Beyonce Ad for Perfume "Heat"

      This advertisement, featuring Beyonce, is promoting the perfume known as "Heat". Beyonce, posing in a red provocative red satin dress, is seductively looking at the audience attempting to persuade them to buy this perfume. 

      The purpose of this ad is to convince women or men to buy the perfume "Heat". The audience of this advertisement is 18-35 year old women who are at the appropriate age to wear perfume, however, not women too old because the perfume has a scent that is geared towards the younger generation. The exigence of this ad is the need for more consumers to buy the product. 

      This ad has numerous rhetorical devices including pathos, by the color, and ethos, by the celebrity endorsement. This ad certainly does not lack red color. The red color draws the viewers eyes to the ad immediately and also serves to send a message of passion and power. The color makes the ad stand out among other ads and draws the reader to read the ad to see what it is about. The color scheme red is also appropriate considering the perfume name "Heat". When one thinks of heat the colors that come to mind are orange, yellow, and of course red. All of these little things having to do with the color help to persuade the reader to buy the perfume. Another thing that aids in the ads purpose is the celebrity endorser, Beyonce. Beyonce helps to establish ethos in this ad by showing viewers that if the perfume is good enough for her it is certainly good enough for them. Many women in this country look up to Beyonce and seek attributes that she holds. By them buying this perfume, they are coming one step closer to achieving her persona. She establishes trust within the viewer and the ad which further persuades them to buy the perfume. 

      Yes, I think that this ad achieves its purpose. The ad is attractive and appealing to the eye and by using the color red and the celebrity endorsement, the ad certainly persuade the viewer to buy the perfume "Heat". 

Setback for Kate Middleton as her condition takes turn for the worse

      In this article, Gordon Rayner writes about Kate Middleton's pregnancy, her battle with morning sickness, and her progressively worsening condition. The Duchess, who spent three nights in hospital last week being treated for hyperemesis gravidarum, took a turn for the worse as she spent the weekend at Kensington Palace. The condition has gotten so bad in the past few days that Prince William had to back out of a committed engagement, something that is rarely seen by the Duke.
     The purpose of this article is to inform the readers about "the pregnancy of the year" and to keep them up to date with everything new about Will and Kate's baby. The audience of this article is teenagers and adults world wide who want to be informed about the royal pregnancy. The exigence is Kate's battle with hyperemesis gravidarum and the infatuation with the couples pregnancy.
    The rhetorical devices that Gordon Rayner uses in this article are very effective. The most important rhetorical device he uses is logos. He uses this through out his entire argument to gain his readers trust and approval. For example, instead of just listing facts, he quotes reliable people from the royal palace. One time this is seen is after Gordon Rayner writes about how Will talked about his wife's condition at a tennis Gala. He includes quotes from Will dispersed in his paragraph which shows the reader that what he is writing about is not made up and is instead so true that he can find direct quotes to prove it. He also includes exact dates, times, and places in his article which is very important to give the reader a sense of reality. They know exactly when something took place, where it took place, and when it took place.
    Yes, I think that Gordon Rayner achieves his message through his article, however, this article is a bit redundant because there are hundreds of articles out like it. With this aside, I think with his use of logos and other rhetorical devices he conveys his message. At the end of reading this article, I was clearly informed about Kate Middleton and her battle with hyperemesis gravid arum. 

