In approaching our research projects, I am not nervous in the slightest about the open-endedness of it all. Instead, it excites me. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to do a project for class on anything I want. It's so much better than the other project I'm working on currently - an essay arguing that philosophers are better than sophists. SNORE.
When the projects were first announced, and the rules - or lack of rules - established, I had almost too many ideas. Should we do a movie for the university? A small novel? Should we campaign for Obama by ironically campaigning for Palin? What about writing a song? Didn't the song "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" by Vampire Weekend start out as one of the band member's senior thesis? Am I asking too many rhetorical questions in an assignment for a class that repudiates the use of rhetorical questions?
I have a few ideas swirling around in my head, and one that I'm particularly keen on. (As if I would share it with you so you could steal it.) The challenge now is to force the ideas to settle down and calmly line up against a brick wall, so we can execute them one by one until only one is left alive. And then it's safe to assume that the lone idea will be uncooperative, seeing as all of his friends were just murdered by us, so the really difficult task is to get him to work with us in a friendly manner so that our research project will make everyone else in the class sob when they realize they are inferior.
This is a competition, right?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Quest for Greatness
When considering a research project, I always try to think big. I want to do something that has not been done before. The problem with that is it is very difficult to find something that was not already done, and it’s getting even harder. Students are getting more creative all the time. My greatest desire is to do something ground-breaking, but I would settle for something intriguing. Even to think of something intriguing is a difficult task in itself, especially for someone like me. I am incapable of making decisions in a timely manner. I sometimes have trouble deciding what to blog about.
Creating a research topic is hard enough with one person. Perhaps it could help to have three heads thinking about it, or perhaps it will be even harder to come together and choose one that we all want to do. I just nope that history does not repeat itself as it always does when it comes to group projects in a class. I find myself wondering if I will end up being jealous of every other group’s idea. Maybe this time will be different. This is my time to shine. Danny, Johnny and I are going to buckle down, get aggressive, and dominate this research proposal.
I feel like nobody really cares about what I’m saying right now. They are too busy worrying about their own projects. They don’t want to listen to me complain about how amazing I am incapable of being. The jokes on whoever reads this blog, I have just wasted some of your creative time. We’ve got an edge boys, let’s do this!
Creating a research topic is hard enough with one person. Perhaps it could help to have three heads thinking about it, or perhaps it will be even harder to come together and choose one that we all want to do. I just nope that history does not repeat itself as it always does when it comes to group projects in a class. I find myself wondering if I will end up being jealous of every other group’s idea. Maybe this time will be different. This is my time to shine. Danny, Johnny and I are going to buckle down, get aggressive, and dominate this research proposal.
I feel like nobody really cares about what I’m saying right now. They are too busy worrying about their own projects. They don’t want to listen to me complain about how amazing I am incapable of being. The jokes on whoever reads this blog, I have just wasted some of your creative time. We’ve got an edge boys, let’s do this!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Politics & Popular Culture
With the continuing advancements in technology, so grows the average man’s access to the world around him. Why not more than one hundred years ago, the average American would be lucky to get a daily, if not weekly paper that, other than hearsay and word of mouth, was his only connection to the outside world, and ultimately politics. Now with the numerous advancements in technology (such as T.V., the internet, blackberrys, etc.), a sea of information is now available within arms length, and a touch of a button. So to has politics become so easily available to us. And, as with anything that is easily accessible and widely used by a society, politics has merged with our pop-culture. I feel that this merger is accompanied with many pro’s and con’s.
One thing that I feel is gained through this merger, is that it can make politics more entertaining. Taking some of the stuffiness out of politics, I feel helps get people more interested with it, and hopefully in the end more involved. Another thing that is gained is the fact that in order to be in pop culture it must be simplified in order to hold people’s attention. Listening to, “The senator holding the floor sites Article VI, blah, blah, blah” is not going to hold the public’s attention. So pop culture simplifies politics in a way that more people can understand and relate to. Which also hopefully gets more people interested and involved in politics.
