Independent Viewing Part II

OPTION #1
Claim: Due to the rising hippie movement of the 60's and 70's, Charles Manson was able to effectively sway the minds of young people to agree with his beliefs, and may not have had the same success in another time period as shown in this documentary.
Evidence:

• Drug use and sexual liberation were allowed to all members of Manson's "family".  Nomads who had left their conservative homes and moved to liberal California.  At first, this family of women was protected by Manson and lived in a bus.  Later, they moved onto a ranch and formed their own "society" where everything was free and they were secluded from the rest of the world.  This was liberating to the young girls and later men who joined this family.  The "utopia" always had music, stories, and drugs available.
• With increased trust and ties in this "family", it was easy to be convinced to commit crimes.  Many of the members, including Lynette Fromme, decided to kill others in order to benefit the family.  Most of these crimes were supported by Manson, who was much like a father or protector to the girls of the family.  The hippie movement was a time of opposition to the government by young people.  The Manson family took protest to the next level by attempting to kill many government officials, including Fromme who attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford.  
• The Beatles, a popular band of Manson's time, used the term "Helter Skelter" to describe an apocalyptic war that would arise from racial tension that the civil rights movement brought attention too. With violence that was appearing within racial gangs such as the Blank Panthers, it seemed as though this war was coming soon.  The Manson family played off of these fear in order to recruit more members into their utopian society.  This also seemed to be justification for the murders that were committed by the members.

Refutation/Rebuttal: Some may say that with the technology and communication that exist today someone like Manson could have spread their ideas just as effectively.  However, the justice system of today is also better at catching those who commit commit crime and have technology to use evidence to charge these criminals more easily.  Therefor, it would be likely that Manson and his family would be arrested before they had the chance to influence others and commit as many murders as they did.

Independent Viewing Part I

Bibliography: Charles Manson Then and Now. Dir. Nick Bougas. Perf. Charles Manson. Wavelength Prod., 1992. Film.
Rhetorical Devices: By using a narrator to explain the story of Charles Manson, his story is much easier to understand for viewers who know little (or not the whole story) about Charles Manson.  The narrator often gives background info of the time period, a time of a rising counter-culture.  The 60's was a time of sexual liberation, drug experimentation, and rebellion against the government and formality. This background info gives insight of a cause and effect, as this period was perfect for the influence of young people by Manson.  In addition, the references to the civil-rights movements and famous musicians at the time  allows viewers to make connections to the topic, creating credibility and draw parallels between their personal experience and the film.  
The film also includes testimonies from Manson and those connected to the murders which were committed.  This provides alternative points of view to the situation, and thus eliminates bias and makes the film more credible and logical to viewers.  The director also displays credibility by showing pictures from the time period and the setting, in order to take a viewer from any time period (1992 through today) into the setting and make the documentary as close to the actual events as possible.  This gives a viewer who has little communal memory a good understanding of the story which is being told. 

AOW #28: Advertisement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtP-S9OS0o0


Summary: This commercial for Allstate is supposed to portray the dangers of the road and why one should have insurance.  In a comedic way, Allstate portrays mayhem or danger as a man named Mayhem.  In this particular commercial, Mayhem is a young teenaged-girl driver who is "emotionally compromised".  Because her friend kissed a boy she likes, she loses control of a car and runs into another car.  The other car is meant to represent the viewer, and that mayhem like the girl could occur in their own life.  "Mayhem is everywhere" is used in the commercial to make a viewer realize that they need insurance, because accident are unescapable in our world.
Context:  This commercial applies mostly to current American society and generalizations that have been made about teenaged girls.  Because accidents (especially on the road) occur for many different reasons, this advertisement focuses on a single, humorous reason for an accident.  It also represents how an accident can happen at any time, for any reason.  Because of this it is a good idea to get car insurance.
Source: This is an advertisement for the insurance company Allstate.  Because most advertisements are biased, you obviously cannot assume that the advertisement is presenting correct information.  The commercial was also supposed to be humorous, and focuses little on establishing creditability.
Purpose: The purpose of this advertisement was to convince people to buy Allstate car insurance.  However I think that the commercial was more in making people laugh than making them immediately purchase Allstate's product.
Rhetorical Devices: This advertisement would not be funny to most people if they didn't have communal memory.  The references of a teenaged girl would only make sense to someone that is aware of the generalizations made in the United States about teenagers.  The commercial is also very logical, though.  Because it points out that accidents happen all the time for ridiculous reasons (maybe not this one) it would only make sense to protect yourself and have insurance.

