Topic > The Bandwagon Fallacy in Everyday Life

The definition of a fallacy is a false or incorrect idea based on faulty knowledge or reasoning. “Rhetorical fallacy is a type of fallacy that does not allow ideas to be communicated through back-and-forth communication, but rather distracts the reader with appeals instead of using sound reasoning.” There are different types of errors used in everyday life. Ad hominem, leading question, false cause, bandwagon, post hoc ergo, either-or, and false analogy are just a few of the many types of rhetorical fallacies. Three error sections are used; pathos, ego and logos which each appeal to a different thing. Ethos is an appeal to ethics and convinces someone of the persuader's credibility. Pathos is an appeal to emotion and convinces the audience through an emotional reaction. Finally, Logos appeals to logic and uses reason to persuade the audience. The simplest method to use is pathos, the one that creates an emotional response. The most common use of pathos is bandwagon appeal. Bandwagon appeal is defined as an argument that people believe is valid because most people accept it. The bandwagon appeal is used all the time, especially in the media, sports and politics. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To begin with, the bandwagon is primarily influenced by the promotion of items through the use of commercials, billboards, and other forms of advertising. Technology is tremendously affected by bandwagon use. Without using the bandwagon, Apple wouldn't sell as many iPhones as it does now. The only reason most people buy iPhones is because everyone around them has one. Here's how the bandwagon is associated with the number of iPhone sales. According to CBS source, in 2010 Apple's advertising expenditures were six hundred and ninety-one million dollars. The following year, 2011, they spent nine hundred and thirty-three million dollars on advertising. In 2012, Apple finally reached $1 billion spent on advertising. Now there are reports that Apple has made the decision to reveal the amount of money it spends on advertising. From this research, it is evident that it takes money to make money. Another great form of bandwagon attraction is found in sports where competition is a huge factor and winning is the main goal. There are many people who watch the Super Bowl every year. There are also people who watch the Super Bowl who wouldn't normally watch football at all. The reason for this is because the Super Bowl is so much more than just football. The Super Bowl features hilarious commercials, parties, bets made with friends and live halftime shows. Most people watch the Super Bowl because their friends and family watch it and to win money by picking a team they think will win, making it a form of bandwagon attraction. Another form of bandwagon attraction in sports is bandwagon fans, or fans who change their favorite team based on that team's number of wins or losses. There are ten successful teams filled with tons of bandwagon fans. The first team is the Seattle Seahawks, who until recently did not have many fans in the Northwest and gained more attention when they participated in the 2017 Super Bowl. The second team is the Chicago Blackhawks who have two successful players who have made the their very popular team like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The third team full of bandwagon fans is the Atlanta Hawks for basketball because of their victories. The fourth team is the Toronto Blue Jays for the.