The Color of Water

       The Color of Water, by James McBride, is a black man's tribute to his white mother. James and his eleven other siblings live in Brooklyn, New York in an all-black neighborhood. James' mom is the only white person in the entire area and James knows his mom is different. One day, when James was very young,  he asks her how she could love him if they were different "colors". The mom responds that "love is the color of water". This book touches on the issues of race, religion, and identity and gives insight into what family really means.
      The purpose of James McBride writing this story is to pay tribute to his determined and eccentric mother. She raised twelve kids in a dirt poor neighborhood and managed to put them all through college. The exigence of this book is James recognizes the rare breed his mother is, and he wants to let her know he appreciates the mother she was. This book is geared towards an audience of teenagers to late adults. They would be the age group that would best be able to grasp the impacting information this story has to offer.
     James McBride uses many rhetorical devices, but I think the most important one thus far is structure. The way he organizes his book is very interesting and keeps things fresh for the reader. One thing James does is every other chapter he adds a story about his mom from her point of view. For example, the first chapter is the mother speaking in first person about how she is dead to her Jewish family because she married a black man. The second chapter is in James' point of view and he described a distinct memory he has of his childhood. The third chapter is another story from the mom and the book continues in this pattern until the end. I think this is a successful way to organize the book because it allows the reader to gain insight into who the mother really is by the stories directly told by her. Then, it allows the reader to see James' thoughts and feeling towards the mother and the rest of his family through the stories told by him.
    Thus far he has accomplished his goal. Through the first two chapters, he has established that his mother is one-of-a-kind. He makes sure the reader knows that his mother is different and that she made it her single most important job in life to raise her children right. She has a difficult time associating with the women around her because they looked at her like she was an alien. She was an outcast for her most of her adult life, but she did not let that stop her. James makes sure the reader knows this before the reading on. After the first two chapters, I already look up at James' mother with high regard, respect, and sympathy.

Health Eating: Avoid the sweets this holiday season

       This article, by a dietician named Joan Endyke, addresses the issues of holiday weight gain. Everyone wants to show their appreciation during the holiday season by buying or making sweet treats. However, this could lead to weight gain and unhealthy eating habits. She gives readers unsweetened gift ideas for the holiday's that are just as appreciated but a little more healthy.

      The purpose of this article is to show readers that giving cookies and candy is not the only holiday gift option. Instead, giving unsweetened treats is the better direction to go in. The exigence of this article is the holiday season has approached us which brings with it sugary, sweet, and unhealthy treats. The audience of this article is adults who are looking for better gift options this holiday season. 

      The most important rhetorical devices Joan Endyke uses are ethos, logos, and structure. She introduces herself as a dietician with a masters degree. This establishes a trust between the reader and Joan Endyke and the reader further believes what she is writing. Also, she cites several different studies that prove her point throughout the article. For example, she mentions that when candy is in the site of an employee, a study showed that they ate an average of nine pieces of candy a day, and did not realize how much they actually put in their mouths. Lastly, at the end of the article she lists many different unsweetened holiday gift ideas that will avoid unhealthy eating. By listing the gifts the reader is able to take a better inventory of the ideas in their minds. It also helps them to remember the ideas when they do not have the article in front of them. 

     I think that Joan Endyke achieves her message to readers in this article. Her point to stop giving candy and sweets as gifts during the holiday season is a valid one that I think many readers recognize; although they may not want to accept it or stop it. She cites studies and shows the reader that the holiday season can become very unhealthy if we do not watch what we put in our mouths. With all the treats that are going to be given through out the next month, Joan Endyke proves that her message is valid and should be taken into consideration when buying gifts. 

     

Dettol Hand Sanitizer Ad

dettol_kid.jpg

        The visual I chose was a Dettol Hand Sanitizer ad from inspiration.com. The ad has a picture of a hand with many smaller hands on it holding things such as a teddy bear, a dog, food, bugs, and a coin. The hands holding the items on the larger hand are little kid hands. The ad then has the hand sanitizer and brand name on the right corner of the page reminding the reader to that this is an ad for Dettol hand sanitizer. 

      The purpose of this ad is for people to realize how many things they actually touch a day, and the pictures on the hand allow the reader to really grasp this concept. Hopefully this further convinces them to buy the sanitizer. The exigence of this visual ad is Dettol wanting people, especially parents, to buy their product and then to realize that sanitizer really does help. The audience of this ad is parents who have young children. This is shown through the small hands on the picture. A parent is always scared of what their young children are touching and putting in their mouths. This ad plays on that fear and illustrates it to parents. Through this ad parents realize how many things their kids really do touch in a day and it sways them to buy the product. 

     The most important rhetorical device used in this ad is logos. Through showing the picture of little hands touching bugs, coins, and animals it convinces the reader that the only logical solution is to buy the Dettol hand sanitizer. It is perceived from the picture that if you do not buy the hand sanitizer than your children will have germs on their hands that will eventually go in their mouths and get them sick. Unless you want them to be sick,  it is better to buy this product to kill off the germs.

