Pathos in Mad Men

So, Mad Men is one of my favorite shows. And while reading the chapter on pathos, I couldn't help but remember this scene.

Mad Men: The Carousel

This scene is without a doubt the definition of pathos. The scene starts out with the Kodak representatives asking if the ad Don Draper has prepared makes note of the fact that the projector uses a wheel, an idea which obviously would not have resonated with the ad's audience. The Kodak representative's statement "wheels aren't seen as exciting technology even though they are the original" sounds unbearably dull.

Don then changes the subject and says that while technology can be a "glittering lure...there's the rare occasion where the public can be engaged on a level beyond flash". He never actually uses the word pathos, but he might as well have. When the slide show of Don's family plays, the audience understands fully the powerful effect of nostalgia as a form of pathos. While the slides alone are sweet and sentimental, the music is what does it. Through the music, the audience feels like they are being transported to Don Draper's past and are watching a flashback, not merely a slide-show. By the end of the slide-show, one of the executives, Harry Crane, leaves the room crying and the Kodak representatives are left awestruck.

This scene, which is probably one of the most moving scenes in the history of television, perfectly shows how powerful pathos can be. At the same time, it shows that pathos can be very hard to pull off, as not every object or topic will strike an emotional cord with the audience. Don himself mentions this, and demonstrates how a slide projector is one of the few products for which pathos can be used, since its entire purpose is to relive memories.

So, while you should consider every opportunity to use pathos in a speech, you must carefully consider whether or not your pathos can be used for your topic or if it will resonate with your audience Otherwise, your pathos could fall flat, or even worse, be considered overtly sentimental.