The Madness of Black Friday

This week is relatively light for me in terms of schoolwork and exams. I am very much looking forward to Thanksgiving break, it is much needed based on the past week I had. Usually, my family and I go to Milwaukee to visit family friends every year, but this year, we are staying at home in Michigan. This year, I am going to attempt to participate in the madness that is Black Friday. Usually, I go shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but I’m not one of those hardcore shoppers who gets up at 4 am and camps out outside of Best Buy waiting for the doors to open. I personally don’t want to battle out hundreds of people over saving a few dollars. Usually I just go to the mall around 10 or 11 am and there are still plenty of great deals so I take what I can get. However, this year, my mom and I are planning on hitting up the mall at 8 a.m. to try our luck at some great deals. I am preparing myself for some mad aggression and fighting off some intense shoppers.

I think it is interesting to see how Black Friday can bring out the worst in some people and how, for those few hours, their social identities completely change. All sorts of people wait outside of stores in the early morning hours to hopefully save lots of money. Generally, these are nice people: they could be kind mothers waiting to buy toys and clothes for their children, men waiting in line to buy jewelry for their wives, teenagers looking to buy Christmas presents. Yet as they all gather together and fiercely compete for the same goal, these people start to get nasty and aggressive. They will use rude language as they shove aside all others, thinking only of themselves and how fast they can get into the store. Just a few days ago, I was reading a CNN article about how a Wal-Mart security guard got trampled to death during a Black Friday stampede. The picture above is just one example of how chaotic crowds can form in front of stores as shoppers fend each other off for the best deals. While I understand that saving money is very important, especially given the state of the economy, I really don’t think it is necessary to lose common respect for others and disregard human values. Yes, I know that it is a dog-eat-dog world, and sometimes you have to put yourself first, but it any appliance, electronic, or clothing item really so important that you have to physically hurt others to get it? I think it is still possible to maintain composure and a respectful social identity while trying to obtain the same products that others are fighting for. I guess I will experience the true notion of Black Friday in just a few days. Bring on the battle scars.

Magazine Photo Inspires Dual Identity Perceptions

As I went to check my e-mail for the sixth time today, I started browsing some top headlines for the week. One story that caught my eye was about Sarah Palin and a controversial picture posted on a magazine cover. Here is the link to the story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091119/ap_on_re_us/us_lifestyles_palin_s_cover_shot

Newsweek used a photo of Sarah Palin on the cover of an issue this week that showed her wearing a red long sleeve shirt and shorts. The picture was initially taken for Runner’s World magazine, but Newsweek decided to use the photo on their cover because it was gender neutral, and apparently fit with the theme of the issue. Palin was outraged that the photo was taken out of context and claims that it was sexist because it showed her exposing her legs. Some of her supporters say that it is not a big deal that this particular photo of her was used since she looks trim and fit in it and therefore conveys a positive self-image. However, others say that Palin is at fault for posing for that photo. Since she is a public figure, she should have known that any photo could be used for purposes other than the one it was intended for. It seems like Palin does not want this photo to be representative of her identity. I am not very avid in following politics, but seeing how Palin is a Republican and conservative, I would assume that she would not want to portray herself with her legs exposed on the cover of Newsweek. I don’t really understand how this particular picture of Palin relates to the content of the article, since the article is about politics and the GOP. Maybe Newsweek was inadvertently trying to portray Palin in a negative light because the article was discussing her faults. I think this photograph is open to interpretation depending on the identity of the audience. If a reader already had negative views on Palin, then those views would be further exacerbated by this picture. On the other hand, if someone supported Palin and her views while she was running for vice president, that person would see the picture portraying Palin as an outdoorsy, athletic, nature-loving woman, which was the intent of the picture if it had been placed in Runner’s World. As Charland said, the picture calls out to the audience and strengthens their views on what they already believe about the identity of Sarah Palin.

Construction of an Audience

For my class assignment, I had to read “Constitutive Rhetoric: The Case of the Peuple Quebecois”, which develops an idea proposed by Kenneth Burke about identification of an audience preceding persuasion. The first time I read this essay, I merely glossed it over and was pretty confused about the claim. However, after breaking the piece down sentence by sentence in class, I think I have gained a better idea of what Charland was trying to say. My understanding is that, in order to effectively convey an argument to an audience, a speaker must first appeal to an aspect of the audience’s identity, and establish a common belief system. In class, we discussed the deliberate placement of commercials during TV shows that reach out towards an intended audience. For example, if I am watching the Pistons game on TV, most of the advertisements are centered on shoes, Gatorade, or other products related to sports. This is because the TV network knows that the audience watching the game will most likely be athletes. Thus the TV network recognized this part of the audience’s identity and used it to market athletic products in an efficient way.

