Chelsea Handler is a great example of multiple media. She started out in stand-up, but after the success of her first book, My Horizontal Life, she got her own television show on E! Network called Chelsea Lately. Since then, she has published another book entitled Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea. She is a burgeoning media powerhouse, and she shows no signs of slowing down.
I love watching Chelsea Lately because of the fast pacing: topics are introduced, built up and torn down in rapid succession by the hilarious Chelsea and an assortment of (slightly less) witty panelists. They don’t hide their opinions, and their opinions tend to be incendiary and controversial.
Chelsea uses multiple persuasive techniques in every medium she enters. Her emphasis is on humor, which shines through with the perfectly worded phrase on a page or a particularly deadpan expression straight into the camera, but others are used in abundance. She uses bandwagon, straw man, testimonial, beautiful people, group dynamics, card stacking, timing, and name calling. She likes to use all these techniques to promote her own viewpoint on pop culture events and occurrences in her own life. Very little is the opposing side represented, but Chelsea uses her techniques so effectively that her audience won’t care.
Chelsea always has guests on her show, many of whom she skewers as mercilessly as she would behind their back. Occasionally, however, they can hold their own. For example, Jim Carrey met Chelsea tit for tat and even outpaced her at moments.
Chelsea Handler is a recognizable face that is shaping opinions on popular media. While there are people who are decidedly not fans of her carte blanche approach to insult, her popularity does not seem to be waning. For myself, I hope it continues to grow.
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