My argument was about how slang is looked down upon by teachers and educators in school. We commonly see this in school as we grow up and realize certain languages are fit for certain situations. Slang is discouraged in school and “formal” language is introduced. I decided to show how I feel teachers tend to exaggerate this formality and how we are taught all our lives to not use slang in a school setting.  Slang is important since it’s a way for students to express themselves, and communicate with each other. When schools take that away it’s harder to fully express yourself as you do outside or even socialize. 

My intended audience are fellow students and educators. I feel like students can all relate to this and so can educators. We all know how we are taught to not use slang in a school setting and I feel like that’s something that’s important in directing who this meme is for. I feel like suppressing language is the same as suppressing our emotions. Through speech we can express ourselves clearer, and I feel like some words that may come off as slang can embody a certain feeling an individual has. Through limiting speech, we are taking away that feeling of expression. This goes hand in hand with a topic we spoke about in class once, where It was looked down upon to use other languages in text to express emotion. We can apply the same idea to this as slang, since limiting a student’s ability to express themselves is not healthy and prevents freedom and creativity.

The genre I chose was a meme format. I took an online meme and wrote over it, transforming it into a powerful message.  I know my student target audience see memes all the time online, on social media or through friends. A meme is my format since it’s funny, short, 

efficient, and sweet. It gets a point across and sometimes may make the reader laugh. Through humor I felt like I could relate even more to my target audience. Everybody loves a good meme, and I feel like making a relatable meme just makes the argument more solid and understanding. A meme also makes a topic a lot more lighthearted and less serious. In all I feel like a meme is another form of expression that can be used amongst peers.

The two rhetorical strategies I used were comparison and pathos. My meme showcased two Drakes with two reactions, and written above was “Teachers be like”. On top it depicted Drake showing disinterest. In that picture I wrote “Yall”, indicating how teachers don’t like the usage of slang. On the bottom It showed Drake being excited, and the text wrote, “You all”. This shows teachers appreciation towards using a more formal tone. Through comparison I highlighted the two opposite reactions a teacher may have during usage of slang and formal language. To express pathos I made a meme trying to express humor towards my target audience.  I used a narration of a situation that is definitely relatable and most likely is what students feel is happening in their classrooms or in school. Through this meme I feel like I’m also writing from experience and the feeling of suppression when I’m in school through language.