AOW #27: Editorial

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/opinion/pennsylvania-and-the-death-penalty.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Summary: This editorial brings up the topic of the death penalty in our state of Pennsylvania.  When I first saw the title for this editorial, I figured it would be about an increased crime rate in Philadelphia, however the author seems to blame the increased use of the death penalty on bad lawyers.  The author sites other articles and appealed cases to show that more criminals are being convicted and receiving this sentence because their lawyers are "insufficient" to meet a defendant's needs.
Context: The death penalty has become a topic debated throughout the country.  Some states have even decided not to use the death penalty at all, and people continue to argue because of issues with morality and religion.  Most of the time people try to avoid using the death sentence as punishment, so an increase in the opposite direction tends to catch the attention of the country.  In Philadelphia, because violence and poverty have become extremely common, it is easy to understand why this person believes that bad lawyers are to blame, as many times lawyers who work with little pay end up defending these criminals.
Source/Author: This editorial comes from The New York Times, a newspaper that is recognized all over the world, and published for almost two centuries.  However this is an editorial, meaning the person is not necessarily an experienced or knowledgeable writer.  The author does include citations to other more credible articles, which make the argument more ensuring.
Purpose: The purpose of this article was not just to talk about a controversial topic, but also for the author to share their opinion of why they believed that the death penalty is more prevalent in a specific area.  I believe the author accomplished this purpose.
Rhetorical Devices: The author attempts to back up their augment using logic in order to be the most convincing.  Because the author is most likely not a professional writer, he/she also mentions other sources to back up their claims, in order for their argument to be more credible.  By referring to specific facts and other articles, the author makes it more difficult for a reader to find refutations in the argument and less likely to disagree with their opinion.

AOW #26: Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

Summary: This week millions have viewed the video on youtube.  It is about an issue that few know about, the invisible children in Africa and the organization of rebels who continue to take advantage of these children.  Joseph Kony, the man who leads the LSA, has been unknown to many for years, and know the created of the video and the Invisible Children's Organization in order to expose how he has kidnapped children in African and turned them into slaves to fight for him and continue violence in Africa.  The video proposes that we should spread awareness about Kony and the LSR so he can finally be arrested.
Context: The video was created for the Invisible Children's Incorporation, a group that supports children struggling in Africa.  The invisible children are natives under 20 living in Africa (specifically Uganda).  They have been born into a war between rebel groups and the government.  The rebel group led by Joseph Kony is the LSA.  The kidnapping of children for war is not a new issue, as many rebel groups have been doing this for years, capturing children from taken villages and turning the boys into soldiers and girls into sex slaves.  Violence between these groups has destroyed many villages and families since the late 1980's, and little has been done about it because few nations want to get involved in the violence.
Source: This video was posted onto Youtube, a website where anyone can post a personal video, making this video less reliable.  However the video was created by Invisible Children Inc., a group which has been trying to protect children in Africa since 2004.  It has many supporters and claims to donate most money to helping these children.  Lately, though, there have been accusations that the Kony 2012 campaign is a fraud that is to bring in more money for the company than to help the children in Africa.
Purpose: The purpose of this video is to spread awareness about an issue that has not been popular over the last couple of years.  It also proposes a solution to problem; to stop Joseph Kony and therefore end the enslavement of children in Africa.  I believe the creator of this video achieved this purpose, because the topic has become unavoidable whenever one gets onto the internet.
Rhetorical Devices: This video obviously appeals to emotion and logic, as this is a sad story about African children who are oppressed, and this issue should be stopped.  The video seems to be made for people who know little about the issue, which is why the narrator brings in his young son to explain the issue as simply as possible.  This compares the audience to a young child who knows little about this complex issue.  The video also answered a major "so what?" question of what the audience can do to stop this problem in Africa.  The video gives specific steps you can take in order for the issue to become more popular, and for leaders to act due to the public's demand.  This video is unlike others which point out oppressive situations, because it proposes a solution; to arrest Joseph Kony.

