Erwilliams's Blog

Another Group’s Idea

erwilliams — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:23:11 +0000

My favorite group presentation comes from Group Awesome. They are talking about free range produce, well meat. Although the topic is one I’d rather not think about, I do believe they made a convincing argument. The facts they presented are astonishing. Some of the details in the paper make my stomach churn and goose bumps pop up on my arms. Just when I feel like I cannot control the nausea, they change the topic and distract me from my onset of sickness. I like it.

Group Awesome argues that Free Range products are healthier than the animals raised in the horrifying conditions of the factories. The tone of their paper is very educated and informational. It seems that they are talking to any person who loves to eat meat. Their choice of vocabulary effectively reaches everyone in their audience. The majority of their rhetorical strategies were examples of pathos. The group paints a vivid picture of the factory, giving their readers no choice but to visualize what they describe. I find the proposal immensely effective. Good job, Group Awesome!

Our Collaborative Proposal…in progress

erwilliams — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:00:46 +0000

I have really enjoyed working on this paper with my group. My section of the paper was the claim and the solutions part. Initially, I assumed the solutions section was basically a wrap-up of the paper, sort of a conclusion. However, now I know that it was supposed to be a completely new section THEN comes the solution. Katherine wrote about how the media affects teen body image. Kirsten wrote about how the media has an impact on teen violence. Courtney’s section is about peer pressure and the media. Caitlin wrote the introductory background section.

I’m glad to have a really good idea. I am not worried about us being able to meet because all of my group members seem to be very responsible. I like that. I am very confident that we will be able to work together cohesively. One of my biggest concerns is that my group will see my rough draft before I get a chance to revise it five times. My first draft of any paper is usually crappy and I feel VERY self-conscious about other intelligent people reading my crap.

As of right now, I know I need to beef up the solutions section. We came up with the idea of a PowerPoint presentation to be shown in a seminar, so I will have to elaborate a lot on that idea. I think I will give a detailed review of what we will put in the presentation, including video clips and statistics. The group, as a whole, will have to work on making our paper flow. That’s another issues we are having now: transitions. I have always had an issue with transitions. If I do not write my paper all the way through in one sitting, I can say goodbye to the fluidity of it. It seems that the same difficulty appears when more than one person writes. UGH! Honestly, I think transitions are something evil old Englishmen thought of to torture college students who have to take composition classes. That’s just my opinion though.

Group Info on Collaborative Proposal….Blog 8

erwilliams — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:28:45 +0000

For our collaborative proposal project we want to explore the ways that society interprets domestic violence involving women and how the media affects women. Both of these have adverse effects on the way women see themselves and how they function in today’s world. We will break our paper up into separate sections and we may group sections on women and sections on teens separately.

Katherine:

My topic for our group project is body image and the effect on teen girls. I wanted to see if there were any campaigns out there that influence teen girls body image in positive ways. I wanted to look into the dove campaign for real beauty and the influence it has on young girls. There have been several commercials and ads that promote the idea that being beautiful is being yourself without trying to fit into stereotypes of ideal, cookie cutter beauty. I also want to look at the statistics of young girls with eating disorders and see how the numbers have fluctuated over the past years. I chose this topic because body image has always been interesting to me and in today’s society it especially affects teen girls. This is something I can relate too. I can remember being a young teen and reading the articles with the perfect models and wanting to look just like them. And I can also remember seeing the first dove campaign ad and how excited I was to see normal women in magazines. The effect of the dove campaign had a powerful influence on me and helped me see what it means to truly be beautiful.

