Aspen Baker: A better way to talk about abortion
https://www.ted.com/talks/aspen_baker_a_better_way_to_talk_about_abortion
Within the TED talk, Aspen Baker wishes to share the importance of storytelling and having listening skills. She does this through discussion of abortion, and how the conversation surrounding it is not conversation at all, but a polarized war between people screaming pro-life and others fighting pro-choice. An issue that is extremely personal has become extremely political. She recognizes that in so many places, people are unable to talk about the issues that matter to them, solely because people are unwilling and unable to do it in a respectful way. Through her program, "Pro-Voice", women and men alike and call in and talk without facing any judgement. This is made possible through asking open-ended questions and utilizing reflective language. These are ways to improve your listening skills and be a respectful member of the conversation. But to make the other person feel safe and comfortable, a lot of practice and empathy is required. This kind of storytelling can improve the world by changing the way we talk about all delicate topics.
Baker employs the appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos in her TED talk in hopes of getting the audience to back her argument in favor of being "pro-voice".
"Pro-Voice" is a new concept for the audience, and to prove herself as a credible source, Baker utilizes ethos. Since "Pro-Voice" focuses on the issue of abortion, Baker shares her experience with debating and deciding on an abortion. In her anecdote she describes how she was raised in a beach town in Southern California, where nearly everyone was Christian and pro-life. She notes how this environment showed her the struggles women who have abortions may have. There aren't many people that are willing to have an actual, thoughtful conversation on the topic. Due to this reality, she discovered that she wanted to help and guide others who went or are going through the same difficult decision-thus she created "Pro-Voice". After this information was shared, the audience is more likely to respect her thoughts on the topic she is speaking on.
With logos, Baker makes a strong argument for why her program, "Pro-Voice" is needed. She includes a statistic from the Guttmacher Institute, that "one in three women in America will have an abortion in their lifetime". This statement proves that abortion is common, and that we need to start talking about it-and that "Pro-Voice" is the outlet in which a solution could be found. She designed the program for people to share their stories and unite people under our similarities and differences-the things that make us human.
Through pathos, Baker is able to incite emotion in the audience which is helpful in getting the audience to empathize with the sensitive issue of abortion. We get to listen to her personal story regarding her abortion, and all the raw feelings and struggles that come with it. She references the powerful Supreme Court case-Roe v. Wade, which for many, automatically causes emotional response. But she shows that it does not have to be all negative when she describes the gift that her friend Polly had given her-that she "wasn't alone and the realization that abortion was something we can talk about". The audience will be uplifted at the chance of hope, since there are so many others dealing with similar problems. With this appeal, the audience will support the move Baker's program is attempting to make towards comfort and empowerment through storytelling. This captures her entire purpose of the talk-encouraging the people to make a strive towards being "pro-voice", making a better way to speak on difficult topics.
As I was sifting through the various TED talks tagged with storytelling, I came across this one, and was immediately intrigued. Abortion. It's inherently a difficult topic to discuss. But I notice that when it's discussed, it's only being argued. Its relevancy in the political world has only increased, but nothing is being done about it. I recognized that maybe Aspen Baker was right-we need "a better way to talk about abortion".
When I converse with other people, talking about things that happened to them, and how they dealt with them, I can't help but compare their decisions with what I would have done. I judge. I wear my opposition on my face. This is not done with the intent to make them feel lesser or myself feel more than, but out of poor habit. This TED talk showed me that maybe my listening skills were not up to par.
One of the summarizing arguments that I took from this talk was that our experiences are what humanize us, which is also a theme within Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Within the novel, what it means to be human is examined. While reading we get to see what experiences make us human and how those experiences are the stories of our lives. Ishiguro also includes the contrasting reactions of pity and terror, as well as love and compassion. This is closely connected to the duality of man discussed in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. I found that these ideas relate to the argument Baker is making in her talk-that there seems to be only two sides in the conversation of abortion.
Okay wow crazy girl!! Out of all those TED Talks, I chose the same one as you did. I completely agree with your discussion on how she told her story and shared her topic. I think she did an excellent job of sharing it with the audience in order to keep them engaged, and loved your connection to Jekyll and Hyde and Never Let Me Go.
ReplyDeleteI watched the TED Talk as well and found it as intriguing as you did. It really shows how language can affect society (for the better or worse). I also thought "Pro-Voice" was an interesting play-on-words; but I don't understand how abortion can be talked about without arguing. My EE was about abortion, and if I was not arguing about it with somebody, then I would hardly have called it a conversation (just me spitting ideas and others listening).
ReplyDeleteThis topic is super interesting and like you said, controversial. You did a great job of analyzing ethos, logos, and pathos deeply in your post and reflected on how the TED talk connects to your own life, as well as connections to what we read in class. I too have to work on being a better listener, in all subjects, not just abortion and other political topics. There's a famous quote I heard that I think is relevant, especially now in this political climate: "Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply." Like you said, like Baker said, we need to listen to make ourselves better, not argue with the idea that you and only you are right.
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