Grading:
Criterion A: 6
I felt that I didn't give a large amount of context about the text in general and I could have referenced the text to support what I was saying more.
Criterion B: 4
I felt like, while I did try to show effect on tone/meaning, it did not translate very well. Also, I needed to show how it affected the reader.
Criterion C: 4
Over all the structure was good, but at times I wasn't very coherent.
Criterion D: 3
I felt like I did communicate my message overall. However, I struggled to find my words sometimes and I paused to think.
Things I would do differently:
Write out my conclusion more carefully
Look more at effect and actually write them down
Here's my pssage and planning:
(I would recommend opening them in a new tab and enlarging them to read)
PS: In lieu of Ms.G's pump up song, I've decided to add my contribution:
I chose the TED Talk by George Takei called "Why I Love a Country that Once Betrayed Me". The main claim of this talk was the idea that the American democracy is not perfect and that it is our responsibility to make it better. Takei mentioned often arguing with his dad who said that "this democracy is a people's democracy, and it can be as great as the people can be, but it is also as fallible as people are". Takei also talks about the importance of appreciating the 'American Way' and to work really hard to allow them to work. This talk also focuses on the difficulty that Takei had with dealing with the fact that a country built on equality imprisoned him with his family without cause. The idea that being an American citizen is for everyone regardless of race was also central to this story. The bravery of the Japanese-American units who went from being behind bars to fighting for a country who didn't trust them was something that Takei made sure to recognize. He also recognized the resilience of children.
The purpose of this talk is to discuss George Takei's experience in the Japanese Internment camps and the subsequent conclusions he had came to about hypocrisy in general. This message is important to spread because there are still injustices happening today. Takei is a pretty credible guy when it comes to this topic considering he was there. Also, he is a well like character from one of the most famous sci-fi shows of all time (For those of yall who don't know who George Takei is, I recommend sitting yourself down and looking up Star Trek on Netflix-educate yourself), and I find well liked people often come across as more believable. The logos in this is also very interesting. It's undeniable that there is a fair amount of bias in his story. Although, for someone who went through an experience like that at such a young age, he is very forgiving. This in turn relates back to his logos.
The main part of this talk appeals to emotion. The idea of a five year old being put in these conditions for no reason is unacceptable-especially by a country that is founded on the principle of freedom and equality. Emotion being the primary strategy is understandable for such a personal story. This talk happened in Kyoto, Japan which only adds to the appeal of this strategy. Takei's story is so emotional and raw that it actually makes it more believable. His use of ethos make the logos he uses significantly more effective.
I chose this story for a few reasons: a) I had actually seen a couple of gifs from this talk and I was interested in watching the entire thing b) George Takei is an amazing human being and c) I think it's important to learn about America's past mistakes so that the people who suffered them aren't just forgotten. It's hard to imagine how many things have been glossed over in the history textbooks because they don't fit the "Abe Lincoln never told a lie-Chris Columbus discovered America-George Washington and the Cherry Tree" America that's portrayed to us. George Takei's story is incredibly important to American history and that is why I chose to watch this talk.
A quick end note: This talk is really sad, so here's a lighter story about a girl who immigrated from China and tried to make US a communist state by ending Christmas for all. (Source: http://theseerasures.tumblr.com/)
so i immigrated to the US at age 9, right, and one of the first things my family did was join the local Chinese church. as far as the whole “figuring out how to do things so we no longer have to live in the back shed of Uncle Joe’s* Magic Emporium” thing goes, it’s a pretty sound strategy! now we had people to teach my dad how to drive and give us old furniture and say “hey, Seattle is pretty rainy maybe you should rent an apartment-like space before either a) the shed roof caves in b) your daughter with the famously delicate constitution falls dramatically ill from a strain of black mold or possibly herpes”
*is not my uncle, that’s what his store was called. he sold magic gadgets and my dad knew him because???? possibly in a past life they ran a meth empire in Albuquerque, who knows
ANYWAY. thanks to the church i did not fall dramatically ill from black mold or possibly herpes, but there was an unforeseen factor in joining a Christian church, which was that they? were pretty hardcore? about Jesus?**
**in a nice “we build houses for the homeless” way, not in…the other way
given that we’d just immigrated and that China’s religious policy is worshiping Mao’s preserved corpse ehhhhh…let’s call it “freedom of atheism,” my family was decidedly not hardcore about Jesus. my parents mostly took the bemused “i guess Jesus is okay since he indirectly led to us living in a place suited for human habitation” route, but i
was
DISGUSTED.
