Emotional Fallacies

Use emotion to distract the audience from the factsEx: The thousands of baby seals killed in the Exxon Valdez oil spill have shown us that oil is not a reliable energy source.

Use misleading or unrelated evidence to support a conclusion.Ex: That painting is worthless because I don't recognize the artist.

Try to frighten people into agreeing with the arguer by threatening them or predicting unrealistically dire consequences.Ex: If you don't support the party's tax plan, you'll be reduced to poverty

Encourage an audience to agree with the writer because everyone else is doing soEx: Paris Hilton carries a small dog in her purse, so you should buy a hairless Chihuahua and put it in your Louis Vuitton

Arguments suggest that one thing will lead to another, often times with disastrous results.Ex: If you get a B in HS, you won't get into the college of your choice; therefore you'll never have a meaningful career.

Reduce complicated issues to only two possible courses of actionEx. The patent office can either approve my generator design immediately or say goodbye forever to affordable energy

Arguments create an unnecessary desire for thingsEx: you need an expensive car or people won't think you're cool.

Unfairly appeal to the audience's emotions