Caitlin:

My topic for our group project is how the media creates a certain mold for women to fit in. The media tells us we should all be tall, skinny, blonde, and unintelligent if we want to be like everyone in Hollywood. My group could use advertisements showing skinny women with tanned skin and long flowing hair, or pictures of the most popular celebrities in our culture today in order to show examples of how women are portrayed. This idealistic image can then be compared to how normal teenage girls are and show how these celebrities are the role models we strive to be like. When we strive to be like these role models, we feel like we all need blonde hair, have to be super skinny, and have golden skin. We not only feel pressure from other girls to fit this mold, but because men see this on TV and in magazines, they start to look for women who fit this idealistic image as well. This topic would allow us to interview people who have struggled to change themselves from the pressure they felt from the media, or we could even interview guys and ask what they look for in a girl as far as looks go and compare them to the majority of the stars in Hollywood. For paper research, we could look up statistics on the amount of girls that feel pressured by the media, or the average weight of celebrities/models compared to the normal teenage girl. There are several dimensions such as TV/movie stars, models, girls in advertisements, and even popular girls in high school/sorority girls that we can use as examples of the media effecting.

Kirsten:

I am centering my topic around the fact that relationship abuse and dating violence are so prevalent among teens and young adults. The common statistic is that 1 in 3 of teens has experienced violence in a relationship. This can seriously affect both the boy and the girl in the relationship: he thinks it is okay to be controlling and she is emotionally scarred. There are several videos that I could use for the visual aspect of the project such as the Rihanna interviews, which were amazing, and a domestic violence video starring Kiera Knightly. My section will be about telling the signs of domestic abuse and getting help for these young people because injuring someone else is not okay. I chose this topic because of the incident with Rihanna and the video that Kiera Knightly has done. I think that these strong women can be an example to girls struggling in abusive relationships that they are not helpless, and that they can find help for themselves. I am not a victim of domestic violence myself but I am interested in it. Things I want to find out are, how does the violent occurrences affect the rest of that girl’s life? What can we do for young men to educate them about what violence is and how it can be prevented? I mean to answer these questions in my section of the proposal as well as advocate that we need to help both the boys and girls who are part of these relationships.

Ebony:

My topic is child abuse. I am a child development minor, so we study development in children a lot. I have learned about the ways abuse affects families. I want to look at the trend between spousal abuse and how often it trickles down to the children. It is usually a cycle prevalent throughout families, unfortunately. A lot of people don’t like to talk about child abuse because it is so sad. However, it happens, so I want to bring this to the forefront of everyone’s attention. In my child psych class, we saw pictures of children taken to hospitals and it nearly broke my heart. Children are some of the most innocent creatures on Earth. The fact that people consciously choose to hurt them should not be overlooked.

Paper 4 Ideas

erwilliams — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:14:35 +0000

I think a lot of people struggle with minimizing stress. I know I do, so that would be an easy issue to write about. Not only do a TON of college students deal with stress on a daily basis, a lot of adults do, as well. In a world where life does not seem complete unless we are a part of a few extracurricular organizations, stress has become a tolerated norm. We don’t have time to acknowledge stress, deal with it or reduce it. Instead, we carry it around like a newborn child, feeding and nurturing it. Another issue we, as college students, tend to ignore is the healthy part of our diets. This relates back to the busy schedules we have. We tend to eat whatever is fast, usually unhealthy snacks and fast food. So, my goal is to show people little ways in everyday life that can go a long way in reducing stress and maximizing healthy choices. I want to point out habits that do nothing but add to our already heavy burden. My main target audience would be college students. As a senior, a stressed out, unhealthy college student is what I have the most experience being.

As far as the healthiness of life is concerned, most people realize that the healthier foods are more expensive than the pre-processed alternatives. It is also a well-known fact that the majority of college students are BROKE. So, chances are, we are not willing to spend more than what is absolutely necessary on food. We think we can handle being unhealthy for a few years, at least until we have a real job that will pay the bills AND leave money left over for luxuries, such as food.

The most effective way to reach this audience would either be via facebook or a funny video on YouTube, which presents a problem. Though both situations are serious, most people in the target audience do not have the time nor desire to read anything longer than a couple of paragraphs. A pamphlet might work, if it short and straight to the point, with a bulleted list of tips and their long-term benefits. The front cover would have to eye-catching, like a shriveled, wrinkled old person who looks miserable, with a caption underneath that says, “Stressed? This is what YOU will look like in 5 years if you don’t do something about it!”