However, this is also a con of the merger of politics and popular culture, because of the power possessed by the media, to show its interpretation of politics, to the public. No matter what type of media you look at, whether it be a morning newspaper, an opinionated web page, or the evening news, chances are that an article will show a hint of bias in its report. Unlike days of old, when one of the only ways of knowing what a candidate had to says was through a public speech, we are constantly barraged by various types of media, suggesting what a person should or should not think. Unfortunately, this can have a profound effect on the non-observant viewer, who may not think carefully about what he or she may have just heard.
In the end of things, having politics and popular culture mixed together is like eating chocolate syrup and peanut butter. In small amounts, its delightful and satisfying. But, have a whole lot of it, and it can make you sick to your stomach.
One thing that I feel is gained through this merger, is that it can make politics more entertaining. Taking some of the stuffiness out of politics, I feel helps get people more interested with it, and hopefully in the end more involved. Another thing that is gained is the fact that in order to be in pop culture it must be simplified in order to hold people’s attention. Listening to, “The senator holding the floor sites Article VI, blah, blah, blah” is not going to hold the public’s attention. So pop culture simplifies politics in a way that more people can understand and relate to. Which also hopefully gets more people interested and involved in politics.
However, this is also a con of the merger of politics and popular culture, because of the power possessed by the media, to show its interpretation of politics, to the public. No matter what type of media you look at, whether it be a morning newspaper, an opinionated web page, or the evening news, chances are that an article will show a hint of bias in its report. Unlike days of old, when one of the only ways of knowing what a candidate had to says was through a public speech, we are constantly barraged by various types of media, suggesting what a person should or should not think. Unfortunately, this can have a profound effect on the non-observant viewer, who may not think carefully about what he or she may have just heard.
In the end of things, having politics and popular culture mixed together is like eating chocolate syrup and peanut butter. In small amounts, its delightful and satisfying. But, have a whole lot of it, and it can make you sick to your stomach.
Politics and SNL: A Retrospective; Or, An Excuse To Post Classic SNL Clips And Get A Grade For It
These days, politics and pop culture seem practically inseparable. Politicians regularly make the late night talk show rounds along with celebrities (John McCain's most recent appearance on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" preceded an appearance by Amber Tamblyn, who apparently is an actress or something), and millions of teenagers and young adults get the majority of their political news from political comedy shows, such as "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report." But the most influential aspect of this merging of politics and pop culture over the past 30 years has been "Saturday Night Live."
From its very first season, SNL has altered the political landscape through farce and mostly top-notch impressions. Even though Chevy Chase's Gerald Ford was a completely terrible impression (he didn't even attempt to alter his looks or voice), Chase managed to take one or two instances of clumsiness by the President and turned it into his defining characteristic through a series of dramatic falls and stumbles on the show. This was the first - and still one of the most important - instances of SNL shaping national politics. In his response to Chevy Chase's impression, Gerald Ford also shaped the way politicians should react to SNL's political satire. He laughed along with everyone else as Chase made him into a fool, even making a couple appearances on the show. In fact, in Ford's obituary, Chevy Chase's impression was mentioned.
Since that notable first impression, SNL has enjoyed a rich history of noteworthy political humor that often shapes the politican's image in the public's mind more than the actual politician does. The most recent example, of course, is Tina Fey's impression of Sarah Palin, which has been receiving an insane amount of press. Fey has managed to turn Palin into more or less an idiot who simply pretends to know what she is talking about while relying on pre-scripted talking points. The most important part of Fey's sketches is that many of her lines are actual quotes of Sarah Palin's, which are blended seamlessly with made-up quotes until the lines between satire and truth are completely blurred. Through her impression, Fey may have completely destroyed Palin's crafted image and credibility in the public's eye.
And now, because it's so entertaining, here is one of Tina Fey's appearances as Sarah Palin:
Although it is clear that SNL has had an impact on shaping the image of politicians over the past 30 years, it's hard to say whether that impact is positive or negative. Granted, SNL and other political comedy shows have brought politics to a level of public awareness that was once unprecedented, but they also have helped to reduce the political process to a series of caricatures. These days, many people base their vote on trivial things, such as which candidate is more likable, or who Oprah tells them to vote for. This has gotten more people to vote and get involved in the political process, but whether or not that end result is worth the lack of substance is up for you to decide.
