Rhetoric of Amateur Motivational Videos by AJ’s Life YouTube Channel: A Positive and Multimodal Discourse Analysis

Abstract

The study of rhetorical analysis has extensively been conducted on renowned orators such as politicians or celebrities, yet it seems to undermine that ordinary, non-famous people are capable of delivering powerful rhetoric of positive changes. This research analyzes six videos from an amateur motivational YouTube channel named “AJ’s Life” on how it attempts to persuade its audience through empowering messages. Positive Discourse Analysis (PDA) was used as the main framework to analyze the textual elements while also referencing Aristotelian rhetorical appeals to assess the persuasive power of the speeches. Taking account of the visuals, the videos were examined using Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) to find out how they work together with the text. Results show that AJ from AJ’s Life uses several strategies in his language to evoke persuasion, mainly through cultivating a sense of shared struggle as well as opening up to be vulnerable. Visually, the videos are taken in a candid style to enhance the genuineness of the speaker. AJ constructs himself as a figure of authenticity and relatability in efforts to gain trust, therefore allowing him to deliver positive messages in a sincere manner through shared lived experiences with his audience. Further research can be done in analyzing the audience's reception to validate his rhetoric or using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to uncover underlying ideology and social values in the construction of AJ’s messages.