what is the rhetorical appeal in this sentence? Pathos or ethos?

"A geek, according to Webster's New World Dictionary, is a street performer who shocks the public by biting off heads of live chickens. It is a telling fact about our language and our culture that someone educated to pursuit of knowledge is compared to a freak biting the head off a live chicken"
I was thinking it would be ethos, because it somewhat refers to the morals of our culture. But then again, it could be pathos because his word choice provokes feelings for the reader?

In order to determine whether the rhetorical appeal in this sentence is pathos or ethos, let's break it down and analyze the elements.

The sentence starts with a reference to the definition of a "geek," which is defined as a street performer who shocks the public by biting off the heads of live chickens. This description serves as a contrast to the traditional meaning of the word "geek" as someone who is overly intellectual or involved in technology.

Now, let's consider the appeal to pathos. Pathos involves appealing to the emotions of the audience. In this sentence, the author uses provocative and gruesome imagery to create an emotional response in the reader. The phrase "biting off the heads of live chickens" is vivid and shocking, likely to evoke feelings of disgust, horror, or revulsion. By using this imagery, the author aims to influence the reader's emotions and potentially change their perspective on the comparison being made.

On the other hand, let's consider the appeal to ethos. Ethos involves establishing credibility and trust with the audience. In this sentence, the author references Webster's New World Dictionary to provide a source for the definition of a geek. By using a dictionary definition, the author relies on the credibility of a widely recognized reference, which can be seen as an appeal to ethos. Additionally, by questioning the comparison of a knowledgeable person to a performer who bites off chicken heads, the author challenges societal values and appeals to the audience's sense of morality.

Based on this analysis, both pathos and ethos can be identified in this sentence. The use of vivid imagery appeals to pathos by aiming to evoke an emotional response from the reader. At the same time, the reference to a respected source and the questioning of societal values appeals to ethos by establishing credibility and appealing to the audience's sense of morality.