The photograph of John and Yoko's Bed-in is an appeal to ethos due to the position that these celebrities held during the 1960s. John Lennon was one of the leading members of the British rock band, The Beatles. The extreme popularity of the band allowed John, and his wife Yoko, to become revered members of society by many Americans, and other world citizens as well. Because of this status, John and Yoko were trusted by a significant portion of the population. Their words primarily touched left wing groups like the Hippies and young adults. People listened to what they had to say and took it seriously, so when they protested the Vietnam War by staying in their bed in Amsterdam for an entire week, it greatly helped to spread a message of peace. The amount of press documenting their protest allowed for their beliefs to become somewhat popular opinion, and had a substantial affect on motivating liberal people to take action against the injustices of war. While it was certainly not the only anti-war demonstration of the 1960s, it stands out as a huge success because of it's ability to persuade such a large and diverse part of society.
Olivia O'Keefe
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bed-In
Were there any groups who were opposed to this demonstration? You say that it mostly appealed to left wing groups, but how did other people feel about it?
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you have said here. John Lennon and the Beatles had so many loyal followers that it gave him great credibility. I can't help to think about what kind of protest this would be if it wasn't someone from the Beatles. If it wasn't John Lennon or any other famous person, we would never have recognized the protest.
ReplyDelete- Emily Camardo
I agree--the extrinsic ethos here is really salient. Without it (and maybe even considering it) the idea of a bed-in in the closest the 1960s came to our facebook protests of today.
ReplyDeleteI like how your post emphasizes a lot on how music artists have a major impact on the views of young adults. Being a music artist can have just as much ethos as being a president because of the number of followers they have.
ReplyDelete-Ebonie Massey
I agree that The Beatles' popularity contributed greatly to the extrinsic ethos. What do you think about the intrinsic ethos of their protest?
ReplyDelete