Blog #5

Blog #5

1. What is the rhetorical situation the author is responding to in The Controversy behind Barbie?

- In The Controversy behind Barbie, the author is commenting on the perspectives of those who are pro-Barbie, anti-Barbie, and Barbie moderates. In this paper, the author talks about three different views that people have about Barbie products. Because of the many baby dolls that were on the market, those who are pro-Barbie believe that the doll provided “a challenge to the ideology that the proper role for women was that of a mother.” They also say that playing with Barbie dolls is fun, brings out imaginative ideas in children and is an essential part of growing up. It also proclaims the idea that women can be and do anything they want. For example, “Barbie was an astronaut before the first American woman went into space.” On the other hand, there were those who strongly believed that Barbie was a negative role model to young girls. They felt that the doll’s image was one that was unattainable due to disproportional body parts. This tall and slim doll would give young girls the impression that need to be beautiful and thin in order to get anywhere in life – which is most certainly untrue.

2. What is the author’s perspective on this situation and what if any templates is she using from TSIS to construct her argument?

- The author of this paper agrees with the Barbie moderates. The Barbie moderates believe that the doll is not the portrayal of the “ideal American woman”, but is not necessarily the epitome of evil. Barbie has some positive aspects including “her many professions, her ability to foster imaginative play, and her message that girls can choose to be whomever they want.” On the other hand, Barbie asserts that the external appearance and materialistic items are important, while being unnaturally blonde. The author was disgusted with her childhood self and could not believe she once saw her as a role model. The author states that she believes that Barbie is used as a scapegoat for the major issue dealing with the American culture’s fascination with beauty. In order to construct her argument, the author shows all sides of the spectrum, not just the one that agrees with her own beliefs. By showing the beliefs of those who oppose her own, the author demonstrates the ability to look at an issue from all sides before formulating her own opinion.

Works Cited:

Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, Gerald Graff, and Cathy Birkenstein. "They say/I say". W W Norton & Co Inc, 2006.

Wood, Nancy V. Essentials of Argument, 2nd Ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. 2009.

Blog #4

Blog #4

What is Birdsell and Groarke’s purpose? Are there any terms you think could be added to immediate verbal context, immediate visual context, and visual culture?

In Toward a Theory of Visual Argument, Birdsell and Groarke’s purpose is to inform the reader about prejudices dealing with the falsehoods of visual arguments. One such prejudice “encourages the view that visual images are less precise than words, especially the written word.” (1-2). Birdsell and Groarke believe that this theory is false and that visual and verbal aspects of the argument have to be taken into account. Birdsell and Groarke felt that the visual and verbal arguments are poignant for conveying the correct message to the audience. They are adamantly opposed to those who feel that “…the visual is radically indeterminate and cannot, therefore, sustain an argument.” (3).

According to Toward a Theory of Visual Argument, there are three kinds of context that are important when evaluating a visual argument and they are immediate verbal context, immediate visual context, and visual culture. Immediate visual context is very significant when dealing with a film because “…it incorporates a progression of images which allows us to recognize a single frame as part of an overarching argument.” (6). These visual context clues allow the viewer to figure out what is happening in a story without being told. By looking at the environment in which a scene takes place and the way the character is presented, one could make many accurate assumptions about events that occur in the film. Immediate verbal context goes hand-in-hand with visuals to amplify and make an argument more specific. An example of this is an advertisement that deals with smoking’s harmfulness. The ad states “that we are dealing with something which is addictive and harmful while the visual images establishes that the topic is smoking.” (6). Visual culture is different from the other two forms of context because it influences the making of visual meaning indirectly. Visual culture is not one specific thing because it depends on new inventions, technologies, art forms and sciences in order to mold a certain way. One word that could be associated with immediate verbal context, immediate visual context, and visual culture is “context clues.” Even though we learned when we were younger that we should use surrounding details in order to answer a question, the same method applies to visual arguments. It interblends with immediate visual and verbal contexts.

Work Cited:

Birdsell, David S; Groarke, Leo. Toward a Theory of Visual Argument. ( Argumentation and Advocacy. 33.1 (1996). Research Library)

Blog #3

Blog #3

1. What is the most important feature of visual argument you learned from EOA? Why?

- According to Essentials of Argument there are eight special features that explain why visual argument is convincing. These features include evoking an emotional response, establishing common ground, employing symbols, and allowing the viewer to interpret the argument in their own way (239-244). I believe that the most important feature of visual argument deals with producing emotions from those who the argument is directed towards. For example, a written article about the events that occurred on September 11, 2001 would lead to a different emotional response than a picture of the crumbling towers would. Because of the visual aid, the viewer could actually see what happened and be drawn into the disastrous environment. Photos also portray emotions that are sometimes hard to put into words. I was watching TV and a commercial for starving children in Africa was shown and I couldn’t help but be saddened for all of those small children without food. Augmenters choose to show these images because the eyes have a way of expressing emotions that no form of writing could possess.

