All the things meme

found this meme while browsing the interwebz the other day...thought my writing Professor might enjoy it. brings up the question of writing, text; what is writing; what is considered a textual space? it's basically the theme of the entire semester found in one meme...

Interesting Twitter-Language Maps

Eric Fischer used data from Twitter to map out tweets according to language globally. He made maps of the world, and a closer view of Europe. Just thought these were interesting, considering the Twitter project my writing class did this semester...it makes me wonder why people use Twitter, and for what purpose(s)?

Anticipating readership (9 of 12) **To add to later**

When you put on text (on your person- as clothing/text, tattoo, or jewelry), do you honestly anticipate readers?

Before we get dressed in the morning or when we buy the shirt?
Are we dressing for other people?

Crayon Response Transcribed (8 of 12)

First is a photo of the paper with the text itself. The transcription can be found below the photo.


I'm going to have to agree with Zadie

Smith. I think people who are able

to take on multiple different voices

are capable of adapting themselves

to different situations. Language

is a very powerful tool, and its

reperassions can go beyond the

simple act of conversation. A

person able to mold modify the way in

which they communicate are also

likely to be able to modify other

things (ie, thoutght, ideas) depending

on the situation.




Irina F.

Crayon Critique (7 of 12)

Consider the material nature of the crayon response you are reviewing – this is not your own writing! Is the writer influenced by the writing implement s/he uses? Is the writer more expressive or less expressive as a result of the physical constraints of the crayoned page?

Is this writing any good? How do you know that it is good (or not)?

In this written response, the writer appears to be influenced by the crayon she is using. She seems to be less expressive in the volume (amount) of writing on the page, and her writing contains little to no grammar outside of simplistic usage of periods and capitalizing at the beginning of each sentence. While multiple contractions are intended, she fails to use the proper punctuation requiring this intent to become usage. Some words are spelled incorrectly as well. Regarding the volume of text on the page, she uses almost all of the space available on one side of the page, but only fills 13 lines of text. A lined notebook page, or even the standard 12-pt-font typed page uses many more lines of text to fill the page.

I think this writing is good, but seems juvenile beyond the usage of crayon. Her argument is an interesting one, and has the potential to be good, but there is a lack of support. There seem to be some missing steps of logic from one sentence to the next- as if her brain was thinking faster than she could write (or she couldn’t write as quickly as her thoughts came). It’s possible that the use of crayon impeded her ability to record her thoughts. A pen or pencil flow much smoother than a crayon, and can more quickly fly across the page.

Twouble with Twitter (6 of 12)

This post is a response to this parody of twitter, found on youtube:



Respond to the character's question as he enters the twittersphere:  "Who are they talking to?"  Do you wonder who your audience is when you post on twitter?  Do you feel differently about your audience in online writing environments?  Is your relationship to your online audience distinct?  Who do you imagine is reading your tweets, for example?


This animation clearly doubts the viability of twitter as a valuable tool?  What do you think?   What is the purpose of microblogging?

I agree with the view this video presents- people are talking to everyone and no one at once. Actually, I don’t even think it’s talking. Reading someone’s twitter posts is like taking a cross section of their mind- every passing thought as they go through life. I’m not even sure if stream-of-consciousness thought can be directed at anyone specifically…I mean, who do you direct your thoughts to?

I don’t really use twitter…I have one, but discovered quickly that it’s a social media that people expect you to use EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY or not at all. I think it would depend on the reason why someone starts a twitter as to whether or not they think about their audience. Some people start twitters for an organization or a youth group as a way to update others on events and happenings that those groups host or participate in.

I think the relationship between an online audience and the tweeter can be distinct. For example, two classmates might follow each other on twitter, but may not speak at school. Twitter also allows the safety from immediate, direct (and physical) consequence upon putting a thought out in the twitter universe than saying it to someone’s face. This allows for the creation of a persona (or multiple)- different voices, perhaps. Some people have a persona at school, and express their ‘true’ voice via twitter, or vice versa.

I think this video underestimates the power and influence twitter can give/have on someone- whether it’s over their own life or someone else’s. While some random thoughts in one person’s head are in response or reaction to some situation or person, all the tweeter’s audience receives is that thought- not the context in which it came. I think that is a possible unforeseen danger in twitter. On the flipside, twitter can also be used as a means to gather or rally people on a particular topic. It allows for live updates from awards shows, or it can provide live questions from an audience around the world to people interviewed on TV. I think the video doubts the viability of twitter as a valuable tool for everyone- I do believe twitter is a very important tool of the media, but that might not be such a good thing…

Twitter as a writing space (3 of 12)

What I really think about the writing space that twitter affords is...a textual space encouraging expression within a confined boundary. Twitter is more a textual space than a writing space because you can do more than just put words in your tweets. You can post pictures and link to almost anything you want. It also allows for small conversations to happen between any sort of person. People one might not see every day in day-to-day life you can tweet at and have a conversation with.

