Well, here we are. The final TOW post. I haven't been here since the beginning, but over the last seventeen posts there was real improvement. Some of the development came through technical skill. Of course I became a writer over the year, and like all students my analytic abilities were honed. However, I think the biggest change isn't one that is immediately apparent by reading the TOWs themselves. The first few required maybe an hour and a half of pre-planning and analysis and then twenty to thirty minutes of writing. By the end, I was spending more time writing than working through the analysis. The TOWs really helped me to see the rhetoric and strategies quicker, a skill also developed during in-class test prep.
While far from being a master, I think this course has really helped me to be familiarized with the different species in the zoo of rhetorical devices. Jargon, diction, and syntax were essentially synonymous to me in the beginning of the year, but now I wouldn't dream of equating them. Of course, there is always room for improvement. One area I think I should like to focus on further in my career of academic rhetorical analysis is deciding on an article. I still have trouble telling between the articles which are rich with very deliberate and important to analyze tactics and those which are actually fairly straight-forward but superficially fit criteria for certain strategies.
Over all, I think that these TOWs have helped me. Perhaps they didn't hugely impact my abilities in the classroom (at least, not nearly as much as the class itself). However, they did help to open my eyes to rampart manipulation in the texts all around us, words or otherwise. I would like to think that the overall purpose of the TOWs is this primarily and scholastic benefit second. Should this turn out to be the case, than I would have to declare these TOWs a rousing success. If not, they were at least occasionally interesting.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Sunday, April 26, 2015
TOW #27 - Child with Brain Tumor Article
Fox News had a very difficult task before them when they set out to write this article. Brain tumor patient Danny Nickerson, 6, went viral a short time ago with a video request for birthday letters, as he loved receiving mail. However, this article did not even get the chance to report on this bittersweet story. Fox did that a while ago. This article was a follow up. Nickerson died of his rare tumor after an 18 month battle. Fox had to bear this news in a light that would tug on heart strings, without tugging them out. A little sadness can be powerful in a news story, but no one reads Fox News to get depressed.
Reporting a story like this is easy to make sad. Through bluntness of language and intense candor, this article easily establishes its emotional punch. Calling it an "inoperable and chemotherapy resistant brain tumor" and stating that "less than 10 percent of patients live 18 months past the diagnosis" gives readers just enough emotional content to construct their own depressing images of young Nickerson. Still, this was the easy part. It would be difficult not to report on this story in a way that tells Nickerson's tale woefully. The hard part was not to overload readers.
Readers need closure in a story like this, and Fox News knows it. Two strategies used here were the reflection of the family's comfort into the audience and the arrangement of the facts. Infused throughout the article are references to God and Nickerson's place with him, in the form of quotes from his apparently religious family. These are used expertly to cushion the information, but not as effectively as the structure of the article itself. The depressing and clinical candor of the beginning of the article dissolves into sepia toned reports on the literal truckloads of birthday cards his video generated, along with general background that attempts to turn a death-report into a life-celebration.
Yes, the challenge was great. It is not easy to walk the line between emotional baggage and emotional fulfillment. However, Fox was up to it and without loading their article in distracting rhetorical devices or colorful language, they manage to solemnly and warmly report on the death of Danny Nickerson. They are effective in the most difficult to achieve way.
Reporting a story like this is easy to make sad. Through bluntness of language and intense candor, this article easily establishes its emotional punch. Calling it an "inoperable and chemotherapy resistant brain tumor" and stating that "less than 10 percent of patients live 18 months past the diagnosis" gives readers just enough emotional content to construct their own depressing images of young Nickerson. Still, this was the easy part. It would be difficult not to report on this story in a way that tells Nickerson's tale woefully. The hard part was not to overload readers.
Readers need closure in a story like this, and Fox News knows it. Two strategies used here were the reflection of the family's comfort into the audience and the arrangement of the facts. Infused throughout the article are references to God and Nickerson's place with him, in the form of quotes from his apparently religious family. These are used expertly to cushion the information, but not as effectively as the structure of the article itself. The depressing and clinical candor of the beginning of the article dissolves into sepia toned reports on the literal truckloads of birthday cards his video generated, along with general background that attempts to turn a death-report into a life-celebration.
Yes, the challenge was great. It is not easy to walk the line between emotional baggage and emotional fulfillment. However, Fox was up to it and without loading their article in distracting rhetorical devices or colorful language, they manage to solemnly and warmly report on the death of Danny Nickerson. They are effective in the most difficult to achieve way.
TOW #26 - Vacuum Advertisement
Dyson advertising executives rolled out this little beauty not too long ago. It prominently features the words-turned-image, "others clog / ours doesn't" against a plain background with additional information at the bottom. This incredibly creative advertisement finds an immediately catching way to present evidence and then effectively furthers its main point to make a compelling and clear argument for their product.
