Louis CK’s interview with Conan O’Brien on The Late Show, consisted of Louis going into great detail of his hatred for the culture of smartphones and why he would never get one for his kids. He says smartphones are the reason kids today are meaner. Louie also explains the negative emotional effects of they have on adult; using them to avoid confronting negative emotions. Louis argument is very well said; he provides a vast amount of explanation, that anyone who owns a smartphone can relate to, whether they want to or not.
The first stance Louis takes, explaining his hatred for smartphones, is how smartphones are making kids meaner. He states that at some point kids are going to be mean or say something mean to some one, but in seeing the reaction of the person they gain a sense of empathy. That if the child had done the same thing using their phone, they otherwise wouldn’t learn. Also in doing that they might find some sort of pleasure in making someone feel bad. In Louis explanation of this he credits himself with a strong use logos, by playing out a situation that shows a shows the negative effect of smartphone can have o a developing young mind. Also using ethos by using the audiences own sense of empathy to relate to the lack there of empathy, in these kids using smartphones. His statement makes since, because we can all agree that it’s a lot easier to intentionally offend or verbally attack someone through the screen of you phone or computer, than it is face to face. Louis next point that he makes is how adults use smartphones as a distraction to avoid confronting negative feelings. He says, these phones are taking away the ability for people to be comfortable being themselves with out doing anything. He says, “Because underneath everything in your life there is that thing, that empty—forever empty. That knowledge that it's all for nothing and that you're alone.” When Louie was talking about this point, you could see his passion in his words and how much he understood what he was talking about. The fact that Louis CK is Louis CK is what gives his words credibility (ethos). Aside from him being a well-known stand up comedian, actor, writer and director, Louis CK is known for his observations and analyses of what most of us see as societal norms. A lot of these observations he uses in his stand up, which gives it this feeling of you laughing at your own life.
To end the interview Louis ties it all together with a story of when was driving; listening to Bruce Springsteen, a sad song of his was playing, and that feeling of loneliness hit him and he went to reach for phone. Instead of getting his phone to avoid that sadness he decided to let the sadness come and wash over him. He said that he then pulled to the side of the road and began to cry. Louis mainly uses pathos and logos to in the last part of the interview. He convinces the listeners by relating to the sense of loneliness and hopeless ness that every one can relate to. Louis finishes the interview with the nearly forgotten point of the conversation and that’s why I wouldn’t get my kids a cell phone.