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  • Writer's pictureRuthann

friends

I choose a clip from the sitcom Friends as my example of a logical fallacy. In the third episode of the second season, Ross and Phoebe get into a heated argument about evolution. She believes its "too easy" of an answer, and Ross being a scientist is offended. At some point in the argument, Ross asks Phoebe to explain opposable thumbs. She responds with a quip about warlords but then turns it around on Ross. If you have ever watched friends you know that Phoebe doesn't always think rationally. She has already gotten under his skin with earlier remarks. She eventually makes the error of mentioning him and not his argument. She says, "What is this obsessive need you have to make everyone agree with you? No, what's that all about? You know what I think? I think maybe it's time you put Ross under the microscope." She has turned the argument onto him and not the topic. This is a classic example of the logical fallacy ad hominem. She attacked Ross instead of his opposing side. This leads him to leave the scene and come back later with his most compelling evidence. In this final argument, she calls him arrogant and cannot believe that he can't admit to the tiniest possibility of being wrong. He finally caves, but in doing so she has lost her "respect" in him. She is amazed that he so quickly gave up on his beliefs. The scene ends with her asking him how he can go to work now etc. This is also in part ad hominem because she is still focused on him and not the argument of evolution. Overall, in this whole scene, you can see how the use of ad hominem is prevalent in phoebes argument.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXr2kF0zEgI


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