Thursday, July 23, 2015

Assessment Two

1.                  Identify the nature of proof in Frank's monologue, siting evidence he used in Charlie's defense.

Frank’s ethos was based off of the fact that he was a retired military service member. When he addresses the court it is as though he feels like they have no authority and shouldn’t even be talking to Charlie. Frank’s character is manifested through every word he says in his obvious contempt of the court system in which he is taking part of. He builds up Charlie, and in the process tears down the rest of the school along with George. This makes him a person that others wish they could emulate. My favorite part was when the “douche bag” that was mediating the hearing said “Excuse me” and Frank told him “I don’t think I will”. Having the ability and courage that Frank showed was pretty amazing and he let the people know what kind of man he is and further establishes his ethos.

He briefly touches on his pathos and for a second talks about the man he used to be, as if he is less of a man now that he is old and blind. This induces some pity for the man he used to be. At the same time, I don’t think that changed the way that he is viewed. He is a man of integrity and shows it by standing up for Charlie when no one else seemed to care what would happen to him.

Frank does a good job in playing on the logos of what the schools principles are and what standards the school used to hold. He goes on to explain that they are no longer upholding those principles anymore but encouraging dishonest and spineless practices. As Frank explains that they are going to ruin Charlie’s life for nothing and they are producing a bunch of sheep that and a place that he calls “a rat ship…a vessel for sea going snitches”.



2.                  Of the four styles of dramatic or vicarious proof, which did Frank exploit to turn attitudes around about Charlie? How did this style function in terms of reason?

The strongest style of proof that was brought up was Frank’s personal narrative in which he gives background and an example of himself choosing right from wrong and did not make the right choices because they were “too damn hard.” His comparative reasoning helps us to understand that not everyone is perfect but can still be great men. He also uses testimony on behalf of Charlie saying that “he has come to the crossroads and has chosen the right path”. He also testifies that Charlie has integrity and character when he states “he won’t sell anybody out to buy his future” and that is the stuff that leaders should be made of.



3.                  What cultural myths or images were employed to increase the appeal of Frank's argument? How did this influence his attempted shift of opinion?

The presence of conspiracy was very prevalent in this clip from the movie. The whole argument is based off of the fact that the Baird school is corrupt and that the institution has degraded past its usefulness. He then asked them to consider what the worth of his soul was and how it would affect Charlie for the rest of his life. I think that it made the difference in shifting the opinion of the board to actually consider the ramifications of what expelling Charlie would have. I also saw the value of challenge brought up when he asked them to consider that they held the future of Charlie in their hands. This coincided with what he told them about the value of his soul, and that it was at stake. Then to solidify the emotional connection, he informed them that their decision could destroy Charlie’s soul.


4.                  Which of Reich's parables apply or applies to Frank's reasoning?

There is potential for all of Reich’s cultural parables in this example. The one that was used to strike first was the rot at the top. The whole argument starts with the idea that the institute has a fallen moral compass and that the people leading are not fit to do so. He chastises the institution for having a set of standards that are no longer being followed because they are not enforced or seemingly encouraged. You could see the disdain for the person mediating the court proceedings and wanted to teach him a lesson of how to be an actual leader. He then made reference to the types of leaders their corrupt system was sending out into the real world.


5.                  What was Frank's reasoning in terms of logical appeal?

In this video I saw reasoning from a dilemma. The person who is presiding over the hearing expresses the idea of what he thinks the school is and maintains the thought that if you are not going to tell us what happened then you are not part of us. He tries to almost guilt trip Charlie into giving away his integrity for something that he doesn’t believe in. He then gives Charlie a choice that he can either tell him what he wants to hear or be expelled from the school. He forces the dichotomous situation on Charlie as if those are his only two options. He is only trying to get what he wants through means of manipulation in one of the most unethical scenes I have ever witnessed and shows how weak he is in the process.  

6.                  How did Frank's paralinguistic’s impact his expression and the meaning of his words? Please give specific examples – three will do.

1.)    The way that he sits back for the first half of the trial as if he doesn’t think what they are accusing Charlie of carries any weight. Then nonchalantly accuses the whole proceedings to be “bull shit”.
2.)    Another is when he stands and becomes aggressive because he feels like they are not listening to what he is saying. He commands attention from the audience and board members to hear what he is saying by raising his voice and using some profanity to execute a point.

3.)    I think that the inflection in his voice gives away to some aggressive nature that Frank has had, probably from his military service. He lets them know he is a commanding presence in the room and that he WILL be heard. He keeps talking about Charlies “soul” and that they have charge over it in this instance but “it will not be bought”. 

Wednesday, July 15, 2015


Topic: How military service prepares and gives you a sense of direction in all aspects of life.

Specific Purpose: To understand and re-establish the values our nation was built upon by using military service as a base.

Thesis Statement: Everyone should serve in the military because you will learn our nation’s values of LDRSHIP, you gain skills that future employers are looking, and you will gain life experience all while getting paid to do so.

I. Introduction
A. Attention-Getting Step: Personal Story about how I came to my decision to join the military.

B. Tie to Audience: Almost everyone knows someone who is, or who has served in the military.

C. Credibility Material:
These are the Values that you learn during your first days in service. They are something that you never forget because of their importance.


