Living for Everyone

             Growing up with cancer in the family I became familiar with the concept of death. I’ve never felt the pain of losing a loved one, but having someone so close to it makes you stop and think of reality.  It forced me to look at life and what it really means to me. I started to question why I would be lucky enough to be so healthy while my brother got stuck with the faulty body. This is a life question that may never be answered, but all I can do with it right now is take advantage of it.

            By frequenting the clinic so much, my social butterfly of a brother made a few friends there who were around his age and receiving the same treatment. One of them, Taylor, had been there long before Patrick and became a person he could confide in every now and then with problems no one else could relate to. He had Leukemia, like Patrick—just a slightly harsher strand of it. When we met Taylor he had been cured and was in remission. Weeks later on a usual visit to the clinic we received news that he had relapsed, then later the news of his passing.

            What are you supposed to do with that? I have my big brother alive, strong, and cancer free three years later, but Taylor’s family will always have a missing piece. I haven’t done anything to “earn my keep” in this world so why did I end up so blessed? Was Taylor’s spirit too immense of a fire for his pan[i]? Maybe all these kid’s spirits grew to be too large and glorious of a flame that their own body couldn’t keep up, their body could no longer do their soul justice.

            Growing up around this idea of life having the ability to slip through someone’s fingers has really affected my outlook on life. From a young age I was always known for complaining, even more than most little kids (frightening I know). After Patrick was diagnosed and I had to watch him push through the harsh treatment, my complaining came to a slow stop. It first started because I became voiceless.

            My family spent their days at the clinic while I spent mine in school. I understand it now and I don’t blame them anymore, I was the only healthy one left who could still sleep at night. They were all tired and hadn’t ever experienced this kind of drained feeling that didn’t only come from the body, but from the emotional warfare-taking place in their minds. In a way being so young protected me from this pain because of my inability to comprehend the real danger that was taking place. A ten year old became one of the strongest in the family at the beginning; so all the tension that built up would be taken out on me because I could take it. I was the only one who wasn’t suffering, like Pecola before society blamed everything on her. “All of our waste which we dumped on her and which she absorbed.[ii]” That was me, in a very different way of course, but I didn’t take it and cry about it—okay maybe a few tears later on—but now I could finally do something to help. After I realized it wasn’t me they were yelling at it was the cancer, it was the situation, I was all right with it if it meant it would help ease their pain for the time being.

            That is my story behind my pet peeve of complaining about the simple things and putting up with being voiceless for a period of my life. This time of silence has made me realize how much I want my voice heard. I’m going to make sure that what ever I do in life, it won’t be keeping quiet. I will pursue a profession that will allow my voice to be projected on loud speakers to a crowd of hundreds, on the speakers of thousands TVs (just as long as it’s not Fox News[iii]), or read on hundreds of computer screens and papers. I want to be like Fredrick Douglass in his “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?[iv]” speech. I want to blatantly tell people how wrong they are while calling for social change. Maybe even call out an entire political party like the Tea Party[v] and their outrageous beliefs. Not only do I want to be the person to bring attention to a problem I want to be the person to help fix the problem.

            Before all these traumatic cancer events happened I always wanted to be a quaint everyday citizen; whether it was owning my own bakery or running a small horseback-riding barn. I wanted to stay out of people’s way because I was terrified of life. I didn’t like the way our world worked, but I was too scared to do anything about it. There was, at one point, a strong possibility that I would be joining Thoreau in the woods[vi] to isolate myself from the ugliness of society. Then I got smacked in the head by reality.

            After seeing Taylor and many others like him pass away before getting a chance to really live their life I realized how terribly selfish of me it would be to hide from it. I watched my brother viscously grab onto life and never let go as he fought to keep his incompetent body in the real world. So who was I to turn down this blessing? I couldn’t just sit here with a healthy body wasting it as I watch other people fight for what I just have. No! I am going to fight for the betterment of this society to make everyone’s fight for freedom from the hospital bed worth it. Since I have the hat and the boots[vii] in the physical world to do something.  I have to do a great something, that will have a positive affect on others and not just me. I have to live for those who didn’t get a chance to.

            With how quickly we have always evolved as a society and as individuals, I cannot plan which mode of communication and language that will be most successful in the future for my large life plan. I do know that currently story telling in printed form or any from of writing is no longer as influential as having it spoken to first hand or through video. We are a generation built off of the internet, we are much more likely to watch a twenty minute documentary about Zach Sobiech who shared his inspirational story with us of his final days before osteosarcoma took his life away. His video went viral and motivated viewers to donate to the Childhood Cancer fund made in his honor. Sadly I don’t think Zach’s story would have made this big of a turn out if it was only in written form.

