L+Onstott



media type="custom" key="28236345" Red herring is when a listener attempts to divert an arguer from his argument by introducing another topic.The red herring is as much a debate tactic as it is a logical fallacy. The fallacy gets its name from fox hunting, specifically from the practice of using smoked herrings, which are highly odorous, to distract dogs from a scent they are supposed to be tracking. Just as a dog may be prevented from catching a fox by distracting it with a red herring, an arguer may be prevented from proving his point by distracting him with another issue. media type="youtube" key="b29cMrOlrvE" width="535" height="236"

In the second debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, a woman asks how the two men will "limit the availability of assault weapons." Neither man answered that specific question. Instead, Obama talked about catching violence before it gets out of control, and Romney focused on good schools and raising children in two-parent homes. They both diverted attention from the original question by using red herrings.

media type="youtube" key="owGykVbfgUE" width="536" height="246" Throughout the advertisement red herring is evident while the script transforms to information about Old Spice to random scenes and suggestions that are irrelevant to the product being sold. The humorous fast-paced commercial is used to provide the audience with memorable material. This material is aimed to attract and keep the interest of the audience despite the fact that the majority of the commercial is irrelevant to Old Spice. It is embedded into the audience's mind that by purchasing Old Spice it will immediately improve their relationships.