Skip to main content

Toulmin and Pat McAfee

 It is easy to get into an argument these days. I feel like you can throw a biscuit at someone, and an argument will start. That might be because you threw a biscuit at someone, but there is a chance someone will critique your form when you threw the biscuit, or why you threw a biscuit instead of throwing a muffin, because the biscuit is not a better missile than a muffin. It really doesn't matter anyway, because you are now in an argument. Hopefully, you can hold your ground in this argument and if you have an understanding of the Toulmin Model, you will at least be able to communicate your reasoning for throwing the biscuit. 

    The Toulmin Model is a way of understanding the logical flow of an argument. The three basic parts of the Toulmin Model is the claim, reasons, and the evidence (Communicating Online, 316). The claim is your main argument you are presenting, with the reasons supporting the claim, and then the evidence is the support system that justifies the reasons for the claim. With the three main supports, there is also the addition of the warrant, or the critical thinking part of the argument. Most of the time, the warrant does not need to be stated, due to the understanding that your opponent uses critical thinking during the argument. The warrant works alongside the evidence in the argument. Then you have both the qualifier and the rebuttal, both work within the reasons of the argument (Communicating Online, 318). 



    While it may seem overwhelming to just read about the Toulmin Model, when put into play it is easier to grasp. Below is a clip from the Pat McAfee Show, a YouTube show were a former NFL punter talks about NFL related topics. On this particular episode, Pat and his team discuss the Detroit Lions hiring Dan Campbell as their new head coach. Before you watch the clip, two things to keep in mind. The clip does have strong language because one cannot have the conversation about the Detroit lions without cursing, so viewer discretion is advised. And the other is to understand that the Lions are an absolutely atrocious football team. They have historically one of the worst franchises in any professional sports league history and have let down their fans so many times, it is numbing at this point. They have been the laughingstock of the NFL for a few decades. I state this because I am one of those perpetually heartbroken fans.



    The breakdown of the argument is thus: The hiring of Dan Campbell will be great for football fans. Pat explains how Dan Campbell is entertaining, how passionate of an individual he is, and how the Lions have been missing star power quality. All the evidence being provided to show the claim of how Dan Campbell would be good for football fans. Thrown into the mix, are the qualifiers, of how there are no more superstars within the organization after trading the only star player they had as well as pointing out the fact of how excited fans are already at this point for this move. Pat recognizes how fans will think the Lions are still going to be a horrible football team, and Pat responds with affirmation but redirects with the idea that they will be entertaining. Down below is the breakdown of the Toulmin Model being used:

Claim: The NFL football fans will benefit from the Detroit Lions hiring Dan Campbell.

Reason: Dan Campbell is passionate, funny and a "football guy's, guy".

Evidence: The Dan Campbell introductory press conference and the opinions from other commentators who agree with Pat

Qualifier:  How the Lions have no other star power player to entertain the fans.

Rebuttal: The fact that even though hiring Dan Campbell will not make the team better, it will just be entertaining for the fans to watch. 

    By having the evidence and the qualifier at hand, McAfee is able to back up his claim that Dan Campbell will be entertaining to the football masses. With the rebuttal on hand, McAfee is able to redirect the statements towards his original claim.

    The Toulmin Model is an effective model for understanding/having an argument. It allows you to figure out the basis of an argument, allowing you to better structure your own argument, or to disassemble someone else's argument. So, whenever the individual you pelted a biscuit at comes up and questions why, use the Toulmin Model to effectively argue why it was necessary for you to assault them with a flour and water concoction.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Communication Junkie Lessons

       I personally tend to listen to comedy or horror podcasts on regular basis. If I am feeling smart and educated, sometimes I listen to a random Harvard Business Review IdeaCasts episode just to feel like I fit in with my wife. That changed when I started taking this class. I saw that we had to complete a podcast as an assignment, so I started compiling a list of podcasts on communication. Luckily enough, when this assignment came up, I had a repertoire of podcasts built up that dealt with this very topic. I chose to do this assignment on Communication Junkie's podcast, and specifically the one titled, " Surviving Social Media " where the host, Steven Fuller, talks about the time he posted a tweet that caused some difficulties with his job. In a short rundown, though I suggest listening to the podcast since it is only 10 minutes or so long, the host explains how he sent a tweet out in as a joke. (Fuller, 2019) How the public perceived the tweet and the fallo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Digital Natives: Real or Myth?

Good Ole Prensky     Marc Prensky coined the term "digital natives" in 2001 in the article "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" published in On the Horizon.  Prensky does explains that those born into this more technologically advanced age are digital natives due to the fact that the children grow up with these new digital devices and interact with the devices their whole, albeit young, lives. Those born before this time frame, or 1984 as Kirschner believes, are digital immigrants due to the fact that they lived lives before the advancement of the digital world and are in face new and must assimilate to the digital world. The graph below does a good job of explaining the ways that digital natives and digital immigrants consume information.  So, by this logic, I myself would fall into the digital native category. I feel like I would disagree with Prensky if it was based on my experiences alone. Although I consume too much digital information, more than what is d...
Post a Comment
Read more

Public Opinion and Social Media

      Although I tend to have a negative view on social media, there is no doubt the benefit that social media can have on society. When I look Bullet 3, it seems easy to answer about how social media has allowed users to win over the hearts and minds of people. It is easy to get caught up in the negativity that floats around the internet, but it would be remiss if the positives were not pointed out more. For example, the  Ice Bucket Challenge  raised over $135 million dollars for ALS research. By using social media, awareness was spread for ALS allowing those to donate as well as win people over for the cause.     Social media has also given those the platform to speak who have either been afraid or unable to voice their opinions before. The #MeToo allowed those to speak out on the sexual harassment they had experienced. While shameful that it took a movement on social media to rectify the acts of those in power, but the #MeToo movement...
Post a Comment
Read more