TOW #10 - 'Gone Girl': Film Review (Written)

The Hollywood Reporter is well regarded for their reviews. The writer of the "Gone Girl" review, Todd McCarthy, has been a critic for over 30 years and he has the power to stamp a film with its reputation. For "Gone Girl", McCarthy reveals a credible opinion with his strong diction and well executed arrangement. 

When describing a movie it cannot be generic. Because each movie is special and specific, it must be described in such fashion. The words chosen to describe the movie must carry the perfect connotation that the critic wishes to give. McCarthy describes "Gone Girl" as "a sharply made, perfectly cast and unfailingly absorbing melodrama".  Right away, the reader is given an idea of where the review is headed. It clearly is a positive response, but references no generalities of the movie as a whole. Never describing it in entirety in any light gives McCarthy room to contemplate the negative aspects of the movie as well. 

The negative parts of his review never really translate as totally negative. For example, he comments on one part, "in which the images of the actors are often so softly lit that sometimes you can scarcely make out their eyes." Whether or not McCarthy really find this to be a bad thing is up to the reader's discretion, and that is just what he wants. It is his job to communicate what may be good or bad about the movie, but by never committing the low-lit images as something bad, he avoids making vast decisions for every consumer, when he is just one man.  

Before even beginning his review, McCarthy provides a trailer for the film and basic information about the cast, director, screenwriter, ect. This opening allows him to speak to an informed audience, without having to provide detailed context when shedding judgement. He also begins by focusing on the fan-base and how he thinks they would react. McCarthy addresses his primary audience by doing so, as the people most concerned with how a movie adaption is done, is those who are fans of the thing being adapted. Continuing, McCarthy reflects on different aspects of the movie, providing brief summary as he goes, and sparking interest as to how the movie will end. 

IRB Intro #2

For marking period 2, I have chosen "The Fervent Years" by Harold Clurman. A lot of my interests outside of school revolve around theater, and one of my goals for this year was to look into theories and ideas surrounding acting for my TOWS. More specifically, this book focuses on Group Theater, a very significant experiment in American theater. It was recommended to me by my sister, and I am very excited to read it.  

TOW #9 - 4 things Obama should do- fast (Written)

This past week were the midterm elections. The outcome was pretty clear, those who ran against Barack Obama's stances won. CNN, a typically left-wing and liberal news source reflects on the elections in the article, "4 things Obama Should Do- Fast".  Written by Jason Johnson, a professor of political science and frequent guest on CNN, this article successfully looks at the glass half-full rather than empty. 

Johnson is very optimistic in his approach. In his conversational tone he is able to communicate an opinion that some may object to, he writes, "First, let's be honest about what happened Tuesday night. The stock market is way up, unemployment is the lowest in six years and gas prices are way down. So, by most objective measures, the country is doing well." Rather than jump into the fact that our president has been deemed a lame duck, he looks at what is being done well. He also does not actually being by discussing the election itself. This helps remind the reader that while we did elect new people, the state of our nation as is may not be as bad as many think. By communicating with the audience in such a colloquial fashion,  Johnson effectively reveals his opinion, without being on the attack. 

The arrangement of the article also assists Johnson in giving validity to his argument. Before ever revealing what he believes, Johnson opens with a reflection on American politics since 2006 and continues with statistics. This establishes his credibility, making the reader more susceptible to his opinion. After this, he addresses the election's outcomes, also very factually, and recognizes why people voted against President Obama's policies, even though he wasn't up for re-election. Without critiquing any party aggressively, Johnson explains that despite the new, seemingly "impossible", congress, there can still be progress. He breaks them clearly into 4 basic categories and briefly addresses them, finally revealing his opinions. By laying the groundwork and not bombarding the reader with what he believes, Johnson creates an argument that is considerable and appealing.   



http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/07/opinion/johnson-obama-next-steps/index.html?hpt=op_t1 

TOW #8 (Cycle 7)- Blink (IRB)

Blink continued to inform and entertain me until its end.  The complexity of the brain is simplified so any reader can gain insight as to what is happening inside their head. Quite frankly, the whole concept sort of freaks me out, makes me very self aware, as now I cannot make a snap judgement without wondering why I was able to make it. Nonetheless, Malcolm Gladwell is successful in achieving his purpose, effectively explaining something complicated to the public so they can know when to "blink and when to think", through his use of arrangement and exemplification.

Without being boring in its formulaic approach, the book is split into six subjects (chapters) and each subject is opened with one example. This example is thoroughly explained and then Gladwell continues with three or four other ways of explaining the concept. By the end of the chapter, the original example is tied back to the rest and the reader is exposed to many versions of one idea. This may seem convoluted, but that's me, not Gladwell. An example of how he does this is Chapter 4, Paul Van Riper's Big Victory: Creating Structure for Spontaneity. Gladwell introduces why a team won in the Millenium Challenge, explains how improv works under the same idea, give the reader a chance to try out the concept, connects the idea to medical practices, and then concludes with the outcome of the Millenium Challenge and makes everything connect. By using so many examples and intertwining them with his main idea, Gladwell successfully gives each reader a way to relate to his material.