AOW #25: Visual

Summary: This picture shows women's rights activist Emmeline Pankhurst, who lived from 1858 to 1928.  She is well known for influencing the women's suffrage during her lifetime.  She was repeatedly put in jail for speaking out about political reform, but was the reason for the Representation of the People Act in 1918 which allowed women over the age of 30 to vote in England.  Her slogan, "deeds, not words" defined her life.  

Context:  This picture was taken from Time magazine's 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century.  Today many agree that Panhurst was an important influence for women's rights worldwide by making her presence known by everyone around her.  Although we do not know the exact time when this picture was taken or the reason for it, you can tell the Pankhurst (center) was a woman who demanded the attention of the crowd. In this photograph she is the center point in a large mass of people, and looks as though she is sending an important, emotion message.

Source: This picture is from Time magazine.  The article does not include the photographer, location, or date, which makes it less reliable.  However Time magazine is a globally published and popular magazine.  Because it has so many readers and sources to find information, it would be unlikely that this photograph is not Pankhurst.  

Purpose: The purpose of the photograph is to show the power of Pankhurst and draw attention to her commanding personality, which is depicted in this picture, where she stands out in a large crowd.  Because the article was to show influential people, this picture sends a powerful message to a reader of how much of a leader she was.  The photographer accomplished this.

Rhetorical Devices:  The photographer draws the attention to Pankhurst by making her the very center of this photo.  She is also above most other people, which also makes her stand out and seem as though she is unique and more powerful than the other people in the picture.  There is also obvious contrast in this photo, as the rest of the people in the photo seem to blend together with similar shades of black and white and little expression on their faces.  Pankhurst is a dark, large figure, with facial expression that looks as if she is yelling and pointing at something important.  It goes along with her slogan, that "deeds, not words" are more powerful.  People in the crowd could be talking words, while Pankhurst is standing and acting, and has a more obvious presence in the picture. 

AOW #24: Advertisement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idIU8Htava0

Summary: This commercial was for Dorito's chips.  The commercial presents a man acting like an annoying bird; taking food from other people, attempting to fly, and squawking.  The normal acting people around him are annoyed, obviously, and an  onlooker asks men who the bird-man must work with what is wrong with him.  They say that he acts that way when he wants Doritos, and they play tricks on him as if it happens all the time.
Source: This commercial is shown across the U.S on public television for the Doritos company.  Doritos has made many funny advertisements like this.  The commercial is not reliable at all, as no one would act the way the bird-man did.  Also, the advertisement is very biased, as the company only wants people to buy their product, not present actual facts.
Context: The commercial was made for the Doritos brand, who wanted to show how much people love Doritos in a comical way.  The exigence would be to sell their product, much like any other advertisement.
Purpose: The purpose of the advertisement is to show how good Doritos are that people go crazy when they do not have them, and then make people buy their product.  The company also made the commercial funny, in order to catch the attention of an audience and make the advertisement memorable.  The commercial accomplishes this purpose.
Rhetorical Devices: The commercial is very humorous, in order to make it memorable and make people want to buy the product.  It also appeals to communal memory, because shows the actions of a pigeon or other pesky bird, and if someone did not know what these birds were like they would not understand the humor of the advertisement.