II. Body

A. Main Point #1
We need a value system that is widely accepted as a norm across multiple cultures.

1. (Statement of Need for Action).
It is up to us to instill these values and help our country follow them if we are to remain strong as one nation. The Army Values give us those core beliefs that our founding fathers built this country on.

a. (Description of Problem).
The younger generation that is coming up, as my drill instructor used to say, “is softer than baby shit!”

b. (Signs, Symptoms, Effects of Problem).
The effects are that we become weak as a nation and lose the freedoms we love so much to a government that will dictate over us.

c. (Example, Narrative, or Testimony).
When I was a range NCO for a training, and a soldier said he was scared to fire his weapon!


B. Main Point #2
On the job training and experience in working as a team.

1. (Statement of Need for Action).
Our nation ranks 14th for education among the 1st world countries. Part of that is lack of interest of people attending schools and not giving 100% in learning all they can.

a. (Description of Problem).
Top things employers are looking for. Employers right now are very specific in what they are looking for in a new employee and it’s clear that we are not delivering because they have been asking for it for over a decade.

b. (Signs, Symptoms, Effects of Problem).
Some signs are rejection of applicants due to no experience where it is needed.

c. (Example, Narrative, or Testimony).
That is a reason why the military saw an influx of people joining even during war time.

C. Main Point #3
Getting to travel and meet new people while figuring out your direction in life.

1. (Statement of Need for Action).
People need to get out get involved with different cultures and events to figure out what they like to do. If you love what you do for work, you’re never really working!

a. (Description of Problem).
The upcoming generation doesn’t know what they want to do with their lives. They are not making good decisions based on the limited life experience they have.

b. (Signs, Symptoms, Effects of Problem).
People switching jobs many times in their life.

c. (Example, Narrative, or Testimony).
I personally had over 7 jobs from the time I was 18 till I joined the Military.


III. Conclusion

A. Summary

B. Tie Back to Attention-Getting Step: All of these things have helped me to become the person I am today. Someone that is marketable with many life experience and the ability to work with a team.

C. Call for Action: If you’re seeking opportunities to be a better member of society, have job experience, and travel the world for free then joining the military is the right move for you.

Bibliography

Adams, Susan. (2013). The 10 Skills Employers Most Want in 20-something Employees. Forbes Magazine.                            14 Jan 2015. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/10/11/the-10-    skills-employers-most-want-in-20-something-employees/


The Army Values. Retrieved from http://www.army.mil/values/index.html

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Post #3 – Reich

The artifact that I have chosen is Hillary Clinton’s response to the email debacle when she served as the Secretary of State.


This is a unique story because I feel like it encompasses all of Reich’s cultural parables. Working down the list I will try and explain my reasoning for each one. Throughout all of them are each of the process premises of the people’s needs, emotions, our attitude towards her policy, and the lack of consistency in her speech.

Mob at the gates: From this parable there is a multitude of people calling for her head due to the implications of her potentially committing several crimes and legally committing several crimes as well. There are numerous people that speak out in objection to her decisions and want some answers. Rightly so because of the nature of her job, there were some national security problems which her choices caused. The misleading and lack of information given to the people caused an uproar that would be hard to extinguish. The American people felt as though they were betrayed and lied to and a vast majority, felt like they could not trust her or her motives behind her actions.

The Triumphant Individual: Although Hillary is not considered to be “the little guy” she received a lot of grief over her poor decisions as secretary of state, and still came out of her seemingly apparent failure as a presidential candidate. As my dad used to say, “How do some people fall in a pile of shit and come out smelling like a rose?” I think that even though she made some very wrong choices it didn’t affect her as some initially thought. She is still a very powerful woman and is in the running for a presidential slot (which scares the hell out of me).

The Benevolent Community: This one is interesting to me. After all of her scandal and crap that was being thrown at her, Hillary still had a huge populous rally around her and tell her how great she was and give her props for apparently committing a crime and getting away with it. It somehow gave her some sort of “street credibility” if you will. She has a large following that will support her through just about anything it seems.

Rot at the Top: This is where I see Hillary shine. To me she is a cancer that needs to be removed. She has gained much ground in the past years leading to her again presidential race through a midst of her failure after failure. She gets Americans killed in Benghazi, lies about emails in her personal account and discards each of them as if they were just a simple mistake like leaving the bathroom light on. However, she is too powerful, wealthy, and public to have anything happen to her. She, and people like her are what is wrong with our country. Getting away with things is an art to them that can easily be mastered in the eye of the public.


Not that my opinion counts for much, but I would like to see her in prison right next to Obama and John Kerry. Her persuasion techniques might work on people who don’t know any better but I am not one of them. She speaks through both sides of her mouth and never clearly gets to her stance and views on what is asked of her. I would rather let Donald Trump’s hair be president over Hillary Clinton. Also, sorry this is so damn long!

Monday, June 29, 2015

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.


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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.  

  1. 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.  

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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. 

Monday, June 22, 2015

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. 


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.