Post #2 - Larsen

I have chosen the Ted talk from Sir Ken Robinson to identify one of Larsen’s Cultural Images and Myth’s. In this presentation he expresses the need for creativity in the nation’s youth and questions whether or not the education system is killing that creativity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY&list=PL70DEC2B0568B5469

Looking at this Ted talk from Larsen’s Value of Challenge standpoint, Robinson speaks very directly about the problems that our education system has had throughout the last 100 years or so. He speaks about the types of challenges or learning disabilities that students may or may not have. At one point in his address he asserts that we don’t know what the future will bring. Even though we are changing things in our educational systems, we think for the better, he says we won’t know the impact they will have on us five years from now.

Robinson is seeing this problem as an opportunity for learning and a way to use it for change. Throughout his entire speech he uses humor and logical reasoning to persuade the viewer that what he speaks is the truth. He takes a very large problem with today’s educational system and speaks about it clearly enough so that anyone listening can understand and agree with.

He made a point at 8:45 to talk about every education system in the world having the same hierarchy of the subjects with math and science being top of the list. This shows that we are stifling the creativity that some people show at an early age for something that is more “useful” like math and science. I think of our everyday lives and how much math and science that I use. Now I wish that my parents would have made me stay in piano or guitar lessons or something to keep me from being narrow minded about the arts.

This speech talks about all of the process premises starting with emotional security. He almost goes through them all using the story of Gillian Lynne as an example. The most prevalent one, in my mind, being beliefs and opinions. The part where he talks about leaving the room and turning on music to see what Gillian would do changed the idea of what her mother thought she should be. This caused a complete change in direction in her life which most likely led to her success as a dancer and choreographer.

Every aspect of his talk brought out emotional responses to me personally because of the way I feel like I was engineered from grade school to be the type of person I am today. I often wonder what I would be doing if I wasn’t steered into a certain direction rather than letting me find my own path. 

Assessment One - "God Made A Farmer."

1. Identify what you feel are the ethics of the presentation. What does the narrator lend to its ethics?  

I think this commercial is trying to bring back the ethics of the original American dream using symbolism. The choice of radio personality used coupled with the idea of farming to earn your keep and the dodge ram as part of our booming industry. It creates an idea of the ethics that we once had as a society. One of the things that I thought was interesting is that the ethics of the farmer themselves was a bit questioned if they didn’t drive a dodge truck. Almost suggesting that you’re not really a farmer at all if you’re driving any other vehicle. The ethic of farming itself was driven home by all of the description that was given of what a farmer does and how he works his whole life much harder than regular folk. With the dodge truck as an ending focal point to all of the commentary, to me it suggested that the work is either worth it or somehow made easier by having that vehicle and with that truck a farmer can accomplish anything.

2. Identify central and peripheral route attempts of the film. 

The central route of the film was God or religion and the farmer. Those same phrases were repeated multiple times throughout the clip and kept being said right up to the end. The author kept trying to tie those two points to the dodge truck. The peripheral route attempts were things like hard work, family, caring and love. There were many descriptive parts of the commentary that drilled home all of these concepts to the audience. Once again these sound a lot like the core beliefs of the American dream.

3. Define the proofs - pathos, logos, and ethos - that function in the narrative.

Pathos – In this video there are many emotional comments that make you almost feel bad for the farmer because of all he has to do and the respect that he deserves but is not given because they are almost a dying breed. It shows the qualities that a farmer has of a really amazing work ethic but one that we fail to recognize. It also draws on our emotions with the dying colt or the broken leg of a meadow lark. All of these things create the pathos of the farmer that we wish we could be like.

Logos – The logos in this commercial is a bit interesting because it doesn’t persuade me to buy a dodge. It makes me want to work harder and contribute more to our society by whatever means that I can. I understand what the commercial is trying to do, but the jump from being a farmer to buying a dodge is too much for me to grab onto. All of the logic is there for the farmer, what he does and who he is but the ties to the truck was weak for me.

Ethos – This was the strongest part of the commercial. Paul Harvey is a great radio personality and is great at articulating his words to draw out emotion. He is well respected and many people know who he is and his values.

4. Discuss the epistemic perspective of the proofs you've identified and how these function to reach the communicative effects of the film. 

I think that nearly everyone knows what a farmer is and what they do. I think that most people have a picture in their head of what a farmer looks like and acts like when they hear the term. However, I don’t think that people have the farmer that is depicted in this commercial pictured in their mind. I noticed that every time they showed or talked about how much a farmer works his butt off they also showed the family side and compassionate side as well. Those are sides of the farmer that we do not see. It shows us that they are humans just like everyone else and not just work machines. They communicate what a farmer really is very well.

5. Discuss the narrative perspective of the proofs you've identified and how these function to reach the communicative effects of the film. 

The narrative itself was a proof because of the way he talks in the commercial. With the repetition of the references to God, the way he tells the story almost like a preacher would in front of a congregation. He talks as though he is reading scripture based solely off the farmer. This is like him providing testimony of the product. He is relating what we all can understand to what we can all know if we invest in his words. The anecdote for the farmer is the dodge truck. Buying this machine will help ease the load placed on him and make everything feel easier.  

6. Identify one of Reich's cultural parables in the social and cultural context of the commercial.

One of Reich’s cultural parables that this commercial stresses is the triumphant individual. As stated above, the idea of the hard working farmer making a living and providing for his family while being a model American makes him a successful person in the community. He shows what can be done if you buy a sweet truck and put it to work with your family beside you. He is the type of person people want to emulate and become because of his integrity and compassion he shows others.  

7. Discuss how any of Marwell & Schmitt's Taxonomy of 16 Influences relate to the commercial's objectives. What are the objectives?

