McDonald's is killing Americans, or so Morgan Spurlock believes. In his documentary Super Size Me, he embarks on a quest to not only describe and use himself as an example of the growing obesity trend, but also to provide viewers with basic nutritional knowledge that will allow them to gain their own informed conclusions. Spurlock's primary intention is to prove, through self-experimentation, that eating only McDonald's food is dangerous. His secondary intention is to expose the rising obesity rate in the United States using statistics, his own research and expert opinions. His broader message is aimed at a general audience while he tailors some chapters to more specific demographics such as parents or McDonald's themselves. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the rhetorical effectiveness of Morgan Spurlock's documentary Super Size Me by examining its use of pathos, logos. , and ethos. Spurlock undeniably succeeds because of his ability to emotionally draw his audience in while allowing them to easily identify with him. Spurlock maintains a powerful emotional hold on his audience through his use of shocking imagery and compelling information throughout the film. However, it fails to enhance its credibility by presenting misleading and biased information. Spurlock succeeds in eliciting strong emotional reactions from his viewers to help gain their support. The images, humor, music and the reactions of his doctors and family to his deteriorating condition all help create a connection between him and his audience. His use of gruesome images such as vomiting after eating, close-ups of fat Americans' bellies and butts, greasy and disgusting food, and detailed footers... middle of paper ... they are genetically predisposed or due to their lack of education. However, the certain intention of their talks is unclear and there are no comments to explain it. A third example is when Spurlock interviews people on the street and asks them their opinions on fast food. The two young African-American boys are the only ones who agree with eating fast food and say people should exercise more. However, the two boys do not have as much time to talk as the other interviewees and they come across as young and uneducated and therefore unreliable sources of information. This undermines Spurlock's ethical appeal, because in order for us to support his argument, we must trust him. If we feel he is being misleading and not showing us all the arguments so we can make an informed judgment for ourselves, we will be less likely to agree with him..