TOW #4 - Visual (No More)

The No More campaign is trying to change the way society is viewing sexual assault and domestic violence.  The posters have images of famous people along with a quote of how some people respond to rape. For example, Debra Messing's poster has, "He warned her" written, saying that this response is unacceptable. When you visit the No More website (http://nomore.org/about/all-organizations/) there are over 200 organizations behine it or supporting it. However the faces of this campaign are the actors found on popular TV shows and in movies.

This campaign is intended for those who witness and defend sexual assault encounters. An interesting aspect is how the male actors are presented. The men's quotes are more focused on bringing other men into the issue. The men are trying to explain how it is everyone's problem.

From its birth, media has always been influential in making change. By having the actors of the  characters people love to watch, the viewers are more inclined to listen and this appeals to ethos. The credibility of the people on the posters is already established. By varying the quotes on the posters there is a better chance that people will be able to relate to one of the quotes. This appeals to pathos.

The word choice of "no more" is important. It recognizes that these things exist and lets the viewer recognize it as well. Also, it is simple and memorable.

In smaller print to the side of each individual poster has a fact and for many, the fact pertains to the sexual abuse of men. This campaign is clearly steered towards the education of males who don't recognize it as a problem for their gender. The specificity of the facts allows male viewers to become more connected to the message.

TOW #3- blink (IRB)

blink is one of the most fascinating books I've read to date. Malcolm Gladwell teaches the "power of thinking without thinking" in a way that has totally reconstructed the way I view my thoughts. This book is interesting not just because of how Gladwell writes, but because I feel like I received a copy owned by the Half-Blood Prince. Someone has read and marked up the pages and connected his discoveries to her own life, and it makes the information even cooler.

Gladwell's writing is formal yet informal. He is scholarly but maintains a conversational aspect with his audience. When he discusses phenomena that occur unconsciously the readers get to experience some tests that allows them to understand the studies in a different way. Gladwell is trying to help the general public understand more about their brains.

Malcolm Gladwell appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos. Not only does Gladwell support his arguments by citing researchers, but by explaining why the researchers are credible as well. It adds another level of trust for what he has to say. Also, many of the tests researchers have done are logical in their execution so it brings logic to Gladwell's conclusions. Gladwell appeals to pathos when he explains how he is even mastered by his subconscious. It would be pretty easy for a reader to feel ridiculous for not being able to control his decisions, but Gladwell prevents that on numerous occasions. To name just one, Gladwell reveals his results when he took the www.implicit.harvard.edu Race IAT and he has "automatic moderate preference for whites".  Most readers want to be able to say they believe fully in equality, but Gladwell explains sometimes it isn't your fault that you unconsciously have prejudices.

TOW 2- A Law of Acceleration (Written)

In 1905 Henry Adams wrote, The Education of Henry Adams. This eventually won a Pulitzer Prize and an excerpt titled, "A Law of Acceleration" was printed in the Best American Essays of the Century. This essay captures the idea of progress through time and what the future may hold as seen by the past. I struggled through this read a little bit. It is heavier than previous texts and organized in a strange way. The first time I read through all I really was able to catch was Adam's purpose in writing it, to convince that motion continues and America accelerates in growth. After some research I discovered Henry Adams is the descendant of 2 United States presidents and that contributes to creating a broad audience for his work. He is looking to motivate the educated "New American".

Adams applies rhetorical strategies to support his argument. Extended metaphor is the most prominent technique. The Law of acceleration states, "The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force." In simple terms, the more force applied the greater the acceleration. This idea is applied to Adams' observation of coal-output growth, and the growth of his nation overall. By using an extended metaphor is keeps a consistent thread for the entire piece and allows the reader to piece all Adam's ideas.

Adams establishes ethos by being who he is. Like how the Language of Composition explained that a king has built in ethos, Adam's does as well with his familial connections.  But Adams also appeals to ethos when he explains his ideas in scientific fact. Many believe that science and fact are equal, so by taking a scientific approach, his thoughts appear to be fact. 

IRB Intro Post 1 (blink)

For this marking period's IRB I have chosen to read "blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. This book was recommended to me by a former AP English student and is about the brain's ability to assess something in about 2 seconds. From what I've seen so far, even in just 2 seconds, it looks like a really interesting read.

TOW #1 - How to Say Nothing in 500 Words (Written)

How to Say Nothing in 500 Words


This excerpt from Understanding English is informative and written in an interesting fashion that keeps the reader curious to learn. Paul Roberts teaches his audience how to properly write about something you might not care about. Through a theoretical student essay about college football, Roberts gives the dos and don'ts to approaching opinion papers. This essay is for students or any writer who struggles to reach the required word count, and does reach it by writing "In my opinion," or "it seems to me. Paul Roberts' works, such as English Syntax and Understanding English are prominent in the middle of the twentieth century and he treats composition as a science. Though written about fifty years ago, Roberts' maintains a commentary relevant to today's society. He does this with his diction and use of satire.

Roberts writes with a candid tone. He does not sugarcoat the truth for his audience. When explaining to avoid the obvious content he writes, "lf these are the points that leap to your mind, then they will leap to everyone elses too..." By being direct Roberts' keeps the purpose of instruction prevalent and efficient.

Roberts also uses some satire in his writing that creates humor. Along with his frank explanation Roberts also comments on societal norms. In discussion of the pat expressions he writes, "Some people like that sort of thing, but most modern readers would say, “Good grief,” and turn on the television." Despite being written in the 1950s, this comment still applies today and is still amusing.