You could write the whole paper on just the 16 influences of Marwell & Schmitt’s taxonomy. Just to pick a few, the ones that stood out most to me were the reward / punishment. Where the author speaks to the awesome nature of a farmer. He is so awesome in fact that it was on the eighth day in which God made a farmer. The objective here is to show how needed farmers really are. Without them we would all die of starvation and have no one to observe when it comes time to learn how to work.

Another one of the 16 influences that caught my attention was the moral appeal. You couldn’t possibly disagree with God making a farmer because it was approached as doctrine. The author himself was a well-respected radio personality who no one would suggest had any moral imperfections. The objective here was to establish credibility of the topic and correlate them to the vehicle manufacturers credibility so that it was unquestionable therefore causing no doubts in the capabilities of the dodge truck. Or in other words, vehicle sales and marketing.

8. Apply how the motivational process premises (remember, there are four) create the appeals presented in the commercial.

Needs – From the needs premise the reassurance of worth was a big part of what the commercial spoke about. The only thing that it talked about was how amazing farmers were and how much we needed them. This gives them an overwhelming sense of worth.

Emotions – There was a huge sense of pride and happiness that was associated with the lifestyle that the farmer led. It painted a perfect picture, even though there were sad parts like the dying colt, of how fulfilling the life of a farmer is.

Attitudes – At first glance this commercial spoke nothing but good things to me as the viewer because of all of the positives that it eluded to. I share many of the same beliefs and opinions as Paul Harvey was describing. As I watched it many more times, I got somewhat annoyed because of the ideals the author implied. Not everyone shares the same standards, morals and views as those expressed in this commercial. It may even be offensive to some.

Consistency – This goes along with what I was saying about its potentially offensive material. It also implies that every farmer believes in God. This may create cognitive dissonance between the farmer and the truck manufacturer. Not good for all business.

9. From a "Needs" premise, which of Packer's compelling needs best relates?

The one that speaks out the most to me was a sense of roots. The whole idea of farming was a necessity when this country was formed. As people continued to head out west they began to settle in plots of land and begin their farms. Nothing could drive them away from the piece of ground that they called home. This gave them a place that they could have a family and instill their values into their children. Having roots grounded them and made the American dream a possibility.

10. From an "Attitudes" premise, what values are extorted visually to resonate within the attitudes, beliefs or opinions of the audience?  

The attitude of this ad is that farmers are what make this country great. They are the ones that do all the back breaking work that no one else will do. They make it possible for us to go to Walmart and have food to put on our tables. The beliefs are ones that are believed to be shared by society as a whole. One that revolves around religion and that trusts in God. The opinion is that if you do all of these things according to how the ad puts them, you will be able and worthy to drive a dodge truck. 

Post #1 - Fogg

After reading more about BJ Fogg's behavioral change model it can easily be applied to any of the advertisements viewed on television or internet ads. As I searched for an ad for this assignment, I noticed a common trend that revolved around the fitness world and sporting goods commercials. This one, however, stood out dramatically. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JnYcuRW_qo

Motivation: In this Nike ad, the ultimate motivation is explained as “greatness” or “to be great”. The whole idea of what greatness looks like is questioned in this commercial. We have a preconceived idea of what great people look like, especially when it comes to Nike commercials and the athletes they usually have appear. This young man brings a whole new view of what we perceive greatness to be.

Abilities: In this ad there is a trade-off of abilities because of the huge motivational factors displayed in the commercial. There is still a noticeable factor of the ability of this young man and his capabilities of running like he is. The motivational factor is this shows the determination his ability to complete the task he has given himself.

Trigger: The message in this ad are inspiring because we do not know what his trigger was to cause him to get out and run. We can speculate because of his weight and that he is unhappy because of it and that is what drove him to be motivated.

This commercial shows a great example of all the process premises as explained by Maslow and Packard. It has everything from reassurance of worth, to ego-gratification, creative outlets, sense of power, self-actualization, esteem, and belonging. Depending on how you view the ad, you could include other premises and what message it is trying to convey to its audience.

Needs: This commercial has amazing powers of persuasion because it is not a typical athlete that is out kicking ass on the field or in some gladiator arena. He is an average person that is trying to better himself and causing people to see him differently because of his motivation and dedication to himself. This is what is causing his “greatness”.  His attitude causes others to reflect upon their own lifestyle, choices and habits to determine if they are in the same category as the great ones.

The image that this ad explains is not the image that is shown. I find this to be a powerful motivator to those that believe they are doing “enough” and makes them want to be better. It almost guilt trips them into this though process. It also gives those that believe they cannot be great in any way, the hope and proof they need to be shown so they understand they can accomplish hard things just the same as anyone else.

Emotions: All of these points bring out the emotional state of us individually. For each of us it might be something different. For me it brought out a sense of pride. Not for me but for this individual that is setting a goal for himself and making it happen no matter what. He is daring to be great.

Attitudes: The beliefs and opinions of this young man are probably not shared with the rest of the running community that would blow right past him on the road. His attitude is no doubt a positive one and this causes the viewer to take his attitude into their hearts and adopt it as their own.

Consistency – Cognitive Dissonance or Consonance: This is a great example of someone who does not care what others are thinking about when they look at him. What he exudes is interpreted by the viewer as their own. However, he is not concerned. There are all three consonances involved in this ad, they are; reassurance of security, demonstration of predictability, and the use of rewards.

Because of all the motivating factors that are shown in this ad, I believe that it is powerful to everyone that sees it. This ad plays both sides of the field with its talk of greatness and how you can achieve that greatness because it is in everybody. Also, the choice of the idividual was critical in its motivation because of how he is shown. He does not give up, he does not quit.