Blog Posts
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008
"Animal Farm" Passage
This week's reading was a speech given in George Orwell's Animal Farm. The speech was given by Major, the lead pig on the farm. After doing some background research on the book I was able to understand what was going on better in this speech, which not to mention was a brilliant one. Major did a great job on addressing the rest of the farm animals in this passage. He was able to present the animals his argument by using the techniques and elements that make a great speech. I thought that by the end of the speech he really had persuaded the "comrades" to believe what he was telling them. The main reason that he was able to persuade his audience was due to his great use of supportive detail to all of his claims on how humans are bad. After reading this article, I was reminded of a movie that I saw a while back called Barnyard. I just felt like the movie Barnyard was based off of the book Animal Farm. I'm sure that there were some connections there, but I did notice that in Barnyard the leader of the farm is a cow and not a pig. I don't remember the movie real well, but after reading this passage it helped me realize where Nickelodeon got its idea for the movie. This passage was pretty entertaining for me, because I always love to read or watch animals talk in literature and movies. I think it is funny to see how each author or director portrays a different diction for the different animals. It really tells the audience what the author or director thinks about the animal's personality.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2008
Personal Testimony and Allusion
The word I am defining in my essay is "Love." Today I created my thesis statement which is, "Love can be seen as a dedicated commitment or passion towards a person or an object that an individual can't live without." I also decided that the audience I would be writing to would be a group of people who restrict love to only be shared with humans. I will be trying to show how love can be shared with almost anything!!! Also the fact that love is not just a feeling of affection or attraction, but it is a commitment and a passion that one feels for something or someone.
I have had a few personal experiences with love. First off I have experienced love with humans through my family and my girlfriend (of over three and a half years). This experience allows me to relate to the audience that I will be trying to persuade if you will. However, I have also experienced love with objects, such as my love for football. I love football so much that I got a tribal football tattoo on my right shoulder blade. This tattoo will be with me forever to remind myself of my love for the game of football. This experience goes to show my audience that it is possible to love objects, things, or even sports. It shows how my audience can have a dedicated commitment or passion for something that you can't be without other than just people. These experiences that I have described will allow me to relate to my audience and give them examples of love, while at the same time appealing to their values and emotions (Ethos and Pathos).
I may use an allusion to love from the movie "Step Up 2." In the movie the main character, Andie loves dancing and she can't get enough of it. She cares so much about dancing that she attends a school that she hates and she gives up all of her friends in order to continue to dance. This relates to my essay because it shows how people can love things other than just people.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2008
Meaning Essay Post #2
I feel like I kind of already did this assignment by writing about the commercial that I will be writing about in my blog post for Tuesday. However, I did get some new ideas on ways to make a better argument and how to create a better essay. So, you can compare this post to the one that I made on Tuesday to see how I view this commercial differently now.
The personal testimony that I have that relates to this commercial is that I was once a young and immature teenage boy that needed help being "cool". Unfortunately, a body spray isn't going to make you an instant stud. There is more to being "cool" than just smelling great. Although I have tried this body spray by Old Spice and admit that it is pretty good smelling, it isn't going to change the person that you are. I honestly believe that no nonliving object has the capability to change how you are.
In order for me to inform you of my counter argument you probably need to know a little background on my argument. Basically, I will be focusing on the fact that Old Spice uses a logical fallacy to get you to buy their product. They do this by making you think that their product will transform you into a stud.
My counter argument is that this body spray by Old Spice, entitled "Swagger" will give you a pleasant smell. As I touched on in my personal testimony, this is a great scent. If you wear this body spray you may have a couple people come up to you and ask you what cologne you are wearing, or tell you that you smell nice. This is making you more popular in public, which is what Old Spice is portraying in their commercial, but on a much smaller level. This is the positive from the body spray, but like I said it isn't going to change you as a person.
* This is the other new commercial that Old Spice came out with for "Swagger". Just to let you know.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2008
Iron Man
When Tony Stark, the head of a weapons manufacturer, is captured by a Middle Eastern power, he must use his own technology to escape. His imprisonment allowed him to learn a lot about his company and himself. In turn he wants to make a difference, and for the first time in the company's history do what is ethical. So Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey, Jr., uses some of his old inventions to make a state of the art suit in order to set things right. In this new addition to the Marvel Comics movies, Robert Downey, Jr. uses action and humor to entertain audiences of all ages, in what many are calling the best movie of summer 2008.
I absolutely enjoyed this movie. I liked it so much that I actually watched it twice in the movie theaters. In my opinion this movie tops all other Marvel Comics movies (including Spider-Man). It has the right amount of humor to keep you entertained, but it is the action packed scenes that make this movie great. Who wouldn't want to see a movie with a man flying around and using sonic blasts to make things right in the world. This is one of those movies that have you wondering when you leave the theater, "What if I could do that?"
*Here is a little info on Iron Man.*