A tweet's purpose is for a short quip; a snippet of information about what is happening in real life. A tweet is like one's internal commentary on a situation- twitter provides a space for everyone to comment and give their opinions on life in real time. This raises a few interesting questions: Is twitter a place of legitimacy? Does this place provide validation for people's thoughts and opinions? Do people use twitter as such?

Portable writing (2 of 12)

I'm not sure why so many people war texts on their clothing and on their skin. Perhaps they feel that such portable writing serves to...make a statement about who they are. Some people choose their clothing very carefully every day, while others just throw on the first thing they find, but I would venture to say that the majority of us choose clothing we like to have in our wardrobe (what we have accessible to us to wear). Tattoos are a different story, I think. Every person I hvae ever met with a tattoo (that I notice), I ask about it. Tattoos almost always mean a great deal to the people I've spoken with. It was something very important/with a lot of meaning to them for them to even consider getting it permanently inked into their skin. I think clothing might be less of a permanent statement about ourselves than tattoos. But to some people, clothing is a way of life...Although the experience for transgender* people differs by individual, for me, clothing is my statement to the world that my gender is not defined by society's cookie cutter outlines. For other transgender* people, however, clothes can tell the world that individual identifies as a particular gender not typically associated with their genitals.

LIVE

Presidents and Poets (5 of 12) **to add to later**

To conclude her essay, Zadie Smith discloses: "In this lecture I have been seeking to tentatively suggest that the voice that speaks with such freedom, thus unburdened by dogma and personal bias, thus flooded with empathy, might make a good president" (192). However, she rejects this claim by advocating for the many-voiced role of the poet. What is the difference between the rhetoric of a president and that of a poet? Does Smith suggest there should be a difference?

 

Dance with me, dancer

When I found this quote:

"And we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once."

- Friedrich Nietsche

I immediately thought of the italicized line in Robert Hass' poem, The Problem of Describing Trees. 

You can find Hass' poem here.

My next [rhetorical] move will be... 11/2/11

I keep thinking about my project 3, and I'm pretty sure my next [rhetorical] move will be to step away from my topic a bit; to make some distance between the topic & the reader. I've used metaphors and personal narrative to draw the reader in and to help him/her/hir understand my view, but now I need to come at it from a distance.

*add in the distance to the beginning to give framework & foundation*

A sentence starts out like... 10/28/11

A sentence starts out like a new puppy waking from a nap. It slowly but surely rolls over itself, with a cloudy sense of clarity, unsure of its surroundings. It blinks a few times, bringing more into focus as the seconds tick by, with each letter that appears. After getting up, the puppy suddenly stands, swaying slightly, beginning to stumble along. Its young hips swing to and fro as he weaves with a drunken mind, not knowing where he's going.  After circling his spot once, twice- even three times, this drunken puppy collapses with exhaustion onto the carpet, allowing his eyes to once again droop slowly shut.

If walls could talk... 10/28/11

Michael Wesch's A Vision of Students Today

 

What is his argument?


Although technology has helped society & the world make huge strides for centuries, it has taken away, or further removed us from the knowledge we are actually seeking or looking at. For example, the microscope has helped us see the details of the microscopic world and learn the parts of a singular blood cell, but what has been happening in real life  around us - without us - during that time?? Students, especially, are getting so drawn into this world of technology, as the years pass, we are less and less able to experience what's actually around us. If I was analyzing this  as a teenager's life, I would say our society is unconsciously using technology as an escape from the larger problems physically surrounding us

The Problem of Describing Trees (1 of 12)

Please read this poem by Robert Hass, first.

Hass' argument in the poem linked above is that language - words, rather - has its limits. There are things that cannot be described using words. There are also things that have been described using words, but those words don't always capture the essence of it. Hass uses trees as an example. The movement of trees is often described as dancing in poetry, but he points out that this word, 'danced,' does not capture that movement. He attempts to use another word before stating his argument. He gives an example- an application, of his argument before the reader realizes that he is making an argument.

The italicized line, "Dance with me, dancer. Oh, I will," can mean 2 things. Rather- I see 2 scenarios of who is speaking and to whom they are speaking. The poet could be reflecting on his experience of the movement of the trees; the trees are asking the poet to dance with them. What makes more sense in analysis of the poem, however, is that the poet is speaking to the reader- telling the reader he will play the game of attempting to describe the trees as long as the reader will participate.

Extra note: words as representations- a la Plato's Allegory of the Cave

Article relating to previous post

An article I'd like to keep record of somehow, so I might as well share it with whoever happens upon this blog...

The Death of the 'Transgender' Umbrella

The beginning of an essay perhaps?

