Article of the Week #6

     Self magazine specializes in health, fitness and beauty for women and has been in publication for over thirty years.   Lauren Graham, the writer of this article, is an actress best known for her main roles in Gilmore Girls and Parenthood.
      In the article, “Lauren Graham's Five-Week Slimdown”, Graham describes her short-term journey to better fitness.  With true commitment, Graham fought temptations against enticing carbs and accomplished the fitness goals she set for herself.
     Graham was asked to pose for Self magazine and in preparation, decided to challenge herself physically so to look toned and healthy.
     The purpose of the article was to inspire others to take control of their health and to let people know that as long as they stay completely committed to a fitness regime, they will see results.
       The audience intended for this article is women who are looking to find a new way to exercise.
      Some rhetorical elements in this piece include a humorous tone and dialogue.  As a comedian, Graham uses humor to make light of the hell exercise and dieting can be. This humor also makes the writing very informal, making the audience connect with her easily. For example, “It's 87 degrees, and I am on my 14th lap around a high school track. Whose idea was this?  Oh, mine” and  “I'm in New York City to visit my sister. Unfortunately, my dear friends Bagel and Cream Cheese live here, too.”  She makes a joke out of the struggles with weight loss and through this, establishes credibility because she doesn’t seem like a perfect celebrity.   Graham also uses dialogue with her personal trainer to make experiences come to life.  Graham would often seek her trainer out for advice:  “I call Michelle. ‘You're in insane heat. Drink more water,’ she says. ‘I only like water when it tastes like a margarita,’ I whine.” 
     Graham did accomplish her purpose.  Through humor, she discarded the celebrity image and made herself appear like a casual and relatable person.  Because of this, she speaks to the audience’s inspiration and makes the challenge of weight loss seem possible. 



http://www.self.com/healthystars/2011/10/lauren-graham-slimdown-slideshow#slide=5