Rhetorical Analysis: Murder is REAL

Loc Trieu

Christopher Justice

ENGL393 SEC:03

5 March 2024
 As technology advances in our society, rhetoric expands coherently in different forms to

reach a wide variety of audiences through platforms other than just plain text. One instance of

rhetoric that is commonly used today can be seen on highways or busy roads through the use of

billboard advertisements. Billboards are popularly used today to advertise messages because the

rhetoric can reach a vast population. Due to the fast nature that people usually pass the billboard

advertisements, billboards tend to focus heavily on creating a long, lasting impact on passersby

with rhetoric. In this essay, I will be detailing the physical aspects of the billboard, then we will

be reviewing the tone, audience, medium, appeals, and message to dissect the rhetoric apparent

in the billboard.

The billboard was found on the outskirts of Baltimore. These neighborhoods seem to be

riddled with poverty as there were many buildings that seemed abandoned. Glancing around the

neighborhood, there were many homes with boarded up windows and doors, with enough graffiti

to fill up a whole novel. There were gas stations, which were overpopulated with people who

presumably looked homeless due to them either lounging around on the ground or wearing

dirt-riddled clothing. The neighborhood that this billboard was in gave an even more powerful

impact on the message conveyed in the billboard. With the billboard alone, we as people are

desensitized to the idea of murder, due to the constant exposure to such an idea in television or

movies. But being in an unsafe neighborhood where this murder occurred sets reality into the

viewer’s eyes and harshly wakes them up to this truth and this lifestyle.

Upon looking at the billboard, there is the initial reaction of shock and wonder that the

audience may perceive. The tone of anger is enhancing the communicative act intended. First,

you can see the usage of the color red, yellow, and black. The three colors are bold and bring a

lot of attention into the text provided further emphasizing the tone of anger. The color red is
commonly associated with urgent or violent matters, in American culture, and that makes people

halt or observe the situation, whereas; yellow and black warns people to proceed with caution.

These colors give off an eerie anxious tone and are appropriate to emphasize the tragedy that

took place as shown in the billboard. In the red, the bill board reveals the bolded text, “WHO

KILLED QUAYVON JOHNSON?” and “Happy 30th Birthday.” The bolded letter in the red

creates a tone of frustration and urgency as the author seeks to find answers to who would kill a

man who had his whole life to look forward to. Following that, the billboard also has the date

and year of the deceased (2018) and the phone number written as “1-866-7LOCKUP.” Despite

how many years had passed, the billboard creates a tone of desperation to show people that the

killer had been on the loose for several years, so the lock up of this individual is crucial and

beneficial to everyone.

The intended audience is the community where the billboard resides. Though people

passing by may also see the billboard, it seems that this billboard is solely speaking to residents

of this neighborhood. The billboard uses the initial tone of anger to shift the importance of the

information to its intended audience by making the information more relevant. As previously

mentioned, the billboard uses the tone of anger to create urgency to find the suspect in benefit of

the common good. Initially, I was confused by the billboard’s inclusion “McCulloh Homes”

being the place of death because it was not an area I was familiar with. Upon further

investigation, McCulloh Homes seems to be a housing project in Baltimore in an area that houses

a lot of low-income families. By pinpointing the area in which the heinous crime was committed,

the billboard is alerting the people in the surrounding community to make people feel like the

incident affects their lives as well, and if anyone knows anything about the perpetrator, they

should speak up.

 Next, the medium used was an image. Though it seems like a convenient medium, there

is much more depth behind this decision. To explain why, let's look at the situation and other

possible mediums. With audio, if you were a perpetrator, you could merely stop listening and

avoid your guilt, and this applies to text as well. But with the visual medium, even at first glance

the mind has already processed the information and it is too late to look away without knowing

the contents. This was done on purpose to remind the perpetrator of their crime. Assuming the

perpetrator resides in the neighborhood, they would have to constantly look at the billboard.

Also, those who know about the crime would likewise be haunted by this image.

Another way the billboard uses rhetoric to make the information relevant is through

appeals. The three appeals shown on the billboard are ethos, pathos, and logos. The author used

ethos by providing the reward incentive to the billboard. The reward is high for the average

American at $20,000. Following that, the billboard provided a number to reach to give

information to lock up the suspect. The reward gives the billboard credibility because it shows

the seriousness of the author in wanting to obtain the right information. The emphasis on “LOCK

UP” at the end of the number also shows the individual seeking information has enough

authority to enforce the law with the right information. Pathos is also used to induce fear and

concern for its intended audience. By posting a billboard in the area in which the crime was

committed, the author is making the crime relevant to the community’s lives. The billboard

persuades the audience to pursue justice to ensure that their community can be at ease as well.

Following up on the appeals, the billboard uses a message to create a call to action.