i was the first kid in my class to get her red scarf, okay, and when we sang the national anthem and saluted the flag every morning i f*cking meant what i was singing. we almost didn’t come to America; my dad had more lucrative job offers in Germany and Belgium, but i put my foot down because everyone knows Europe is full of gross imperialists Dad, GOSH, and the Americans helped us fight off the Japanese.
so seeing all these fellow Chinese believing in THE CAPITALIST GOD was basically the worst thing to ever happen to my delicate psyche. my parents’ tacit approval was even worse: DID PATRIOTISM AND COMMUNISM MEAN NOTHING TO THEM? DIDN’T THEY KNOW THAT DOING NOTHING AGAINST OPPRESSION MADE THEM OPPRESSORS THEMSELVES??
clearly something needed to be done.
so because the church was pretty hardcore about Jesus, it was understandably also hardcore about Christmas. big party, massive intricately decorated REAL TREE, sleepover for the kids with presents in the morning—you name it. everyone was going to be there.
WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE TO EVERYONE HOW WRONG THEY ARE ABOUT JESUS.
my plan:
sleep UNDER the giant real Christmas tree: y’know, the one with real pointy needles reaching all the way down to the base? that sheds? with lots of pokey tinsel?
catch Jesus in the act of depositing presents***: look. i’d seen like, ALL of Scooby Doo by this point. i knew Jesus was probably a real person, just not the Son of God.
subdue Jesus so he’s still around when everyone else wakes up: CLEARLY VERY FEASIBLE, given that Jesus was a heavyset white dude who used superhuman agility and strength to deliver presents around the world overnight and possibly had reindeer minions and i weighed 70 pounds at most while sopping wet.
(who is Santa Claus?? who cares)
????
EVERYONE MAGICALLY BECOMES AN ATHEIST AGAIN, AMERICA BECOMES A COMMUNIST STATE
***even if i didn’t believe in him, why was i slavishly devoted stopping a highly altruistic man who gave? people? presents? did i hate joy????
sure enough, at around 3 in the morning i heard soft boots approaching the tree. i reached out and snatched one of the Ankles of Jesus
—whereupon Youth Pastor Liao screamed “OH MY LORD” and kicked me in the face.
and THAT, dear friends, is how i spent my first Christmas in America with a concussion.
In your mind, are there any heroes in Double Indemity? If so, who? According to Google, a hero is:
a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
the chief male character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize.
(in mythology and folklore) a person of superhuman qualities and often semidivine origin, in particular one of those whose exploits and dealings with the gods were the subject of ancient Greek myths and legends
Now, I think it's safe to say that we don't have anyone from definition 3. There is a stunning lack of cosmic interference in the Film Noir genre.
However, there definitely are heroes according to definition 1 and 2. I would argue that Barton Keyes is a hero because of definition 1. He is brave, which is seen at the very end of the movie when he confronts Neff after listening to Neff admit to two murders. His job requires him to realize when someone has committed insurance fraud and then deny them money and it's reasonable to assume that people aren't exactly happy when they are denied of money and accused of a serious crime. He's also high up in the company, which would qualify as an achievement. And, he's very noble at the end when he waits to call the ambulance while Neff tries to escape. He knows his friend isn't getting far, so he listens to his friend's request.
In a way, Neff is a hero according to definition 2. He's definitely the chief male character and he is who the reader is supposed to sympathize with. The only part that makes him more of an anti-hero is the 'good qualities' part. A venn diagram of 'good qualities' and murders doesn't have much overlap. I would say that Neff could have been considered good up until he kills Dietrichson.
