TOW #18 My Zombie Myself

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/05/arts/television/05zombies.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Dead in the eyes, mouth gaping, with only one goal in mind... surfing the internet. While most of the public would have been convinced that description was that of a zombie, but Chuck Klosterman, the writer of "My Zombie Myself", would argue that the traditional behavior of the zombie and our lifestyle today are one and the same. In this article, Klosterman uses several rhetorical devices to argue that the origin of the zombie's popularity in today's society is rooted in our way of living. In the essay, Klosterman includes several allusions to many different popular movies and television shows such as AMC's "The Walking Dead" and Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight." Firstly, these references stand to engage a younger audience by including examples that are very relavant in todays pop culture. These also prove good examples to support his argument. "The Walking Dead" for example is not only one of the most, if not the most, popular show on television but is also centered around the drama of the zombie apocalypse. This supports his thesis that zombies have penetrated deeply into our social structure. Klosterman also utilizes colloquial language to make his argument more relavant among a younger audience. He will often use slang words and informal phrases to appeal to a younger audience because a large portion of the younger generations have a fascination and obsession with the undead zombies. With his more speculative evidence, Klosterman makes an appeal to logos as well. When he introduces facts and statistics, Klosterman turns his argument that was previously based solely on speculation about zombies relevance in our culture to an argument rooted in fact. In his essay, "My Zombie Myself", Chuck Klosterman argues the origin of society's obsession with zombies. His allusions to popular culture and use of colloquial language engage a younger audience and an appeal to logos provides a factual backing to his argument.  

TOW #17 Anti Suicide poster

http://comunilife.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/COMUNILIFEpsaFINAL01.jpg
This anti suicide poster seems to be pretty black and white but in reality it has several hidden messages under the surface. These hidden messages help it to communicate with people who have family or loved ones of latin decent who are going through a hard time and contemplating suicide. This poster uses several rhetorical devices to prompt action from people hoping to help a loved one in need. The first major rhetorical device this utilizes is juxtaposition. It juxtaposes the girl against the empty, dark background to to create a depressed and unnerving mood and to emphasize the sadness of the girl. It also juxtaposes the text on the page with the girl to make it feel like the words were on top of her, making the feelings of oppression and depression greater. By creating the aura of depression, this picture conveys the pain and sadness that this girl is feeling. This poster also utilizes the first person. All of the text on the image is written in the first person to make the reader feel a personal connection the the girl. The audience now empathizes with the girl in the picture. This picture also has backing in fact. In the text, there is a reference to a statistic from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) stating that "One in seven Latina teenage girls attempt suicide". Not only does the audience feel bad for the girl and was made to feel a connection with them, they now have been faced with a staggering fact from a reputable source. The sadness and depression created by this poster is meant to touch readers and prompt them to reach out to people in their lives in ways that they would not normally consider

TOW #16 The Tao of Pooh post #2

Most of the general public would not readily read a book on philosophy, let alone a book about the philosophy of religion other than the bible. So why is the "The Tao of Pooh" so effective? It doesn't take much to realize that this is quite an outlandish topic, so how was this book able to reach so many people? Benjamin Hoff was very receptive to the fact that not many people are familiar or comfortable with the topic of Taoism, so he wrote his book in a style that would be able to reach the masses. Throughout the entirety of this book, Hoff writes as if he is having a conversation with Pooh bear who is constantly asking questions of him. This is meant to create a casual mood and answer the many questions that the readers may be thinking of. In a book like this, there needs to be a niche to slowly acclimate the audience to its philosophy. Hoff decided to write the majority of the book as a conversation to make the audience more open to its ideals. Sometimes philosophies come off as slow and boring with the author trying to shove his or her ideals down the readers throats, whereas Hoff's book has a more casual atmosphere that makes the audience feel more like they are being talked to rather than lectured. When the audience feels more comfortable they are more apt to accept Hoff's thoughts. What happens when the audience has a question or doesn't understand Hoff's point? The book certainly can't reply to their questions. Well Hoff anticipated this and used Pooh as a vehicle to answer the audiences questions. In his conversations with Pooh, Pooh will often interject with a question about a story that is being told or a question about a conclusion that Hoff came to or even a simple "why?" While it may seem like Hoff is just continuing his conversation with a rather curious bear, he is also simultaneously answering any questions that the audience may have about his teachings. This makes his message even stronger because the audience is not confused about his argument and can comprehend even the most complex of arguments. Hoff utilizes his furry companion to it's fullest to help convey his philosophy to his readers.

