Sunday, April 29, 2012

Welcome to Molly Dilts' E-Portfolio for LA101H


Welcome to my E-Portfolio! This blog will showcase my best work from this semester’s LA101H “Rhetoric and Civil Life” course. This work ranges from rhetoric analysis to my group multimedia project. This has been an extremely interesting course for me. We studied a combination of communication and English skills in order to develop an effective understanding of what rhetoric is and how it affects our lives.
First, I have developed a better understanding of effective speaking throughout this course. I was not aware that speeches should be structured in a certain way and include certain aspects in order to be as effective as possible. For example, I never put much thought into the introduction of a speech. I almost always relied on a quote or statistic as an opener, and then proceeded to state my thesis and quickly move into my first point. In LA101H, I learned that there are other points that must be included in order to present an efficient introduction, such as: the attention getter, why the topic is importance, establishing credibility, the thesis, and a preview of the main points. I also now understand that it is important to structure a speech very specifically. When giving speeches, my main points were usually not well defined, but presented in a jumble of information between the intro and conclusion. I thought point-by-point analysis was only important for writing. LA101H has taught me that structure is just as important to a speech as it is when writing an essay.
I also developed a better understanding of effective writing in this course. I always thought that I had a decent understanding of effective writing before this class. However, LA101H has helped to refine and contribute to my definition so that I now have a much better understanding of what makes writing effective. Learning how to analyze rhetoric in websites and other essays has taught me how to communicate more effectively in my own writing. I am now able to detect fallacies and certain emotional appeals when reading other work, which I can apply to my own writing. I have also learned of the importance of audience identification in order to write effectively. I almost always chose to write for a general audience before taking this course, because I did not know that it is far more effective to write with a specific audience in mind. I am now aware that in order to have a specific and effective message in my writing, I must first define whom exactly I am writing to.
Throughout this course we have looked at rhetoric and how it defines our lives. I could probably have not provided a decent definition of “rhetoric” if I had been asked before taking this course. I just mentally compared it to propaganda before this class, so the word held a negative connotation. I am very glad I have been able to better understand what exactly rhetoric means. I now understand rhetoric as “deliberative communication”, and define a broad range of things as rhetoric. We use rhetoric every single day, through the communication we have with others and through the messages we hear and see all around us. As I learned about rhetoric I came to finally understand the significance of ethos, pathos, and logos as they relate to communication. These were concepts that I was never previously able to fully comprehend when discussed in previous classes. Through examining all three of these through speeches, advertisements, and campaigns, I have been able to identify when they are being used and to what effect. This understanding has helped me to consciously apply them to my own writing and speaking in order to have my desired effect on the audience.
Overall, this course has taught me how to effectively communicate with the world around me. Learning about effective speaking and writing will assist me with analyzing the rhetoric I encounter and with the rhetoric I produce.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

A Rhetorical Analysis of "Freaks and Geeks"