     I do believe that the author got their point across in this visual ad. When the reader looks at it they are immediately intrigued to figure out what the ad is for because there are no words just pictures. Once they figure out it is for Dettol hand sanitizer, the visual ad does a nice job of showing the average person how many things kids touch in a day. Mother and fathers out there want their kids to stay safe so it convinces them to buy the sanitizer. The ad does a nice job of conveying its message to the average reader. 

 

The Know-It-All

For my IRB I am reading The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs. As I said in my previous blog, this book is broken up into chapters based on each letter of the alphabet. This week I am going to blog about letter D. In this chapter he describes letters from the Encyclopedia Britannica ranging from death to George Darwin.  He also gives us insight about his life such as stories from work and from his home life with his wife Julie.

The purpose of this chapter was to inform the readers about the fourth letter he has read on his journey to become the smartest man in the world and to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. The exigence of this chapter is that he would like to write about all 26 letters in the alphabet and explain his journey through reading each letter. This was just the fourth letter in his long journey. The audience of this book is individuals who enjoy memoirs and personal stories. It is also geared towards individuals who do not need a very interesting drama-like plot or a climax to keep them hooked. A book about a man trying to read the entire Encyclopedia is very interesting, but is not going to be like a soap opera, as this book is compromised mostly of facts.

The three most important rhetorical devices A.J. Jacobs uses are anecdote, satire, and structure. In order to keep the story from being a book solely on example words from the Encyclopedia Britannica, the author adds personal stories to the words and shows the reader how those words connect to his life. For example, under the word disease he talks about how his friends think he is a hypochondriac and recalls times when he was sick. It may seem boring, but these little personal touches add a lot to the story. A.J. Jacobs also utilizes satire throughout this chapter, and the whole book. To offer an example, under the word dance, he talks about a way to spice up the plot of American Idol, and ultimately makes fun of the show. These funny comments make the reader laugh inside and keeps them turning the pages. Lastly, structure is very important in this book. A.J. Jacobs lists the words in alphabetical order. He also bolds the word and then under it provides a brief explanation of that given word. This not only helps the reader organize each word in their minds, but also lets the reader know exactly when he is going to start a new word so all the information does not get meshed up int one.

I think that A.J. Jacobs gets his message across to the reader. He wants to show us one step in his journey, while adding personal stores and humor to lighten up the mood. He certainly does that by connecting the words with personal stories. This makes him more relatable and seem like a normal guy, not a crazy person who wants to read the Encyclopedia Britannica for fun. These personal stories and funny sense of humor make the reader want to turn the pages and read more.

Hurricane Sandy: New York City transit suspended

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20117005

    This article, by BBC News, discusses Hurricane Sandy and the damages that she could cause.
Sandy has already claimed sixty victims in the Caribbean's and President Obama said it could pose "additional problems for Americans". Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a statement saying the subways, buses, and train services would shut down starting at seven PM Sunday evening. This article also explains to its readers the safety precautions that need to be taken when dealing with a potential threat. It also shows readers the path of Hurricane Sandy and when it is projected to hit different areas.

    The purpose of this article is to inform and keep readers up to date with current information about Hurricane Sandy. The exigence is that Sandy could cause a lot of damage to many Americans in all different areas. In order to make sure as many people are as prepared as possible, this article describes everything the reader would need to know in a page. The audience of this text is adults who want to stay informed about the current status of Sandy and also people who want to know what they can do to be better prepared for this storm.

     The main rhetorical device used throughout this entire article is logos. The author uses logos everywhere in the text to better communicate his/her message with readers. For example, the author includes pictures of Sandy's projected path. This allows the reader to visualize where the hurricane is going to hit and how it may affect them. Also, the author include quotes from the President, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Governor Chris Christie. This quotes referred to the severity of the storm and the actions that need to take place in order to ensure safety. These quotes allowed the reader to see what influential people thought about the storm and what they said to do. Lastly, the author uses statistics in the article to convey his/her message. These statistics establish credibility and allow the reader to easily grasp what the author is talking about. Seeing numbers makes it easier to process the information and further allows the reader to understand what the author is trying to convey.