The first thing you will notice about the ad, and you are meant to, is that instead of an image captioned with a description, this ad features words captioned with more words. The color choice and most obviously, the filled in eyes of "others clog" immediately gets across the information in a way more tangible than the words alone and lends them more meaning. Contrast this with the color choice and cleanliness of the "ours doesn't" beneath, and you have an ad that could stand alone without more than the word Dyson scrawled across the bottom. However, this ad isn't done yet.
Distanced far at the bottom of the page, so as not to detract from the main punch of the ad, are three captions and an image. The image shows a yellow Dyson vacuum to give color, cohesiveness, and connection in the ad. The three lines of text include one, a more full bodied elaboration of the elegant claim above, two, a connection between the minor claim and the consumption of Dyson products, and the third is a sanitized URL to gather more information. Stylish and simple, this text turns the pizzazz of the above into the ad that will get a Dyson into a customer's home.
It is fitting that so clean and clear an advertisement should come from a vacuum company. This ad is effective and clever, and is sure to catch the eye, heart, and wallet of any number of customers in web browsers and highway systems across this great land of ours. If you aren't convinced by this ad to buy a vacuum, then I will be shocked if you know what a vacuum is.
TOW #25 - Dark Knight Massacre Trial Article
A recent Fox News article details a piece of long awaited news. James Holmes, the infamous mass murderer involved in the Dark Knight massacre is finally ready to go to court and be tried for his crimes. In July of 2012 he opened fire on a crowded movie theater, killing 12 and wounding up to 70. In order to indite without condemning, the Associative Press had to walk a thin line in this report, with incredibly careful language. In addition, they made out the killer to be larger than life, in order to make the story more readable.
Word choice is the weapon of choice for those with subtle emotional roles to play in writing. Eyes are not "soulless" or "pitiful" but they are "vacant". Selfies with guns are not "terrifying" or "depressing" but they are "haunting". Fox News like the majority of its readers have reasonably set up Holmes as a character to be feared for his crimes than pitied for his possible mental disorders, but as the jury is literally still out, they must be careful not to make too gross their shared perspective. They expertly practice a thing veil of restraint.
Additionally, regardless of whether or not the indirect glorification of a mass murderer is appropriate, Fox seems to be taking the Dark Knight connection and running with it, describing Holmes almost as a supervillain. They emphasize his neuroscientist background and play up his abnormal personality, going so far as to describe his hair dye as "comic book orange". This careful presentation of the facts in a manner than gives a sick criminal a larger-than-life status is effective however, as it does make for a more memorable and recommendable article.
Fox News reporters, through subtle word choice, emotional recognition, arrangement of information, and above all, presentation of the facts produced a high memorable and vindicating report on the long awaited trial of James Holmes. Investigations into his drug and alcohol use, possible psychosis, neuroscience background, and booby-trapped apartment have culminated in an emotionally charged trial being reported on eagerly by Fox News.
Word choice is the weapon of choice for those with subtle emotional roles to play in writing. Eyes are not "soulless" or "pitiful" but they are "vacant". Selfies with guns are not "terrifying" or "depressing" but they are "haunting". Fox News like the majority of its readers have reasonably set up Holmes as a character to be feared for his crimes than pitied for his possible mental disorders, but as the jury is literally still out, they must be careful not to make too gross their shared perspective. They expertly practice a thing veil of restraint.
Additionally, regardless of whether or not the indirect glorification of a mass murderer is appropriate, Fox seems to be taking the Dark Knight connection and running with it, describing Holmes almost as a supervillain. They emphasize his neuroscientist background and play up his abnormal personality, going so far as to describe his hair dye as "comic book orange". This careful presentation of the facts in a manner than gives a sick criminal a larger-than-life status is effective however, as it does make for a more memorable and recommendable article.
Fox News reporters, through subtle word choice, emotional recognition, arrangement of information, and above all, presentation of the facts produced a high memorable and vindicating report on the long awaited trial of James Holmes. Investigations into his drug and alcohol use, possible psychosis, neuroscience background, and booby-trapped apartment have culminated in an emotionally charged trial being reported on eagerly by Fox News.
Monday, March 23, 2015
TOW #24 - Singapore Article
The Editorial Board of the New York Times chronicled the passing of Singapore founding-leader Lee Kuan Yew earlier this week. In their article, "Lee Kuan Yew's Mixed Legacy in Singapore", they focus on two conflicting aspects of how the leader will be remembered. While Yew was an economic genius who helped to make tiny and weak Singapore into a global economic model, he was also an authoritarian who controlled opposition and the media to favor himself, only "retiring" to still very influential position after political pressure. The article is trying to make a very careful and balanced point: This one wasn't so bad, but let's try to do even better with the next one.
Any New York Times readers who have heard the name Lee Kuan Yew probably knew him as a purely good force in Singapore. Obama went as far as to call him a "giant of history". The article's address of his positive legacy was therefore mostly reassuring, it included a few different effects and ways of phrasing the basic concept of economic prosperity and stability. This wasn't overtly effective, but that is a testament to its subtlety then its impact.
