For the news reporters, it’s important to note the two sides of President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural concert. The event took place in front of the Lincoln Memorial on the eve of the inauguration ceremony held on 20th January 2017. The event can be noted for its difference from the Obama celebration for those who came to compare the two. However, one notable thing at the event was the absence of famous celebrities. Given that this was an event meant for marking the start of the reign of the 45th president, one would expect “big name” celebrities to mark the victory after the elections battle with the democrats last year. However, the event was marked but some unknown celebrities like DJ Ravidrums. The names of the performers were unknown to me and many other attendees at the event. We expected that the make America great again would consist of top performers to usher in the new president in style. Given that president Trump is a billionaire and that he was the president-elect, we expected that he would be able to attract famous artists or at least pay them to perform at his inaugural concert. However, the only celebrities I had an idea about were “Three Doors Down” and “Toby Keith.” I would later learn about “The Piano Guys” from the people around me as they performed. This is a big point of to report about an event that would have otherwise been attended by famous celebrities. It is also important to note that the invited celebrities did not seem to be so enthusiastic about the event. The performances were not as I would have expected as I did not feel like they met celebration performance. Specifically, the performance by “Three Doors Down” did not meet my expectations. Listening to their music is far much better than watching them perform. They were even surpassed by the not-so-famous “Piano Guys” who amazed the crowd with their performance. The “Three Doors Down” also took much of the time on the stage. Time which could have been allocated to other performers. However, it appeared like the celebrations could not attract many performers, especially famous celebrities.
Other than the not-so-good performances, the celebrations were marked with absenteeism from the citizens. The concert could only attract a small crowd. The concert is meant to be a commemoration of the victory of the republicans over the democrats. However, the event was only attended by a small crowd. The picture from this event showed a little support for the republican presidential-elect who came out triumphant during the 2016 elections. Even if the democrats may have opted to boycott the celebrations, one would as why the republicans and trump supporters did not fill the plays. One would ask why the crowd appeared to be gloomy even after their victory. The theme of the celebration was “Make America Great Again” which was the president’s slogan during the campaign. However, the small representation of the American populace symbolized a confusing image. Could it be that Americans don’t want to be great again? Or is it that Americans do not think America needs to be great again? The president’s rhetoric during the campaign appeared to be appealing to the Americans who had not been pleased by the political administration. Trump justified his intentions for the country by appealing to the hidden voters through this slogan. However, this slogan only seems to have attracted the hidden voters who could not attend the concert.
The event theme was a combination of the three forms of Aristotle’s rhetoric. First, the theme appealed to Americans culture. According to Lunsford (13), ethos appeal to the values of the audience. The slogan appeals to the culture of greatness in American. The use of the words “make America great” appeals to Americans through the need to become greater than the rest. In addition, the theme also appeals to Americans’ emotions. Pathos, as a form of rhetoric, appeals to the audience emotions, (Lunsford 12). The word again is meant to show that America is no longer as great as it used to be. Given that the American culture is inclined towards greatness, the word appeals to Americans who would like to see the nation back to its greatness level. Given that Donald Trump won the elections, it is evident that the theme worked well as a campaign slogan. The theme also applies Aristotle’s other third form of rhetoric, logos. Logos appeals to reason calling for the logical part of the human mind, (Gasper 96). The theme, in general, called out to Americans to think about the country and how it has changed and think whether they would like to restore the norms that had been altered in previous administrations. It appeals to the audience to think back to the issues raised by Trump’s camp during the campaigns and see the proof of what he intended for the country.
However, based on the crowd and the musicians the theme had attracted to the venue, it is evident that the people the slogan could appeal to during the campaign were not willing to attend the concert. One would expect that those who voted for the president would come out in numbers to celebrate their victory and show support for the president. The appeal also seems to have missed the target in form of famous people who may not want to be associated with the new president’s policies. From an apolitical point of view, the image displayed by the attending crowd symbolizes little support for the president from Americans. However, right from the entrance to the end of the concert, the president did not seem to be amazed or demoralized by the not-so-big crowd or the underperformance by the invited celebrities. The first family look set for the inauguration ceremony and not even a small crowd’s approval could take away their achievement and joy. Trump already appeared like a president. He was calm and did not seem to care about the attendance. He is now the president of the most powerful country in the world. He saluted the statue of Lincoln as he entered the Memorial like the commander in chief he is. That is more important than a few people who do not support his election, or a few people having supported him and made him the president. The use of the venue is also a form of logos in a bid to appeal to the American populace through reason and logic. Logos appeals to audience through reason, (Gasper 96)
However, there was another side of the concert that is also important to look at. Patriotism is an important aspect for any reporter and is worth noting. Regardless of the political affiliation, a person should be commended for their show of patriotism and 19th of January 2017 was one of those days that Toby Keith deserved it. Keith should be commended for his performance that was all about America. From the colors of red, white, and blue, to the lyrics of the songs, Keith was more interested in selling the importance of the country America. As much as it was a celebration of victory, Keith chose to concentrate on the patriotic songs and not on praising the president. From his introduction song, Keith aimed at spreading a message to those watching and those at the venue that America is more important. He highlighted the importance of the soldiers that fight to protect the peace in the country for the others to sleep happy and in peace. In conclusion, he saluted the former president, Obama. He even went a step further to praise the outgoing president by thanking him for his service. The venue was also a show of solidarity to President Lincoln. The choice of the venue was a form of patriotism and celebration for President Lincoln.
Conclusion
Donald Trump’s inaugural concert was an achievement and a failure at the same time. The concert attracted a small group of celebrities and a small crowd. This could indicate a failure to unite Americans behind the new president. It is a failure by Trump’s camp to attract a big crowd for such an important party for the president. Maybe the event organizers did not sell the event well enough to attract the famous celebrities and a bigger number of people. However, the concert provided a show of patriotism through Keith and the venue. The choice of songs matched with the venue and highlighted the theme of the concert through patriotism.
Work Cited
Lunsford, Andrea A., and Andrea A. Lunsford. Everyone's an Author. WW Norton and Company, 2013.
Gasper, Des. "LOGOS, PATHOS AND ETHOS IN MARTHA C. NUSSBAUM’S CAPABILITIES APPROACH TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT." Capabilities, Gender, Equality: Towards Fundamental Entitlements (2014): 96.
