pg. 269-284 summary

We encounter and take part in hundreds of arguments everyday, from disagreements with friends to the posters you see telling you to join this club or support this cause. In rhetoric, argument "refers to any way that human beings express themselves to try to achieve a certain purpose." Arguments are situated in different contexts, so what is persuasive in one culture are not in another. For example, Martin Luther King Jr's "Letter from Birmingham Jail." His argument does not change, but the interpretation of it does across time and culture. The effectiveness of an argument also varies depending on the context and audience. It is important that we understand how arguments work and how to make arguments of our own because they are so important and we encounter them so often. It is crucial that we think carefully about the arguments we are presented with. We should consider the source of the argument-where it is coming from and who is saying it. Get to the heart of the argument by looking at the facts, the issue, why it matters, and what actions should be taken. Figure out the claim of the argument-what is it stating and how is it saying it.

pg. 70 "Think About Your Writing"

My advertisement analysis essay for English is about the portrayal of women in the media and how the ad industry advertises to women. This is a topic that matters to me, is part of a larger national conversation on beauty and advertising, and I think that my motivation for writing is clear- to analyze how advertisements for women use tactics to make them feel that they are not good enough the way that they are, and that is why they need the advertised product/service to make them beautiful. They play on women's insecurities (about themselves and their bodies) and their desire to be beautiful in order to sell products. These ads for beauty products always feature young, beautiful women that have been airbrushed, retouched, and edited to perfection. Advertisers are counting on consumers to not think about all of the behind the scenes editing that goes into these ads, and to just focus on their aesthetic appeal, which will make them want to buy the product. Celebrities are also often in the ads, which is an effective advertising technique because people want to be like their favorite celebrities and use the products they do.  My position is clearly that these advertisements set unrealistic, unachievable, and unhealthy standards and expectations of beauty that women and girls endlessly strive to achieve.

pg. 69 "Yes, We Can" Video

Overall, I thought that the video was inspiring and motivational. The argument would not have been nearly as effective if it weren't in the form of the video. Yes, the words of the speech are powerful, but it is important to see the facial expressions of Barack Obama and the celebrities when they talk, and also how the crowd at Obama's speech reacts. Personally, I didn't find the addition of the music and singing to be more powerful than if the celebrities were just talking. I think the video would have had the same effect without the music, But, I did find the voice-overs to be powerful because they show that the "yes, we can" message applies to everyone and it made the message more personal than if the whole video was just Barack Obama delivering the speech. The singers and actors give the video a celebrity endorsement, making it more powerful. People who are fans of Will. I. Am., John Legend, Scarlett Johansson, and Kate Walsh will see them in the ad and think that if they are voting Obama, they should as well. Flashing the words "hope", "yes, we can" and then at the end "vote" add power to the video and message because they inspire people.

Taking Stock

1. I started by looking at the ad (the things/people in it, where they were placed, the text etc.) and then thinking about how that contributes to the overall message and effectiveness of the ad. This was really the only method I used, as I found it the most helpful.

2. After I chose my advertisements, I took each one, broke it down, and analyzed it. I mostly just free-wrote my thoughts. After I did this, I was able to look and see the connections between the ads, how they work together, and then draft an opening.

3. I think I organized my analysis fairly well. To make it easier to read, I could work on smoother transitions in between paragraphs.

4. Yes, I think I did provide sufficient evidence to back up my analysis. I could have maybe researched more and cited an outside source.

5. I think I picked my ads well. They all work together to support my thesis.

6. I think my conclusion could still be improved, it is the weakest part of the paper.

7. Yes, I used my three ads and put the included them in the essay. They allowed the reader to actually see the ads that I am analyzing, so I can focus on the analysis instead of describing the ads. Simply describing the ads would have lost a lot of detail.

8. Other readers's responses gave me confidence in my essay. (that I was writing about something relatable and that the ads fit together well)

9. Next time I do an analysis, I would want to pick ads from different time periods to analyze the history and changes of advertising.

10. Yes, overall I am pleased with my analysis. I actually really enjoyed analyzing advertisements. It made me dig deeper and break apart all the ads that I am exposed to on a  daily basis to find out what they are saying and how they are saying it.