Despite the higher crime rates in the area of Baltimore where this advertisement stands, the

author focused more on the sudden severity of the violence occurring rather than the

commonality of violent acts. The message of the billboard is that crime is not tolerated. Despite
the time frame of the murder and the lack of information about the event, the pursuer still seems

to be persistent in looking for an answer through the billboard. The message of the billboard can

be seen as persistent and assertive. The author does not want crime to be viewed lightly and

hopes people are vigilant in looking for the suspect. The billboard also allows high rewards for

information that can solve the murder to encourage good actions and punish bad ones in the

process.

So, at first glance, a simple billboard such as this does not seem to have any depth or

thought behind it, yet with further inspection there are so many elements in play. Even with

something as small as a few words and a picture of a man, the message is astoundingly powerful

and moving. With a quick look at a billboard, so much is happening subconsciously that we don’t

even realize the impact the billboard has on us. It entices us to feel a certain way, and it guides us

to think a certain way, all in an instant. This comes to show just how often we are exposed to

rhetoric, and opens my eyes to how subtly people can use these elements to persuade or

manipulate me. In conclusion, rhetoric is a powerful tool, and if I’m not smart enough to use it, I

won't be smart enough to avoid being used by it.

Notes:

What’s actually in this billboard? What are its contents?

The billboard has a picture of a man taking up a third of the billboard real estate. Next to the
man, there is text saying “ who killed quayvon johnson?” “22,000$ reward” “ death:june 3,
2018 @ mcCulloh Homes” “1-866-7LOCKUP” and there is a banner in front of the man saying
“Happy 30th Birthday”

How would you describe the visual elements of this billboard such as the color,
composition, juxtaposition, or graphic design?
So there doesn't seem to be any method behind the color scheme, or the colors don't really seem
to convey any meaning. It looks like the whole reason why the color scheme is the way it is is
because of readability. There are highly contrasting colors, probably to make the words pop out
and easier to read. White text is placed in front of a dark red background. Black text is in front of
a yellow background. The juxtaposition of the Man seems to be the focus as it's a big image and
clearly seen. The banner is positioned right in front of the man to emphasize what could've been
his 30th birthday. The words “WHO KILLED” are the largest font, to project importance of the
topic.

What’s not in this billboard that perhaps should be? What kind of choices did the author’s
make?
The way of death was not added on the billboard even though it seems like useful information for
the topic. Obviously he was murdered but was it by a gunshot wound, strangling, beating, or
stabbing could've been useful information. The author most likely left this out because it could've
been too morbid, and would cause some people to not want to continue viewing the billboard. It
also could have been left out as a legal barrier, as the families might not want to disclose the
information.

What kind of text appears in this billboard? How does it complement or clash with the
visual images?
There is numerous text in the billboard. The phrase “WHO KILLED QUAYVON JOHNSON”
complements the image of his face well as the text is in bold right next to his face.

Who or what is the author of this billboard? What kind of image did this billboard project
of that author?
The author of this billboard seems to be a law enforcement. The number “1-866-7LOCKUP”
shows that the author has the power or authority to punish the individual(s) involved in the
murder. The reward offered showed the seriousness of the author in finding the suspect since they
are providing an incentive to speed up the process.
Who is the intended audience? How do you know this? Who isn’t this billboard designed
for? Who might be offended by it, if anyone? Who might it persuade?
The audience is the residents of the neighborhood. I know this because the contents of the
billboard only apply to those who could’ve been around during Quayvon’s death.

What message is the billboard trying to communicate to that audience?

The billboard is trying to find the perpetrator for quayvons murder. It also seems to want to
expose people to the harsh reality that death is around us, and that murders happen.

How effective is this text/billboard in communicating that message?

The bluntness of the billboard strongly communicates this message. Instead of beating around
the bush, the billboard outright asks “who killed quayvon…”

How does the billboard try to appeal to its audience?

It uses pathos to play to the audiences empathy when saying “happy 30th birthday” this is to
make the audience emphasize with the victim.

How would this text and its message be different if it was presented in a different genre
such as a television or magazine advertisement or a campus flier?
The location of the billboard makes all the difference on the impact of the billboard. If it were
seen on television it would've been washed away, and shrugged off as another sad story of a
murder of another random person. But being in the neighborhood of which it occurred, makes
the billboard personal.

What tone is this billboard adopting? Why? Is its voice angry, satirical, serious, academic,
parental, or authoritative?
The billboard is adopting the tone of anger and frustration in the heinous crime that had
occurred.

What kinds of appeals does this billboard use? Ethical? Logical? Emotional? Other?
100% uses emotional appeal. It seeks to make the residents feel sorry for the victim, and to act.

How does this billboard make you feel, think, or act?

The billboard makes me feel concerned since the murder happened in what seemed like an
apartment complex that housed a lot of families.

Why is THIS billboard located in THIS location? What role does place play in this
billboard’s message and design?
The billboard was located near where the body was found. It was located on the outskirts of
Baltimore, in a seemingly impoverished neighborhood. I believe that the billboard was placed
here mainly because this was the neighborhood where he died, and they assumed that the
perpetrator would be in the area, or maybe people who know the assailant would be in the area.