This paper is going to consider the different fallacies and forms of argument present in the clip ‘baby O.J and Bruno’ that I chose for the comparisons. There are different arguments, propositions and counter propositions presented in this clip, which exposes the common strategies used in arguments. An argument is made to confirm the truthfulness or the untruthfulness of a statement. The clip has arguments that move towards the argument that Bruno is a Gay individual. This will be our reductio ad absurdum where the argument in the clip will show that ‘the denial that Bruno is gay is illogical’. The contradiction presented in the clip concerning this subject arises from the fact that Bruno presents himself as an individual who has the best interests of the baby at his heart while the clip suggests otherwise. The dressing up of the baby in a t-shirt that reads ‘GayBy’ is highly suggestive that Bruno takes the child as an object of his gay fantasies against the presumptuous love he portrays himself as to offer the baby.
The clip commences by the inquisition of how Bruno obtained his baby, to which he replies that he swapped the baby for a limited edition red iPod. The reaction of the African American lady, that of shock and total disbelief, is well representative of the absurdity of the whole story. it is highly inconceivable that one can swap their baby for an iPod, even in Africa as the clip tends us to suspect was the source of the baby. by stating that he acquired the baby in exchange for an iPod Bruno effectively associates the place where he obtained the baby from with acts of savagery so much that a person would hold an iPod in higher regard than a baby. there is a great deal of hypocrisy in this statement as a baby’s parents who had the luxury of even knowing how to operate an iPod would not be in a position to give aw2ay their child for even the best model of an iPod available. Bruno uses the iPod story to divert attention from the real issue of how he really acquired the baby, and instead focuses that attention on the African people, from where the baby was obtained as irresponsible and non-feeling individuals. The choice of the t-shirt Bruno had the baby wear is also wanting in many aspects. The name GayBy is under no record of having any African descent as much as it has homosexual connotations. The choice of the message printed on the t-shirt is reflective of the idea Bruno had of the baby, a homosexual toy to fulfill his fantasies. He diverts attention to this fact by alluding that GayBy is a traditional African name and its choice was only influenced by the Baby’s descent. This is a highly hypocritical allusion in consideration that the source of the baby was not clearly explained either.
While there is contradiction by the African American population against homosexuality, while they are also victims of segregation due to their belonging to a minor grouping, the social background and the period has to be taken into consideration. The reaction of the African Americans to Bruno’s sexuality happened because of the social standards that were there then. Sexual orientation tolerance is a social area that is still developing and the rest of the races have strong opposition towards people who are not of straight sexual orientation. It is unfair therefore, to single out African Americans as the only people who are against gay people. The opposition of the activities Bruno by the African Americans does not mean that they that were people who would show discriminatory habits to everyone else. Additionally, the baby OJ does not help the argument for Bruno as he is black and male which leads to the people feeling insecurity trusting his safety on an ‘unstable individual’ such as him. The clear disregard for the baby’s value and taking him as a gay object on Bruno’s part did not help his case as the audience was generally trying to protect the child from him. it would be unfair to conclude that the audience was a homophobic one as the case presented here clearly shows a case of a minor in the hands of a gay person who takes more value in the iPod than the baby and who clearly sees the baby in sexual terms. the audience had the right to protect the baby under these circumstances ignoring the fact that their actions would be misconstrued as homo phobia.
The other side of the contradiction is obvious in the clip from the many times negative reactions came from the audience. The audience seems to have taken a common stand in resisting his reasoning by assuming he was gay. The African American society being a discriminated against in the United States is seen as highly discriminatory in this clip. Bruno appears to exaggerate his antics for the sole purpose of inciting feeling in the audience by the fact that the child was of African descent. the fact seems to tip the loyalty of the African American society in standing with marginalized groups, to standing with their own.
The African American audience and Bruno should not have acted the way they did in this discussion. The African Americans for instance should have taken on a more accommodative approach towards handling Bruno’s sexuality while Bruno should have shown a clear concern for the child without trying to corrupt him with his sexuality issues and wait for them to achieve legal age and discover their own sexuality. The actions of Bruno dressing the baby up in a t-shirt that read GayBy suggested that he truly did not have the afterthought of what that action would be interpreted to mean. The interpretation of the African American audience into that instance caused them to assume he was gay and trying to impose his sexuality on the baby as well. The instance where Bruno praises the iPod he used in return for the baby as not just any iPod, seems to put value to the iPod in a way that it could match the child’s value. This implication also seems to rub on the wrong way to the audience who see this as an attempt to demean the baby. Bruno would have been more careful with his words so as not to evoke unwanted reactions from the audience. By the taking up of these soft methods, the two parties would have been in a position to hold a more productive interaction than they did. Bruno would not have been discriminated against as much as he was, while the African American has had to act in a way that showed they were intolerant to homosexual people.
Works Cited
"Baby O.J. Scene from Brüno Movie (2009)." MOVIECLIPS. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.
Berkow, Peter, and Anita Berkow. Argument. S. Burlington, VT N.p., n.d. Print.
Montagu, Ashley. Man's Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race. Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press, 1997. Print.
Priest, Graham, J C. Beall, and Bradley P. Armour-Garb. The Law of Non-Contradiction: New Philosophical Essays. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2004. Print.