11. Breaking apart texts/ads to see what the messages are, analyzing effectiveness, and then being able to communicate my thoughts are all transferrable skills.

Collaborative Exercise 11.5.15

The ad appeals by having the picture of the puppy who is very cute and by asking the question Will you be my miracle? This communicates to the audience that they can help. Also, 60 cents is bolded, which shows how easy it is to help the animals. This appeals to reader's values because for only 60 cents  a day, why wouldn't you want to help these animals. We feel that the ad is targeting the general public, but if ASPCA was trying to target specific groups of people, they could change the animal and the text depending on their purpose. In another medium, the ad would not be as effective because you would not be able to see the picture of the puppy, which is the main focus point of the ad.

  This ad is irritating because it is for a fast food restaurant but she is eating a salad and a diet Coke. Also, her clothing and the position she is in does not apply to what the product is. It is sexist and demeaning because if she were a man, she would not be posed the way she is. You can barely tell what the ad is for because she is the main focus. The ad is trying to be sexual, but it is not appealing. If it were changed to appeal to a different audience, a different celebrity would be used and they would not be in a bed. The focus would be on the actual product vs who is representing it.

Old Spice Ad
The ad is meant to be funny and make you laugh. It is very fast paced and the man is very confident. At the end, it has the same sound as in every Old Spice commercial to make you remember the product. For a different audience, the dialogue would be different and he wouldn't start by saying "hello ladies". The ad would not be as effective if it were a print ad because there would be no dialogue, comedic timing, and as much detail. Overall, we thought it was funny and it gave the audience a positive impression of the product.

                                                            Works Cited
Hershey, Dillon. "Pet Euthanasia." You and the World Blog. Science Leadership Academy, 29 Nov. 2012. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.                                                  

"Kim Kardashian Plugging Carl's Jr. Chicken Salads." RSS. N.p., 22 Dec. 2009. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.                         

"Old Spice: "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like." Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.

pg. 62

I have taken a position on:
A discussion in my Spanish class
What kind of food we should get my dog
Things to do/where to go on my upcoming family trip
What my family should have for dinner
The changes I want to make in my ad analysis paper (what I think works best)
What shoes my friend should buy
Where my friend and I should meet to get together
What classes I want to take next quarter
What TV show I want to watch

Ad Analysis Rough Draft

Carmen Smith

English 101

Begert 

It is no secret that Americans are bombarded with advertisements everyday. They are on our televisions, in our magazines, on the radio, plastered up on giant billboards on our drives to work, and even on our Facebook pages. Most of the advertisements directed towards women are for products and services to make them beautiful, playing on the notion that every woman wants to feel beautiful. Their products promise to give you “red carpet ready hair”,  “a perfect beach body”, or to “get rid of that pesky cellulite.” The ads always feature young, skinny, beautiful women that have most likely been edited, airbrushed, and retouched to perfection. Ads like these tell women and girls that they are not good enough the way they are; they need these products and services to make them beautiful and to look like the models in the ads, which will in turn make them happy and successful.

For example, the Maybelline ad above for their new ‘dream satin liquid’ foundation promises perfect skin. The young woman’s skin is soft, smooth, and glowing. She has radiant blue eyes that happen to be looking right at you no matter where you are. The woman is wearing barely detectable traces of mascara and eyeliner to keep the focus on her skin and to show that the product is natural-like. Additionally, she is naked, wearing no jewelry, and her hair is back loosely. Maybelline is trying to convey that their foundation is so light and natural; it gives you perfect coverage without weighing you down.

            To the left of the model’s face is the text “Picture your dream skin without pores or flaws.”  The word ‘dream’ is slightly larger and in a different color for emphasis. Phrases in the description of the product like “air-whipped”, “seamless coverage”, “satin smooth finish”, and “picture perfection” are meant to stand out and catch the reader’s attention. With this ad, Maybelline has told women that their dream is, or should be, to have smooth skin with no flaws or blemishes and that this foundation will give them that.  The ad sets unrealistic and unachievable standards and expectations for the results of the product. The woman is very beautiful and obviously has perfect skin. However, this is due to clever editing and retouching, not the foundation itself. But, Maybelline uses this to play on women’s insecurities and desire to be beautiful to get them to buy the product.