            Not only is video form the best way to grab our attention, but audio as well. Part of Zach’s popularity started because he wrote a song to say goodbye to his family and put it on YouTube, which then went viral. We no longer rely solely on ourselves to bring the words of the message to life. We let the music take us on a journey of emotions that the author wanted you to feel. Some messages can sometimes be easier to express through music than in word or written form. As Toni Morrison puts it, language is a bridge that “arcs toward a place where meaning may lie.”[viii] With this generation we have added music to our commonly spoken language. Not just music, but listening to the author’s voice, his or her emphasis on words and meanings within the speech or story. We now include this in part of our interpretation of the message that we take from the story. There is no need for a glossary[ix] to be attached to the story to decode the real message. We can feel the message within us.

            By far the most affective form of language is action. This was revealed to me through our social change projects. Action is what I decided to do this summer. I’m taking the initiative to start this life dream now. I decided to take my photography and print my favorites on greeting cards to sell at my local farmer’s market with all the profit donated to the Tommy Fund for Childhood Cancer. I’ve named it “Mending the Broken Lives” because I have seen how terribly childhood cancer can screw up the normal family system. This charity I picked specifically works to make it easier on families whose children are treated at Yale New Haven Hospital. They make it easier not only financially, but also through donating toys to the children and the treatment areas. Patrick received an Xbox from them at his request when he was first diagnosed because of the time he would have to spend at home alone to avoid getting sick.

            By doing this it won’t only affect those specifically who get to benefit by the money donated to the fund, but to my community. There is clearly something in the air here because every year we are losing multiple people from cancer and hearing of more and more getting diagnosed. When my brother was a freshman at McMahon he was one of four kids who had cancer. The national average is 14.8 out of 100,000[x], which means 1 out of every 6,756; while in McMahon it was 4 out of 1,700. My community has been harshly affected by cancer and by sharing my story and trying to make a difference maybe I will inspire someone, or help someone realize they aren’t alone in this.

            This is what I have taken from my seventeen years of life so far. I’ve observed our most current ways of communicating ideas. I’ve thought possibly a little too deeply on the thought of death. I am already developing into a young adult who definitely is not afraid to voice my opinion, even when I know it’s not qualified. If there is change that needs to be made, I will push for it. That is the most substantial thing I am taking away from this class, that anyone can cause social change. I have taken my hard times and instead of asking for someone’s pity I have learned from these events on my own and want to spread the wealth of what I have picked up. One day I will prove to my self that I have earned my keep, and feel that my life is full enough to have been one for Taylor and all the others who couldn’t make it through.

---

[i] Emerson, Ralph. "The Poet." Nature (n.d.): pag. 1

2Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Plume Book, 1994. Print.

[iii] Starr, Paul. "Governing in the Age of Fox News." The Atlantic (2010): n. pag. Print.

[iv] Douglass, Frederick. "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" 5 July 1852. Speech.

[v] Rauch, Jonathan. "The Tea Party Paradox." National Journal (2010): n. pag. Print.

[vi] Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford Univ., 1997. Print.

[vii] Whitman, Walt. "Songs of Myself." Leaves of Grass (n.d.): n. pag. Rpt. in The Portable Walt Whitman. New York: Penguin, 1973. 38. Print.

[viii] "Toni Morrison - Nobel Lecture". Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2013. Web. 18 Jun 2013. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1993/morrison-lecture.html>

[ix] Carter, Angela. "A Victorian Fable." Burning Your Boats

[x] "Childhood Cancers." National Cancer Institute. National Institute of Health, n.d. Web. 17 June 2013. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/childhood>.

Barf Blog Evaluation

          The Barf Blog is a well-qualified blog, successfully meeting all of the criteria I have set for evaluating. This criterion includes: creditable writers, visual appeal, and subject of posts. This blog reveals to us things you may not find anywhere else, like a featured post about sex cereal. It does this while including an informative aspect in other posts about much more important issues such as an E-Coli outbreak. The Barf Blog is not as repulsive as it comes off to be, in fact you just want to keep on reading.

            Once you reach the home page and scroll down to read the blogs you see a “Contributors” column on the right hand side of the page. This column informs us on what qualifies these writers. The first thing you see in each short paragraph about the author is what college or university they are associated with, all of them under the teaching category. If you look on the “About” page you find this description of their posts, “Opinions must be evidence-based – with references – reliable and relevant. The barfblog authors edit each other, often viciously.” This really gives you a feel of their creditability—explaining how they make sure each post is reliable, through a process of harsh editing as well as making sure the opinions are backed up with evidence. This all reassures me that these posts are well thought out and written by authors I can trust.