AOW #23: IRB Post

In the first 3rd of my IRB, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the author introduces us to the characters and gives an idea of what the the plot will be about.  From the beginning of the story Hunter S. Thompson mentions a trip for a young man and his attorney to Las Vegas because he is a writer.  It is not really clear why he has to go to Las Vegas with his attorney, but the author goes through the step by step process of the materials that they gather such as a car and drugs, which also seem to be a very important part of the story.  The majority of the time the two men are high, driving through the desert and stopping at odd motels.  The author explains his hallucinations at each of the stops and makes the entire story seem dreamlike, as if it is not really happening, but at the same time it is.
The point of view is first person, and seems as though Thomson gives himself a different name of Raoul Duke.  He is with his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, the entire time.  Gonzo seems to be the character in the story who brings Duke and the reader back to reality, as he explains what Duke actually experienced after Duke describes his hallucinations of lizards and screaming monsters in various hotels.  Without Gonzo, the reader might suppose the entire experience of Duke is simply a dream.
There is no specific setting yet, but the travel from town to town on the way to Las Vegas makes the entire story much more interesting.  As they visit different hotels and settings you meet different people, and Duke seems to see them all in a different way with his hallucinations.  I think that the author does this to expose the reality of how he sees humans, as lizards and monsters who all have hidden agendas and are willing to eat you in order to get what they want.

AOW #22: Article

http://entertainment.time.com/2012/02/11/the-voice-of-america-whitney-houston-1963-2012/

Summary: This article was about the recent death of singer Whitney Houston.  Instead of reacting to her death, the article is much more a biography of her life and a description of her talents.  The author describes her beauty and amazing voice.  Only at the end of the article the author briefly mentions some of the darker times in her life or drug use and the downfall of her career as a musician.  The article summarizes her life and her impact on others.
Content: This article was about deceased singer Whitney Houston.  The exigence of this story was her recent and sudden death, which many believe was caused by her drug use.
Source/Author: I found this article on the website TIME magazine, one of the most popular and trusted magazines read by Americans and published worldwide.  Howard Chua-Eoan has written about breaking news and has been News Director since 2002.  Since then he has written on a wide range of topics for TIME magazine and other magazines and newspapers.
Purpose: The author's purpose was to focus less on the death of Whitney Houston and summarizing her life.  To do this Chua-Eoan does not mention her death in the article at all.  If one read the article without seeing the title you would not be aware that Whitney Houston did just pass away.  This is so that the reader is forced to focus on her life's legacy instead on her death.  I believe that she accomplished this purpose.
Rhetorical Devices: The structure of this article shows the author's purpose to force the reader to focus on the good and talent of Houston.  He begins on his first impression of her, which allows the reader to use their communal memory for the first time that they see someone and their own impressions.  His description of this vision allows the reader to feel a connection to Houston as if they had seen her in person themselves.  The author also does not mention Whitney's bad qualities or drug use until the very last paragraph, after he mentions all the good in her career.  This would cause the reader to possibly develop a bias which overlooks her bad habits mentioned briefly at the very end of the article.

AOW #21: IRB Post

This marking period I will be reading the book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. Thompson.  This book is an autobiography of Thompson's life, following Raoul Duke and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, on a trip to Las Vegas involving a good amount of drugs.  The book was written in the late 60's, and was first a two-part piece in Rolling Stones magazine until it was later printed as a book.  It was turned into a movie later with Johnny Depp, which makes me think that this book will be much like Blow which Depp was also in involving cocaine.
Hunter S. Thompson has written other books such as The Rum Diary, The Curse of Lono, and Hell's Angels.  He is also known for be a life-long user of cocaine, LSD, alcohol, and ending his own life in 2005.  He is now known for creating Gonzo Journalism, where writers turn themselves into characters in a story based on personal experiences, such as he has done in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.  I am interested to find out what happens on this journey to Las Vegas, and try to figure out what started Thompson's drug addiction.

