Blog Post #8 IOC

Hello, I have uploaded my practice IOC for my English class. My IOC is talking about Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.

Blog Post #7

Hello, it is Noah. Recently, my class and I have been analyzing political cartoons. For today's post, we will be exploring a cartoon by Gary Varvel published in October, 2013.

Varvel, Gary. "Trick-or-treating political clowns." USA TODAY. October 13, 2013.

In this cartoon, we see three children dressed as children for Halloween. As the children approach a house, they are greeted by an elderly woman who comments on what the group is wearing. The woman states, "Oh my, you're all dressed like Washington. Politicians." The author uses labeling and exaggeration in order to create humor in the cartoon. Not only does the author label politicians in Washington as clowns, but the author also compares them to children. Children are symbols of innocent youth. The children depicted above are more youthful and innocent because of how carefree and happy they seem. Along with the carefree attitudes comes with the ignorance of children. The artist is trying to say that the politicians in Washington are ignorant and have no capability of understanding how to run a country.

Blog Post #6

Hey, it's Noah. Earlier in class, we wrote a paper comparing two different texts that shared ideas of gender stereotyping. One text was from a comic strip and the other text was from a woman's memoir from Iran. The paper was timed and we had a whole class period to finish it. We were graded on four different criteria which included, understanding and comparison of the texts, understanding of the use and effects of stylistic features, organization and development, and language.

After looking at both texts, I was able to reach a good understanding of each text and the stylistic features they had to offer. I was able to show this understanding well though I did not include as many references to the text as a should have. Again, I while explaining the stylistic features and their effects, I should have used more direct references to the text. I understand now, that I should have also talked more about the differences in the format and use of language in the two different texts.

I do believe that I did a good job organizing and presenting my ideas though I lacked certain ideas to make my paper complete. After learning through this experience, I plan on creating a proper outline of the paper before I start writing it. Writing down my ideas on paper will make it much easier to visualize how I should organize and develop my ideas.

My language throughout the paper had good range though I had several errors in grammar or spelling. I believe that I can work on my sentence construction as well. The grammatical errors may have occurred because I was writing on paper and because I was working under a time limit. With more practice, I will be able to work better under these stresses and I will be able to produce cleaner and more concise work.

Blog Post #5

Hello, it is Noah and I am writing today about the biases which can be found in today's media. Bias will be found in everything that anyone does whether it is intentional or not. Today, we will be looking at a Fox News article and talking about the biases that can be found within it. The article, written by Barnini Chakraborty, is titled, "Broward election boss says racism may be behind clamor against her" and can be seen at www.foxnews.com/politics/broward-election-boss-says-racism-may-be-behind-clamor-against-her. The article uses biased language to deny the idea that racism is behind public hatred towards election supervisor Brenda Snipes. Some of the devices used to convey the biases of the article are:

1.  Quotes from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush
2.  Relating to the idea that missing a deadline is embarrassing or diminishing 
3.  Creating an idea that the election staff were unwilling to give up information

The article uses the Bias through word choice and the Bias through names in order to further portray its purpose. 

When describing how Brenda Snipes, the Broward County Election Supervisor, blamed backlash on racism, words and phrases such as, "probably," "may be," "could be, or "believes" implied that her ideas where not necessarily true. The article brought up that Snipes has had problems with elections before and mentioned that a familiar public figure, Jeb Bush, wanted her to lose her job. The election officials had missed the upload deadline of the votes by two minutes and all the votes had been invalidated. The author's purpose of the article was to portray Snipes as the type of person to blame their own wrongdoings on other people and to plant the idea that the election officials were being dishonest.

Blog Post #4

Hey, it's Noah. This week in class, we discussed how cultural values are reflected in advertisements. Today we're looking at two advertisements made by Gap focusing on children's clothing. These advertisements are a good example of how our cultural values are shown in advertising. Here are the two images we'll be looking at:

#1

#2




















The major differences between the two ads are first, the gender of the two children, and second, how Gap believes children of this day and age should be dressed. As a clothing company, my perception of Gap is not changed because many other companies use the same kind of advertising and I see it all the time. One trip to the mall and you can see advertisements similar to these plastered across the walls. I feel as though there is nothing wrong with the advertisement depicting the boy as the "little scholar" because our society values knowledge. The child is dressed in comfortable clothing which looks like something a child would actually wear. I believe that the advertisement depicting the girl as "the social butterfly" is not focusing on the future but more on branding and logos. She is wearing very fashionable clothes which makes her look like an adult. Saying that girl's "chambray shirts + logo sweaters are the talk of the playground" while boy's "shirts + graphic tees = genius ideas" implies that girls may not be as interesting in an education. If I had to change these advertisements I would make it so both of the children are dressing for one common goal such as a higher education in their own styles. At such a young age, gender stereotyping in advertising can set up the believe that a child has to be something that they are not. I do not believe that there is much that can be done about advertising towards children right now because of the profits being gained and because there is no immediate danger being imposed.