**to come back to later in life (when i have more time)**

The article, Gender bending: let me count the ways (and its comments) inspired the following (beginning of an essay, perhaps?):


**NOTE: In this post, I discuss exclusively GENDER, not one's physical sex or genetalia.

Although I found this article highly informative and am glad to be (somewhat) caught up on the happenings in Australia, I think there is one critical foundation one needs to understand before jumping into the complexities of labeling gender.

The way humans process information, and the world around us, is to try to make order out of chaos. Basically, to make sense of everything, we break things down and categorize them. However, not all things are able to be separated, labeled and placed neatly in their categorical box. The best example of this is probably the color spectrum. Although the color spectrum is often simplified to separate color categories, within each category is another spectrum. Humans can work until the end of time trying to give a label or name to each slice of the spectrum, but within each slice is another spectrum of color. Just because we cannot see with our limited eyesight the differences in each spectrum of color does not mean the spectrum itself doesn't exist.

Another example of human-created category is gender. Gender is a spectrum, and in the simplification of this spectrum (male and female), it seems humans often forget or cannot see the rest of the spectrum. Just as the simplifying of the color spectrum leaves out a vast amount of color, so too does the simplifying of gender.

Writing Project #3: roadblocks, bumps in the road, & massive bumper-to-bumper traffic

My "place" for project 3 is my body.

Material used for Project #3

Thus far, I've read the following in my search for material to use in Project 3:

• The poem, Bruised Knees and Elbows. In fact, the entire blog from which it comes, my mother is a fish.
• The article, A Cliché Trapped in a Metaphor's Body, and its comments. 
• The article? blogpost?, My Body - My Words. 
• The video trans man: a poem by ira gray.
• The video "Hir" Poem - Brave New Voices.
• The blog post, One more time with this.
• The blog post, FTM Dysphoria Poem by Shawn.
• The blog post, Scars.
• The blog post, How To Make Love to a Trans Person.

Boy & Girl Words

Listing words I associate with 'girl' and 'boy.' I found out after brainstorming these words that it was supposed to be words that can be used in place of 'boy' and 'girl.' These words were the first I associate, without regarding good/bad/positive/negative/politically correct/etc.


Girl-

• female
• fox
• sexy
• curvy
• vagina
• boobs
• tits
• dyke
• lesbian

Boy-

• male
• penis
• cock
• dick
• ftm
• gay
• faggot

**I found this in my drafts- I thought I posted it a long time ago, sorry!

Is this relevant?

See this blog post first.

Why does Meddy suggest this is relevant?  What is one rhetorical strategy used by the video's creators?


This is totally relevant to all that we've been discussing, reading, and writing about in the last unit- the remediation of text. It's an example of how text is being remediated, and how the writing space is being refashioned...this is an example in real time, in real life, of this change happening NOW. Now. And now.

A rhetorical strategy used is simply in the narration between the video shots of the baby. The audience does not know whether the baby is actually frustrated by the immobility of the text (magazines), but is given that impression by the creator(s) of the video through narrating the baby's thoughts.

What's your relationship with your reader(s)? 10/26/11

Like oil and water, we dance around each other. The oil is squirted into the glass. You hit the water with a quick intensity, slicing through the molecules like a knife thru soft butter. Immediately you are immersed in the water; H20 molecules entreat and engulf you initially. As time passes, however, you withdraw from the water, recoiling at any contact until you succeed in separating yourself entirely from the H20 molecules. Yet still you remain side-by-side in the same glass; sitting atop the water, pressing down upon the dense mass of liquid below. It is not until you both are violently shaken or stirred that you again interact with the water in a rhythmic dance once again until you calmly recoil, settling in your place atop the water below.

Andrea Gibson- "Love Poem"

this reminded me a lot of the one poem we read...i think it was called "Litany" by Billy Collins? i just noticed a similar pattern the rhetorical moves of this piece and Collins' (see this post for more info on the rhetorical moves in Collins' poem).

My Zero Draft of Project 2 according to Wordle

My body MIGHT BE LIKE... 10/24/11

My body might be like me; it might straddle the line which defines who I am and who I seem [to be] like or appear to be. Although my body has never been home, in some ways it still is the noun that is me. It also might be the verb that destroys the noun that is me, and it also might be the adjective that will destroy the noun that is me.

My body IS NOT LIKE... 10/24/11

series of comparisons, pick 1 & expand upon it.

My body

• is not like me
• is not like a cool bath on a hot summer day
• is not like walking in from the rain
• is not like the comfort of feather-filled pillows or of sinking into your bed after a long, hard day
• is not like home, but is the only place of residency i have ever known
• is not like the soft fur of a rabbit's back or the stride of a lion or tiger, filled with power and grace

My body is not like home, but is the only place of residency I have ever known. There lies no warm, soft bed within my walls, nor is there a dog bounding to the door upon my return. A sloped, sideways grin does not stretch upon my face upon the thought of my body. No ball of joy warms my stomach to sit night after night in my body, nor do I ever sit comfortably in my own skin. I do not wish it to remain as such, forever to be remembered in this way. My body is not where I retreat to in times of [peril] despair or hardship, nor where I go in search of support. My body is not the noun which is affected bby the verb or adjective- it is rather the verb AND adjective which destroys the noun that is me. It is the source of my woe and despair [suffering] and I am afraid it will never be the noun that truly represents me.

