Prestigious Kate Middleton?

In chapter five of “Thank You For Arguing” Heinricks touches a very interesting topic of rhetoric and social power: Decorum. After I read what decorum was and how it is used I realized how much public figures use decorum to appeal their audience.

In this chapter Henricks gives a very interesting example of how Eminem’s success is related to his use of decorum. Normally rappers are balck, and Eminem is white which made him lose respect. But he used decorum to make him gain respect of the dance club crowd, and make them forget his skin color. By using “proper attire:  a stupid skull cap, clothes a few too big and as much blings as he can afford,” he made people treat him equally. If he hadn’t used decorum, he probably woudnt have been the person that he is today.

Decorum is what people use to “match the audience’s expectations for a leader’s tone, appearance, and manners,” (46) and this reminds me what Kate Middleton has done to appeal to the public. When she arrived to the royal family, many didn’t like her because she wasn’t pure blue blood. But this didn’t make Kate quit. She used decorum to appeal to the audience by dressing appropriately and conservatively. Also, she was always very nice and worked with the community, and doing so made her one of the most loved by the public of the Royal family. By her decorum, she was able to make people set aside her background, and instead focus on her as a person.

If Kate hadn’t used deocurm appropriately she woudnt have gained the love of the public. She wouldn’t have been able to persuade the public that she was capable of her role. If it hadn’t been for decorum, she wouldn’t be the prestigious Kate Middleton we  know today.