Find an article that relates in some way to the things we have been talking about in class. Summarize the article, then respond to it in some way. Explain the argument you believe they are making? Why did you pick it? How does it connect to our class?
- One paragraph summary of source.
- One paragraph response to source.
Include a link to the text. Should be about 250 words in length. Comment below with your response.
Some of the things we have discussed in class this week:
- Critical Reading
- Bias
- MLA and citation
- The Danger of a Single Story
- Visuals
- Rhetoric
- Revision
Professor Ramos' Blog 
https://thinkprogress.org/donald-trump-may-sound-like-a-clown-but-he-is-a-rhetoric-pro-like-cicero-ac40fd1cda79/
Rhetorically Speaking
Donald Trump is compared to one of Rome’s greatest orators Marcus Tullius Cicero. Cicero is known for being an influential statesman, successful lawyer and philosopher. Though the article does not compare Trump for the greatness of the well-known orator, it does mention that “Donald Trump is a master of classical rhetoric” (Romm 1). Trump uses rhetoric to persuade his listeners while making himself appear to be an honest and caring person for the American people. The author of the article focuses on different types of rhetorical devices such as figure of speech, hyperbole, and apophasis and backs up his writing with quotes of famous philosophers which include Plato and Aristotle. The author of the article Joe Romm concludes his article saying “The point is that rhetoric is powerfully inspirational and motivational, but obviously it can be used to motivate the worst in people, not the best (Romm 1).
The use of examples of rhetorical devices and the people that use them for persuasive gain shows how powerful rhetoric can be. The author uses Trump as an example to show that even a person with low character can make you believe anything and make themselves look like the savior of the free world. Romm helps you to become aware of when and how rhetoric devices can be used and how it can help you distinguish between the truth and what is an exaggeration, also to help us become better critical readers. After reading this article I did some of google searches on rhetoric to see the different examples of rhetorical devices. The only time I ever heard the word rhetoric or used in my writings was to ask a rhetorical question in my introduction in a five-paragraph essay. The research helped me to understand the vast amount of uses for this persuasive tactic. As we continue to explore rhetoric in class and as we come closer to our next assignment Rhetorical Analysis critical reading is going to play in a big role on how we proceeded with the analysis.
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Portraying Power
Scrolling through twitter this weekend, I came across a very familiar looking tweet. I found this tweet to be even more astounding due to the fact that a man had tweeted this GIF. The GIF comes from the Marvel movie, The Black Panther. Towards the end of the movie the Protagonist, King T’Challa, and his armed forces of women go into war with the tribes of Wakanda, which is the country that they live in. This is where the GIF ties in. It was an extremely powerful scene in the movie where Okoye, head of Wakanda’s armed forces, runs into her boyfriend W’Kabi, as they are fighting on opposite sides. W’Kabi is riding his Rhino through the chaos as he tries to run into one of his rivals. Okoye dashes in front of W’Kabi, protecting those behind her, as he slows down his Rhino. The Rhino begins to lick Okoye on the cheek, making it difficult for W’Kabi to look intimidating. He seems to be shocked at the fact that his own girlfriend chooses to fight against him. As he hops off of his Rhino he anxiously asks her “Would you kill me my love?” she aggressively replies “For Wakanda? Without questions!” as she points her weapon down towards him. As he looks all around him, all of his soldiers had stepped down to the women soldiers of Wakanda. The GIF is W’Kabi and his Rhino stepping down to Okoye as he and all his soldiers surrender. He had realized what him and his allied forces were doing was absurd and that the people of Wakanda are better than that.
In my eyes, the GIF, that scene as a whole, was extremely iconic and powerful to me. It sends such a powerful message to women. Okoye’s character is such an impeccably powerful, loyal woman and I feel as though a lot of women who have seen Black Panther, were touched by such empowerment, including men who recognized that as well. It is not every day where you see woman portraying powerful roles in movies. This gif exudes potential appeal, and it portrays a sense of empowerment to all women, as the connection is clear.
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Tashif Turner “Sheefy Mcfly” was arrested this past Wednesday for allegedly vandalizing public property with graffiti in the city of Detroit, Michigan. The twenty-nine-year-old was in fact not vandalizing but doing work under an agreement with the city to paint murals in the hopes to combat further vandalism by showing the beauty of what art can be. While he was doing his work, he was approached and questioned by officers, Turner being unable to produce the city permit at the time, was then arrested and forced to spend twenty-four hours in jail before being released. The charges against Turner were resisting and obstructing the police. Since the arrest changes were made to prevent further accidental arrests from being made by further increasing the signage and educating the surrounding areas of the city’s activities.
It could be argued that the officer’s biasedness is what caused the young man to be arrested without a second thought. In their eyes, if they see a black male painting the walls of the city it is automatically a crime. Even though he is being paid to do so by the city, although the failure to have the city permit on him at the time is also an important part of the story. It is not fair to assume that if someone is of coloured skin that they are up to no good. The officers, while giving the benefit of the doubt, perhaps were just trying to do their job but with them refusing to listen to Turner can be seen as a failure of both of the party’s involved.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/detroit-police-arrest-graffiti-artist-hired-city-63894993
https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/arts/2019/06/22/sheefy-mcfly-arrested-detroit-police-street-art/1538157001/
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Is it right to use your influence to make money?