A place you feel 2 ways about- Brainstorm

My Body- home since i was born; functions, but never how it should
               - not the home i've ever wanted
               - matches my twins but i always wish it weren't so

• it is like art
• i yearn to change it & make it different. I want to grab hold of it & make it my own
• it's a place i go back to when the day is over and done, only to sleep, but never to dream. never to curl up with a good book in the chilly afternoon. only a place in which i keep my clothes and shoes, but never a place i keep my dreams.

Rhetorical Moves 10/24/11

rhetorical moves: those signals that announce to a reader (independent thinker) that the writer is changing direction- ways to advance an agrument

Billy Collins, "Litany"
stanza 1: define by metaphors
stanza 2: define by the opposite
stanza 3: define by potentiality
stanza 4: "not"
stanza 5: switch to new topic
stanza 6: more about new topic
stanza 7: still more about new topic & return to original topic

Coney Island of the Mind 10/21/11

This shows Coney Island as a dream of wonders- a childhood playground; like a carnival. That's the Coney Island the man remembers- it's in his mind. The man also doubts that Coney Island's existence cuz of how empty and desolate it is now. Both these images of Coney Island converge in his mind- the dream and the doubtful of existing. This made me feel sad, lost, forgotten childhood dreams.

Home is like... 10/21/11

Home is like coming in from the cold rain. Home is like the sound of a soft, raspy, relaxed voice singing a slow song. Home is being welcomed into my love's arms, feeling them wrapped tight around me. home is looking into his eyes and knowing he is looking into mine thinking the same thing. Home is when we are together. It is in the smile on his face, the twinkle in his eye, and in the way he says "fantastic."

Revised Inkshedding (notecard) 10/20/11

While transparency aims to present the object itself without awareness of the medium used, hypermediacy aims to also take into account the medium through which said object is presented. A documentary, for example, aims to deliver the true story without movie-making showmanship that could partly obscure the message. It aims to be transparent in order to fully tell the story. An action-packed adventure movie, on the other hand, attempts to use modern technology to amaze viewers with spectacles otherwise impossible without computers and camera tricks.

Prezi Presentations 10/17/11

1st Prezi:

• hypertext- more natural way to write?
• hypertext- associates 2 things not previously connected
• we don't think in essays, we think randomly (associatively)
• hypertext is how our minds work vs. conventional writing

2nd Prezi:

• hypertext makes reading more natural
• a link between two different things; connects ideas in a nonlinear fashion
• visually, it creates a cloud, a network (association)
• does it lead to a destination? => of thought, of knowledge
• have we associated knowledge or learning as a physical journey & destination?

Prezi Presentations 10/12/11

1st Prezi (Briana, Leah, etc.):

• computer- processes info vs. machine

2nd Prezi:

• evolution of writing machine- changing technology improves writing
• codex=>printing press (creates society that understands writing; revolutionary, but tedious)=>computer (biggest revolution; interwoven society; almost all have access)=>social networking=>blogs
• how does this evolution impact the standard of living? the economy? poverty level? communication? societal norms? how does this impact comprehension?
• does society become more literate due to this evolution (interaction w/ text or literacy)??
• the way we think changes, but is language changing with it?

Jacques Derrida 10/12/11

Are you ever afraid to write? Do you take writing as seriously as Jacques Derrida?

Yes, I am sometimes afraid to write. I am incredibly averse to conflict, rather angry conflict. When I write, whoever reads what I am writing can't see my facial expressions, or hear the tone in my voice or even see the gestures I make when I talk. I'm afraid in the same way Derrida is- who am I, what authority do I have to challenge, or attack someone else's thoughts, ideas or arguments? I do get scared beacause I  do take writing seriously on a certain level- it's a safe space for me to put my thoughts down. Thoughts don't stay in my head, so I have to write or say them to remember. Therefore, writing is sacred- it's my thoughts, my mind. Writing is like bearing my soul- one can know exactly what goes through my mind if one reads a particular piece of my writing. Because this is true for me, I assume (probably wrongly so) that the idea of writing as a sacred space is true for others & their writing. It's like I'd be attacking the very thoughts inside someone's head; invading the only sacred space (sanctuary) some may have.

Taylor Mali 10/7/11

Differences between spoken & written poem?

The poem itself seems to be a comment on society today in the oral form, yet it seemed to have a deeper meaning in the other form. It seemed to become more of a critique of society; it questioned why society has become this way and how did it get there?
Spoken word allows the privelege of the speaker to heavily infuse his/her own intentions and meaning into the words spoken.
The textual writing space presented the words as a conversation- questions addressed to everyone (the audience) that are intended not to be answered, but to be responded to with action, with change. The textual writing space transforms the spoken word into a call for action (engagement) rather than just a passing comment.