However, Charland brings up the point that maybe it is the argument that creates the audience. If a speaker appeals to a part of an audience’s identity that the audience had not previously considered important, the speaker could bring together many people for a common cause. For instance, relating to a previous post, Hitler appealed to his audience’s sense of nationalism and pride for Germany to unite them as a single group vying for the same cause: the betterment of Germany. This argument implies that an audience does not exist until the speaker calls out to it.

When I write my blog entries, I assume that the only people reading them will be my instructor and the students in my class. In theory, I should be writing my entries for the general public, but realistically, I don’t think people would be interested in reading my blog unless they are familiar with the topics I allude to from class. Every now and then I add in a post that relates to the scope of the class but is more in tune with my life, pop culture, and current events, but for the most part, I think some of my posts are definitely geared for my English 225 peers and instructor. However, in case anyone other than this intended audience decides to read my post, I provide a little background information on what elicited my thoughts on the subject I am writing about. I think overall, blog writers constitute their audiences by relating posts to aspects of the audience’s identity. When I am reading my classmates’ blogs, the ones I tend to flock towards are the ones I can relate to, or the ones that immediately draw in my interest due to an image or bold statement. For my upcoming persuasive presentation, my intended audience is first-year medical students and I am trying to persuade them to use the biopsychosocial approach while interacting with patients. I will have to come up with ideas on how these medical students identify themselves, and draw them into my presentation by reaching out to these common beliefs.

Analyzing James's Visual Rhetoric

I find it interesting to read some of my classmates’ blogs and see how they relate concepts we learn in class to topics of their own interest. One particular blog post that stood out to me was written by my classmate James. Here is the link to the post:

http://jdavid88.blogspot.com/

The first thing that caught my eye about this post was the visual images. The words “About 50%” are written in large white letters across a black page, and this leads me to wonder what the rest of the advertisement says and how this will relate to James’s post. I then referred to the title, which I found clever because it was set up like a math equation, and is relevant to teaching. Reading the title allowed me to see that James was encouraging his audience to take action, which is the goal of a persuasive post. After reading a bit more, I find that James’s post is about how low income students are less inclined to graduate from high school, and how this is a problem. There is a picture of an overcrowded classroom shortly afterwards, which keeps my attention. It makes me wonder how classrooms can be overcrowded if more and more students are dropping out of school. The visuals are what initially drew me into James’s post and made me want to read the supplemental text that came with the images.

James is able to effectively engage the reader of his blog by presenting situations the reader can relate to. He allows the reader to take on the identity of a low income student who is not being challenged by presenting questions such as “why don’t high schoolers push themselves to graduation?”. This makes the reader think about the ethos of low income students, and what they aspire to do with their lives. James provides many examples of the frustrations faced by low income students that obstruct their higher education. He then transitions into why there is a need for dedicated, caring teachers who genuinely care about their students and can challenge them enough to stay in school. James uses logical paragraph structure to present a growing problem, and a possible solution to that problem. Each paragraph has one main idea, and transitions into the next.

Next, James presents the opposing viewpoint, about why people do not want to enter the teaching profession. He uses evidence from a scholarly journal to show that factors like low salary and under appreciation are enough to sway people away from wanting to become teachers. However, James uses several different kinds of evidence to refute this notion, and support why teaching is a valuable profession that those who truly want to reach out to others should embark upon. He ties in personal experiences, by quoting his coworker about the social benefits of the job, such as extended vacations and health benefits. But more importantly, James uses expert evidence to show the emotional gain from teaching, and how giving back to others outweighs any tangible benefits. He establishes common ground with the audience’s belief system. Most people want to be empathetic and reach out to those in need, and James structures his argument by appealing to these values, and relating them to the teaching profession. He goes on to end his post with a somewhat gloomy picture of an empty ceremony. This foreshadows what could happen if there is a shortage of dedicated teachers. Overall, James makes strong statements using visual images and supports these images using text. The text is easy to read and understand, and James presents the viewpoint of frustrated low income students and dedicated teachers to allow readers to delve into these identities and realize the importance of the teaching profession.

