Logos: David Bowie "Space Oddity"

David Bowie's "Space Oddity" does not have a significant appeal to logos. Due to the fact the "Space Oddity" was born of the appeal to pathos found in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the song relies heavily on emotion to convey David Bowie's reaction to the film. Although the song does not offer facts to try and convince the audience, the fate of Major Tom does have some appeal to logos. Major Tom's loss of communication with ground control was a very real issue that NASA could experience, and that no matter how powerful the emotional response is to space travel there are inherent risks that should be taken into account. 

Ethos: David Bowie "Space Oddity"

Prior to his 1969 release of "Space Oddity," David Bowie had not established a significant amount of extrinsic ethos. With the wildly successful song "Space Oddity" that made the U.K. top 5 chart, David Bowie was able to increase his extrinsic ethos with regard to the Space Race. Although heavily influenced by 2001: A Space Odyssey, "Space Oddity" became linked with the British Space Program, giving David Bowie unwarranted ethos on space travel. Regardless of the initial influence for the song, the linkage of "Space Oddity" to the Space Race gave David Bowie credibility as a champion of space travel.

Audience: David Bowie "Space Oddity"

“Space Oddity” is a song written and performed by David Bowie that was released in 1969 just nine days before the Apollo 11 landed on the moon. The audience of this song includes the entire population of the western world. The wonder of space travel captured the attention of the United States. It is safe to assume that the majority of people were exposed to the importance of the Space Race, and the significance of being the first to land on the moon. 

Audience: JFK's Moon Shot Speech to Congress

On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech before Congress to address the need to accelerate the U.S. space program. The primary audience for his speech was members of Congress, who were asked to consider additional funding for the space program. Pressure from NASA and competition from the advanced Russian space program heavily influenced Congress’s stance on additional funding. With success in space playing such a significant role in the U.S.’s projection of power, Congress could not allow itself to be responsible for a potential loss to Russia.