Another important factor to look at is the time period. Google has this awesome feature where you can see word usage and how it has changed over time. Here's the graph for the word 'hero' from 1900 to 2008:
Double Indemnity came out in 1944, which is one of the lower points on the graph. It's really interesting to see the way that World War I and World War II seem to affect these graphs. There's a spike before the war and after the war. We can see that the lowest point for WWI is right as the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919, however the lowest point for WWII seems to be 1940 right after it began. It's also pretty weird that our usage in the 2000s is actually lower than what it was during the World War.
I chose to curate a Netflix reccomendation list for Banquo.
1.Supernatural
Supernatural is about two brothers, Sam and Dean, whose job is to 'hunt the things that go bump in the night'. The show currently has 10 season and has changed a lot since season 1 (the video is a fan made trailer for season 1). However, the theme of religion and brotherhood are stressed throughout the show. There are references to many cultures and religions (Greek, Hindi, American folk lore, Japanese, ect), however Christianity and the bible are the most common source of lore and the larger story arcs. Heaven, hell, purgatory, and the Mark of Cain are all large parts of the plot of the show.
Banquo would love the supernatural references and the biblical references in the story. Angels, deamons, and witches are all shown on the show. His belief in the witches prophecy proves his interest in the supernatural and he would love the detail and variety of 'monsters' that are showcased. He would also enjoy Sam and Dean's relationship throughout the show and their loyalty to each other.
2.Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook is the story of Pat, a guy who struggles with mental illness and has to participate in court ordered rehab. When he gets home, he meets Tiffany. Tiffany lost her husband and subsequently became very depressed. They become friends and slowly help each other manage their respective illnesses.
Banquo would love the friendships that are developed throughout this book. He is very loyal to Macbeth in the beginning of the play (2.1) and promises to help him. Also, the depiction of Pat's family would probably appeal to Banquo. You can tell that they care about each other, even if they show it in a strange way.
3.Emperor's New Groove
An ambitious person high up in the government gets rid of the King and take control of the government. The kingdom was much better off under the original King. Then, two people who have little to no power under the current ruler conspire together and have to travel back to the kingdom to put the rightful ruler back in power. Once they return to the castle, the current ruler and the two people fight for the kingdom. At the end, the rightful ruler has power and is a better ruler than they were earlier. Was I talking about Macbeth or the Emperor's New Groove? You'll never know.
Now, I'm not saying that the fierce Banquo would decided to kick back and watch Emperor's New Groove in his free time. But it might be one of the kids movies he wouldn't mind watching with Fleance. Either way, the parallels between Macbeth and Emperor's New Groove would appeal to Banquo. The idea that ambition doesn't have to be linked with murder would validate his actions. Emperor Kuzco's transition from evil, selfish ruler to a King who is loved by all of his subjects would give him hope for Macbeth.
4.Intouchables
This is the most sucessful French movie. Ever. Mostly because it's fantastic. It's about a rich, quadriplegic frenchman named Philippe who needs to hire someone to help him with everyday activities. Instead of hiring someone who is well qualified, he hires Driss, who lives a questionable life in the projects and only was applying so he could continue to receive unemployment. In fact, Philippe bets Driss that he wouldn't last a couple months. Throughout the movie, we learn more about Driss and Philippe's past and see them becoming closer.
Banquo would love the loyalty in this movie. He would also appreciate Driss' character art (sort of similar to Kuzco's), yet again proving that someone 'bad' doesn't remain bad. All in all, I could see Banquo coming back from a war and watching this movie to remind himself that there are good people.
5.Firefly
Firefly is about Captain Max Reynolds and the crew of his ship Firefly. After being on the loosing side of a war, Reynolds and his crew become, for lack of a better term, space cowboys. They are essentially thieves but endearing thieves. But, once River is brought aboard the ship, their entire objective shifts. Now, they must protect River from the Alliance (evil government), while also trying to figure out what happened to her.