Midnight Fantasy: Unleashing the Spontaneous Side

For my homework assignment this weekend, I looked at several advertisements to see which ones had the best appeals to the intended audience and therefore held the highest powers of persuasion. The ad I used (check it out at http://www.papermag.com/blogs/britney_midnightfantasypromo.gif) was for a perfume by Britney Spears, called Midnight Fantasy. It was initially from a women’s magazine, probably something like Cosmopolitan or Vogue, so the intended audience was college aged women or older. This ad uses sensuality as an attention grabber; Britney Spears is immersed in a moonlit lake, and looks like she is about to embark upon a daring adventure. The image evokes a sense of mystery and elusiveness, and is probably intended to make women feel like they can be edgy and bold if they use the perfume. I think this ad would appeal to many middle aged women in their 30’s as well as college-aged women because it may help older women feel like they are regaining their youth. Some women may become caught up in their daily routines, such as jobs, household chores, and attending to their families. This may make older women feel like they no longer embark on anything adventurous or spontaneous. By seeing this ad, these women may be lured in by the fact that this perfume will help them relive their youth and add some spark and mystery to their lives. Wearing the perfume can allow a woman to take on another identity, one that is more carefree, seductive, and daring than the social identity she conveys on a daily basis. Even the name of the perfume, Midnight Fantasy, implies that women can take on different identities depending on the time of day. During the daytime, women can be responsible, mature adults and attend to what is expected of them by their peers, families, and society. However, when the night arrives, women can escape from the pressures placed on them to be good housewives or employees. They can do things they secretly “fantasize” about, such as going to glamorous clubs and parties, but are not able to do during the day due to social responsibilities. This ad doesn’t use any text because the image speaks strongly enough to its viewers. Britney Spears is a huge celebrity, and the fact that this perfume is from her line is enough to convince women to buy it because of the brand name. By displaying a picture that is elegant yet somewhat sensual and bold, this ad can convince women to buy Midnight Fantasy so that they can unleash the side of themselves that they want to experience but generally suppress.

Oh How I Hate Ohio State

Today in my English 225 class, we had a discussion about persuasion and tactics that are used to persuade an audience to follow a certain belief or leader, or buy a product. The example used in class was Hitler, and the propaganda he used to gain followers of his socialist party. By greeting citizens, shaking hands with women, and holding babies, Hitler made himself approachable to German citizens and promised to unite them as people under one nation. He instilled a sense of German pride, and strived to create a sense of uniformity among his followers. In the movie Triumph of the Will, visual rhetoric was used to exemplify this unity. These images included showing men bathing each other and scrubbing each other's backs, lines of men wearing all the same traditional German uniforms, and an aerial view of tents fashioned into neat rows. With this type of propaganda, it is easy to become swayed into following the party. After all, who would anticipate at the time that in just ten short years, the same leader who was advocating peace and strength would slaughter six million Jews? I admit, if I had been living during that time, I would not have predicted that massacre and would have seen the best in the leader who was trying to earn my vote. Generally, I am not one to be a heretic and lead a movement against someone that the majority of people support.

However, a parallel was made to the Obama campaign. Obama possesses several of the same public speaking traits as Hitler and uses this eloquence to gain the trust of Americans. If someone told me that in two years, Obama would be responsible for a world massacre, I certainly would not believe it. At this point, my instructor pointed out that working for a political campaign can cause someone to become so caught up in that politician's view, that he starts to become blindsighted and denigrate any opposing point of view. For instance, if an ardent Obama supporter saw someone with a McCain bumper sticker on his car, he would probably become enraged that someone would not support his point of view and not understand how anyone could possibly support McCain. In his mind, Obama is a much better candidate, and this should be apparent to everyone. This brainwashing can result from associating with groups of people who all share the same political stance and feed off of each others' fervor.

I can apply this idea to the university level as well. Going to a school as renowned as the University of Michigan, of course I am going to feel a sense of pride for my university. We are the leaders and best, one of the top 20 universities in the world, and are in the top ten nationwide for several graduate programs, such as medicine, law and business. What is not to love about this school? Aside from Michigan’s reputation, coming to Campus Day and other informational sessions influenced my decision to attend Michigan for the next 4 years. The campus buildings were beautiful, the extracurricular activities were endless, and students looked like they were having the time of their lives. By showcasing these points about Michigan, the university is successful in recruiting thousands of students.