2. What is the most important feature of visual image you learned from McCloud? Why?

- When I first looked at the “narrator” of McCloud’s comic, my mind automatically associated the figure with Harry Potter. The boy has messy black hair, glasses, and a lightning bolt on his shirt, which are all attributes of the famous wizard. Ironically, this was one of the arguments that were mentioned in the comic. The comic discussed recognizing vivid details of a person’s face after interacting with them and creating an image of them in your mind. My complex brain allowed me to associate the two figures with one another, even though they don’t have any relation at all. This idea also deals with the simple figure of a face. Without excess traits, every person has the same face – two eyes, a nose and a mouth. It was interesting to see how people find a face in objects, such as outlets and cars, that don’t have anything remotely close to the image at all.

Works Cited:

Handa, Carolyn. Visual Rhetoric in a Digital World. (Excerpt: McCloud, Scott. The Vocabulary of Comics.)

Wood, Nancy V. Essentials of Argument, 2nd Ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. 2009.

Blog #2

Essentials of Argument

According to Nancy Wood, the author of Essentials of Argument, the definition of argument is, “to bring about a change in an audience’s initial position on a controversial issue.” (4) When encountering the word “argument”, I think of a squabble between two people who are trying to accomplish a victory over their opponent. After reading the first two chapters of Essentials of Argument I realized that there is much more to arguing than two people screaming at each other. I was able to recognize the different types of arguments that one could have, which range from courtroom arguments to internal debates. Arguments also have to be presented in a certain way so that the desired effect is achieved. This is accomplished through a rhetorical situation that contains five elements (27). These elements are text, reader, author, constraints and exigence, and all play an important role when trying to argue a certain point. I think that arguing one’s case is extremely important when trying to win over an audience. However, this can only occur when the author is conscientious of who their readers are and the words they use in their text. If they are aware of these five elements, they will definitely have a successful argument.


Magazine

The magazine I chose is Rolling Stone. In this particular issue of the magazine there are lists and articles about the top albums, songs, artists and movies of the past decade. It was interesting to read about popular songs from earlier in the decade and look at groups that aren’t around today. For example, there is a page on the boy-band N’Sync (who I absolutely love!) that states that their second album, No Strings Attached, sold over 2.4 million copies in their first week, which is a feat that hasn’t been topped.


Works Cited:

Wood, Nancy. Essentials of Argument. 2008-01-08, 2008.

Blog #1

According to Foss, rhetoric is “… an art and a discipline that facilitates our understanding of the nature and function of symbols in our lives.” (1) In other words, symbols play a major role in human life and these symbols affect the choices that we make. Foss states that the definition of rhetoric is made up of three parts, which are human, symbol and communicate (1). The “human” aspect deals with the idea that “humans create their realities through symbols.” (2) Foss believes that these symbols change and influence our perceptions of specific events that occur in our lives. The next concept is “symbols” which a word represents something else and is related to that “something else” in some way. In An Introduction to Rhetoric Foss, Foss, and Trapp use the example of smoke in relation to fire (2). The third and final component is communication, where rhetoric is sometimes considered synonymous with this term.

I believe that rhetoric is the way people communicate via symbols, expressions and word associations. Foss states that “rhetoric features the use of symbols by humans” and I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. At first I really did not know what the term meant, but now I see that the different symbols found in human life that can be considered as “rhetoric”. I also feel that the usage of these symbols is a great way for people to communicate with one another. Personally, rhetoric can be seen in everyday life if one looks closely. For example, logging onto Facebook can be considered a symbol that shows boredom and procrastination. Another example would be the oven. When one thinks of the word “oven” they automatically associate it with cooking and it is then further associated to food. Therefore, the term “oven” symbolizes food. A final example could be seen throughout fairytales, Disney movies and current books such as Harry Potter. The image of a wand symbolizes magic and one usually associates the two with one another.

Definitions:

A. Rhetoric:

1: the art of speaking or writing effectively: as

a : the study of principles and rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times

b : the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion

2 a: skill in the effective use of speech

b: a type or mode of language or speech; also : insincere or grandiloquent language

3: verbal communication : discourse

B. Rhetoric:

1. (in writing or speech) the undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast.

2. the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech.

3. the study of the effective use of language.

4. the ability to use language effectively.

5. the art of prose in general as opposed to verse.

6. the art of making persuasive speeches; oratory.

7. (in classical oratory) the art of influencing the thought and conduct of an audience.

8. (in older use) a work on rhetoric.

Works Cited

1. Foss, Foss, and Trapp. Contemporary Perspectives on Rhetoric, Third Edition. Washington: Waveland Press, Inc.

2. “Rhetoric.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 1 Feb. 2010.

< http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rhetoric>.

3. “Rhetoric.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2010. Merriam-Webster Online. 1 February 2010
<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Rhetoric>