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Celebrities and the Abuse of Popularity: 5 brands and fallacious adverts!

How would you react If the most well-known gynecologist in the world appeared in a TV commercial for Skittles? What if Lady Gaga did the same thing? Well, weird, huh? Keep reading and you will see. I recently saw an ad on the internet in which George Clooney was drinking and, well, promoting Nespresso.  But, wait a minute, hey George, you are an okay actor, a very handsome man, nice hair,… I would ask for your advice on acting, maybe, or clothes, but come on! Nespresso? Nespresso the hero! What else? Well, tell you what: In argumentation studies, this kind of promotion is referred to as Appeal to Expert opinion. Well, this ad is a fallacy since Clooney is, as far as I know, no expert in the Coffee industry! So, why appeal to Clooney to promote this product anyways? Ok fellas, girls, I get it, he is handsome, so copy what he’s wearing or his beard or hairstyle but seriously? He might as well prefer eating apples to oranges. Would that change your orange consumption pattern?

People of the wind gone with the wind!

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Have you ever wondered how pristine a life nomads live in the nature with a lifestyle in harmony with the mother nature? It might sound exciting but there is more to a nomadic life than just breathing fresh air and enjoying living in a variety of beautiful places! As a member of the Bakhtiari tribe, the biggest nomadic tribe in Iran, I have experienced moving to winter and summer resorts (quarters). I was born into a city dweller Bakhtiari family but as a teacher for nomad children I voluntarily went to live and travel with them. In the following lines I will describe where these people live, what their language is, and how the discovery of the first oil well in the Middle East in our territory changed our lives. At the end I will mention one of the strangest sociolinguistic phenomena I have noticed.   Geography Bakhtiari is the biggest nomadic tribe in Iran and their territory is in the south west of the country in two major provinces of Khuzestan and Chahar Mahal-Bakhti