AOW #20: Picture

http://piccsy.com/2012/01/cc/


Summary: This picture is of the sunken cruise ship in Italy, in which 12 people died.  Our generation expects not to worry about commercial ships sinking, planes crashing, or other types of transportation failing, so when these kinds of things happen it catches the attention of the entire world.  Many have blamed the captain of the ship for sailing to closely to an Italian island, and he is now being charged with manslaughter.  When events like these happen nowadays someone is always to blame because people know that technology is so reliable that events like sinking ships are extremely rare.
Source: I found this picture of Piccsy, which is not the most reliable website considering that anyone on the internet can post a picture on the website, so this could just be photoshopped.  I still think it is interesting though, and I'm sure it is connected to the ship in Italy.
Context: This picture displays the ship on its side, but with the angle of the camera it looks as though the ship is upright and half of the picture is water.  Obviously the exigence is that this ship sank.  Not only is it rare that ships sink, but it is also very uncommon that we see a ship half-surfaced on its side.  If one looked at the uncovered part of the photo, you would see a regular Carnival cruise ship where people most likely vacationed.
Purpose: I believe that whoever took this picture intended to make it unlike any other picture if the event.  The news and internet have displayed hundreds of pictures of this same ship on its side, but none were at this angle and were so different as this one.  It stood out to me, and I'm sure that the photographer wanted others to look at this picture and see that wreck with a different perspective, one much more unique than the news portrays.  The photographer accomplished this purpose.
Rhetorical Devices: I would consider this picture ironic, because the picture looks like a normal cruise ship until you realize the reality of the event.  It also alludes to the fact that most people look at these cruise ships as perfectly safe on the water.  This event was a tragedy and very rare for our generation to see.  I chose this picture because it was so different from other pictures that are shown on the news.  It is a very unique perspective of ship and personally made me think about the event in a different way.

AOW #19: Cartoon

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/3ynBGp/www.portfolio.com/images/site/editorial/illustrations/2008/02/cartoon-fish-large.jpg/

Summary: This cartoon is a metaphor for current internet search engines.  The largest fish obviously represents google, a search engine that dominates the internet.  It is eating less popular search engines, in order to represent a pond's food chain.
Author/Source: I found this cartoon on Stumbleupon, and you cannot easily see the artist's name on the cartoon.  Because of this it is possible that the cartoon is not from a reliable source, and the ideas it portrays are wrong.  However, it does look like a cartoon that would be shown in newspapers and magazines.
Context: This cartoon is clearly depicting the overwhelming power of google over other search engines.  People in society today would most likely say that they use Google over other websites and google has definitely become the largest.  The artist plays off of that in that the largest fish (Google) overwhelms all the other wesites' fishes.
Purpose: The author must have wanted to make fun of google's power compared to other websites.  In a way it is making fun of the other smaller websites because they have been eating by Google, and have no chance at ever being as large or powerful as Google is.  The author accomplishes this purpose.
Rhetorical Elements: This cartoon alludes to the idea of fish and the food chain, which represent the websites.  In this way it also appeals to communal memory, because someone who did not know about the food chain would not understand the humor in this cartoon.  One also has to know what Google, Microsoft, AOL, and Yahoo are.

Unit 3 Reflection

For years societys have stuggled to reach perfection.  Even today in some of the most wealthy and advanced nations, the relationship between government and it's people is not flawless.  While I realize that society will probably never be flawless, this unit has helped in recognizing the duties of leaders and the duties of those who they lead in order to benefit everyone.  Writers such as Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton have influenced society in trying to maintain equality and balance between the government and people.
Thomas Jefferson, a founding father of the United States, not only insisted on separation from British rule in his Declaration of Independence, but also set the stage for our new democratic country.  He stated ideas that the duty of the government was to allow people to be free and persue their own goals.  Jefferson's document is still legitmate today, and since written has become a basis for the rights of American people and our government's expectations.  By refusing to be controlled by a tyrant king, The Declaration of Independence complied with duties of the government and in return, the American people made our country one of the most powerful and wealthy in the world.
Martin Luther King Jr. lived during a time when the American government did not fulfill duties that a government should.  Before the civil rights movement, black citizens were treated as inferior peoples because of their skin.  King points out this inequality in his speech I Have a Dream when he juxtaposes how he "dreams" American American people should be treated in order to stress the repression of his people.  The government was supposed to protect the rights of all citizens, no matter what race.  Failure to do so resulted in protest by those who believed in equality and natural rights.  Had the government provided African Americans with liberty and protection, there would have been no outrage or protest by citizens like Martin Luther King.
Another oppressed group in American history was women.  Even before the foundation of the country, women were looked down upon as a week gender although they contributed as men did to society.  Recognizing that women should have rights from the government, Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote a speech to women gathered at the Seneca Falls convention.  In this speech Stanton references Jefferson's Declaration of Independence to show how the nation was founded on equality and the government's duty to it's people.  From reading this speech, I believe that Stanton based the entire speech about how women's rights were ignored by the government.  Much like the civil rights movement, people complained.
Overall, this unit has opened my eyes what makes up a well-functioning society.  As a citizen, I have a duty to obey the rules of the government, and in return, they have a duty to protect and provide me with personal freedom and opportunity.   These writers, Jefferson, King, and Stanton, have written pieces that show what happens when a government is oppressive.  In order for society to maintain a structured system, there must be a balance.  This has made me recognize not only when the government is demanding, but when the people are being unjust to the government as well.