Freaks and Geeks is a comedy-drama television series that was broadcast on NBC in 1999 and 2000. The show completed eighteen episodes, but was cancelled after only twelve had aired. The show has since developed a cult following, and placed on TIME magazine’s 2007 “100 Greatest Shows of All Time” List as well as ranking #13 on EW’s “Best Series of the Past 25 Years”. It is somewhat surprising that the show is not more well known, especially because it was the first step for many significant actors’ careers. Jason Segel, James Franco, Seth Rogan among many others got their start on Freaks and Geeks. After cancellation, the executive producer of the show Judd Apatow went on to produce many popular films such as The 40 Year Old Virgin, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Stepbrothers, among many others. The show focuses on the lives of Lindsay and Sam Weir as they attended high school in a Detroit suburb during 1980 and 1981. Through the experiences of Lindsay and Sam and their groups of friends, Freaks and Geeks presents universally resonant issues about self-identity and growing up that appeal to a very diverse audience.
The show was broadcast on NBC in 1999 and 2000. NBC’s lineup of comedy/drama shows (such as the Office, Friday Night Lights, and 30 Rock) is often aimed at a diverse audience by using universal humor and relatable characters. Freaks and Geeks fits NBC’s lineup in that the show was aimed at the same type of audience. The obvious audience for Freaks and Geeks would be teenagers and young adults, because the show focuses on high school kids and situations that teenagers would relate to. However, the show does not focus only on the teenagers. Freaks and Geeks also has many subplots featuring Lindsay’s parents and their problems with parenting, marriage, and running their own business. Their storyline would more likely be relatable and amusing to other parents of teenagers, so the show is directed to them as well. It is also significant that the issues that the characters face on the show have broad resonance beyond high school. Issues such as fitting in, making good decisions, and dealing with the consequences of bad decisions are universally important and appeal to a broad audience. The actual setting of the show expands the audience as well. The show is set in 1980 and 1981, and so it is very relatable for people who were young adults around that time. The costumes and characteristics of the settings can potentially be a source of nostalgia for viewers, so those viewers would be included in the potential audience. Overall, because of its relatable themes and universal humor Freaks and Geeks appeals to a large and diverse audience.
There are many different issues featured in Freaks and Geeks. There are reoccurring themes that appear in multiple episodes. Both Lindsay and Sam deal with many issues about growing up and fitting in.  The show begins right after Lindsay and Sam’s grandmother dies. Lindsay is particularly affected by her death, and begins to question religion, social structure, and her own path in life. She is an incredibly smart girl who had always found her friends in the Mathletes, but after her grandma’s death she begins to spend time with a different clique who her classmates refer to as the “burnouts” or “freaks”. Lindsay struggles with being friends with both them and her academically minded friends, and has trouble deciding where she specifically fits. Lindsay’s search for identity is a common issue on the show because she does not fit the mold of either clique, and many episodes focus on her attempt to find her place. In the episode “Tricks and Treats”, Lindsay agrees to drive around with her new friends on Halloween because she desperately wants to be accepted by them. The others decide that they want to throw eggs at passing Trick-or-Treaters, and even though Lindsay thinks it is mean, she does not want to go against the others. In fact, she begins to have fun until she unknowingly chooses her little brother as a target and pelts him with eggs before realizing who it is. Sam is furious with her, and Lindsay feels incredibly guilty. Later that night Sam angrily tells her, “Nobody thinks you’re cool, you know.” Lindsay sighs and replies, “Trust me, I know.” Lindsay has trouble deciding if being accepted by her new friends is worth hurting her family. She is an incredibly relatable character because her search for identity is something that many teenagers struggle with.
Lindsay’s little brother Sam often struggles with the issue of growing up. Sam only has two other friends, and their classmates refer to them as the “freaks”. As a freshman, Sam is about the size and build of a sixth grader and is often teased by his classmates because of this. Sam is very conflicted about growing up, because although he wants people to stop teasing him, he resists that he has to give up some of his childish interests because they aren’t considered “cool”. In “Tricks and Treats”, Sam decides that he wants to go Trick-or-Treating even though many people tell him that he is too old. When hearing of his plans, Sam’s dad rolls his eyes and says, “Sam, what are you doing? You're too old to go out trick or treating.” Sam goes anyways and he is disappointed when every house he visits also comments on how old he is. When Lindsay throws eggs at him, Sam is furious at her and calls her a “freak”. He sees his sister growing up while he remains the same, and it reinforces his resistance to growing up if it means changing. Sam is also a very relatable character because his issue of growing up is one that every person experiences.
            Specifically, Freaks and Geeks could be considered a commentary on teenage life in the early 1980s. There are things such as marijuana use and specific music that ties the show to its setting. However, because of its universally resonant issues, the show should be seen as a commentary on growing up and self-identity for any time period. The subject of teenagers growing up and finding their place is definitely not original, but Freaks and Geeks is deeper than many other shows with that focus. Although the show is funny, humor is not the show’s main goal. Instead, Freaks and Geeks aims for emotional resonance in the viewer, which results in a more realistic show. The show also makes a commentary on society through the expectations placed on the characters in the show. The show shows through Lindsay’s struggle that teenagers are expected to stick to the status quo, and that society resists people like Lindsay who do not fit a mold. Sam’s struggle is a commentary on society’s pressure for kids to grow up early and deny ‘childish’ pleasures.
Many people say that Freaks and Geeks was cancelled far too early. The show’s lovable characters, universal humor, and very relatable issues resulted in a large and diverse audience. Freaks and Geeks is an important piece of rhetoric because it provided many people with the realization that they are not alone.

Speech Analysis - Atticus Finch's courtroom speech


Atticus Finch's Closing Argument in the movie To Kill a Mockingbird 


Ethos – Atticus Finch is well respected throughout the entire town of Maycomb, Alabama. He is known for being dedicated to truth and justice, and he lives his life by doing what he believes is right. The townspeople know that Atticus is a good person, which increases his credibility. His position as a lawyer in a town also greatly increases his credibility, especially because there are not many people who have higher education in Mayfield. Atticus established further credibility during his speech with how he chooses to address the crowd. Atticus is very good at understanding who his audience is. He knows of the beliefs and prejudices that the people in his Southern town hold. Atticus addresses these directly in his speech, and challenges these notions, such as the idea that "all negros are immoral beings". Although even addressing these prejudices is taboo, Atticus does it in a respectful way by not addressing individuals but the entire town.

Logos – Atticus begins his speech with a logical appeal to the audience. He begins by saying that there was not enough evidence for the court to even come to trial, stating, “The State has not produced one iota of medical evidence that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place.” He continues to point out that the evidence shows that Mayella Ewell was beaten was beaten by someone’s left hand, whereas Tom Robinson is obviously right-handed. Stating these true and logical facts at the beginning of his speech is important, because it shows the jury the loopholes in the case and plants seeds of doubt right from the start. It is easier to appeal to emotion when the audience already has doubts.