However, another part of going to Michigan is having a rivalry with Ohio State. It is a consensus among students that Ohio State is to be hated, especially in football, but it is generally all in good fun. However, there are some students that are so caught up in Michigan pride that they will stop at nothing to bring down anyone from Ohio State. These are the types of people who vandalize a car that has an Ohio State bumper sticker, or scream out profanity and throw objects at an Ohio State fan during a football game. In fact, this year during the weekend of the Notre Dame football game, my friend had some guys from Notre Dame staying at his house. One of the Notre Dame students’ cars was completely demolished after the game-tires slashed, spray painted with obscenities, keyed. It was outrageous, and this wasn’t even for the team that was our greatest rival. A little rivalry never hurt anyone, but is it really worth taking it to the point where someone gets hurt? The propaganda that Michigan has historically displayed in bringing down Ohio State has caused some students to blindly hate anything and anyone affiliated with OSU without even thinking why. Although nowhere near as serious, this brainwashing can somewhat be related to the propaganda that Hitler used to gain trust, to the point where his followers did as they were told without ever questioning why. I have nothing against a rivalry; if anything, it helps to unify the students of Michigan against a common cause. But I do not think it is necessary for a student to become so caught up in a superiority complex that comes with going to Michigan, to the point where he is verbally or physically abusing those from Ohio State or other rival schools. That in itself would make Michigan look disrespectful as a university and chip away part of its excellent reputation.

Thinking about Identity while watching Gossip Girl

Last night, I had some time to kick back and relax after an eventful Halloween weekend. I started catching up on some episodes of Gossip Girl, which is a show I have strangely become quite addicted to. And of course, five minutes into the show, I started thinking about how the characters and plot in that episode were relevant to the theories of identity I have learned about in English 225. I guess English class finds a way to creep up into me even when I am taking a break! There is a character on the show who is an actress, yet she disguises her name and enrolls in NYU because she wants the experience of a “normal” college student, without constantly being followed by paparazzi. While attending NYU, she meets a student who does not recognize her as a celebrity, and enters into a relationship with him because he saw her beneath all the glitz and glam and liked her for her personality. However, later in the episode, the actress’s cover is blown, and she attends a red carpet premiere in which is she is told to tell the press that she is dating a fellow actor, instead of an ordinary college student. The entertainment industry only cares about what will attract the most viewers. Therefore, there will be more hype about an upcoming movie if a celebrity puts on a false identity and pretends to date her co-star. I could relate this to Riesman’s false self, in which a person puts on an appearance that is not representative of his own identity for the sake of a particular audience. This got me thinking about how many celebrity relationships that we read about in magazines and tabloids, or see on TV, everyday, are actually substantial and real. I am no expert on celebrity gossip, nor do I even follow it except for the occasional glance at a magazine in the grocery store or headlines on the internet. However, I wonder what would happen if a celebrity did indeed decide to date someone who was not in the entertainment industry. This certainly would be frowned upon by the media because of the difference in social status. Ideally, the rich and beautiful should be dating others who are rich and beautiful, and this would attract more viewers. But I think by contriving some celebrity relationships, the entertainment industry takes away the opportunity for some celebrities to be happy. What if a celebrity wanted to be in a relationship with someone who didn’t share the same lifestyle as him? That celebrity shouldn’t be forced to abandon that thought because the media wouldn’t approve. The fact that celebrity couples are always breaking up, getting divorced after a month of marriage, and somehow end up dating co-stars of recent movies makes me question if these relationships are ones that came to develop of their own accord, or if they were forced by the media for publicity. I guess for a celebrity, there is a lot of pressure on how the audience views him or her. Therefore, sometimes appearance and portrayal of the false self, rather than the real self, is more important for their careers. After all, some celebrities act for a living, and therefore must put forth these skills in real life, acting as if they are happy. This relates to Goffman’s theory of identity which states that we are all actors on a stage, portraying various roles for particular audiences. Whoever thought that a simple episode of Gossip Girl could spark so much thought into the identities of celebrities in relationships?