Tragic deaths and killings happen all around us. As terrifying as it may be, these instances are inevitable. With new camera technology in todays world these instances can be broadcasted globally for everyone to see. Some of these videos were not meant to be viewed by the public. "Videotape" which was written by Don DeLillo describes one of these situations. The narrator is describing a disturbing video in which a young girl around the age of 12 accidentally catches a homicide on video while playing with a video recorder. He has his own views and standpoints on the video and how it relates to the viewers. If we closely analyze the narrator of this story, we can see that throughout "Videotape" he contradicts himself, falls victim to his own claim, and is biased towards his own thoughts therefore taking away his credibility to educationally create an argument on the subject. 

The first thing discrediting the narrator is the fact that he contradicts himself. This can be found with a simple analysis of the text. The narrator says "But there is also an element of suspense. You keep looking on not because you know something is going to happen   you do know something is going to happen and you look for that reason " Who is culpable? What is discrediting about this sentence is that the narrator puts two opposing arguments together in one sentence and doesn't actually state which one is correct. He says that the reason people keep looking on is not because we know something is going to happen and then turns right around and tells his audience that the reason they are looking is because they know something is going to happen. This failure to choose a side leads to a confusing argument and makes the narrator sound as if he doesn't know what he is talking about. In another instance the narrator says "You are looking into the mind of a home video. It is innocent, it is aimless, it is determined, it is real." It is confusing to think about something that is both innocent and aimless and also determined and real. The word choice in this sentence is contradicting and because of that the narrator struggles to get his point across. Those four words do not work well in describing something. He is once again discredited because of his contradiction. 

Secondly, it is apparent that the narrator falls victim to his own claim. This is apparent based on his tone of the passage. The narrator is claiming that people are attracted to horrendous videos because they bring a sense of realness to the world. It is hard for him to make an accurate assertion when he is also a part of the claim. The narrator says "But there's a certain urgency here. You want her to see how it looks. The tape has been running forever and now the thing is finally going to happen and you want her to be here when he's shot." The narrator is basically glued to his television. The "realness" of the video is pulling him in and although he says he has watched the video several times he is still captivated by it. If you dig deeper you can understand his tone. The narrator uses the word urgency and you can feel his urgency through the text. At this specific part his tone is excited. His phrasing gets quicker and his sentences get shorter. His tone shows how he is not only saying these things but he is believing them as well. He also states "Hurry up, Janet, here it comes." Once again by saying this he is losing credibility. Why is the narrator so worried about his wife watching a video that they have both seen several times? The answer is that he has fallen victim to his own claim. He will not be able to make a valid argument because he is experiencing what he is arguing against in his own life.  

Lastly, the narrator is biased towards his own thoughts. This instantly discredits him. Never once does the narrator state any concrete facts about the situation. He only speaks out of his own thoughts. He says "You don't think of the tape as boring or interesting. It is crude, it is blunt, it is relentless." The narrator feels this way about the videotape but that does not necessarily correlate with what each individual feels or thinks. He is simply stating his own thoughts and attempting to push them in the direction of the reader. These biased statements make him seem uneducated and unqualified to be talking about what he is talking about. This is essentially what is causing him to be uncredited. The narrator also says "The horror freezes your soul but this doesn't mean that you want them to stop." While he is attracted to these videos and doesn't want them to stop that does not mean everyone feels the same way. Stating opinions rather than facts discredits the narrator of making an actual argument. Which makes him unreliable.

To conclude, videos like the one that is being described in the text most certainly have an effect on the public. People all have their own ideas about videos of the such. The narrator himself has a view on the video and that view is what causes his argument to be uncredited. To make an accurate argument the narrator would need to dig deep into research and maybe even conduct his own experiment. What the narrator is basing his "facts" on now is simply his own thoughts and experiences. Never once does he state an outside source and he also never states any true facts. We can see all of this by closely analyzing the text and obtaining information.  

