Evan Cowgill
ENG 400
Dr. Cream
14 September 2017
Rhetorical Analysis 3: Voice and Expertise in YouTube Game Guides
Link for Reference: https://youtu.be/r5lbQvOXN9U
Joseph’s Place is a YouTube channel that exclusively makes videos for Runescape 2, namely guides and analysis-videos. In this particular video, he (Joseph) provides an in-depth explanation of the Magic skill in Runescape and how it can be best trained. But with so many other methods and opinions held within the community of Runescape’s players, Joseph chooses to increase his credibility by presenting his information in a way that convinces the audience that he’s an expert at the game, so they should accept his assertions as fact.
He uses many means to establish this throughout the video. Joseph clearly displays all of his math and offers backing sources in the video’s description, attempting to prove to the viewer that everything he claims is logically sound and mutually agreed upon. Joseph also speaks with an almost super-standard English that mimics that of a lawyer’s argument, a public speaking speech, or an NPR podcast. The features of this style of speech include deliberate enunciation, almost no contractions, de facto tone of voice, and much more. What’s especially interesting is that this same style of speech can be found in many other YouTubers who also want to exhibit an air of expertise in their respective game.