            What I typically look for in a good blog post are pictures and videos to show me what they are really talking about. Each post you see has at least one picture per paragraph. Some of the pictures are of the specific event the author is writing about, but others are just thrown in there. For example in a post about the FDA reducing food inspections they have a random low quality picture of a family eating. Although some including my self at times may think this is odd, I think it brings more character to what they are writing about. Now you have to feel bad looking at the happy family eating their dinner and knowing that due to FDA budget cuts they could possibly be getting sick from that food on their plate. Another thing I like about the appearance is that they also add videos. Whether it is a video about the issue at hand or someone else such as Stephen Colbert commenting on the issue as well. These pictures and videos add a lot to what you are reading about.

             One of the most important pieces to evaluating a blog is the subject of the posts. Although this is a blog that self-proclaimed to only write about “Current food safety issues” we see a little bit of everything in here. There is even one post on sexism, in fact I believe the only reason it qualified to be posted was because it was sexism coming from a master chief reality show. Most posts aren’t about food safety; they just have to do with food. I think this diversity in subject really makes the blog a lot more interesting because it includes such controversial unknown stories.
             The qualified writers, story-like visuals, and diverse posts make this blog a great one. It manages to bring in the more serious issues, but manages to include the lighthearted humorous posts. I would give this blog a gold star. 

Chocolate Revised

            The emotions you feel as you bite into chocolate; whether it’s a cookie, truffle, piece of cake, ice cream, anything. As it slowly melts in your mouth filling every taste bud with joy, your mind starts flooding with past experiences and connections with this decadent dessert. It’s a kind of chocolaty feminine connection that leads back to the beginning of this family. I’ve only heard stories of the soothing affect it has had on my elders, but I have experienced it first hand with the ones closest to me.

            The subtle crack of the chocolate as it drops onto my tongue causes memories of my mother to fill my mind. From when I was young and would share chocolate cookies and treats with her. Questioning her about the world as I lick off the chocolate smeared all over my fingers. Mom with her motherly patience would answer every one of those questions until I passed out from a sugar high. Other memories are from more recent times when we go out for chocolate croissants and coffee as I confide in her. Questioning her on how to fix the common troubles one has while growing up. The soothing words of my mother combined with the sweetness of the chocolaty croissant made for a relaxing morning that calms my nerves.

            As the chocolate softens in my mouth memories of my grandmother flood into my mind. Tea time with my Googoo. My favorite blanket spread out on the floor, on top sits my tiny tea set; the teapot and cups filled with milk and the little plates filled with Oreos along with my grandmother’s fancy chocolates. I once again bombarded, this time, my grandmother with questions. She giggled at my curiosity and answered them too as her crystal blue eyes stared into mine. Memories from when I was older fill me as well. The most common one is walking into my grandparent’s apartment and being welcomed with the smell of fresh baked brownies, her specialty. We sit together over a plate of brownies and have girl talk that includes the fascinating stories of my relatives that I never had the chance to meet. Taking mental notes on the examples they’ve set for me to fix my common life problems.

            Us Ekstrom women, though many of us have never met, bond through this dessert. The memories that consume us as we consume the chocolate fill our brains to capacity. Memories consisting of stories of our older generations who all had common challenges. Maybe I can blame becoming such a strong feminist on the stories I hear of my great, great grandmother. She planted this seed by being one of the first women to stand up and go to college before it was ever socially accepted, right when the men only rule was freshly eliminated. This large family connection all started through the Ekstrom women’s favorite dessert chocolate—and this is how we are all connected.

Rhetorical Analysis

MR. CLEMENT: Well, Justice Kennedy, two points. First of all, the very fact that there are 1,100 provisions of Federal law that define the terms "marriage" and "spouse" goes a long way to showing that Federal law has not just stayed completely out of these issues. It's gotten involved in them in a variety of contexts where there is an independent Federal power that supported that. Now, the second thing is the fact that DOMA involves all 1,100 statutes at once is not really a sign of its irrationality. It is a sign that what it is, and all it has ever purported to be, is a definitional provision. And like every other provision in the Dictionary Act, what it does is it defines the term wherever it appears in Federal law in a consistent way. And that was part and parcel of what Congress was trying to accomplish with DOMA in 1996. (154)

            Mr. Clement did a great job thinking on his toes while being torn apart by the Supreme Court Justices in a case against DOMA. He addresses every point in a calmly fashion and backs it up with evidence. Clement has a well-qualified argument by centering all of his claims and evidence around his largest point; DOMA is a definitional provision.