And now, one more video. This time, a classic:
From its very first season, SNL has altered the political landscape through farce and mostly top-notch impressions. Even though Chevy Chase's Gerald Ford was a completely terrible impression (he didn't even attempt to alter his looks or voice), Chase managed to take one or two instances of clumsiness by the President and turned it into his defining characteristic through a series of dramatic falls and stumbles on the show. This was the first - and still one of the most important - instances of SNL shaping national politics. In his response to Chevy Chase's impression, Gerald Ford also shaped the way politicians should react to SNL's political satire. He laughed along with everyone else as Chase made him into a fool, even making a couple appearances on the show. In fact, in Ford's obituary, Chevy Chase's impression was mentioned.
Since that notable first impression, SNL has enjoyed a rich history of noteworthy political humor that often shapes the politican's image in the public's mind more than the actual politician does. The most recent example, of course, is Tina Fey's impression of Sarah Palin, which has been receiving an insane amount of press. Fey has managed to turn Palin into more or less an idiot who simply pretends to know what she is talking about while relying on pre-scripted talking points. The most important part of Fey's sketches is that many of her lines are actual quotes of Sarah Palin's, which are blended seamlessly with made-up quotes until the lines between satire and truth are completely blurred. Through her impression, Fey may have completely destroyed Palin's crafted image and credibility in the public's eye.
And now, because it's so entertaining, here is one of Tina Fey's appearances as Sarah Palin:
Although it is clear that SNL has had an impact on shaping the image of politicians over the past 30 years, it's hard to say whether that impact is positive or negative. Granted, SNL and other political comedy shows have brought politics to a level of public awareness that was once unprecedented, but they also have helped to reduce the political process to a series of caricatures. These days, many people base their vote on trivial things, such as which candidate is more likable, or who Oprah tells them to vote for. This has gotten more people to vote and get involved in the political process, but whether or not that end result is worth the lack of substance is up for you to decide.
And now, one more video. This time, a classic:
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
You See, the Thing About Rhetoric....
In my opinion, there are a great deal of advantages that can be gained by being well versed in rhetorical analysis. First off, it offers you an opportunity to review something that you may or may not agree with, and look at it under a magnifying glass. While analyzing a piece, not only are you able to evaluate how effective it is as a piece of rhetoric, but you’re also able to take it in and form your own opinion on the topic that they are presenting to you.
Another advantage to analyzing other people’s rhetorical pieces, is that it prepares you to pick apart other people’s arguments. Once you’ve practiced picking apart someone’s statement, it will be much easier for you to find the errors in someone else’s argument after practicing it a few times. Lets say that you are in a debate with a friend of yours, after the things that we’ve practiced, if they state a logical fallacy, you will be able to more efficiently pick through the contradiction, and form a witty response that will support your own cause, or help them strengthen their own cause. Also, you can always make you and your point sound more well founded, if you say something to the effect of, “You sir, are using scare tactics to excel your views.” Just simply being able to practice to find out what is wrong with a written piece, helps one find out what is wrong, on the spot, with what is coming out of someone’s mouth, while preparing their own rhetorical appeal.
Analyzation of another’s rhetoric can also make you a better rhetorician yourself. As is true with any learned skill, not only does practice make perfect, but so does watching the winners and losers of that skill, learning from their trials and tribulations. So to with rhetoric, by judging the strengths and weaknesses of someone else’s piece, so to are you able to better find the weaknesses in your own writing, and play off of the strengths that you already possess. By seeing what someone does wrong, or by what someone does right, you can keep these facts in mind when you are composing your own piece.
We as people, don’t just evaluate rhetoric when we are given an assignment by a teacher, we are always evaluating other people’s statements and opinions on a daily basis. It seems that no matter where we are, or what we are doing, we are never to far from experiencing a rhetorical appeal from someone. Whether it be from a politician in front of an audience of hundreds of thousands of supporters and those who are in opposition of their view, or just ourselves, B.S.ing with that guy who doesn’t shut up at the Kwik Trip down the street, rhetoric is everywhere. Being more familiar with the various aspects of rhetoric helps us formulate, as well as evaluate, other people’s appeals.