Another example of an advertisement designed to make women feel as if they are not good enough the way they are is this ad for Quick Trim, a diet regimen for weight loss.

 

This particular ad features Kim and Khloe Kardashian, famous reality TV stars. Their big smiles and confident stance is designed to show women that using Quick Trim will make them proud of and happy with their bodies, just like Kim and Khloe are. They are both wearing tiny purple bikinis to show off their flat stomachs and visible abs, the advertised results from using Quick Trim.

            This ad aims to make women feel bad about themselves and their bodies so they will buy the product. The rhetorical question being the main way it does this. By asking “How hot can YOU be?” Quick Trim implies that you aren’t good enough the way you are and that you should be “hotter.” Women will see this ad, read that question, compare themselves to Kim and Khloe, and then feel bad about their own bodies. Quick Trim is counting on the ad triggering this negative response in order to make women feel that they need to diet, and therefore they need this product.  Quick Trim is exploiting women’s insecurities about their bodies to sell products.

            Another major component of this ad is the celebrity endorsement with the Kardashian sisters. Many women and girls are fans of the Kardashians, so seeing them dieting and using Quick Trim products will make them think that they should be too. The ad is using the Kardashians to show that if you use Quick Trim products, then you will have a great body and be “hot” just like them. Also, the phrase “Keep up with Kim and Khloe” is a play on words of the reality show ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’, but it also plays into women’s emotional desires to fit into society and to be as beautiful as the celebrities they admire.

            A more drastic ad that is also along these lines this one for The Shore Center, a plastic and reconstructive surgery clinic.

 

The woman’s face is split into what appears to be before and after pictures of a face procedure. The left hand side (before) of the woman’s face has bags under her eyes, wrinkles by her lips, flat lips, wrinkles on her neck, and an overall gray-ish tone to her skin. The right side (after) however, has glowing, vibrant skin, brighter eyes, lighter hair (with highlights), perfectly shaped eyebrows, no wrinkles, and full, plump lips. Everything about the woman has been enhanced, even things that plastic surgery cannot do, like the hair color, eyebrows, and eye color. The ad is trying to convey that after a cosmetic or reconstructive procedure, you are refreshed, a new person on the path to a happier life.

In this context, the phrase ‘Save Face’ has a double meaning. First, to avoid any humiliation of having your face, and your body, not being perfect. Second, to literally “save” your face from the effects of aging by having one of their procedures. The main text of the ad being just simply ‘save face’ is meant to make the audience think that the decision to get plastic surgery is a simple and necessary one, even though any surgery, let alone an elective procedure, is not a light decision and should not be made for you by advertisers. The picture of Dr. Mohit Sood is placed in the ad to give it a more personal touch. It is as if it is he telling you to have an operation from him. The text below has phrases like, “Defy the negative effects of time”, “newest, most advanced- and best- practice in the fields of plastic and reconstructive surgery”, “state of the art facilities, the most advanced surgical techniques, and superior outcomes” that are clearly there to convince people that The Shore Center is the best place to get a cosmetic or reconstructive procedure. For many people, their wrinkles and laugh lines are signs of a life well lived. However, in this ad, The Shore Center is explicitly saying that those are bad and should be defied, or erased. They have created another way for women to be insecure about their looks. Their solution for this insecurity is for you to undergo one of their “state of the art” and “advanced” procedures to fight aging and to be beautiful once again.

            The targeted consumers in the Maybelline, Quick Trim, and The Shore Center ads are all women.  Although they are for different products and services, their overarching message is the same, that you are not good enough how you are. You need the Maybelline foundation to have flawless skin, Quick Trim for the perfect body, and The Shore Center for surgeries to be more beautiful. They exploit women’s insecurities about their looks and bodies and their wishes to be beautiful and flawless. They set unrealistic, unattainable, and unhealthy standards of beauty that women and young girls endlessly strive to achieve.