In class, a Powerpoint Presentation can easily accomplish this goal. Slides with lists, pictures and health benefits would be eye-catching and easy to follow along. The picture from the hypothetical pamphlet can serve as the first slide in the slideshow. The class presentation would be a good test to see if the pamphlet and powerpoint would work on the general college audience, since the class DOES consist of college students who are likely to be stressed and unhealthy.

Do We Really Have Anything In Common? Blog 6

erwilliams — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:01:50 +0000

I think I can relate to MIA the best. Although I am not from a third world country, I can relate to dealing with class issues, especially at TCU. The majority of the students here at school are from the White upper and middle upper classes. Most of them are not here on scholarship and can afford nice, expensive cars. I once saw a Cayenne in the freshman parking lot. That’s a $126,000 car!! I have half that much in student loans, sadly. I’m pretty sure that whenever MIA came to America, she had to work odd jobs just to make ends meet. I currently have three jobs, although none pay enough so I can quit the other two. I work at TCU Calling All Frogs Phonathon, Office of Religious and Spiritual Life office worker and as a parking attendant for the chapel on home game days. With all three jobs combined, I make just enough to pay my portion of the electric and cable bills and buy groceries. Yay me…

Sometimes, I get angry that some people have an easier life than me. I hate that I have to work extra hard just to afford the things I want. I can’t go to my parents and just ask them to pay for anything because they have two other children to worry about. I’m sure that, like me, MIA bided her time and dealt with the circumstances of her life while keeping an eye out for a way to change that. She changed hers through music. I am still looking for my golden key because, God knows, I cannot sing. She wrote songs about her way of life. All I can do now is write about it in my blog and save every extra penny so I can live comfortably after college. Ok, after paying off a big chunk of my student loans.

I agree with MIA that change is needed for everyone to be happy. In my case, I think TCU could do more to help the minority students on campus. Unfortunately, I fall into that category of students whose parents make too much money to get a ton of financial assistance, but not nearly enough to pay for tuition out of pocket. I think that once the school administrators realize that a group of people like me exist, then a change can come about. As in MIA’s case, once the government realizes a group of people exist that want to work hard and make a living, but are continuously rejected, they will do something about it and a change will take place.

What defines me?

erwilliams — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:47:21 +0000

I am a member of a Black nuclear family in America. I LOVE being able to say that!

I looked up nuclear family on Urbandictionary.com and the first thing that popped up was family on Step by Step.

wikipedia.com says…A nuclear family is a family group consisting of only a father and mother and their children, who share living quarters.

The official definition from Merriam-Webster says a nuclear family is a noun that means…a family group that consists only of father, mother, and children.

I also plan to look up statistics regarding Black family units, nuclear and otherwise. I am thinking about interviewing different people to see what their views about family life are.

My mom: the rhetorician

erwilliams — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:51:29 +0000

Growing up in a household where both parents are actively involved in raising the children seems to be a rarity in our times. I am one of the lucky kids that grew up knowing that both of my parents would be under the same roof before I went to bed each night. One of the most effective rhetoricians that comes to my mind is my mom. Ever since she was nine years old, she has had it in her heart to become a teacher. She only started teaching in a classroom four years ago so, needless to say, I became her little guinea pig the moment I was born. She believed that a good jumpstart on education would set me up for a promising future. So, I started private school at age three and haven’t been able to stop since then.

My mom now turns her talent to the students in her classroom. She teaches at Zaragoza Elementary School in Dallas ISD. As the name suggests, the school has a majority of Hispanic students. My mom is the only General Education teacher in the school, meaning she is not bilingual. As a result, she usually gets assigned all of the kids who should be in special education classes. One of the things she vowed herself was that she would make a difference in each child’s life that extends beyond the ability to pass the TAKS test. She wants to equip these children with life-skills that will help them be successful in life. I truly believe she does that. By not conforming to the mundane curriculum provided by the state, she entertains her students and keeps them motivated to learn, while providing them with invaluable knowledge along the way.