This would be Banquo's guilty pleasure. Yet again, loyalty is a large theme here. He would also enjoy the fight scenes in the show and especially the clips from the war against the Alliance (and Reynolds speech to the other soldiers that was shown in the trailer). He would enjoy the faced paced episodes and the many twists and turns.
Why do people who are not "evil" take the first step into evil? What, for instance, is involved in taking that first step "down the primrose path to the everlasting bonfire" (Macbeth, 2.3)? What are the consequences of the individual choosing evil (particularly the internal consequences)? Use examples from the text to support your opinion.
The most fitting thing to start off this blog post would in fact be a quote from The Dark Knight:
And during the subsequent fifteen minutes while I searched for other pictures, I came across this Urban Dictionary post (don't worry Ms. G, this one's school appropriate). It outlines three categories of possible first steps, which are:
Falling to the same corruption you sought to eliminate. (Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars, Lois Griffin from Family Guy)
Prolonged exposure to evil, despite good intentions. (Frodo from Lord of the Rings, Ice King from Adventure Time)
Narrow minded destruction in belief of a greater goal. (Harvey Dent from "The Dark Knight Rises")
Now, Macbeth falls into a strange combination of the last two categories. On one hand, he is sort of exposed to evil through the witches and then Lady Macbeth who eventually convince him to kill Duncan. And also he is destroyed because of the belief in a goal (to become king). However Macbeth is better suited in a new forth category which could be described as "Succumbs to temptation of power/money/ect" which would include a ton of modern characters. For Macbeth, that first step was the witches. They gave him the idea that started him on his path to villainy. Macbeth does suffer from these actions, which is seen through the comparison of Macbeth's brain and the castle. The hallucination of the dagger is one example of Macbeth's instability (2.1)
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I draw.
Thou marshall'st me the way that I was going;
And such an instrument I was to use.
and the story about the horse eating the other horse is an example of the chaos inside the castle (2.4).
ROSS And Duncan's horses—a thing most strange and certain— Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race, Turn'd wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out, Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would make War with mankind. Old Man 'Tis said they eat each other.
Some other characters who exemplify this quote include:
(Duh, he's the one who said it)
(Because running a meth lab is pretty evil, even if it's to support your family after you get diagnosed with cancer)
(You guys started out being one of the most innovative software companies, but somehow you can't design a phone that has a battery that lasts for more than a year?)
(This one is practically the perfect example:Dean dedicates his whole life to fighting demons only to become one)
(This one doesn't fit any of the categories, which necessitates the creation of a fifth "People who are forced into evil"-and yes that was a bit of a Wicked reference)
(I'll just leave this here because something tells me that everyone will have a different opinion on the problems of the US today)
The artwork I chose is Permutations Study #2 which was created by Leyla Cardenas in 2014. It was made by printing images onto demolition rubble. There isn't exactly a size, but it's generally a little taller than I am (so around 5 and a half feet) and it's probably around 6 feet wide. She is from Colombia, but this piece was made for the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (at least, that's what I can understand from these twowebsites, it's unclear if Permutations is the one for San Jose or if she will be creating one). She modeled the work after historic San Jose, however, due to the nature of the piece, it has a different assembly each time. For instance, here is the picture I took at CAM: And here is the same piece assembled at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art: Notice the difference in organization. At SJICA, there are distinct columns with areas of negative space in between, while the picture from CAM has a more disorganized feeling to it. This piece is definitely abstract and non traditional. Using rubble as a canvas is a very interesting choice, especially considering that the buildings that are printed on the rubble are all older. The juxtaposition of different buildings also create an interesting harmony in the piece. The roof in the upper right part of the piece seem Italian or Japanese. There is a mixture of stone buildings that could be Greco-Roman (columns?) or more medieval/Gothic. Also in the lower right corner there is a sign that looks more British in design. This combination of the different architectural styles should not create a cohesive work, but this piece somehow makes them all seem like they work together. This is the core idea: the combination of past styles and ideas (represented by the buildings) jumbled together in an odd but