While the way these examples are arranged plays a role in connecting with the reader, the real feat is in the substance he presents. Personally, I began to understand the concept when he explained it through the improvisation activity, as I have participated in it before. Gladwell recognizes that his audience is full of different personalities and backgrounds, and not everyone will be able to understand his material in the way he may. Without the variety of examples, Blink would not be as "user-friendly" and the concepts Gladwell portrays would be lost.

TOW #7 (Cylce 5) - Keeping Ebola at Bay (Written)

            The New York Time’s article, Keeping Ebola at Bay, written by Brynn Anderson, effectively places the blame for the spreading of the epidemic and supports its argument for change with an appeal to ethos through factual evidence, repetition, and slicing diction.

            Keeping Ebola at Bay is an editorial that informs the audience of what is happening with the disease and what Anderson believes needs to be done in order to prevent more death. Specifically, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has faulted so frequently that they may be the reason Ebola has became such a nauseating thought for the average citizen.

            Anderson presents overwhelming evidence at the beginning of his piece in order to establish his credibility before stating an opinion. He chronologically presents the cases that have occurred already in the United States and how they have been handled. He then states how it is connected to a mistake made by the CDC, but does not fully present his argument. This helps his readers have an idea of where Anderson wants from them without being fully aware of it.

            Repetition is also used to sway Anderson’s audience to his side. In the middle of his editorial, each paragraph begins with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s acronym followed by what they did wrong and should’ve happened. This organizational technique is effective as it supports the author’s purpose with a clear means of supporting his claim.

            Anderson also molds his diction in order to create his image of the C.D.C as the problem. He describes their advice as “inadequate” and a thought process as “an incredible lapse in judgment”.  The connotation brought to the C.D.C is subtle yet slicing and helps him support his claim.

            Through use of these rhetorical strategies Anderson makes a very interesting and thought provoking argument as to who was to blame for the way Ebola has affected the nation. He gives good reason for the C.D.C to revisit some of their previous decisions and effectively achieves his purpose.

TOW #6 (Cycle 5)- Written (On Being A Cripple)

On Being A Cripple is written by a woman with Multiple Sclerosis named Nancy Mairs. The essay is designed to explain why she accepts her disease and achieves this through the interesting structure of her piece and her use of anecdotes to establish ethos.

Mairs begins writing by explaining while she calls herself cripple rather than a term like handicapped or disabled. This choice opens up her idea of what it means to be crippled. She is inviting the reader into a world that potentially lacks political correctness and grabs their attention with a view that counters the norm.

Mairs continues to explain how lucky she is. She feels that despite having MS bestowed upon her she has family and laughter and work that helps make her life happy. This anecdotal aspect fo her essay brings the reader into her life. She doesn't just say she is happy, but gives proof as to what is good in her life. This establishes ethos as it is easier to trust someone when what they say is supported and is placed well structurally in the piece as it develops her persona as a writer as someone amicable and open.

Following her happiness Mairs flawlessly introduces the one true hardship she fears, that everyone is faking around her. She doesn't want to be pitied and feels a need to please those around her to make up for the fact that she depends on them. This comes after the reader may support her as she has been strong in her efforts in life. By waiting to introduce her fear, Mairs establishes a connection with her audience before asking them to identify with her. She also makes it easier for the reader to connect with her by explaining how she cannot connect with the women in magazine. No cripples are in the magazines. However, many women feel distant from the image they are meant to fulfil and relate to Mairs.

The essay is concluded with Mairs' view on being a cripple. Before truly fleshing out what she initially started with, she is able to connect to her audience and likely have a better reaction to what she thinks.

TOW #5 (Cycle 2) - Visual (Same Sex marriage in Iowa)

This political from 2009 was created by Nick Anderson for the Houston Chronicle. He has won a Pulitzer prize for his cartoons and has appeared in over 100 different newspapers and journals. The Houston Chronicle is the largest newspaper in Texas and is not notably liberal or conservative.

The cartoon is an allusion, to the famous art piece, American Gothic. Interesting piece of trivia, While it is being depicted as a couple above, this does not parallel what is actually happening in the scene. The original piece depicts Grant Wood's, the artist, sister and their dentist.

Anderson is presenting a piece of art associated with Iowa adjusted to fit the news he is sharing. The cartoon is almost rewriting history. The legalization of gay marriage will not automatically bring change of mind in the population. By taking a well known cultural reference, Anderson is attempting to change what many may view as "normal'.

Anderson's purpose is to present the news of legalized marriage in a way that helps to alter the audience's state of mind and perhaps forward the legalization of gay marriage in texas. He does this with his parallelism in his allusion. Because the men in the image are together in stature almost how they would be in front of an officiant on their wedding day, it bring a clear connection to marriage. The two are in the image just the man and woman in the original are, which presents the legalization of gay marriage with nothing different except the gender of the two people in union.

Texas did not legalize gay marriage until February of 2014. Anderson may be using this cartoon as a way to convince readers that it is time for Texas to catch up. He presents the news using an ellipsis, signifying an exasperated tone. Anderson is telling his readers, "C'mon, even Iowa is doing it."