Snob Appeal
Definition:
When the reasoning of an argument
plays upon a human’s need to feel superior in order
to help with persuasion.
Examples:
Cat food is served in a crystal
goblet.
A credit card company offers gold and
platinum cards rather than the original yellow, blue and
red.
The family passes the word that “He
went to Jared.”
A restaurant critic writes that a particular
establishment has food and spirits designed for “the
discriminating palate.”
-
Name three situations in which
snob appeal is probably correct. (For example, does
one truly get better
shoes from Air Jordan than Keds?)
-
Name three situations in
which snob appeal is probably incorrect. (For example,
does one truly get better diamonds from Jared
than Kohls?)
-
Which of the four examples above
will impress or sway people’s
minds if they aren’t specifically watching out for
such influence?
-
Do colleges and school systems have snob
appeal? Is it legitimate? Can one really get a better
education there?
Explain your
answers.
-
Does this technique influence
your age group? Are there certain clothing labels or
MP3 players
or phone brands
that offer “style
points” to those who have them? What are they?
Download
a PDF file of the student handout, Snob Appeal. |