connected way. The artist has a really great grasp on using negative space and light (in this case shadows) to create emphasis in her work.The way the work was lighted was obviously very deliberate. The shadows create a more three dimensional feeling to this work and give value to the lighter columns and textures found in the piece. The composition is very versatile, and, as seen above, can change from exhibition to exhibition. The way the piece is organized obviously changes the negative space, but this space is used effectivley in both cases. It does have a feeling that something is missing (but not "the artist forgot something", more of a 'the artists purposely left this empty") Also, the name is very interesting: Permutations #2. When you look up the definition of permutations, you get the act of permuting. That's not very helpful unless you know what permuting is. However, upon further research, I found out it meant "the act of changing" which makes a lot of sense. This art piece is about the past, but is also about the transition of the past to the future, which is evident from the fact that the art is printed on rubble. Here is my sketch, which was honestly more difficult than this post (no offence Ms. Genesky, the prompt was very thought provoking) because of the negative space/shadows. So, to preface the sketch, I will leave this for you to contemplate: And, without further ado, here is my sketch:
And, without further ado, here is my sketch:
(I should also note that I was focusing on the negative space, so I did not color the squares. Instead, I focused on placement and size)
Advertisements are always interesting to look at and analyze. It's easy to find the seven deadly sins in them, because that's usually what they're playing off of. For this post, I'll be looking at a diet coke advertisement that has been mostly aired in Europe (at least I'm pretty sure it's only been aired in Europe, but I can't find that information in writing). It's one of the most recent versions of the "Hunk" ads, and I think the video speaks for itself:
This ad was released by Diet Coke in January, 2013. The ad isn't too complex. There really isn't any hidden or deeper messages. It's a bunch of girls having a picnic near a gardener. They offer him a diet coke and one thing leads to another and he's shirtless. Which could make the subconscious mind think "Hey, maybe if I drink diet coke, I'll see an incredibly attractive gardener (who in real life is actually a male model) and then one thing will lead to another and he's shirtless". Now this is a pretty big leap, but it's definition the subtext that the people were going for with this ad.
This ads total audience is going to be broad. Coke is an international company, and, although I don't know if this ad was used in TV (probably too long for TV) or on the internet, I do know that it was shared off of YouTube (over 5,200 times) and has almost 2 million views.
But this ad does have a more specific target audience. Their ideal viewer is a mid 20s to mid 30s woman (or person who is attracted to guys). This ad wasn't made to be much more specific. The women featured in the ad were mostly Caucasian, but there is one (really Coke, just one?) minority. I don't know, I feel like most women would be able to appreciate shirtless male models?
There isn't really any specific cultural knowledge needed, but I get the feeling that's because the culture needed to understand this video is the culture I've been raised in. It's important to be able to understand what the West considers beautiful. Also, to understand the normal behaviors of gardeners in (what I'm assuming was) a public park. This creates the context for what happened in the video.
Also, an important part of this video is the way lighting is used. Not only does it create really dramatic shots (0:12-0:16), but it also highlights what the advertisers were putting emphasis on (0:25-0:27, 0:38-0:40, 0:45-0:48, and 0:52-0:56) which really is how incredibly gorgeous the gardener is.
There really is no question that the advertisers were using lust to sell their products. The series this ad is from is named "Hunk" and the guys are hired based on how attractive they are. The first "Hunk" ad was released in 1994.
Then there were two more in the 90's-00's:
There are some pretty obvious similarities, mainly being the attractive shirtless guys, but the song is also a constant. It really helps to illustrate the already not-so-subtle meaning with lyrics like:
I want you to be true. I just wanna make love to you.
These earlier ads were some of the first ads that showed working women objectifying men in lower position in society (all the women are in offices working white collar jobs while the men are in blue collar labor intensive jobs). This is something that is still relatively rare today. I can only think of one other ad series that objectifies men. Lust is something we see in ads quite often and it's usually pretty blatant.
Sidenote: I originally wanted to do this ad for this assignment, but decided it to go with the Diet Coke ad because the Diet Coke ad is a) an ad series meaning there would be more to analyze and b) an actual ad. Either way, I feel like everyone needs to experience this SNL skit at least once in their lives.
