AP English III

In this mock press release from The Onion, the author satirizes the way products are marketed to consumers. He seems to think that the methods used by advertisers are exaggerated and manipulative. The author shows his contempt for marketing techniques by using Irony, diction, and hyperboles. The use of Irony Is evident In this mock press release. The author uses this Irony to point out logical flaws sometimes seen In advertisements. For instance, a woman claims that “after wearing MagnaSoles for seven weeks, [she’s] noticed a significant decrease in pain” (lines 59-60).

Customer testimonials are often used as an advertising technique. However, this particular one is showing irony because the injury of a sprained ankle could clearly be healed by time in seven weeks”not necessarily because of some miracle product. The audience recognizes this irony and finds it humorous. Another irony that the author is showing is the description of an “intelligent-looking man in a white lab coat” (lines 67-68). This is ironic because he is not necessarily intelligent, he merely appears to be intelligent.

This parodies the advertising technique of using actors to sell products, as opposed to actual certified pecialists. All of these examples of Irony clearly show misleading tactics of marketers. The authors use of comical dlctlon emphasizes the audacious tone that real advertisements use to sell their products. However, this author flouts that bold tone by use of sarcastic and exaggerated word choice. For example, he mocks the scientific words typically used by using made up words. He creates terms like “pain nuclei,” “kilofrankels,” and “comfortrons. By inserting this satirical diction, the author is creating a connection to scientific vocabulary typically used in advertising. Consumers are often misled by vocabulary that they are unfamiliar with, and this author is satirically proving that. Specifically, he uses the term “pseudoscience” which sounds, to an uninformed ear, like a legitimate field of study. However, a clever reader will understand that “pseudff’ means fake, and therefore the very term means “fake science” (not legitimate). By using such exaggerated diction, the author proves his satirical point that people will believe anything that sounds scientific.

The author of this mock press release also uses hyperbole to mock real advertisements by ointing out their exaggerations. The article contains a quote by the product’s creator that claims it is “not just a shoe insert”it’s a total foot rejuvenation system” (line 16-17). This is an exaggeration of what typical advertisements say about their product. All advertisers want to sell their product as a “cure-all. ” Through hyperbole, this article is mocking this convention. In addition, the article claims that “if the frequency of one’s foot is out of alignment with the Earth, the entire body will suffer” (lines 43-45).

This is clearly a fantasy fact because we know that your entire ody is not necessarily Impacted by the biomagnetic connection of your foot to the ground. The author’s hyperbole serves to further prove that advertisements often use bombastic exaggeration. The satirical devices used by the author poke fun at real advertising techniques. Through scientific-sounding diction, strong, humorous hyperbole, and ludicrous Irony, the author effectively makes his point that marketing techniques are deceptive and somewhat shady. techniques by using irony, diction, and hyperboles. The use of irony is evident in this mock press release.

The author uses this irony o point out logical flaws sometimes seen in advertisements. For instance, a woman specialists. All of these examples of irony clearly show misleading tactics of marketers. The author’s use of comical diction emphasizes the audacious tone that reader will understand that “pseudo’ means fake, and therefore the very term means that claims it is “not Just a shoe insert”it’s a total foot rejuvenation system” (line body is not necessarily impacted by the biomagnetic connection of your foot to the hyperbole, and ludicrous irony, the author effectively makes his point that marketing