Mid Term

Tristan Baribeau
Contemporary Media Issues 215
Comparative Midterm Essay


The two films I chose to compare were Beyond Beats and Rhymes and Killing Us Softly, as I saw these two as the most comparable. Both films were similar in their persuasive techniques, as well as the ways the media was presented. For instance: the “reality” construct of both films showed a specific type of mentality being created, which was very effective in the delivery of the message. The reality was that the hip-hop culture is heavily based on sex and masculinity, and modern day advertising portrays women as sex symbols almost ten fold. These realities can of course be challenged, but the films were very persuading in their delivery. Both films also used a great deal of symbolic rhetoric. Particularly in Killing Us Softly, various symbolic advertisements were used as examples of how women are presented in advertising. Beyond Beats and Rhymes was a bit different in the symbols it used, showing mostly what young hip-hop artist today use to symbolize.

Both films used similar persuasive techniques as well. I thought the rhetorical questions that each of the films asks their audiences were particularly effective. Each directed the question in order to focus the thoughts of audience members, and it proved to work very well. “Plain folks” was also shown in both films, showing young men and woman much like my peers and I as the main focuses of each film. Beyond Beats and Rhymes showed use of the “Strength” technique, portraying the men of hip-hop as rough and tough guys with little reserve. “Beautiful People” were shown in Killing Us Softly, which focused mainly on the use of beautiful women as sex symbols in advertising.

The ideologies presented in both films were different from how the initial public might view see things. Namely, one might not notice the sexism presented in advertising today because they aren’t looking quiet far enough into it. By presenting the idea that there is sexism in advertising, the film is able to challenge the ideologies of society. In Beyond Beats and Rhymes, the idea that hip-hop music is based on masculinity is not readily available in the minds of Americans, but when looked at from the perspective the film presented, it is very apparent that it plays a huge part. Both films took a different approach to topics that the public might not necessarily think about on a regular basis, challenging the “normal” aspects of the subjects.

Overall, Beyond Beats and Rhymes presented a stronger argument because it looked deeper into a subject that people are already aware of. It presented ideas in a much more attainable way than Killing Us Softly did, where there were many stretches made to exaggerate a point. Both films did a good job getting their specific message across, but Beyond Beats and Rhymes was more successful.