            This being a rebuttal from a debate Mr. Clement did a good job of structuring his argument to counter attack each point. Though it is choppy, each sentence reflects the previous point of the Justice. All while staying quick to the point in order to get everything in before he is interrupted. The most important part of this structure is that it all revolves around the biggest point. Cleverly answering all of the Justice Kennedy’s  points while pointing them in the direction of DOMA being a definitional provision. A perfect example of this is how he opens, “First of all, the very fact that there are 1,100 provisions of Federal law that define the terms "marriage" and "spouse" goes a long way to showing that Federal law has not just stayed completely out of these issues.” As he points us in this direction he uses logos to start out strong and ends the sentence with his claim. This way by the time you read his claim it has already been backed up; not giving you a chance to second-guess this claim.

            Clement accomplishes all this while still maintaining a calm and collected tone. This tone gives him creditability because he isn’t rudely accusing anything no is he asking any demeaning questions; he is simply stating the facts. Also in comparison to most of the Justice’s sass and disrespectful responses, it makes him look like the more trustworthy speaker.

             Clement uses such a tone because the decision is being made by the Supreme Court Justices so he needs to appeal to them as his audience. Being respectful and showing credibility is essential for accomplishing this. In order to win over the opinion of a Justice you have to really prove to them that you are qualified and that is what Clement has been doing successfully. Like I pointed out earlier the structure of his sentences and over all argument are set up to prove his claim before he even states it. Add his tone to that and you have the perfect show for a hard to please audience.

            This argument was very well done. From the structure, tone, and appeal to the audience—Mr. Clement nailed it. He counter attacks each claim thrown at him, with the claims of his own draws a bigger picture, and has the tone to please the audience. He succeeded in making his case clear and doing that while thinking on your feet is a very large accomplishment. 

Chocolate Connection

            It’s an addiction really. The emotions you feel as you bite into chocolate; whether it’s a cookie, truffle, piece of cake, ice cream, anything. As it slowly melts in your mouth filling every taste bud with joy, your mind starts flooding with past experiences and connections with this decadent dessert. A kind of chocolaty feminine connection that leads back to the beginning of this family. I’ve only heard stories of the soothing affect it has had on my elders, but I have experienced it first hand with the ones closest to me.

            The subtle crack of the chocolate as it drops onto my tongue causes memories of my mother to fill my mind. From when I was young and would share chocolate cookies and treats with her. Questioning her about the world, “Why is chocolate brown? Who’s George Bush? But I thought George Washington is our president? Do you think horses like chocolate?” as I lick off the chocolate smeared all over my fingers. Mom with her motherly patience would answer each and every one of those questions until I passed out from a sugar high. Others are from more recent times when we go out for chocolate croissants and coffee as I confide in her. The soothing words of my mother combined with the sweetness of the croissant make for a relaxing morning that calms my nerves.

            As the chocolate softens in my mouth memories of my grandmother flood into my mind. Tea time with my Googoo. My favorite blanket spread out on the floor, on top sits my tiny tea set; the teapot and cups filled with milk and the little plates filled with Oreos along with my grandmother’s fancy chocolates. In most of my happy memories like this one, I can feel the warm sensation of the sun on my face. I once again bombarded this time my grandmother with questions. She giggled at my curiosity and answered them too as her crystal blue eyes stared into mine. Memories from when I was older surprise me as well. The most common one is walking into my grandparent’s apartment and being welcomed with the smell of fresh baked brownies, her specialty. We sit together over a plate of brownies and have girl talk that includes the fascinating stories of my relatives that I never had the chance to meet. Not a worry in the world.

            Us Ekstrom women, though many of us have never met, bond through this dessert. The memories that consume us as we consume the chocolate fill our brains to capacity. Causing all the worries to fade away. This is the way I get to bond with one of my great, great, grandmothers who was one of the first of very few women to attend college once it was allowed for their gender. How else could she have inspired me to become the strong feminist I am today? Oh yes, the strange female connection my family shares through chocolate. They all speak to me through a dessert. 

Helping China

By outsourcing our work to China we have tarnished many American morals. Incidents including child labor, underpaid workers, over worked workers, unsafe working conditions, ignoring the environmental issues, and much more. In recent years we have watched the Chinese government scrambling together to get things in order. Due to the now booming export and foreign market, China has been working to get back on top of many of these issues. Free trade is not encouraging such irresponsible behavior, in fact it is doing the opposite by pushing the foreign governments like China moving again to get on top of these issues.

This past January Northern China has had a surge of pollution, specifically thick smog that encased Beijing. The pollution was rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with an air quality index of surpassing 300. Though this rise in pollution is not considered a good thing, in hindsight it jump started the slow moving action of the government in the effort to decrease the pollution problem they have.