Another advantage to analyzing other people’s rhetorical pieces, is that it prepares you to pick apart other people’s arguments. Once you’ve practiced picking apart someone’s statement, it will be much easier for you to find the errors in someone else’s argument after practicing it a few times. Lets say that you are in a debate with a friend of yours, after the things that we’ve practiced, if they state a logical fallacy, you will be able to more efficiently pick through the contradiction, and form a witty response that will support your own cause, or help them strengthen their own cause. Also, you can always make you and your point sound more well founded, if you say something to the effect of, “You sir, are using scare tactics to excel your views.” Just simply being able to practice to find out what is wrong with a written piece, helps one find out what is wrong, on the spot, with what is coming out of someone’s mouth, while preparing their own rhetorical appeal.
Analyzation of another’s rhetoric can also make you a better rhetorician yourself. As is true with any learned skill, not only does practice make perfect, but so does watching the winners and losers of that skill, learning from their trials and tribulations. So to with rhetoric, by judging the strengths and weaknesses of someone else’s piece, so to are you able to better find the weaknesses in your own writing, and play off of the strengths that you already possess. By seeing what someone does wrong, or by what someone does right, you can keep these facts in mind when you are composing your own piece.
We as people, don’t just evaluate rhetoric when we are given an assignment by a teacher, we are always evaluating other people’s statements and opinions on a daily basis. It seems that no matter where we are, or what we are doing, we are never to far from experiencing a rhetorical appeal from someone. Whether it be from a politician in front of an audience of hundreds of thousands of supporters and those who are in opposition of their view, or just ourselves, B.S.ing with that guy who doesn’t shut up at the Kwik Trip down the street, rhetoric is everywhere. Being more familiar with the various aspects of rhetoric helps us formulate, as well as evaluate, other people’s appeals.
Rhetoric Sweet Rhetoric
I enjoy something that is hard for a man to explain. It happens mostly when the television is on, but it also comes into play in those big lecture halls and when my mother rants. I watch the person talk and hear the noises that they make, but my brain just is not ready for information. It helps keep me sane by filtering out the extras, because I ca not listen to every piece of random information that is thrown at me. Now I take a class that begins to train my brain to evaluate who the television is targeting, how they are conveying their message, and what the situation is for the audience. My head is beginning to hurt with the exercise that it gets listening to the commentary during a football game. I almost did not notice those men existed until I began to evaluate the way they appeal to their audience with their excited voices and word choice. This headache that lingers as my overworked brain analyzes rhetoric is something I had attempted to avoid. Just as a child in elementary school will realize that although they do not want to go to school, they will need the knowledge that it brings in the future. I too must accept that this headache is in fact a wealth of knowledge that will greatly enhance my future in marketing. It is very beneficial for me to be able to identify with my audience and know the best way to convey the message that my employer wants the company to send.
What I am trying to say here is, in my opinion, there is plenty to be gained from rhetorical analysis. Unlike Calculus class, I believe the knowledge from class to be information that can and will be used in my future, whether it is to manipulate my future wife, deciding who to vote for, or getting consumers to purchase scrunchies again. I will continue throughout this class to practice rhetorical analysis with enthusiasm because it serves a purpose for me. I agree with those who say that it is selfish only to practice rhetorical analysis because it benefits me, however, remember that I am paying for college so it is only fair to expect something in return. You should also keep in mind the benefit to society if I am able to become talented enough with rhetoric to bring back the scrunchie.
What I am trying to say here is, in my opinion, there is plenty to be gained from rhetorical analysis. Unlike Calculus class, I believe the knowledge from class to be information that can and will be used in my future, whether it is to manipulate my future wife, deciding who to vote for, or getting consumers to purchase scrunchies again. I will continue throughout this class to practice rhetorical analysis with enthusiasm because it serves a purpose for me. I agree with those who say that it is selfish only to practice rhetorical analysis because it benefits me, however, remember that I am paying for college so it is only fair to expect something in return. You should also keep in mind the benefit to society if I am able to become talented enough with rhetoric to bring back the scrunchie.
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