FFW- Is the machine using us? 9/28/11

Wow. I feel like that was an epic evolutionary idea that I just experienced but haven't processed fully. Wesch said the machine is us, so asking if the machine is using us is interesting. I don't know what to think, or how to process that really. Robotics? Intelligent life? or what is it? how to process & understand the word/use of machine...the web? other people taking advantage of us, our blogss, our online lives- our lives in general?? to put it simply, I have this odd paranoia that says yes, the machine is using us...but another part of me doesn't care...

1st group Prezi

A link to my first group's Prezi can be found here.

True Confessions

In Chapter 6, "Diction," Trimble talks about different aspects of writing. He breaks it down like so:

• conciseness
• vigorous verbs
• freshness

Definitely, I need to work the most on conciseness in my writing. I tend to think in circles, and I express myself better orally rather than writingly (that's probably not a word). This usually shows in my writing, and often I don't have the patience or attention span to edit properly. Soooo yeahh.

How to Close a Short Essay

• Talk about your main argument

 Ohheyy, there you are:

Haven't seen you here before Main Argument:

• Put in one new creative twist

Creative twistiness:

What is this newness you speak of?:

• Close with something emotional

Awwww, c'mere man:

Now that's a good closer right there:

(2 Par. RE: My Own Commercial) Slogans: A reflection of a company or society?

The McDonald's commercial this post refers to can be found here.

The slogan presented in this McDonald’s commercial is “come as you are,” implying that everyone is welcome at McDonald’s. In this commercial, a boy is portrayed as being gay, although it is not clear as to whether or not his father knows. Analysis here can go one of two ways; (1) a look at McDonald’s and culture or (2) a look at McDonald’s attempt to re-brand itself in the recent past.

While one might see this commercial and think McDonald’s is trying to show solidarity with the LGBTQ* community in taking a stand for equality, another perspective is looking at this ad as a reflection of the society it runs in rather than that of the company. This ad runs in France, not in the US. Although LGBTQ* awareness has been raised all over the world, especially with the struggle for equality in the US, one must question why this ad has not run in the US. Is it generally more accepted in France to be gay than in the US? What does this say about the consumer culture of France versus that of the US? It is this kind of questioning that makes one wonder at what this slogan really means, and if McDonald’s is really carrying it out.

(2 Par. RE: Heineken) Wish Fullfillment & Gender Roles (FINAL)

The commercial this post refers to can be found here.

If the dream, as presented in this Heineken commercial, of women is a walk-in closet, full of jewelry, shoes and clothes, a parallel is immediately found in the “dream” of men, as presented in this commercial, being a walk-in fridge filled with Heineken.

The Heineken commercial portrays a group of women screaming and generally acting quite excited over a walk-in closet, while a group of men is quite excited over a walk-in fridge of Heineken. One must question, however, why only men get excited over Heineken in this commercial; why don’t women as well? Although Heineken sells to a particular audience, namely ESPN, one might say Heineken could be seen as less desirable if both men and women get excited over it. Upon questioning this, one can see this line of questioning going deeper and well beyond a Heineken commercial. What does stereotyping the beer to a man’s dream say about the society as a whole? It highlights the societal and cultural construction of gender roles, and the association of masculinity and femininity with particular gender roles. It has been established throughout history that femininity is less desirable than masculinity, and as such, one may be considered “less of a man” for possessing feminine qualities. This relation goes so deep that even portraying women getting excited over Heineken as well as men associates femininity with men, making the product (Heineken) less desirable to the aimed audience (men).

(2 Par. RE: ATT) Globalization & the Age of Information Technology (FINAL)

The commercial this post refers to can be found here.

In this ATT commercial, two children (presumably Hansel & Gretel) are portrayed walking down the street of an imaginary city created by ATT. Both children are young and their clothing style seems to be rather out of place in a city such as the one cast by ATT. They are alone, and appear to get lost. The city is portrayed to be more dangerous after they get lost, with a shot of the high rise buildings looming over the children, and a man closing down a shop with bars across the front. A few things should be noted here; (1) these children are quite obviously out of place, most likely from another country; (2) the [foreign] city they are travelling through is portrayed as dangerous, until they look at the GPS on their cell phone (implying that ATT saves the day).