On just the second “Hazardous” day, in an effort to stop Beijing’s “most polluted days on record” from lasting longer the government ordered temporarily shutting down 100 factories and one third of government vehicles off of the streets. According to Wang Anshun the Mayor of Beijing, the government has created a preliminary plan to curb the pollution, also quoted saying “I hope we can have blue skies, clean water, less traffic and a more balanced education system.” (Wong, Edward) This plan he spoke of was shown in the Xihuan, a Chinese news station: in the goal to bring down the density of major air pollutants by 2 percent this year, officials have ordered 180,000 out dated vehicles off the roads, promoting the use of clean energy government vehicles and heating systems, and growing trees over 250 square miles of land in the next five years.

Although currently this pollution issue may seem like a large product of the outsourcing our companies have done because we have helped to create these new manufacturing factories. I am not going to deny that because are part of the problem, but because our companies are over there they have their own regulations for pollution and workers and in order to keep their good reputation in tact they are going to make sure their standards are high. The need to bring a better reputation to this outsourcing is important, as it said in Businessweek, “Guarantees by multi-nationals that offshore suppliers are meeting widely accepted codes of conduct have been important to maintaining political support in the U.S. for growing trade ties with China, especially in the wake of protests by unions and antiglobalization activists.”(Secrets, Lies, and Sweatshops) Our businesses are bringing our regulations over seas and sharing them with these foreign countries who have less stringent laws. Our foreign trade business has exported more than just jobs, but money for the governments, and values such as stricter laws for a better working environment inside and outside the factory.

Works Cited

Wong, Edward. "Beijing Takes Steps to Fight Pollution as Problem Worsens." New York Times. N.p., 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.

"Secrets, Lies, And Sweatshops." Bloomberg Businessweek. N.p., 26 Nov. 2006. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.

Lubman, Stanley. "Working Conditions: The Persistence of Problems in China’s Factories." Wall Street Journal | China. N.p., 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.

The Fight for Domestic Business in China

           China’s problem is quite the opposite from America’s--they have too much outsourcing into their country rather than from it. Though I am sure neither you nor a lot of China sees this as a problem because of the major boost it gives to China’s economy, even during this recession most of the world is experiencing. The problem is that these large foreign companies, who have been coming here for it’s cheap manufacturing and the large market for their products, have made it impossible for any of China’s domestic companies to keep up and flourish as much as the foreigner’s have.

            The economy of China relies purely on their exports and as the past has shown us, it is not safe for a country’s wealth to rely on one source. Due to this, it has been Beijing’s top priority to fix this problem by encouraging the growth of the domestic market. The Chinese government has been focused on taking advantage of the extra export money they have to take a big step up in the bettering of the country. According to Premier Wen Jiabao at the UN general assembly in New York “China has brought down the number of people in absolute poverty from 250 million to 15 million in less than 30 years" (China as a Global Player) this is a benefit of the foreign companies and the work of the government combined. Also over the past ten years China’s economy has been growing by 10.5% annually. All this work the government has been doing has paid off, but it still needs working for the better future of their domestic market.

China’s domestic businesses have been struggling to keep up; those who are really in deep have turned to illegal methods in getting ahead. In May of 2008 the Chinese government had discovered a child labor ring that tricked children from poor areas to come work in the “booming coastal cities.” This included over a hundred children ranging between the ages of 13 and 15 (the legal working age is 16); they were forced to work 300 hours a month. Though we may be bringing money to China by bringing our business there it seems like we are really hurting them in the end not only their businesses, but the people as well. The portrayal of the pressure we have created was written out well in the New York Times article, “The abuses may also reflect the combined pressures of worker shortages, high inflation and a rising currency that have reduced profit margins of some Chinese factories and forced them to scramble for an edge — even an illegal one — to stay competitive.” (David Barboza, China Says) The future of China is domestic demand and consumption so the importance of fixing this problem is immense.

            I hope to see China fix their domestic business problem because the homegrown market is part of every country’s culture; and to see it disappear would be like seeing their culture slowly decay. China’s government is working hard to stop this from becoming their future. From the success they have had so far with the rising of their economy and bettering of the country I believe they will work it out in time.

Works Cited

"China as a Global Player." World Economic Forum. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.

Barboza, David. "China Says Abusive Child Labor Ring Is Exposed." New York Times. N.p., 1 May 2008. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.

Jiebao, Wen. "Promote Sound, Sustainable and Quality Development." The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of New Champions 2011. China, Dalian. 28 Feb. 2013. Speech.

"China." Sourcing Line. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.