My mom has always been a creative, out-of-the-box thinker. She uses this creativity to impact her students and everyone she comes in contact with. I like to think that I have soaked up some of her imagination that can be used to incite a change in people. I want to be able to take a novel approach to a topic and use the ingenuity to convince people that a change is necessary, making my argument indisputable. My mom has always encouraged me to give everything my best, so that is exactly what I plan to do.

What’s up on gender?

erwilliams — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:00:58 +0000

As a psychology major, I know that gender is socially constructed while sex is biological. The World Health Organization defines gender as “the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities and attributes that a particular society considers appropriate for men and women.” Green defines gender as a sort of visible communication to the world of what we perceive ourselves to be. He says everyone uses gender to communicate, just like we use “our clothing, our posture…our sex and sexuality.” Green believes there is a need for the term “gender” to be redefined because there are people who do not feel they fit into either group. They are usually seen as something “other than” male or female. Green, for instance, was androgynous before he completely transformed into a male. Many people would assume he was male, even when he was physically female. So does that make him male or female? He was living his life as “other than female.” I personally find this “other than” category interesting.

I believe the people who fall into the “other than” category are his primary target audience. They are more than likely the ones who would buy his book because they feel that what he is saying directly relates to their lives. I must admit, I never thought about some of the things he points out in his article, but find them fascinating. However, I doubt I am a part of his target audience because my opinion of transgender people does not affect the way I treat them, after becoming aware of their gender. I believe Green mainly targets transgender people because they need to know that there is someone who understands exactly what they are going through, and at the same time, is a spokesperson on their behalf. I think it might give them hope that they are not alone in this, and the strength to continue to fight for the equal rights they deserve.

Before now, I never really thought about how I look at gender and the fluidity of its definition. Growing up, people are subliminally taught what is appropriate for males versus females. It never crossed my mind until I got to high school that people could actually decide what gender they want to be. I always thought gender and sex were basically the same, uncontestable ideals. After being exposed to different types of people, I have learned that gender and sex are not one and the same. Gender is socially based, while sex is biological. My views are more liberal. I understand that if a person is not happy with the socially acceptable gender they were born with, all they have to do is make the decision to change it. It sounds simple, but as Green illustrates, it really is not. I’m glad I read this because it has opened my eyes more to the plight of transgender people. I believe more people should read at least a portion of Green’s book. It will make people a lot more empathetic to the plight of people in the “other than” category.

M.I.A. vs. India Arie

erwilliams — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:18:51 +0000

Wow! When I first heard this song on the radio, I hated it. Watching the video has not changed my mind. As a music video, the whole point would be to illustrate the song. In turn, the artist hopes this would make more people go buy the album. Judging by the language in the song and the people she has in the video, I would assume her target audience is urban youths and young adults who like to make money. Being that money is a very strong motivator for most people, her audience can be pretty widely dispersed. She constantly displayed a cash register filling and refilling with money. That, in addition to the “cha-ching” sounds embedded in the chorus, seals in the money-hungry aspect of the song.

I don’t include myself as part of the target audience because the thought of chasing money has ZERO appeal to me. I understand that money is necessary for survival in this day and age, but it is NOT my single motivating factor in life. The video, as well as the song, repulses me. I don’t like to see other people loving money and needing it, the way MIA and the other people in the video seem to do. However, I do like the metaphor of “flying high like paper, getting high like planes”. The content is trash, but, in a sense, it’s clever trash.

As I mentioned, money is not the driving force in my life, so the song does not appeal to me. I actually think it’s childish and immature. This is also the main reason I don’t consider myself as a part of the target audience. The beat and music of the song also irritates me, plus I don’t generally listen to that type of music. I was not even impressed by the outfits in the video. She completely lost me as a target, in all aspects of her message.

