4 Modes: Rhetorical Appeals

Project 3 Analysis

Image: http://www.healthhype.com/wp-content/plugins/healthy-breakfast.jpg

Image:

The image to the left is an example of a healthy breakfast and its also a play food kit. The breakfast kit is aimed for children probably between the ages of 2-8. The purpose of the play food set is to show healthy breakfast choices and to make children aware, in addition to education through a hands on experience. The fruit, yogurt, English muffin, pancake, and orange juice are foods and drink children might typically eat and enjoy for breakfast, most importantly they are health conscious options. The breakfast kit does not include donuts or sugary cereals so children aren't exposed to foods that taste good with no nutritional value. By actually playing with the foods this tool can be used to teach children what a good breakfast consists of, an effective education on breakfast in disguise.

Book: Green Eggs and Ham

Green Eggs and Ham by Doctor Seuss is a classic children's book which can actually be used to educate children about breakfast. The colorful illustrations of eggs and ham along with the text throughout the story make for a fun and easy teaching tool. The purpose of the book is to encourage people to try new things because they might actually like them. Over and over Sam I Am asks the Cat in the Hat to try his green eggs and ham but the cat refuses, an element of the story children and parents alike can relate to. A parallel can be drawn between a stubborn kid and a parent with the Cat in the Hat and Sam I Am. Green Eggs and Ham functions in showing children if they try a new food/meal there is a chance they might really like it. Therefore, Green Eggs and Ham could potentially be used to persuade a child to try eggs for breakfast or another choice a child won't eat. The Cat in the Hat is a likable character for children and they can compare themselves to what the cat experiences.

Song: "The Breakfast Song"

"The Breakfast Song" by Sicko is a short piece taking an interesting perspective on breakfast. The song can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages but the target seems to specifically be teenagers. The musicians behind "The Breakfast Song" create a comedic spin on breakfast discussing eggs and Captain Crunch cereal. Sicko promotes eating eggs because they contain a lot of protein and get you up and going in the morning. The lyrics are catchy and the song is appealing because breakfast is not usually talked about in songs. The catch phrase in the song is "a hearty breakfast can't be beat", which is an effective message for audiences. The song could be used to teach because of the comical lyrics and how they convey eating breakfast is fun and good for you at the same time. A positive message is also revealed through "The Breakfast Song" and shows kids breakfast is an enjoyable meal.

Film: Peewee Herman's Big Adventure

The film Peewee Herman's Big Adventure, specifically the scene with the egg contraption, visually displays one man's breakfast habits and his everyday routine. Peewee Herman's Adventure can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages but children would enjoy the movie the most. By using Peewee Herman kids will think he is funny and potentially view him as a role model, which is how the movie could be used as a teaching tool. In the movie Peewee uses his egg contraption every day to crack his eggs and the film elaborately shows Peewee performing his daily routine. Peewee realizes the importance of breakfast and kids can interpret this as Peewee having good judgment; therefore he is setting the example children should be eating breakfast too. The egg contraption makes eating breakfast look cool, an effective way to convince children of breakfast's value. By watching Peewee Herman's Big Adventure kids will see how breakfast should be eaten to start the day and how it can be amusing as well.

Annotation for Toni Morrison Interview

Summary:
This week's annotation is in response to an interview conducted by Charlie Rose on the famous Toni Morrison, writer, professor, and editor. Morrison typically writes on issues that have faced or continually face black community, and is the acclaimed writer of many books, winning the Pullitzer and Nobel prize. At the time of the interview her new book being released was Love, a novel about blacks becoming american and the hardships among the black community; with the main character ostracized for caring for something wounded. Morrison's most famous work Beloved tells a story about slavery, and at this point in her life Morrison knew she was a writer and nothing was more important than writing and being a good parent to her children. Morrison discussed how being an editor has helped her as a writer but each book is like a new canvas and a new start. Most importantly, Morrison wants her readers to get the meaning of her books and lives by the notion that she hasn't done her best work yet.

Reaction:
Having never seen Morrison in an interview like scenerio I was really surprised at how modest and calm she remained throughout the interview. In response to one of Rose's questions she even said my life is boring I don't do anything, but my mind is exciting. She clearly is very humble about her acheivements, which I think contributes to what makes Toni Morrison so inspring. I can relate with her on the turning point of when she decided who she was. I always knew I was interested in medicine but was looking for a direction, and as soon as I did some job shadowing I realized I wanted to be a physician's assistant, and have been persuing my goal ever since-- similar to Morrison's encounter with writing Beloved. I also thought her view of all her characters being winners even if they ended up dying was an interesting idea. Morrison seems to be able to see the positive side of things even through trajedy. I agree with the idea of a character's experience being an "epiphany", no matter what the outcome.