Outsourcing

Commonly Used Products & Manufacturing Country

1. Sheets- Israel
2. TV Remote- Mexico
3. Wii Remote- China
4. iPhone- China
5. Northface Backpack- Vietnam
6. Coach wallet- China
7. Macbook Pro- China
8. UGG Boots- China
9. Dishes- Italy
10.  Ariat Dressage Boots- Mexico
11. Northface Jacket- Vietnam
12. Forever 21 Tanktops- Bangladesh
13.  J Brand Jacket- USA
14.  iHome- China

While looking for the manufacturing place of all the items I used this weekend I picked up my Juicy Couture bathrobe and found these two tags. “JUICY COUTURE Born in the Glamorous USA” was written on the first tag then on the second tag sewn onto that is “Made in China.” The irony was killing me. As Americans we love our American made companies especially if everything is made in the U.S. Companies obviously know this, so they make sure to advertise that they are the “all American” company like Juicy Couture did because they know it will bring them some good business. Then as soon as we hear that a company is outsourcing all their manufacturing jobs it gets a major dent in it’s reputation, like Apple did. Outsourcing is frowned upon because of the jobs and money the company is taking away from our country, but would it be hurting the consumers if the company didn’t have a cheaper alternative in manufacturing the product?

As I went down the list of my commonly used items from this weekend I found that most of the nicest items or nicest companies the items came from, were manufactured in China. The companies included Nintendo, Apple, Coach, and UGG. What does this say about China? The cheapest of items came from places like Bangladesh and Israel, which are both very corrupt areas, this is probably where you would find the cheapest and easiest labor. I did a little research to find out that China is the place to be for manufacturing because it not only has the cheap labor, but there is also a huge market for goods there as well as China has access to raw materials there such as metals.

As a democrat, we are always looking for ways to promote business in America and make it harder for companies to outsource. The only side affect to keeping business in the U.S. is that it will make the prices of the products skyrocket because our regulations on everything. This is why the only item I had that was made in the U.S. was a J Brand jean jacket and I will admit that I spent way more than I should have, I believe it was around $200. The consumers would be hurt tremendously if all our products went up to the equivalent price as that jean jacket. 

Emojinal Language

Creating a philosophical post about language with emojis takes some major patience, along with acceptance—this way you can accept the fact that no matter what you will not sound philosophical in any way using tiny cartoon pictures. I had much difficulty attempting to portray my message because of the limited amount of images I can choose from. You are using a method that is used best for communicating with children or just others who don’t understand the language. It is a form of language that everyone can understand, if maneuvered correctly to make sense. The benefit comes with conflict, because anyone of any language has the ability to understand it, the language has to be completely basic. Writing in a high school level thought process for a high school level blog post is an extremely slow process having to make every word simple. The end product comes out sounding unsophisticated, not only in the words, but the ideas as well. Being forced to write simplistically causes your ideas to morph; slight changes with every word in order to write in emojis. Writing in emojis is so limited that the only real way you can portray them is through iphone and if not then a picture from the iphone. This language limits every aspect of writing—from the wording all the way to the viewers—which creates a morphed message that strays from the original idea. 

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, COVERGIRL

Perfection is what every human being strives for. Now we have all heard the same argument of how the media is to blame for putting these ideas in our head! Although I do believe that as well as I do believe that I feel like I’m viewed as taking the easy way out by choosing a Covergirl ad to analyze, but I have had a few things I’ve been wanting to say about this company. Now that I have the perfect opportunity to do so I will use it to my advantage!            

            Starting with the basics--the first thing your eye is drawn to is of course the celebrity Drew Barrymore who takes up about 4/5s of the page. Specifically her bright blue eyes draw your attention because of the Covergirl product smeared all over them that make them pop. Clearly trying to sell the eye makeup in this ad, but they didn’t stop there in making Barrymore the perfect face. You notice the rosy cheekbones that transition downwards till you see her pink lips. Even though this is a clearly photo shopped face because nobody I know is flawless, this ad convinces you that this is what beauty looks like and you should want to look like this if you want to be someone. Now this is the part that really gets me, how Covergirl cleverly picks celebrities who already have natural beauty. By using them to sell their makeup they are saying “this face is beautiful because of Covergirl,” taking credit for this persons own beauty. Taking credit for something that is not yours is cheating! I cannot be the only person who has been angered by this, I’m sorry Covergirl, but Drew Barrymore is beautiful makeup or not!

            Moving back on track, other than the large “COVERGIRL” at the top of the ad, the next words that pull your attention is the “fadeproof. waterproof. Ignore-proof!” I’m sorry what was that? “Ignore-proof?!” are you implying that without this “intense shadowblast makeup I will be ignored?! I do fine not getting ignored with out Covergirl and even on the days when I’m shamefully in public without any makeup on people still talk to me and acknowledge me. There is also the possibility that they may be talking about that cute guy you’ve been trying to impress at work or school. If you wear this makeup it’s destined for him to finally notice you and ask you out.

