Raising the Minimum Wage

Marissa Gasca

English 102, Analysis Essay

Mrs. Bailey-Kirby

Raising the Minimum Wage

Raising the minimum wage is a social issue that has been occurring for several years. Nevada has not yet raised the minimum wage, yet for the fact that prices of housing, and essential needs may rise. People are not aware of the situations that they are facing, by living off the minimum wage in Nevada, which is $8.25. Increasing the minimum wage would be advantageous to society, because it reduces poverty, improves living standards, and increases employment rates according to advertising appeals on the need for affiliation, aggress, and satisfy curiosity. Although one may agree with increasing the minimum wage in society because it reduces poverty, improves living standards and increases employment rates according to advertising appeals on the need for affiliation, aggress, and satisfy curiosity, it is important to extend their argument by addressing the discrepancies and logical fallacies of the opposing side in the emotional appeals of guidance, safety, and curiosity used in there advertisements.

The need for affiliation helps advertise, increasing the minimum wage. According to Jib Fowles in “Advertising’s Fifteen Basic Appeals,” Henry Murray states, “To draw near and enjoyably cooperate or reciprocate with another; to please and win affection of another; to adhere and remain loyal to a friend”(632). The meaning of the need for affiliation, is to be loyal to society friends, family, and the community. This appeals advertisements show communities interacting and helping one another. The stereotype versus reality advertisement that persuades society to raise the minimum wage, by using need for affiliation as stereotype versus reality. The advertisement shows who America thinks is being helped by raising the minimum wage, which is a teenager living at home, working part time, earning extra cash. This advertisement than shows who really would be getting help. This is an average 36 year old who works full-time, paying bills, and earning half of their families’ total income. The advertisement then catches the audience’s attention with the slogan written on top, “WHO’S HELPED BY RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE?” This advertisement is implying that the people who are really being helped from raising the minimum wage are society’s friends and family. That implies the need for affiliation. It is the people that are surrounding everyone, every day. This includes the people that are living next door or even the people that work in the community's grocery store. People help society in a big way, but are not appreciated enough.

Along with the need for affiliation, the appeal the need for guidance is abused in this advertisement against raising the minimum wage. This opposing Justin Bieber advertisement is showing a sign that features Justin Bieber. Justin Bieber is shown as being sad and it words, “Why is Justin Bieber so sad? Could it be because 24% of teens want a job and can’t find one? Teen unemployment makes us all sad. Unfortunately, raising the minimum wage will only make things worse.” Justin Bieber’s opposing advertisement is implying that we cannot raise the minimum wage of Justin Bieber will be sad, even though Justin Bieber has no control over the minimum wage. Nor is he effected at all by the minimum wage. This advertisement uses the fallacy bandwagon, because it is having society copy Justin Bieber and not want the minimum wage to increase, since he will be sad. This Justin Bieber advertisement is not persuasive because it is addressing that we should follow what Justin Bieber does because he is famous and he is supposed to be America’s idol super star. Justin Bieber in all honesty does not care about what the average American makes. He cares only about his music and how much he is making, which is a ridiculous amount of money. The advertisers used Justin Bieber in this opposing advertisement because of the fact he is a celebrity. Companies use celebrities to better enhance the product, service, or idea. They do this because it either has the audience relate to Justin Bieber or changes the audiences mind to agree with Justin Bieber.

            Besides the appeal for affiliation, the need to aggress also helps express the way people feel towards the minimum wage in the world. Jib Fowles addresses, “Existing as harbored energy, aggressive drives present a large, tempting target fir advertisers. It is not a target to be aimed at thoughtlessly, though, for few manufactures who want their products associated with destructive motives” (45). The need to aggress shows the anger and violence inside of someone. This appeal is used to show advertisements where someone is fighting for what they want. Need to aggress appeals to the audience needs, by thinking about what they really want and what they are willing to do to standup for themselves. The “Fight for a $15/hr minimum wage”, advertisement that persuades their audience to raise the minimum wage, uses the appeal, need to aggress. It shows an image of a man throwing his fist into the air, yelling. The slogan reads, “FIGHT FOR A $15/HR MINIMUM WAGE”. This advertisement is implying Americans need to fight and stand up for what they want and do not give up on raising the minimum wage.  The need to aggress is used for this advertisement because it is aggressive and bold. It is showing how the man is ready to protest and stand up to the government to get his point across. This advertisement is persuading its readers to agree with them by standing up for what they want, and help the society by raising the minimum wage.

Besides the appeal to aggress, the need for safety is affiliated in not raising the minimum wage. This warning advertisement displays a medicine bottle that boldly states, “Obama RX-prescription-minimum wage increase; WARNING: may kill jobs, weaken the economy, increase poverty, and government dependency.” This warning advertisement is implying that increasing the minimum wage is dangerous to society because it will kill jobs, increase poverty, and increase government dependency. The logical fallacy used for this opposing advertisement is appealing to the readers fear or pity. It uses this logical fallacy because it is warning society what will happen to the local jobs and having society fear the outcomes of raising the minimum wage. This warning advertisement is not persuasive because adding Obama to the advertisement starts a lot of controversy, due to the fact of the audience either loving or hating Obama. It can become biased because of the name displayed. Having Obama’s name on the medicine bottle the advertisement became about not ones opinion on the outcome but on the opinions of society’s liking or disliking of Obama. The opposing ad is as well not persuasive because it is saying what is going to happen to society and how we should be scared of the outcomes but honestly we should take some risks for society’s friends and families and try to help them live a more comfortable lifestyle. When people become scared their thought process changes to avoid that situation, so this advertisement is enhancing fear within the audience to stop the wage enhancing.