Reflection:
Even though Morrison does write about the black community I think she has a widespread appeal to her audience. I think Morrison aims to make connections with her readers which has helped in her success as a writer. She repeatedly touched on the notion that we need to "become and remain human" and to not give in to the comic book lifestyle. In Morrison's writing she has chosen topics revealing good and bad sides of humanity but most significantly the reality of it all; and I believe she tries to intertwine her philosophies about life with her writings. In my opinion she definitely has the right ideas and I think the way she talks and writes can be inspiring to other people. She encourages people to embrace who they are and not to try and fit into the confines of society.

Questions:
1. Given Morrison is a professor at Princeton and has the ability to impact a large number of people, what course would you have her teach and what would it entail?

2. Can Toni Morrison's writing style fit into the stages of Vogler's heroe's journey? Why/why not?

3. Morrison discussed black sepratism being important to the civil rights movement in addition to black nationalism, how do the two function together as one?

Simpson's Critique

Summary:
The Simpson's TV show was created on values and ideas that were a risk for the FOX TV network to produce. The show reinforces the average middle class American family values through the narrative. However, it also criticizes American cultural values outside of the narrative such as politics, sexuality, and the medical and educational systems. The characters of Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart, and others are representations of ideas and ideologies rather than personalities because they were created as incomplete. For example, Lisa is the symbol of reason on the show and she is constantly questioning the rationality and motives behind others actions. Homer is the dominant male figure in the show representing the the cultural myths and contradictions of the American consumerist lifestyle. Marge, conveys the stereotypical housewife and all of the problems and downfalls that come along with it. Bart is predetermined to fail and is used to scrutinize the public schooling system. And lastly, Mr. Burns is the symbol of capitalism and is portrayed as a very powerful person due to his ownership of the power plant.

Reaction:
I thought that this critique was very interesting and provided some insight into the creation of the show. I have only caught a couple of the episodes of the Simpson's here and there, and never have been a vigilant watcher. When I have watched the show I found it not very engaging and kind of dumb (I guess I never really gave it a fair chance). So, from my perspective I actually learned a lot about the characters and their motives through this critique; I think now I better understand the point of the show. I definitely agree with the statement, "The Simpson family and friends act as a cross section of American culture. They are never fully developed characters, but icons of belief" (Tingleff). The Simpson's critique makes it easy to see what the characters represent and how their ideologies are conveyed in the show. Using the narrative of the show to reinforce and reflect the middle class American values is what makes the Simpson's so ratable and successful.

Reflection:
Nowadays creating a long lasting good television show is not something that happens everyday. The fact the Simpson's lasted for 9 years is pretty incredible for a TV show. Reality and shows that can't even last a couple seasons are what dominate our televisions today. I think that the success of the HBO series the Soprano's can be compared to the Simpson's. Plot wise they are very different but each show had a unique character drawing in large audiences for an extended period of time. Even through all the violence and mob drama the Soprano's also had a focus on family life and the importance of family comparable to the Simpson's. Both shows were the first of "their kind" and became models for later shows trying to have a similar message.

Questions:

1. What Simpson's character do you see yourself the most in and why?

2. Despite the characters incomplete nature, how does the narrative attempt to overcome this according to Tingleff?

3. If you could add a character to the show to represent a contemporary idea/ideology, what would it be and why?

Project 3: 4 Mode Teaching Tool

1. Book: Green Eggs & Ham by Doctor Suess

2. Film: PeeWee Hermans Big Adventure--> Peewee's morning routine with the egg contraption

3. Song: "The Breakfast Song" http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-breakfast-song-live-lyrics-sicko.html

4. Visual piece: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0fFLKnOzovLv7aHhdIkvQnc_vDxbztgavjgdYs_dT19dbZmPFHSxclilu9odKYv8Ve0wi0ezac68qhB9fGzHDmn5SHRTpFSJMydPXj4qz7GKhnYSKYHBKbKVhFRlBWQTXjb0sYExq8w/s400/blog_corasberakfast.jpg&imgrefurl=http://mikelynchcartoons.blogspot.com/2008/04/corasbreakfast.html&usg=__7opaSCijaI_VXibegh_2FXibwhw=&h=303&w=374&sz=33&hl=en&start=24&um=1&tbnid=uYES73Ipbqm27M:&tbnh=99&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbreakfast%2B%252B%2Bcomic%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7HPIB_en%26sa%3DN%26start%3D21%26um%3D1

Themes from the BellJar:

1. Hope comes in many forms, but it can quickly disappear
Titanic: Many people thought they were going to live but there wasn't enough rescue boats to save them, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The people had a false sense of hope.


2. Things are not always what they seem from an outsider's perspective
Fight Club: Tyler Durden has an alter ego and the entire movie you think he is someone else.

3. Friendship can be inspiring
http://media.photobucket.com/image/friendship/ydoow_a/friendship.jpg