Yes, in my opinion I do think the author conveys his/her message to the reader. The author not only includes a video of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's speech to the New York City public but also uses words like "life threatening" to describe the hurricane. Both of these things in addition to the charts, quotes, and statistics listed above really allows the author to inform the reader about Hurricane Sandy and convinces them by the time they are finished reading this article that this hurricane is not joke and is to be taken seriously.

Political Cartoon: Obama struggles to face the many Mitt Romneys

        For this weeks TOW I chose to do a political cartoon because I think it is very relevant due to the upcoming presidential election. This cartoon, which was taken from the Houston Chronicle,  shows one President Obama playing basketball with many Mitt Romney's. Each Mitt Romney has different words written on his shirt like "moderate Mitt", "severely conservative Mitt", "pro-regulation Mitt", and "anti-regulation Mitt". 

        The clear purpose of this text is to show how Mitt Romney is a new person every day. The cartoonist shows this by the different writings on Mitt's shirt.  One day he is moderate the next day conservative. One day he is pro-regulation the next day he is anti-regulation. Obama doesn't know where to throw the ball with all of Mitt Romney's hands up in the air calling for it. This shows that Obama is struggling to face the different Mitt Romney's. The exigence of this cartoon is the approaching presidential election and also the debates between President Obama and Mitt Romney, which have been all the news lately. The audience of this cartoon is people who understand politics and who are able to vote in the election. I would also assume that the audience is democrats because this political cartoon favors Obama showing that Mitt Romney is wishy-washy. 

        This political cartoon uses many rhetorical devices. One of the devices that stands out is contradiction for affect. This cartoonist contradicts himself by putting on one shirt "moderate Mitt" and on another "severely conservative Mitt". However, this cartoonist utilizes contradiction to instruct his argument. The whole point of this cartoon is to show that Mitt Romney has many sides. By putting drastically different statements on each of his shirts helps the reader to see the authors point. Another rhetorical device this cartoon uses is placement. The cartoonist purposely placed Obama so the reader can only see his back side but not his face. The cartoonist placed every Mitt Romney so the reader can see his face, arms, and read his shirt. The reason each Mitt Romney is facing forward is not just to the statements on his shirt is visible; it serves a deeper purpose. I think the author did it because it is easier for the reader to put themselves in Obama's shoes. When you look at this cartoon, you are looking at what exactly Obama is looking at because he is faced forwards. It creates a more overwhelming and believing message. I think this placement really works to help the cartoonist get their message across. 

        I do think that the cartoonist accomplished their purpose through the text. This cartoon is easy to understand and shows a clear message. Although it would help to know politics, it is not necessary to understand this text. Besides the message being clear, the rhetorical devices the author uses enhances the readers ability to understand what the author is trying to get across. The statements the author puts on each shirt are clearly contradictory, and it does not take long to realize that this is for affect.  I immediately understood this cartoon and realized its purpose. That even furthers my opinion that this cartoonists clearly accomplishes their goal. 

Modern Manners: Travel Etiquette—The Rules of the Road

http://www.vogue.com/culture/article/modern-manners-travel-etiquette-the-rules-of-the-road/#1

