way and refer back to Kutchers message for inspiration. The longlasting internal effect would be a fascinating exploration of this rhetoric.
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[Video file]. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/
Kempton 26

watch?v=jbX_YzeXkTo
Kempton 27
Barber, C. (2014, October 12). Ashton Kutcher speech uses Steve Jobs Structure. Retrieved
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Clark, R. (2013, August 15). 3 Things I Love About Ashton Kutchers Teen Choice Award
Acceptance Speech. Retrieved October 11, 2016, from Patheos website:
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Quotes In Smart Is Sexy Speech [Newsgroup post]. Retrieved from Tech Crunch
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Kempton 28
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