TOW# 15 Into the Woods movie review analysis

http://moviepilot.com/reviews/2015/01/11/into-the-woods-movie-review--2-2579570?lt_source=external,manual

This review’s ideas seem to be lost in the woods just like the characters in the movie it critiques. The review discusses Disney’s new movie “Into the Woods”, a story about fairy tale characters that meet together in the forest. While this review tries to praise the movie while still pointing out its flaws, its ideas end up coming off as disjointed and awkward. The review starts of with a little too much praise with using the words “excellently” and “perfect” to describe it’s scenes. These words put the movie on a pedestal that makes it seem untouchable. The idea that the movie is “perfect” makes it seem like it does not deserve to be critiqued, which is just what this article hopes to do. The rest of this articles purpose is squandered not only because it’s language set it up for failure, but also because it’s statements are too condemning that they lose their effectiveness. This review tries to point out these movies flaws but expresses in in ways that make the movie seem unappealing, saying that some scenes “left me [the author] feeling a bit disgusted”. This review also seems to, instead of intelligently phrasing its argument, ends up rambling. This already poorly enacted article, blunders even more when it stats to rant and fully loses the attention of it’s readers. This author also tears down any ethos that it had by stating that they had not seen the play that this movie is based off of. This article tries to present the movie it is reviewing as a good movie with flaws, but ends up presenting itself as bipolar and scatterbrained. The author of article created a review so ineffective that it almost makes the reader want to avoid seeing the movie.

TOW #14 Advertisement analysis

An advertisement for wood stain couldn’t be trying to trick its viewers, could it? This add for Minwax wood stain features an older man standing next to a chair with the words “Show&Tell” above. The man standing in the advertisement is an older man who is well dressed and handsome. This ad appears in the magazine publication “This Old House” a magazine very popular among older women. This ad juxtaposes the strapping older man with a chair, presumably stained with its product, to attract the eye of the women reading the magazine and to make the chair look more handsome in comparison. The average reader of any magazine doesn’t spend lots of time picking through the articles, they usually just flip through until they find a title or an image that catches their eyes. This article has a simple background, which makes the chair and handsome man pop out. The model is completely unrelated to the polish but is included to attract its female audience. This article abuses the use of a model to catch the wandering eyes of unsuspecting readers. The juxtaposition of the handsome man and the chair also plays a factor in the appeal of this ad. One could say that this attractive man has “chiseled features” and “in good shape”, the makers of this stain hopes to say that their polish will make the reader’s furniture look the same. They say that this stain makes the chair look “in good shape” and will bring out it’s “chiseled features. While this article has legitimate, underlying reasons for adding the model into their ad, it also had ulterior motives to unfairly catch the eye of a reader who would have otherwise not given a second thought to this picture.  

TOW #13 E-Sports Article

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-competitive-world-of-esports/2/

With the rapidly evolving world comes rapidly changing technology. When this technology is not being used to advance the world, people use it for recreation in the form of video games. This form of entertainment has gotten so popular in recent years that competitions have begun to be held, and they have gained a sizeable following. This article by CBS explains the new phenomenon of “esports” or competitive video gaming. This text hopes to inform the older generation about this new craze and to help them accept it as a form of entertainment through the use of expert testimonies. This originally aired on CBS’s television program Sunday Morning whose primary audience is adults. Many older people in this time period are confused by young people’s fascination with videogames and this article hopes to at the very least provide some factual basis for esports to stand on. They first compare videogames to golf, saying, “my wife can't understand people watching a golf game, because she's not a golfer… So if you're not a gamer, that's not gonna appeal to you.” This thought at least gives the older generation something to base their opinions off of. The next few testimonies offer statistics on the new following and players of these new sports. They give insight on the lives of professional gamers, referencing one Call of Duty player who made over 1 million dollars last year. They also offer statistics on the quickly expanding following for these esports. This not only gives the adult readers the idea that this is a serious profession that really makes money. It also presents the fact that even though some people might not understand it, these are serious sports with a serious fan base. If anything this article makes the older people of this generation appreciate competitive video games as a serious sport.

TOW#12 IRB post the Tao of Pooh

“The Tao of Pooh”? More like the How of Tao. Benjamin Hoff’s novel, “The Tao of Pooh”, explains the ins and outs of Taoism though his talks with a popular character of literature, Winney the Pooh. By alluding to this well-known children’s book character and including many anecdotes from his stories, Hoff offers a more approachable view of Taoism for the common man. Throughout the entirety of this book, Hoff is often having conversations with Pooh bear. Every time Hoff talks to Pooh, Pooh has questions about Taoism, and Hoff answers him by explaining it in simple terms. For example, in the first chapter Pooh asks what Taoism is, and instead of answering him by explaining the different social policies and lifestyles that apply to Taoism he shows Pooh a paining and build off of the visual representation. This puts the ideals of in easy to swallow tidbits. Most people are afraid to step out of their comfort zone of western religion, let alone consider Taoism. Hoff talks to Pooh, a very popular figure in many children’s lives, to lighten the mood to make it seem happier and funnier than a social idealism. By alluding to Pooh it makes Taoism seem simple, something that even the simplest of living things can do. Pooh also changes the way that Hoff explains the practices of Taoism to make them seem simpler. By dumbing it down it not only makes it easier for Pooh to understand, but also easier for his audience to comprehend. He also includes many excerpts from Winney the Pooh stories. These anecdotes serve almost the same purpose as Pooh himself, to give the audience something to identify with. By comparing the Taoist teachings to something from their own lives, it makes the material much easier for the audience to digest. This insight into the workings of Taoism would not have been effective at all without the inclusion of one of the most well know figures in childhood literature.