Rhetoric Analysis “10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman” by Rob Bliss Creative

Posted by Erezana Morina on

I have chosen to analyze “10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman” created by Rob Bliss Creative, featuring 24-year-old actress Shoshana Roberts. The author of this text is Rob Bliss, who is credible of his creation due to the fact that the video has reached 49 million views on YouTube. However,  Shoshana is the featuring actor. 

Rhetorical Situation/Exigence: The author of the video is responding to the street harassment of women while choosing to represent the ultimate cause of hidden cameras, and let the audience know the struggle women face every day, which is catcalling. The video is suggesting the reality of the consequences of a woman walking by in New York City streets, and the video brings awareness of the difficult times that women face in our society. 

Audience: The target audience for this text is masculine men due to the fact that it shows men committing such actions. It is a source to make men see their reflection and make them aware of the causes they are making. The author’s assumptions to the audience are that they are not knowledgeable of making those actions and that this video is a reflection of themselves, so they can see the damages they have done so they could stop doing so in the future.

However, I also think that there is another audience that the author points out. In this case, women and society as a whole. The author tries to point out the social issue of street harassment of women is unconsidered and not discussed. As evidence is the woman herself, walking by. 

Purpose: The main purpose of this text is to capture street harassment happening in the real world in the greatest city in the world, and let the watchers explore what it is like being street harassed. However another idea of challenging the traditional narrative of women being harassed because of their looks. In response to that misconception, Roberts was wearing black jeans and a T-shirt, opposing that women are a subject of street harassment despite what they wear. 

Genre: The genre of this text is the informal informational video that has a goal. The reason I say is informal is because it does not contain a script or use of graphics, however, it does have the narrator, which is Shoshana Roberts.

The Stance:  Although the author is not particularly presented in the video, the stance of the author is ultimately altered due to the fact that Bliss has chosen to share the theme of street harassment of women. 

 

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1XGPvbWn0A

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license.

Erezana Morina

https://resistance2020.commons.gc.cuny.edu/author/erezanamorina/

Comments ( 5 )

  1. Ayesha Abdul-Fattaah
    This topic is so important! Women really operate with so much fear in our society because of toxic masculinity and the fact that so many men are not held accountable for their harmful actions. I remember watching this video before too. I am grateful that people make it a point to address this issue, because I also am tired of being catcalled. I remember when it first started happening to me, I was only in middle school. It makes me so angry to know that my little 11 year old sister will soon be experiencing things like this. I hope things start to change for the better. Thank you for sharing this information!
  2. Andrew Mark Salmieri
    As a guy with a younger sister and mother, I am always on the lookout and defensive due to the actions of other men. It's a shame because I always carry around this tension with me. It shouldn't be this way but the harassment that women constantly endure forces it to be this way. Once, I actually caught an older man looking at my sisters body on the train. I had to restrain myself in order not to start a physical confrontation. I exploded at him and told him to get off the train, which he did. I was somewhat embarrassed that I had to display my anger in front of everyone, but the fact that my sister told me she was uncomfortable put me in a rage. I, too, have watched many social experiment videos of women walking around the city and getting catcalled. It is a chronic problem that is caused by toxic masculinity that pervades our society. It is men that feel they are so powerful that they can harass women without consequence. I, as a man, try everyday to rid myself of traits that display toxic masculinity. It doesn't matter who I am talking to, I treat everyone with the same respect and dignity. My identity as a man does not make me more powerful than anyone else. And I wish other men would learn that. We must start calling out this harassment wherever it happens!
    • Erezana Morina
      Hi Andrew, thank you for replying to my analysis. I am happy to see that this has brought attention to men too. I deeply feel your sister because it has happened to me too. It is a good gesture that you felt the need to protect her this time, but I also think we should fight against catcalling and show the toxic masculinity the wrongfullness of catcalling.
  3. Faith Morales
    I love your topic! As a woman living in NYC, I always experience these types of remarks and comments while walking in the street. This is way more common than people think it is and it is extremely important to speak up about it. I have seen this video multiple times and it always disgusts me that we live in a world where men think this is okay. I appreciate you bringing up this topic and I think your work was very well written.
  4. Erezana Morina
    Hi Marcela, I am touched by the story you told and I would be so happy if you could share it with me. I, myself, have been followed by multiple men which have caused many fears inside me. I feel deeply about this topic because it affects everyone and it just doesn't stop. It terrifies me that so many women have to go through this and for what? Because a man can not stop catcalling and feels the need to do so??? Terrible.

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