This commercial implies that it is the technology, provided by ATT, that saves these children from ending up horribly lost. There are a couple of different ways this commercial fulfills its aim, namely to sell the idea of ATT to consumers. The first, and most obvious, is the play upon a mother’s fear of losing her child. This ensures that a mother will at least think twice before not buying her younger children cell phones. The second is through the representation of the children as the “loss of innocence” to technology. As more and more technology is reaching younger and younger audiences, one must question how it affects children such as the ones in the commercial. The younger children are when introduced to technology, the more dependent upon it they become. They don’t know another way of living, which is represented in the initial dropping of the bread crumbs to find their way back home. This “other” way of living is quickly dispelled, however, in the consumption of the bread crumbs. Although new technology such as this fuels the increasing globalization of people, less and less people actually know where they are without this technology. This increasing dependency upon technology ensures the continuation of companies such as ATT.

Quickwrite RE: McDonald's (observations/questions)

The McDonald's commercial this post refers to can be found here.

slogan = "come as you are" => all are welcome(?)

=> McDonald's has been attempting to re-brand itself for the past however many years, is this another ploy in advancing the re-branding of this franchise? To take a stand with an issue in an attempt to connect with consumers?

=> is this commercial meant to "take a stand?" is the intent to showcase McDonald's moral/ethical stance, or just to keep consumption up?


=> why hasn't this commercial been played in the US (it is a French commercial)?


=> is this a reflection of McDonald's "opinion" or upon that of the society it comes from (France)?

***=> In the US, a hate crime was committed at a McDonald's in which two girls brutally beat a transgender woman. The girls received up to 9 years in prison, with 5 years taken off (with probation), and it is highly contested as to whether this should be considered a hate crime. DOES THIS HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHY COMMERCIALS LIKE THIS ARE NOT PLAYED IN THE US? If the goal is to re-brand a McDonald's, why would commercials such as these NOT play in the US?

=> does the kid's father know he has a boyfriend?

=> why is everything so implicit in this commercial? - nothing directly links boy as gay, if he has a boyfriend, or if his father knows about any of it

Quickwrite RE: ATT re-draft/pre-final draft

*pick one line of analysis & stick with it!

#5- children represent the "loss of innocence" to technology

      =>by playing on the fear of mothers', ATT ensures their technology will reach younger & younger audiences

            => how does this technology affect children at such a young age/of this generation?

                 => they become dependent upon it; they don't know another way of living

                       => although new technology such as this fuels the increasing globalization of people, less & less people
                             actually know where they are or where they would be without this technology


=>THIS ensures ATT's continuing existance (the higher & higher dependency upon this technology, sold by ATT)

Quickwrite RE: Heineken re-draft/pre-final draft

Men excited over Heineken; women excited over shoes, clothes, jewelry.

=> women WANT those things; men WANT Heineken

=> Why don't women get excited over Heineken too?

=> Heineken sells to a particular audience (ESPN, etc.) & it might make Heineken less appealing if both men & women get excited over it

=> WHY?? What does this say about the "gendering"  of certain things or activities (esp. beer) in American society? Why is Heineken every man's dream?

--> gender roles in relation to masculinity/femininity established
--> associations have been made throughout the past that masculinity=men (any femininity & one's manhood is questioned) & femininity=women (any masculinity, since the feminist movement, is celebrated)
--> therefore, less masculine=less of a man & less feminine=okay

WHY IS IT "OKAY" FOR A WOMAN TO BE MASCULINE/LESS FEMININE, BUT NOT FOR A MAN TO BE FEMININE/LESS MASCULINE? WHY IS MASCULINITY SO INTERTWINED WITH "BEING A MAN?" DOES ONE HAVE TO BE MASCULINE TO BE A MAN?

FFW- What is your writing process like? 9/16/11

As a rule almost, I hate the writing process, no matter what form it takes. The editing, multiple drafts, etc. Through most of my life, my writing process has consisted of only a few steps, depending on what happens when/if given a topic. I am a visual writer, and often "write" in charts, or in a brainstorm-style, and even now I as I type this into my blog from my notes in class, it is going from a visual flowchart-like style to a paragraph style (mostly due to the limitations of the computer & this blog).

When given a topic, I may be less than enthused about it, in which case I complain about it & tend to put off the assignment until the last possible moment, pulling something out of my arse at the last second. On the other hand, I may be excited, angry, etc. or simply inspired, in which case I immediately begin jotting down notes; fragmented thoughts in margins, on my body, etc. I most likely will not find these notes again, or even understand them if I do find them. I then use visuals to layout my idea(s) such as charts, bubbles, etc., and from there a haphazard outline may form. At this point, I tend to get very frustrated if it doesn't come together well, or in a way that I like it. [One thing to note is that although I'm aware that one does not always have to tell the truth, or reflect one's own perspective in a piece of writing, I have a very difficult time executing a piece of writing that does not reflect my own perspective. I think it might have something to do with the passion/inspiration bit.]

Here is where I give up on the idea of writing something amazing about a topic. If you couldn't guess, this is also where I get stuck a lot of times. I either have forgotten about the writing assignment, gotten too frustrated & left it be, or simply cannot fuel my arguments any longer. It won't usually be until an idea smacks me in the head during a shower, practice, etc. that I will continue writing again. Even then, I usually have completely changed my point of view on a topic. Coming round the bend, this is the point at which I turn in a piece of writing without much, if any, edits and a sigh of relief that it's over.