            I found this ad in Teen Vogue so judging by the placement, the celebrity that teen girls look up to, the “ignore-proof,” and although not on the ad the cheap price of the makeup I would say the target audience are teen girls. If a girl is looking through Teen Vogue it shows that they already care about their image since it is a fashion magazine that updates you on the newest trends and occasionally celebrity gossip. The flawless image of Drew Barrymore who stars in many favorite movies of teen girls, she works as an idol that the girls look up to. If Barrymore wears this makeup I should too so I can look just like her.

            Now I am not blaming society’s need for perfection and beauty on this ad or on the media completely. We are the consumers and we are the people of this culture that has learned to value such things so it is only logic that an ad would bring up these ideas of perfection to sell their product. 

Reflection

I’ve started to take a step back and look at the culture of my area from an outsider’s stance a while ago when I first started CGS. The subjects in my classes got me thinking of what an outsider would think of us. From doing this project I picked up on mostly negative things our area values. Starting with what was prominent in most of my posts, which were the stereotypes; this is a value of not only Fairfield County, but our nation. We are starting stereotypes at a young age by having them in our children’s TV shows. Teaching them of un-acceptance and out casting from the very beginning. This then progresses to be our source of entertainment as we get older. Making jokes of all the most recognized stereotypes out there, like in The Big Bang Theory they have the most common group of stereotypes: dumb blonde, Indian, Jew, and Nerd.

            In Fairfield County specifically, we have the issue of valuing social class and wealth. Being one of the wealthiest counties in our country, we are known for being the most stuck up, back stabbing, and uncaring. Although I’ve grown up in a town and school that isn’t as famous for being stuck up, I know many friends that go to schools such as Darien High School where social class means the world to them. Where you stand in that school is determined by not just what you wear but whom you wear, then there are also the certain standards for behavior—doing anything outside the norm will get you shunned. This is where my McDonald’s observation comes in yes they all may eat there, but they choose to hide it by strictly using the drive through.

            What I find to be undervalued in Fairfield County is acceptance it is rare around here. What ever happened to accepting people for who they are? I don’t like the use of stereotypes, if you are a male and ask me to make you a sandwich I will most likely not make you a sandwich. The last thing I ever want to hear which for some reason I hear a lot is “you’re a woman you belong in the kitchen.” This project has made me realize that even though America is diverse, we are the least bit accepting of difference. 

Arthur

I chose to watch three episode of Arthur for my required 90 minutes of cartoons. It brought back so many childhood memories, but it was very weird watching it now and realizing how easily entertained I was. One half of an episode really struck me, (there are two stories per episode) it was about Brain, the smart nerd character that was training to be in a free throwing basketball contest to earn money for the library. He slipped on a banana peel and broke both his legs (very realistic) so he was bound to a wheel chair which made him declare the library was doomed in the upcoming contest. A young girl who is also in a wheel chair, but has been her whole life over heard Brain say this and reassured him that he could still win the contest with her help since she is on a wheel chair basketball team. Now this is where it starts to get interesting, she convinces Brain to give it a try by writing mathematical equations that prove he can still shoot a hoop from his wheel chair. I then thought of the connection that the two kids in the wheel chair are both considered nerds. The show went on and after they practiced shooting the young girl brought up the math once more on her notepad and that’s what they really bonded over, she even wrote one of the formulas down on his cast because Brain wanted to memorize it. What really shocked me was when the two of them decided to write down the Pythagorean theorem on Brains cast for decoration. To any elementary student hearing a fellow student using mathematical terms that aren’t introduced until high school would be considered geeky and nerdy. Introducing kids in wheel chairs to children who probably don’t see that very often, you would probably want to stay away from any idea of creating an outcast situation. By portraying the only two kids in a wheel chair as nerds to an audience that most likely aren’t used to kids in wheel chairs will make them assume that anyone they meet who are binned to a wheel chair is a nerd. I don’t think the producers thought this part through very well because we want to be teaching our kids of acceptance, not stereotyping. 

McDonald's Social Customs

Fast food has always been a weakness of mine—although terrible for you I just can’t get enough especially when you’re so hungry and its right there ready to be handed over and eaten. The largest fast food chain is McDonald’s which is one that I frequent. Shamefully being there many times I know that everyone is a customer of McDonald’s, but different groups of people are found in different areas of the place.

            In the drive through of McDonald’s I tend to find more cars consisting of Mercedes, BMWs, Audis, Escalades, pretty much more expensive and newer cars that a wealthier person or family would own. As you would imagine inside those cars you usually find the preppy soccer mom with a car full of private school kids fresh out of school, or just wealthy people in general. You are always bound to find one when going through the drive through, but for some reason if you ever walk inside there are never anywhere to be found. It’s interesting because everyone is aware of the how important your social image is in a wealthy community and being caught inside of a McDonald’s could possibly spark rumors of losing money and having to cut corners, or not having enough class as the other members of the community.

