September 1999 marked the humble beginning of a comedy column that was posted in the dorm bathrooms of Emory University. This column quickly began reaching national audiences via chain emails, which were one of the most prominent social mediums at the time. By the end of 2000, the original Points In Case column had launched its website. Today, it is a comedy blog site that features several columns maintained by different authors from colleges and universities across the nation. With a plethora of sarcastic posts by witty authors, the quirky, unconventional blog, Points in Case, appeals to the modern college student with a sophisticated sense of humor.
The ethos of Points in Case consists of a wide range of personalities. Contributors to the blog include staff writers, columnists, and guest writers from all parts of the US. Most of these authors are current college or graduate students, or fairly recent university alumni. While every PiC writer is quite unique, they all have some common aspects, which help to unify the blog. First of all, they are well-educated, in they have received or are working towards some college degree. This intelligence is evident across the authors’ writings; it is seen in their vocabulary choice, sentence structure, and reasoning. Additionally, I noticed an air of sarcasm among the authors. Reading through the articles, I found a consistent presence of sarcastic tone, despite changing authors and writing styles. The combination of intelligence and sarcasm found in each of the writers is what connects the individual posts and gives the blog its character.
There is no specific, meaningful logos to this blog. Its sole purpose is to provide entertaining, humorous reads for its followers. Court Sullivan, founder and editor of Points in Case, writes on the informational page, “Our number one goal is to make you laugh.” The title of the blog itself “Points in Case,” is a play on the commonly used phrase: case in point. That being said, rather than providing examples specific to certain topics of discussion (case in point), this blog provides miscellaneous information that may be relevant to some situation (points in case). Sullivan explains this with the exemplary statement, “here are some points to consider in case this happens to you.” While the articles sometimes reference current issues, the content tends to consist of satirical comment on the subject. For example, two people recently wrote about presidential candidate Donald Trump; specifically, they wrote about his hair. This blog allows its audience to take a break from the “real world,” relax, and laugh.
The pathos of this blog consists of college students (like myself) and graduate students. More specifically, these young adults need to have an understanding and an appreciation for the style of humor utilized by the blog’s contributors. Those with an affinity for sarcasm and satire are bound to enjoy the content of this blog. Additionally, the articles are written under the assumption that the readers are somewhat informed of current events and trends. Even though the “About” page simply states that the blog is “geared toward college students and post-grads,” I feel that these other traits can be found among the blog’s readers.
Aside from the three points of the rhetorical triangle, Points in Case touches on some of NC State University’s Intellectual Standards of Critical and Creative Thinking (defined here https://think.dasa.ncsu.edu/intellectual-standards-of-critical-and-creative-thinking/). These traits include: clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logic, significance, fairness, originality, adaptability, appropriateness, and contribution to the domain. Due to the satirical nature of the blog, many of these traits are not displayed as their given definitions. I cannot say the blog is exemplary of fairness, because the authors often include their personal opinions. Nor can I say it is completely accurate; there is a lot of exaggeration and distortion of facts among the articles. Despite this, the blog shows a number of these traits in an indirect manner. While the articles have a tendency to be almost nonsensical, the authors maintain a logical mindset throughout their writing. All items are relevant to the comedic purpose of the blog. Even though the works themselves do not have significant meaning, relaxation and laughter are important necessities to offset the stressful lives of college and graduate students. Lastly, all of the posts are certainly original; the ideas are creative and very unique.
To wrap things up, Points in Case is a satirical, sarcastic comedy blog written by brainy college students and graduates for brainy college students and graduates. The overall style of the blog is very casual, as it its sole purpose is entertainment. Whether you were a student reading the original column in the Emory bathrooms in 1999, or you’re like me: a nerdy college freshman reading pointsincase.com today, the posts are sure to give you a chuckle--case in point.
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