Vanessa Hudgens is a renowned actress. She has been in multiple films as well as Broadway productions. Over the past decade she has built a following for herself online. With over thirty four million followers on Instagram and eight million followers on twitter that adds to a grand total of forty two million followers overall. In this post she is advertising Colgate toothpaste. She describes how she uses the brand and even, “personally loves the new Colgate formula”.
It is definitely a new and different way to advertise products. I find this interesting because of our recent class discussion of rhetoric. Vanessa is using her influence over her followers to persuade them and motivate them to purchase a product by showing how much she apparently loves and uses such product. I don’t think it is wrong to do such a thing. It is as similar as watching an add on your favorite Youtubers channel. You are showing support for the said person. What struck me on this post was how she went on to describe how she loved the product and why. It made me curious to if she actually does regularly use the products she is sponsored to advertise. Or if it is all merely a ruse for her personal benefit? I’m not trying to post an attack on her, in fact I have a huge respect for what she does and the positive influence she continues to spread. It is just very interesting that someone would advertise their social media.
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Technological Bias
In the artcle “Exposing the Bias Embedded in Tech,” by Alina Tugend, biases in the technology industry are explained in much detail. Tugend explains that, in many cases, technology has been geared directly towards men. To be more specific, light skin, Caucasian men. It is then discussed that biases have arisen because of the fact that a majority of technology is being either developed by or tested on men and not all that often enough on women and people of color. The example of a woman who worked at Microsoft is presented. In 2010, the Microsoft Kinect (a gaming accessory that featured gestures and spoken commands instead of a controller) was tested by a woman who worked for the company and she found that the device worked better for her husband and not as well for her and her children. It is then explained that the system was tested on men ages 18 to 35 and it did not recognize the bodies of women and children as a result of it. That is where the idea of biases is emphasized more and a movement that is geared towards diversity and equality is placed in the forefront of the conversation.
Although it is not often the first thing that people think about in terms of biases, technology has grown to be more and more biased as time has gone on. This is because of the fact explained in the article. Technology is geared more towards light skin, Caucasian men, opposed to women, children, and people of color. What does that mean for diversity and equality? It is clear that, as is, the technology industry shows clear biases and inequality. In response to this there are movements and hashtags that have been created. The hashtag that I found that is in clear opposition to these gender/racial biases in technology is #PressforProgress. The #PressforProgress hashtag is used to emphasize the need to celebrate womanhood and gender inclusiveness. Using that hashtag allows people to spread awareness on the biases and inequalities that still exist the world over.
https://twitter.com/search?q=pressforprogress&src=typd
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Saw this video clip on Instagram of a British lady explaining about how Africans were the first people to come to Europe and brought civilizations to Europe and teach them how to be decent human beings and bring knowledge to them. She goes more in detail about how they ruled Europe and took over Spain and yet we have little knowledge about it. She explains more about why we don’t have this in our history books because they are afraid that if black people this power over the white people back in time. Why can’t they have this power now because they are afraid to knows about this. Its also is true about she explains about the colonizer came to Africa to show they were superior tours them. I like how more and more people are coming out to teach us about are history that others wont teach us.
This sums up what Chimamanda Ngozi in a “The Danger of a Single Story” how she explains how we are stuck on one image and not knowing more about them. When I saw this video, I did not know this about the Africans ruling Spain and brining civilizations to Europe and teaching them. I could see why because they didn’t want us to know this because they wanted us to know that white is superior and start of racism began in my opinion. Its true as Chimamanda explain to us the only way to get away from one perspective its to explore more in order to take that image they impeded you about history.
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Life in the Dino
As many people know the city of San Bernardino isn’t a safe place to be all the time with all the crime, violence, drugs, and growing gangs it isn’t a place to settle in. The community has been getting worse the last couple of decades with crime and drug dealing always on the rise and the overall economy of the city. Some donut shops even sell pipes and torches for the people getting high on meth and what does that teach people? In some areas of the city there are no sidewalks the streets are filled with trash along with all the abandoned homes that are now shelter for the homeless or drug dealers. San Bernardino has become the drug dealers paradise a city that even the name scares some people and that nothing good comes from it.