Pathos – Atticus appeals to the audience’s emotions by painting a picture of Mayella Ewell as a weak, beaten woman whose only fault was kissing a man of darker skin. He evokes pity for Mayella at first, but then changes that by saying that Mayella’s action of putting Tom Robinson’s life at stake to hide her own guilt is unforgivable. Atticus then attempts to transfer the audience’s pity to Tom Robinson, who is the real victim in the courtroom. He calls out the so-called ‘witnesses’ for assuming that the jury would believe them just because of Robinson’s skin color. By doing this he appeals to the jury’s emotions by claiming that they are smarter than only judging on skin color. He addresses the racist preconceptions that the jury might have had and tells them they are better than that, making them feel guilty for the racism they may have felt. Atticus tells the jury he is sure that they will make the right decision, saying, “Now I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence that you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this man to his family.” He is putting additional pressure on them to make a choice based on facts and not on preconceived notions of race. He finally ends his speech with one last emotional appeal by bringing up religion. Atticus says, “In the name of God, do your duty. In the name of God, believe Tom Robinson.” He tells the jury that they are working for God by making the right decision, appealing to their religion, which is often a very effective appeal. Unfortunately, despite Atticus’ excellent credibility, and logical and emotional appeals, the jury of Maycomb cannot be swayed from their terrible racist views and finds Tom Robinson guilty.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

"The War on Women's Health": Group multimedia project reflection

"The War on Women's Health"





When we wrote down the issues we wanted to do for this group project, I put 'birth control' at the very top of my list. This is an issue that is extremely important to me. In fact, this is the main issue that I am concerned about when choosing who I will be voting for this coming November. I have been passionate about the availability of birth control for a while and I will continue to be until the issue is no longer debated and all women have easy access.

That being said, I really enjoyed this project because it gave me an outlet to express my frustration about recent policies and inform my classmates how extremely important this issue was. Using a script and recording my thoughts aloud instead of simply writing a paper made me even more passionate about what I was saying. Hearing someone's voice instead of just reading their words makes whatever is being said more personal, and therefore you can reach the audience on a closer level. At first I thought recording would just be a nuisance, but I was definitely surprised at how much I enjoyed it and how much more powerful it made the overall result.

I had thought that I was well-informed about birth control when I began research, but I actually had quite a lot to learn. Researching this topic opened my eyes to new information, especially the history of birth control regulation. Although I knew that birth control was not widely available in the past, I was not aware that the government has been trying to restrict its regulation since its very invention. I also learned more about the recent laws that have been proposed against birth control in states like Arizona. I had no idea how shocking and terrible some of these laws are. The information I learned when researching this project only fueled my interest. It made me even more passionate about ending the ridiculous regulations on birth control and making it available to all women. I am really glad I got the opportunity to create a video around this topic because of both the additional information I have learned and the realization of how effective recorded voice can be.

Visual Rhetoric and Argument





For my entry on visual arguments, I chose to analyze an ad campaign that ran in Germany in 2007. The campaign was for a company called "Jobsintown". There are 10 different ads that ran on the sides of machines such as ATMs, instant coffee/ice cream machines, jukeboxes, washing machines, and even airport security x-rays. The ads showed extremely realistic images of people cramped into the space of the machine working to produce whatever the machine provided. For example, the advertisement that ran on the side of the jokebox showed a man with a guitar and a microphone, and the ad on the side of the washing machine showed a woman handwashing clothes. The only words on the advertisement are "Das Leben ist zu kurz fur den falschen Job", or in English "Life's Too Short For the Wrong Job" with the company's website.




The advertisements definitely evoke a strong sense of pathos in the people who see them. In all of the ads, the person depicted looks exhausted and miserable while doing their job. People are likely to sympathize with the people in the advertisements because everyone understands being tired, especially at work. The realism of these advertisements are probably the biggest reason that they are effective. The pictures look so lifelike that viewers would probably feel pity for the worker shown on the ad even though they know that there is not actually someone inside the machines! The ability to evoke pathos in viewers is one way to tell whether or not the advertisement can be considered successful, and by that standard these ads would definitely be considered effective.

The ads would especially resonate with people who are not completely satisfied with their own jobs (this is after all the point of the campaign). Because they are so relatable, the ads do a great job at evoking emotion in onlookers and in conveying their intended message about bad jobs. They also cause people to reconsider their own jobs because of the emotion the advertisements evoke. This is very significant because this is the entire point of the ads. If the ads successfully make people reconsider their own jobs, then hopefully those people will then proceed to visit the website of the company. If those people do indeed visit the website, they will be generating traffic to the website and will hopefully use the website to find a new job. This will increase the revenue of the company, and the company will know the advertisements were effective. These advertisements actually were very effective as the company's website actually did see a dramatic increase in traffic after they were produced.

The tagline itself also does a good job contributing to the overall visual argument. This advertisement obviously relies mostly on the image of the worker in order to convey its message. However, the tagline is necessary in order to explain the purpose behind the image and to show the reasoning of the advertisement. The company decided to keep the tagline short, which was an excellent idea because it contributes to the image instead of distracting from it. In only 9 words the company is able to make the reader consider their own job, which is really impressive because it is such a simple phrase. I think the combination of the simple tagline with the realistic, extremely creative image has a significant effect. The viewer takes a lot away from only one image and 9 words. It is one of the best advertisements I have ever seen, because it is able to present a creative visual argument that makes the viewer think.