Before hearing the song and viewing the music video, I had not read MIA’s biography. After reading it and gaining insight into her background, I now understand the motives behind her songs. She fled her native country, Sri Lanka, during its civil war and has experienced many prejudices as a result. Coming to America, she probably expected to have a better life, but found that most of American society is governed by the amount of money on possesses. So, she decided to sing about what most Americans think anyway. I must commend her for capitalizing off of what it common thought among her peers.

One of the most common ways to reach the general audience with music, besides being on the radio, is through a music video. Once it gets out there, there is almost a guarantee that someone will share it with their friend, who in turn will share it with someone, etc. I believe it is very effective; being that the video is on YouTube, has been on various music video shows and has been generally publicized by word-of-mouth. Since the concept of money is widely acknowledged, I don’t see how this particular video could damage that viewpoint. If anything, it strengthens the argument that everyone needs money. The more you acquire, the better. People are so obsessed with having more than the next person, anyone with a music video or song about getting paid is sure to reinforce these desires.

India Arie is one of my FAVORITE artists. She is a free spirit, whose music betrays that exuberant quality in her personality. She isn’t the traditional Black artist that sticks to hip hop or rap music. I like that she goes against the grain. I think, in her own way, through her music, clothes and hair, she implies that everyone does not have to conform to the norms set up by the hip hop industry. Since I was raised as a nerd among people who thought it was cool to be ignorant, I really like that she makes it okay to stand out in the crowd.

The Shopaholic in Me

erwilliams — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:40:25 +0000

I believe that the target audience for this movie trailer consists mainly of women, either young ones who love to shop or older women who have experienced the passion of shopping. Men who love to shop as much as Rebecca [the woman in the movie] does can also be included in the target audience. However, it looks to be a “chick flick”. Judging by the name brands mentioned in the movie trailer such as Gucci and Prada, one would think the target audience can be narrowed down to shopaholics of the upper class income in America who possess a plethora of money to spend on frivolities, with an overabundance of time to spend that money. The middle and lower class shopaholics can only daydream about Gucci boots, while spending their hard-earned money on necessities like groceries, rent, tuition and other bills. However, I am a part of the working middle class and I would LOVE to see this movie. Watching this movie and thinking about how insignificant her worries are make me feel a whole lot better about my life.

The fact that this clip is a movie trailer reinforces my belief that the argument is to convince people to go see the movie. However, actually watching it makes me want to understand the actual meaning of the movie. I see that a shopaholic is brutally and suddenly brought to reality when her credit card is denied and she receives her bills in the mail. Her facial expressions are hilarious. When she realizes she has to find a job and work to pay off her debts, you could almost see her pride crumpling to the ground around her.

The rhetor, for the purpose of this blog, is the executive producer. I think he is using pathos as the main way to appeal to his audiences. A lot of shopping women can relate to the experience of having a card declined…the utter humiliation, pure disbelief, the fading hope after we ask the cashier to swipe it again and we, once again, hear the disappointing “DECLINED” buzz. As a part of the target audience, we can relate to Rebecca, and find ourselves identifying emotionally with her throughout the movie trailer. I feel that if I were to go see the movie, I would want her to succeed as she works to try to pay off her debts to the credit card companies.

There would be no point in using ethos or logos to advertise this movie. There is no logic or positive characteristics displayed when spending inordinate amounts of money on mere material things. I highly doubt anyone would be able to make a convincing, logical argument in favor of spending almost $10,000 on expensive clothes, shoes, and bags. But, being that the movie trailer looked pretty interesting, the rhetor more than likely succeeded in having more people buy tickets to see the movie.

Considering that the rhetor is Executive Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, I doubt that he is a part of the audience. He knows how to produce shows and movies that appeal to different types of audiences, but not necessarily consider himself as a part of those particular audiences.