**An interesting note RE: the writing process**
I learned about the design process in my production class for theatre the other day, and my Professor, Jim Hart, mentioned that it works wonders when applied to the writing process. I thought I'd list the steps of the design process here:

1. Commitment
2. Analysis
3. Research
4. Incubation* 
5. Selection
6. Implementation
7. Evaluation**

*Especially important, no matter what one uses these steps for; also the most often skipped step.

**In the case of writing in college, it is typically the Professor that follows through with this step.

Travel, Globalization & the Age of Information Technology in the ATT Commercial (Rough)

In this ATT commercial, two children (presumably Hansel & Gretel) are portrayed walking down the street of an imaginary city created by ATT. Both children are young and their clothing style seems to be rather out of place in a city such as the one cast by ATT. They are alone, and appear to get lost. The city is portrayed to be more dangerous after they get lost, with a shot of the high rise buildings looming over the children, and a man closing down a shop with bars across the front. A few things should be noted here; (1) these children are quite obviously out of place, most likely from another country; (2) the [foreign] city they are travelling through is portrayed as dangerous for most of the commercial.

Although this commercial clearly plays on the mother's fear of lost children, one must still question why these children are portrayed as such foreigners to the city. A few different answers may be analyzed from this observation; (1) the world and technology is in such a state of globalization, foreigners in a big city is no longer considered "out of place;" (2) a metaphor can be gleaned representing that the city is an unfit place to raise children, pushing the idea of raising kids & having a family in the suburbs; (3) the children are only dressed as such to connect & communicate the Hansel & Gretel story included in the commercial as quickly and efficiently as possible; (4) the children may simply represent innocence/ignorance in an age of information technology; or (5) the children represent the growth from innocence/ignorance (their clothes appear quite dated- connecting us to history, or the past somehow) through to this information technology age, with ATT ruling the technology age (as presented in the creation of a city by ATT with covert references to ATT). What is portrayed overall in regards to travel in the age of globalization in this commercial is that no matter who is travelling or to where, ATT cell service is what will keep you on track/not get you lost/save you from the dangers of going to "the wrong side of town."

Asking the Right Questions- 12 Questions RE: ATT commercial & slight analyses

The ATT commercial I'm referring to can be found here.

1. who is the audience? => mothers
2. what is significance of Hansel & Gretel story?
3. what is ATT selling?
4. Wat does this tell the audience about travel?
5. Why are the children alone? What is the significance?
6. why are they in the city? => they're lost?
7. why drop bread crumbs if they have cell phone?
8. where are they? => city created by ATT (with covert "raising the bar" logo)
9. why include this part of the Hansel & gretel story? => to play on mother's fear of lost children
10. why do 8-year-olds have a cell phone? => commercial is saying this is normal; sets the normality, which makes others want to buy cell phone at younger age

Asking the Right Questions- 12 Questions RE: Heineken Commercial

A link to the Heineken commercial I'm referring to can be found in an earlier post of this blog.

(WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?)

1. What does it mean if the living space is new to the men & women?
2. Why present the women before the men? What does the order mean?
3. Who are the men & women? What are their relationships to eachother?
4. Are these people wealthy?
5. How do the reactions of the men differ from those of the women? What does this mean?
6. Why do their reactions differ?
7. Why aren't the women screaming for Heineken?
8. Who is the audience?
9. What does the Heineken commercial say about men & women?
10. Why aren't the men screaming for shoes, etc.?

10 Things Baseball Players Do (plus a few more from classmates)

• bat
• get paid
• run
• chew tobacco
• wear helmets
• throw balls
• carry a bat
• wear gloves
• hit homeruns
• spit
• hit ball
• throw
• run bases
• work out
• get paid
• curse
• itch
• sweat
• catch
• slide
• give interviews
• fight
• play baseball
• practice
• sleep
• talk on TV
• eat
• wear jersey
• endorse companies

*Take 5 completely separate, unrelated nouns & pair any verb from original list with any noun from new one. Think of the imagery this presents with these new pairings.

• book
• fan
• water bottle
• balloon
• dog
• aardvark

=> catching dogs
=> eating balloons
=> wearing fans
=> spitting books ==> angry, spiteful books

Links to commericals found on my own

I was going to only post one link, but I found two that were just too good not to post...

These both are from France, actually. I found them independently of each other, and only found out their country of origin after deciding I wanted to post them both.

1) A McDonald's advert is found here.

2) A Twingo (car company) advert can be found here.

Wish Fullfillment in Heineken Commercial (rough)

If the dream, as presented in this Heineken commercial, of women is a walk-in closet, full of jewelry, shoes and clothes, a parallel is immediately found in the dream of men, as presented in this commercial, being a walk-in fridge filled with Heineken.