         We have all encountered our fair share of rude people while traveling from place to place. This article from Vogue gives readers seven often ignored or forgotten rules that will help make traveling a more enjoyable experience. William Norwich, the editor/writer of this article, is a very successful writer of the Modern Manners section of Vogue. He claims in this article that following these seven simple rules will make traveling more pleasant for you and for other passengers.
         The purpose of William Norwich writing this article is stated very clearly throughout his text. Many people do not know the do's and don'ts of traveling. This article's purpose is to inform readers of proper travel etiquette. The exigence of this article is simple. It was published on August 31st, 2012 which is when William Norwich says the height of travel season starts. The excessive travel that will occur over the next few months prompted William to write a Modern Manners article on travel etiquette.  The audience of this text is geared towards adults who travel regularly or will be traveling soon. These seven rules will help them improve their like-ability among other travelers and will improve their over all experience.
         There are several rhetorical devices that Norwich uses to get his point across throughout the article. One of the most important devices I think that sticks out is logos. After almost every rule, he gives the reader an example of what happens when you do not follow that given rule. For example, after he listed rule number six, which is "be the change you want to see in the world", he gives us an example from his past travel experience. When he was traveling on an airplane he got treated in a more respectful manner by the flight attendant because he was wearing a Michael Khor's suit (this could also be an example of anecdote). This helps him prove that you need to dress how you want to be treated. Also falling under the category of logos, Michael Norwich quotes other writers/colleagues, and shows their opinions and past experiences regarding travel. All of these examples give the reader logical reasons why they should follow the rules.
         Another rhetorical device that sticks out is style. William Norwich organizes this article in a very structured way. He lists his rules using numbers and then explains the rule directly below. I think this way or organizing it is easy to follow and creates a list in the reader's brain. You see rule than explanation, rule than explanation. The text is easy to remember when he writes this way, instead of creating one large paragraph.
        I do think that William Norwich achieved his purpose through this text. I think he got his point across that following travel etiquette is very important in improving ones like-ability among other travelers and improving ones quality of travel.  He also persuades the reader that if they do not follow these rules they are being the person they despise: a bad and rude traveler. Through the seven rules he gives and the reasoning, examples, and opinions behind them, he convinces the reader to follow these simple steps to become the ultimate traveler.

The Know-It-All

For my independent reading book I am reading  The Know-It-All by A.J Jacobs. He is an editor at Esquire and has written many other notable works. This book is a memoir about A.J Jacobs journey to to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. (Crazy!) This book is divided into letters of the alphabet and for each letter he tells the reader some words that he found under that section and connects this back to his life. For the purpose of this TOW, I am going to analyze his introduction where he describes a little bit about himself, his childhood, his wife, and finally why he wants to do this in the first place.

The purpose of writing this introduction was for A.J Jacobs to give the reader some background information about himself. It was also to show them how he has become "stupider" as he has grown older and he needs to read all of this to up his "smartness". It is important for the reader to understand who they are reading about because it establishes a sense of personal connection. This leads me to the exigence. The reason A.J Jacobs really needed to write the introduction was because the reader would be completely lost with out it. Suppose Jacobs just jumped right into the letter A without letting the reader know who he was and what prompted him to want to read 33,000 pages of text. The readers would be totally confused. The audience of this book is obviously individuals who enjoy memoirs and personal stories. It is also geared towards individuals who do not need a very interesting drama-like plot or a climax to keep them hooked. A book about a man trying to read the entire Encyclopedia is very interesting, but is not going to be like a soap opera.

The rhetorical devices A.J Jacobs uses in his introduction are: pathos, sarcasm, humor, irony, ethos, anecdote, mood, and diction.

I believe that A.J Jacobs did get his message across. First by telling the reader that he graduated from Brown University establishes a sort of mutual respect. However, he tells the reader that he only remembers three things from his time at Brown and that none of them are educational. This brings A.J back down to earth. He is no longer the ivy-league genius but just a random guy. By using humor and sarcasm throughout the introduction he creates a playful and funny mood instead of a dreary educational one. All in all, he gives us some personal background details on his father, who by the way started this feat twenty years ago but only got to the B's, his wife, and his reason in reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica: to get smarter.

Fox News Apologizes After Airing Live Footage of Suicide

http://entertainment.time.com/2012/09/28/fox-news-apologizes-after-airing-live-footage-of-suicide/?iid=ent-main-mostpop1

The article I read came from entertainment.time.com and is written by James Poniewozik. He writes about how Fox News center accidentally aired live footage of a man committing suicide and describes Fox's apology to the public. He also raises the question: Why air live footage of car chases? They are not national news and have no reason to be televised.

The exigence of the text was that Fox aired live footage of the public, which was very controversial, and released an apology to the public. The purpose for James writing the text was to inform the public of this information and show readers the apology from Fox. He also chose to write this article to raise an argumentative question of why do national television programs air live footage of car chases. This article was geared to an audience of adults who are up to date on current news or would be interested by this topic.