My overall impression of Gap is that they are focused on advertising towards children under the idea that their clothes will make them look more grown up. Both children in these advertisements are wearing clothes that an adult would wear and they both look stylish. Gap is just another clothing company selling the styles of the season to all ages.

Blog Post #3

     Being with my friends and family is what makes me the happiest. I feel comfortable and relaxed with the people around me and I can really enjoy myself. I also feel happy whenever I play sports. I can be a competitive person and when I play a good game I often have a good time.

     The idea of a national happiness index has come up in class and I have mixed feelings for if it would be a good idea or not. Happiness is a mood that can change a lot during a day an answer could change depending on the time of day. Being truly happy living in your country could get mixed in with something like having an argument with a friend. I believe that there are too many factors to consider in getting a statistic of how happy a country is. The best way to measure happiness could be taking multiple surveys over a few days with the same people and averaging out the happiness.

     The Story "I've Been Called A Luddite" is about a man who does not enjoy the things technology has to offer. The narrator Prefers to mail instead of text and use a typewriter instead of a computer. There's a part in the story where the narrator refers to the people outside the UN as "funny-looking people from around the world" it makes me think that they are missing out on what is going on around the world. The narrator is closed off from the world due to the lack of technology. This could be a more simple lifestyle that is enjoyable to people but I just can't imagine what it would be like with all my experiences. 

     In the NY Times article, "But Will It Make You Happy," claims that changing your buying habits can improve your happiness. The idea that spending your money on experiences rather than things is a good way to increase your happiness. When you are "keeping up with the Joneses" you are trying to outdo or own more luxurious materials than another family. I can agree with what the article is saying. I often find myself holding back on buying things because I know that I can enhance an trip with my friends if we spend some money to do things.  

    Here is an image of what happiness represents to me.

“Water Park.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Sept. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_park.

     This photo represents happiness to me because I have had a lot of good experiences at water parks with my friends. This is a generic picture of a water park because I lost all of my original pictures but it still holds the same idea. 

Blog Post #2

In class today, we were assigned to look at two advertisements and analyze them. I chose both printed ads from two similar companies, Pepsi and Coca Cola. I thought that it would be interesting to compare two different companies who are advertising the same product.

This Coca Cola advertisement consists of two Coca Cola cans shown from above, one unopened as well as one that has been opened. The Coca Cola logo is shown in the bottom right and the ad's text is shown centered above the cans. The background, a bright red, easily grabs the viewers attention. The layout of the cans and text all fit nice together and the ad feels nice to look at. The short and simple statement on the ad is easy to read with a thin, minimalist font. The main text reads, "open the happy can," as well as, "open happiness" underneath the openings on the cans. The open can has been modified to look as though it is smiling, which makes the can seem more human and filled with emotion. This advertisement uses pathos to speak to the viewers emotions. The texts lead the viewer to believe that opening a can of Coca Cola can bring them happiness. I believe that the advertisement is convincing in its attempt to persuade me to purchase their beverage. The advertisement was designed well and just looking at the image could improve ones mood even without thinking about it.

This advertisement from Pepsi sports a minimalist look similar to the previous Coca Cola ad. The background is a solid blue with only text and an image of a can. The text says, "Refresh your world" in all capitals to show the idea that the drink is cold. The words are shown in a very thick bold font in white which contrasts with the blue. We are shown the side of the can and it consists of the word "pepsi" as well as the Pepsi logo. The image is given some depth with a shadow appearing underneath the can though there is no such effect for the text. I believe that the depth of the picture gives the influence that the can is not just a image, but is a real physical object. The advertisement speaks to logos in sense that a cold beverage covered in droplets of water is more refreshing than a regular can of cola. Pathos is also spoken to because being refreshed is a good feeling that everyone needs. I would say that the advertisement is effective because you do not need to spend time looking at it to understand what is going on. It almost makes me want to go purchase myself a refreshing Pepsi from the store.