The Heineken commercial portrays a group of women screaming and generally acting quite excited over a walk-in closet one of them shows. This closet is filled with clothes, shoes and jewelry- the accepted stereotype of every woman's dream. The commercial then portrays a group of men yelling, jumping up and down and fist pumping the air over a walk-in fridge full of Heineken beer. In presenting this comprable image to the women's closet filled with "every woman's dream," the intent implies a closet full of Heineken is "every man's dream." Overall, the Heineken commercial plays on the wish fullfillment of the audience's (or consumer's) dream with the suggestion that Heineken is every man's dream.

FFW- 9/12/11 (5 min.)

John Trimble makes the case that all writers are like warriors, defending claims and fortifying arguments. How do you respond to this trope, this figurative turn?

I think Trimble's case is quite valid in that writers* are like warriors; no matter what one writes, the very basis is allowing someone else to be part of that world, which involves defending the logic presented and strengthening the vision. In order to get someone else to see one's own vision, one must attack and break down barriers of stereotypes, thoughts, opinions, pre-conceived notions and the like, essentially forcing a writer to be a warrior (offense & defense).
*It also depends on the definition of a writer- is one who writes a writer? Does one need to have published works to be a writer? etc.

(2 Par. RE: PANTENE COMMERCIAL) In-Group vs. Outsider; what makes one "normal?" (FINAL)

This Pantene commercial portrays the idea of being normal in Thai society as being a member of the in-group, which, in this case, is successful musicians. There is a prompt contrast presented between two girls; one whose mother supports her in playing the piano, and one whose mother does not support her in playing the violin because she is deaf. The commercial portrays the assumption that the violinist cannot play successfully or well due to her deafness, leaving her on the outside of normalcy. There is also present the concept that to be a musician in Thai society, one must be successful; this link between the violinist's mother not supporting the normal path for her daughter and her deafness implies the connection between being a successful musician and the sound coming from the instrument. If there is no potential for one to hear, one cannot become a successful musician.

The norm of becoming a successful musician presented in this commercial places the violinist on the outside of normalcy, which may influence her determination to become a successful musician, despite obstacles such as finding a teacher, learning further to play the violin and the smashing of her violin at one point. The success of a musician, in this commercial, seems to be evaluated at a classical concert showcase. The audience does not immediately jump to its feet after the violinist's performance, portraying the violinist's initial exclusion from the in-group; however, after one man begins, the entire audience claps with thunderous applause, signifying the violinist's acceptance into the in-group. While being a successful musician is counted as part of the in-group, one more factor presents itself in the violinist's performance. The violinist not only overcomes various obstacles to play the violin at the concert, she does so with beautiful, shiny hair. This commercial also qualifies being normal, or a member of the in-group as having beautiful, shiny hair. The way to have beautiful, shiny hair, of course, is to buy the Pantene line of hair products.

12 minute freewrite....let's see what happens

So here I am at Hofstra and I am blogging. Writing online makes me feel at home. I have another blog I write on and I post pictures and everything. It makes me fell attached or connected to my firends, when I see something they've written or a picture they've posted and I connect to it for some reason or another. Im not sure why, but so it is. I ahve to start this blog for a class I'm taking, but it makes me slightly apprehensive because i type really fast with alot of mistakes, so typing for 12 straight minutes with no error corrections is quite strange for me. What's also strange is knowing that people I see everyday can read this. My other blog isn't something i necessarily share(d) with people back home or here willingly. it's very personal to me, therefore i've associated blogging with a way to express very personal feelings and views on the world and life of mine. idunno if that makes much sense, but i understood it. now, i seem to be stuck, but i believe i have more time to fill, so i'm typing what's in my mind at this very momemnt, which happens to be chocolate bananas. I quite like bananas, but I haven't had many since I came to New York. Coming to New York has been quite an adventure. I'm from California, and the vidbe (vibe) is very different here versus there. I sort of encompass the it's-all-good-go-wiht-the-flow california vibe. You know, the rolling down the windows listening ot sublime driving down pch (pacific coast highway) whole deal. That really is how i vibe. New york, however, is like a rushing freeway of bright lights, honking cars, HUGE throngs of people and such a fast pace it's almost dizzying. Not being able to rest or slow down from the second one steps out of their house or apartment until the time they come back at night really mkaes me tired just thinking about it. Idunno if i'm going to get used to it, or if i'll always be a slow paced chillin california kinda guy. it's definitely a change though. i've got one more minute to gill (fill) and i;ll leave you with this: I'm quite cautious about assuming or not assuming things about a preson because i can't stand it when people assume things about me, so please it would be lovely if whoever is reading this could simply take each post at face value, and not assume things about me. Each post will most likely represent something happening in my head or my life at the time posted, but not necessarily about me as an entire person.