            Inside the actual McDonald’s you can usually find more middle to lower class people, obese people, and minorities. Now you might write me off to be insensitive and racist, but it is merely just an observation. Interpreting this these are usually the people who come here often, it says a lot more about these people who can “bear” to be seen inside. Some are there because that is all they can afford for their family, others are because of an addiction, and others are there just because they wanted McDonald’s. This is more of a no eye-contact atmosphere; the bright lights, cheesy decorations, and chairs and tables nailed to the floor set a mood of eating and getting out fast. I will admit, the times that I am inside I try to get out as soon as possible.

            There is one more group of McDonald’s consumers that are seated instead outside in their parked cars. Here you usually see the stressed and rushed businessman or woman quickly getting in a burger and fries before returning to work. There are also the emotional eaters who can be compared to walking out for a quick smoke to relieve some built up stress, instead they come to get a quick snack that gives them relief. These people range from wealthy to poor.

iPhone Friend

Zooey Deschanel iPhone Commercial

 As an avid New Girl watcher, when I first saw this commercial featuring Zooey Deschanel I was quickly intrigued. Her quirky daily life was depicted as a rainy day spent with her iPhone friend Siri (voice command). She looks outside as she asks her iPhone friend Siri the obvious question of “is that rain outside” the useful iPhone then shows her the weather. The lovable and childish Deschanel keeps up the conversation with her iPhone friend when suggesting to get tomato soup delivered as Siri responds with giving her a list of near by restaurants that deliver. Apple using such an enjoyable character as Deschanel makes their iPhone look appealing to everyone. Since the newest and fanciest technology is often associated with angry businesspeople or rich snobs. Lets not also forget about the biggest disadvantage of new technology, how complicated it is to learn how to navigate it. By having Deschanel talk to Siri, iPhone’s voice control, she personifies the phone by making it seem like an easy helping friend she can talk to when no one else is around. Personifying the iPhone with such a happy and loving character creates such an image for a cell phone. If you buy this iPhone you will have a happy and loving friend by your side that can give you information anytime you need.

In particular I really like the end scene of the ad—dancing out of the room with the iPhone. The image that is left in your head is of a girl who just got the weather report, soup delivered to her house on a rainy day, set a reminder for later, and is now happily dancing out of the room with this phone that accomplished it all in an instant. I don’t know about you, but I would want that phone. Very clever Apple.

Another very important marketing ploy they pulled was choosing an actor of a popular TV series. From now on anytime you watch New Girl you will associate it with the iPhone. This ad is an ad that just keeps on giving. 

The Big Bang Theory Based off Stereotypes

The Big Bang Theory is one of those shows that I really like, but can’t stand at the same time. What I can’t stand is the loud fake laughter they put in the background of the show that is followed by the horrendously stupid jokes, but for some reason I still always find my self-laughing along with the fake audience. After looking more carefully at the characters I realized the terrible stereotypes the show is made out of. They’ve got the dumb blonde woman as well as the Indian who is still controlled by his parents. Since I am known for picking out the sexist things in the world I figured I would go down another path and focus my efforts on the Indian character Raj. 

Raj is part of the nerd clan, but is a shy character that although wants to meet and socialize with woman cannot speak a word to them with out alcohol. He is also the dumbest character out of the group, he is constantly being corrected on his mistakes by other characters as well as saying odd and spacey things such as “Big or small I don’t like rabbits they always look like they are going to say something, but they never do.” Another interesting thing to think about is in one episode Raj had won a title in the list of “Most Interesting People of the Year” in a big magazine for something related to stars and space. Although his friends may have fake smiled and congratulated him, they were all shown later bickering as to why Raj out of everyone would receive this title and down playing his large achievement. I found this prominent characteristic of Raj to be rudely stereotypical of foreigners. For foreigners, specifically those from impoverished countries, have the stereotype of being dumb because of the bad education systems many are known for as well as from speaking another language and not being able to communicate as well.

 One of the biggest stereotypes that I found specifically to Indians and Middle Easterners was Raj’s controlling parents. We occasionally get to see him video chatting with his parents, they first come off as over concerned and loving like any parent would. Then they soon have to reassure that Raj is not dating an American because he has to save himself for his arranged marriage as well as other conservative concerns for their son. Most conversations with the parents end in yelling and Raj slamming shut the computer. This is another well known stereo type of the controlling Indian parents that don’t want their child to become Americanized. The Big Bang Theory is sending a message to its viewers that make them think that these stereotypes are very real and very acceptable which is false.