Seventeen years I lived in San Bernardino I love where I come from the place gets a bad rap but it was my home, did I see my share of crime daily? Of course you couldn’t get away from it no matter how hard you tired. Growing up was difficult trying to stay out of trouble and it didn’t help when your friends are selling drugs and robbing convince stores. How everyone was so hostile towards everyone you look at someone to long you better be ready for a confrontation. Everyday there was something crazy going on almost like an adrenaline rush 24/7 and the times you got lucky when you’re in the wrong neighborhood wearing the wrong colors or your drunk friend gets bold with a gang banger so he flashes his gun to you and says “get your boy or I will” right down the street from the high school. Every day you wondered what’s going to happen today? But with all that said there’s still good people living in the San Bernardino the city and the crime that happens there makes the all the people from there look bad even though they’re good people. I learned a lot from my experiences in San Bernardino made me the person I am and even though the city gets a bad rap which it should there’s a humbling feeling about starting from there to where I’m at now. I’ll always look at San Bernardino as my home everything you hear is bad but that doesn’t mean that there’s absolutely no good that comes from San Bernardino people just needs better opportunities to succeed and not be judged because of their city.
http://graphics.latimes.com/san-bernardino/
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Some Like it Hot
Casually looking through Instagram I stumbled upon a video clip from the movie “Some Like it Hot”. It’s the ending scene where the main characters Joe, Jerry, Sugar Kane, and Osgood Fielding III are escaping from an Italian gang after them. For some background on the movie it was filmed in 1959 and set in 1929. The movie focuses on the two best friends Joe a jazz saxophone player and Jerry a jazz double bass player. Joe and Jerry have a hard time looking for work and one night on their way to a crappy job, they accidentally witness a gang murdering a group of people. They try to sneak out, but the gang catches them and chases after them. Joe and Jerry manage to escape, but they knew that the gang wouldn’t quit until they were dead so they create a plan to go with an all-girls band and pretend to be girls so that they could leave Chicago. Throughout the movie they go through some struggles that any man would deal with pretending to be a girl and not having anyone figure out who they really are. Around the end Joe and Sugar fall in love together and Jerry and Osgood were set to get married. Jerry forgot for a minute that he was a man and that he shouldn’t marry Osgood for security because for one it is not right, and for two he can’t pull this charade his whole life. In the short clip Jerry tries to telling Osgood that he can’t marry him because he is not a natural blond, he smokes, he has a horrible past, and that he could never have children, but Osgood always had a rebuttal for each excuse he gave. Jerry eventually gives up and says the he’s a man to which Osgood gave the iconic line “Well, nobody’s perfect”.
I picked this video clip not only because I love the movie, and it always makes me laugh, but because that ending line during that time was a bold move. It was considered wrong for two people of the same gender to be together and to have Osgood be okay with it instead of being shocked or disgusted that Jerry was a man was interesting to here and catches you off guard. I watched a video on YouTube about the making of the movie and they said that originally the line was going to be “I know” but they changed it because it was too bland. So, that means Osgood knew the whole time that Jerry was a man and was still planning to marry him.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&id=C71352D2F760A3CA76447C2E6AB557F4D39BB3B4&thid=OIP.89VPNxXxOz8Ulqh0na9nowHaFt&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2F78.media.tumblr.com%2F98d3e21f8167dc1460d2496158552abc%2Ftumblr_nhs0zfZbJR1romnqgo5_r1_250.gif&exph=189&expw=245&q=well+nobodys+perfect&selectedindex=2&ajaxhist=0&vt=0&eim=1,2,6&ccid=89VPNxXx&simid=608006001788587697&pivotparams=insightsToken%3Dccid_lHAEE95Zmid_A5333978C1CD6985B2D824B4D8D74BE8155CC552simid_608036874051782313*thid_OIP.lHAEE95Z3HCP9546!_x22IwHaHa&iss=VSI
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https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwirzue15ILjAhXMrZ4KHWeLBLUQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Ftitle%2Ftt0024127%2F&psig=AOvVaw1SWtGX7sFu_QZma9JvqEI4&ust=1561488549135109
This week I choose an image rather than an article. The image is that of the cover of a Nazi propaganda film by the name of Hitlerjunge Quex, or Our Flags lead Us Forward. This film was directed by Hans Steinoff and was based off of a book of the slightly different name Hitler Youth Quex. This movie had some of the biggest names in the Nazi party at the time in attendance at the premier. This included Adolf Hitler, Rudolf Hess, Joseph Goebbles and many others. Hess and Geobbles both being in very close positions to Hitler at the time. This movie was said to be one of the biggest and most influential Nazi propaganda films to be made, having a million views in a year.
This stuck out to me because I’ve always been someone who has been a believer in the incredible power of influence that entertainment has over the masses. I would say one of the biggest examples shown is in recent history by the rise of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The reason I’ve chosen this movie though, is not for the film itself, but for the imagery on the film’s poster. What would have many people’s first view to movie back in the 1930s been. It would have not been a convenient one minute YouTube ad that’s for sure. They would have most likely been introduced to this films existence by either word of mouth or by posters on common streets. First most of the poster is in black and white which makes it very easy for your eyes to be drawn to the only other colors on the poster, which would either the title, or the Nazi band on the boy’s left arm. The boy as a whole is what I see the most important symbol in this image. Based off the poster alone, I believe that it was made to attract the male youth of the time. If you take a close at the boy’s left hand, he has a strong grip on his sturdy belt. The hand looks like that of a grown man’s hand. It doesn’t even seem to match the level of youth that his face has. This seems like a small gesture, but in a world where boys grow up wanting to be strong and manly like their peers and social groups, it could mean a great deal in the long run of someone’s life. There are many other things to take from this poster, but I thought that was the most important thing to point out.
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