Either or Fallacy

Delia Reif & Meheak Singh

Either or Fallacy
Requires absolutes that do not allow for intermediate cases.
EX: Do you want to go to college or dig ditches all your life?

Visual Representation.

Media Example

Analysis
The Palm Pilot advertisement is a clear exhibit of the either or fallacy to its
audience the average business person or laborer. The advertisement shows life as either
discombobulated-- hand written notes-- or organized and typed on a calendar. The
producers use the word chaos with a bad connotation and the word order with a good
connotation. The ad is separated in two different sides, showing there is a substantial
difference between chaos and organization and there will be a significant difference in your
life when you purchase the Palm Pilot. The chaos side shows the bustling city street traffic
as the background enhancing its commotion. It becomes almost too much to look at
creating a sense of loss and confusion. On the organized side there is a clean, neat, and
peaceful white primitive background which is obvious and lucidly presented. Furthermore,
showing mass amounts of color is chaotic at times while the simplicity indicates
organization. After each statement Chaos. and Order. there is a period stating the
words impactful importance. The idea of the clutter crisis is sufficiently evident on the
chaos shown to the left. The stirring city background also is the cliche of shopping,
commerce, upcoming possibilities, and industry.

Textual Example
And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in
every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the
terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support
terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.

Analysis
In George Bushs speech he goes to two extremely different lengths to emphasize the
seriousness of his statement. He uses many different tactics in order to create a strong
resonating speech . He tells the American people Either you are with us, or you are with
the terrorists a quote that has reverberated in the brains of many U.S. citizens since it
was spoken. His use of the word us helps create an environment of harmony, unification
and allies which creates pathos. Another source of pathos is the word terrorism which
certainly comes with a negative connotation. He derives a lovemark because of the
sensation of national pride or patriotism. Bushs ethos is established due to his presidential
status. He explains nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorists are not with us
and are bad therefore we, The United States, are good.

Our Ad

Analysis
We chose cool colors to represent the refreshing and chilled mist that emerges from our product. In
conjunction, we avoided warm colors entirely, since heated colors are associated with dry, frizzy and
generally bad hair-- the inverse of our purpose. The font used for Mystifier resembles water droplets,
and creates the resonating idea of perfect, dewy hair achieved only by this product. This idea is again
reiterated by the alliteration of messy or mystified. The fallacies are clearly shown. The either or
fallacy, states that you have either messy hair or mystified hair, and does not at all consider other
possibilities, the overgeneralization fallacy that states all women struggle with hair care, and lastly,
the ad verecundiam fallacy that gives all the power to these so-called hair experts. Through these
fallacies, we made it evidently clear that our audience was young women. Not only that, but the top
portrait depicts a poor, dismal girl while the bottom portrait depicts a confident, cheerful woman. These
depictions create false implications; the consumer will become more secure in themselves, they will seem
more mature, it will please all their consumers, and their consumers were distressed before. The added
from the makers of.. shows logos and the possible success of previous products. It also establishes a trust
between the consumer and the producer that the products are worthy of the consumers time and are
reliable. The product is or showcasing what it does, and is illustrated as it fulfills its purpose. The
advertisement as a whole is neat and symmetrical creating a sense of high class and a highly
functioning, sophisticated product.

Works Cited
Address to a Joint Session of Congress and the American People. The White HousePresident George W. Bush. N.p., Sept. 2011. Web. 9 Mar. 2016.
Cossette, Brittany. Instead of Class. Brittany Cossettes Blog. WordPress, 19 Jan.
2010. Web. 9 Mar. 2016.
Logical Fallacy: Either/Or. Rampages. WordPress, Nov. 2015. Web. 9 Mar. 2016.