IRB #18: Poem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY&feature=share

Summary: This poem attacks organized religion, and reveals how contradicting it is of God's will, as portrayed in the bible.  The poem is very causal, as tension has risen with the unjustness of the church and it's followers.  The author, Jefferson Bethke, writes this poem to proclaim his faith not in the church, but in Jesus.  This poem makes one reflect on what God really wants, and how organized religion actually defies God and his son, Jesus.
Author/Source: This poem was written by Jefferson Bethke, a 20-year-old who then made a video and posted it to youtube.  While he may just be an average guy, his video has been viewed over 2 million times, and his powerful message has been spread through social networks.  
Context: The context of this poem is the wrongfulness of organized religion.  Bethke points out how the church is quick to point out sinners and those who struggle, yet praise Jesus, who was an outcast of religion himself.  The exigence for this poem has occurred for thousands of years, as religion has caused war but promotes peace.  Bethke appears fed up with organized religion and writes the poem to explain what he thinks is actually morally correct.
Purpose: I believe that Bethke wrote this poem in order to show a blinded society how contradicting the church really is by referencing the bible and history.  He also writes this poem to explain his own beliefs, and then justifies them.  He definitely achieved this purpose, as his poem is convincing and has spread to many young people through the internet.
Rhetorical Devices: This poem is both logical and credible.  Bethke looks not at religion emotionally, but  uses logical examples of how it is contradicting of God's will.  He questions, "why does it build huge churches, but fails to feed the poor" which makes an audience realize that this is extremely true.  By appealing to one's logic and by quoting Jesus, he is able to make an extremely powerful argument against organized religion.  The entire poem also juxtaposes the actions of the church and the bible to stress how much religion differs from God.  

AOW #17 IRB

Summary: This portion of Decoded is the final third of my IRB book.  In this section, Jay-Z (the author) inspirations for his more recent music.  He discusses issues such as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the election of Barack Obama as inspiration for his music.  He also talks about how fortunate he has been, and choses to give back to those who come from unfortunate circumstances such as his own.
Context:  The context of this section is life recently for Jay-Z and how he has come to adjust to fame, and how his music has grown.  You see his music and lyrics change with his lifestyle and experiences.  The exigence of this is to wrap up Jay-Z's life and give an overall reflection of his life.
Purpose: As said before, this final section was to wrap up Jay-Z's life as an artist and conclude his story with who his is today because of his past.  He discusses current issues he is facing with music and producing, and his plans for the future.  He also reflects on how music has changed his life.
Rhetorical Elements:  This section was personally much easier to relate to.  Having experienced events that Jay-Z raps about, I feel extremely connected to what he is saying, which I'm sure many other readers also experience.  In this way he appeals to one's memory, and gives a reader more insight to his music and the events he raps about.  I feel that this section was also appealing to logic because this section was all based on current events and the aftermath in the media.
I overall really enjoyed this book, even though at times it felt I could not relate to Jay-Z because he obviously lives very differently from myself.  I found the book very interesting, and found myself searching his songs and understanding his lyrics, which I never had any insight to before.