The rhetorical devices used in this article are: logos, ethos, pathos,  argumentative (modes of discourse), and persuasion.

Yes, I think James Poniewozik accomplishes his goal through his text. First, he gives the audience background information by explaining how the incident occurred and gave a copy of Fox's apology. He uses this as an example for his bigger argument: Why air live footage of car chases? Immediately after, he uses logic to explain why it is wrong to air them and gives many reasons to back himself up. He makes it seem unnecessary and a waste of television time. By the end of the article I found my self wondering why car chases are aired live because of 1. the incident that occurred and 2. the reasons James Poniewozik listed. He sufficed in convincing me and I think he will convince the rest of the readers.

Jessica Simpson Proactiv Advertisement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmYZQmX2Jz8

One can almost never turn on the TV without seeing a Proactiv commercial. The advertisement always has a celebrity who endorses it; in this commercial it is Jessica Simpson. In the two minute commercial, Jessica Simpson gives the audience a sneak-peek into her life, which always involves using Proactiv everyday. She gives details about her personal life, and her fight for getting rid of acne. She tells the audience that if they want to feel confident about their skin and stay clear of blemishes, than they have to use Proactiv. The audience for this commercial is young to middle age people suffering from acne, primarily women because Jessica Simpson appeals to them more over men. The purpose for creating this advertisement is to promote the use of Proactiv. It is to show everyday people that even celebrities suffer from acne, but Proactiv is the cure. If you use Proactiv, you will live a more confident and happier life. The exigence for this advertisement is that the company Proactiv is trying to get more people to use their product.

This Proactiv commercial uses many rhetorical devices to try and reel in TV watchers into buying the product. The devices used are: ethos (celebrities have flaws and can relate to the audience), logos ("Problem, acne. Solution, Proactive."), pathos (physical and mental distress with acne), tone (optimistic and sincere), and mood (encouraging).

Yes, I think the commercial did accomplish its goal of showing viewers that Proactiv works. The testimonial from Jessica Simpson advocates the effectiveness of the medication. She also shows viewers that acne is not something to be ashamed of. Almost everyone has problems with skin blemishes. Also, the statement, "Problem, acne. Solution, Proactiv" makes it seem like such a simple choice. Choose Proactiv and your troubles will go away. Lastly, by using the rhetorical devices I listed above, the audience is reeled into the commercial, without even knowing it, and by the end convinced that Proactiv is the solution for their acne.  

Obesity Paradox

Harriet Brown, an American writer and editor, wrote this article for the New York Times about the obesity paradox. She describes how this mystifying topic is prevalent in today's society. An example she gives is that diabetes patients of normal weight are twice as more likely to die as patients who are overweight or obese. She goes on in her article to describe why this is happening using research and statistics. One of the explanations she gives is that when a chronic disease develops the body needs more calories. Therefore an overweight patient has more of those "reserves" or extra calories to help sustain them. This article disproves many conceptions about obesity and health.

The exigence of the article is that the author wanted to discredit any pre-conceptions about obesity and health because, according to Harriet Brown, it is culturally embedded in all of us to think of those two things, when side by side, as bad. The purpose of the article is to inform people of new medical research that "thinner may be sicker". The intended audience  are average normal American people who do not know a whole lot about the medical world and who are reading this article to become informed.

Harriet Brown use jargon, logos, and oversimplification.

I think Harriet Brown did get her message through in her article. The topic that she is talking about is way more complicated than she is making it out to be. By oversimplifying the obesity paradox, I was able to understand what she was talking about and further believe what she was saying. Also, she used a lot of big and long medical terms. Through this jargon, the article sounded more sophisticated and I was more prompted to take what she was saying seriously. Lastly, she used a lot of statistics and research throughout her entire article. Harriet also cited many medical professional and scientists from prominent universities such as Northwestern University. By backing up what she was saying, her article became credible. Through all of these things, Harriet Brown got her message across that there are misconceptions about obesity and health to the reader.