Alternatively, qualifying the economic claim by reminding an audience of his human rights violations and freedom infringements required a bit more skill. The text does this in a bomb shell method. Right in the middle of list of positive to neutral facts, it switches to a terrible event. For example, "His 'Singapore model', of economic development inspired other leaders, including Deng Xiaoping of China, toward free-market policies. He was also an autocrat who silenced critics and sent opposition leaders to jail, suppressing dissent and intimidating the press." There is no subtlety, but there is a lot of shock value, and for this piece of evidence, it is effective to get it out up front as much as possible.
In short, this is not just another text article. The introduction full of subtlety and doubt. As the subtlety gives way to impactful-ness present at the end of a paper. Perhaps the strategies themselves were not effective, but it did make the point more obvious and force the audience to reconsider widely help beliefs.
Any New York Times readers who have heard the name Lee Kuan Yew probably knew him as a purely good force in Singapore. Obama went as far as to call him a "giant of history". The article's address of his positive legacy was therefore mostly reassuring, it included a few different effects and ways of phrasing the basic concept of economic prosperity and stability. This wasn't overtly effective, but that is a testament to its subtlety then its impact.
Alternatively, qualifying the economic claim by reminding an audience of his human rights violations and freedom infringements required a bit more skill. The text does this in a bomb shell method. Right in the middle of list of positive to neutral facts, it switches to a terrible event. For example, "His 'Singapore model', of economic development inspired other leaders, including Deng Xiaoping of China, toward free-market policies. He was also an autocrat who silenced critics and sent opposition leaders to jail, suppressing dissent and intimidating the press." There is no subtlety, but there is a lot of shock value, and for this piece of evidence, it is effective to get it out up front as much as possible.
In short, this is not just another text article. The introduction full of subtlety and doubt. As the subtlety gives way to impactful-ness present at the end of a paper. Perhaps the strategies themselves were not effective, but it did make the point more obvious and force the audience to reconsider widely help beliefs.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
TOW #23 - McDonald's Nightlight Ad
This advertisement for McDonald's has, as its main selling point, the 24 hour work day of McDonald's. It was created under art direction by Bart Batchelor but was photographed by Hans Sipma for the Cossette West advertising agency. The purpose of the piece is fairly straight forward: Convince the viewer to buy McDonald's. However, there is significantly more going on in this image than might first appear. The rhetorical strategies of juxtaposition and visual implication are exemplified here for instance.
Batchelor, if that is the correct person to credit with this text's strategies of rhetoric, has replaced a nightlight with a box for McDonald's fries to signify that, like a nightlight, McDonald's fries are available long after sundown. This is the basic core mechanic behind the ad. But by surrounding the product with a familiar scene associated with comfort and rest, Batchelor is also leeching off some of that association to make his product seem more familiar and comfortable. This strategy is effective, even if it is not very subtle. Obviously the image's context will influence how it is perceived and generally positive images can pass on generally positive interpretations to what is close to them.
Additionally, visual implication is also at play. The shafts of warm yellow light projecting up from the french fry container are obviously meant to look like french fries. When one views the picture as the creators intended and finally see the light as fries, it inspires an "Ah ha" moment of clarity. This moment is more likely to stay in someone's memory than a typical other advertisement or expected image. I can only be certain that strategy is effective for me, but there is evidence that it can be a lucrative decision. The main risk in visual implication (or any subtle indication attempting to inspire a Eureka moment) is that the audience will not understand it correctly and wish to buy the product.
This marketing campaign my McDonald's was very effective. The juxtaposition strategy exists in far more ways than detailed here, such as color and placement of the light on the top outlet. The visual implication strategy works to a degree and certainly forces one to think about a product for a far longer period of time, but without the associations that are presented to be connected with the product, a potential customer will only know about, and not want to buy, the product in question.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
TOW #22 - Heart Attack Article
Laura Geggel, Staff Writer for Live Science News, explains in her most recent article how Daylight Saving Time can effect an increase in heart attack frequency. This article seeks to warn those at risk of heart attacks and to further the culture of fear that keeps people reading news articles like hers and her coworkers'. Her two main rhetorical strategies for this are grounding her unusual claim in scientific evidence, and stressing the variety of symptoms which may be signs of a heart attack.
The first of her two strategies really only seeks to give teeth to her article. She explains the scientific context of the study that found the information and stresses numerical data saying, "The number of heart attacks increased 24 percent on the Monday following a daylight saving time, compared with the daily average for the weeks surrounding the start of daylight saving time". Geggel knows that her reading audience will be the scientifically minded people that read Live Science. Therefore it is logical to stress the data and meta-data of the study to her audience.
The second of her two strategies is the one that actually furthers her causes of safety and fear. Approximately one half of the entire article discusses exactly what symptoms might point toward a yet-to-come heart attack, who is at risk, and exactly what to do. Geggel writes, "With this in mind, people who are at risk of a heart attack — such as those who smoke, have a strong family history of heart attack or have high cholesterol or high blood pressure — shouldn't delay a trip to the emergency room if they feel chest pain". This both informs her audience as a safety briefing and begins to induce a mild hypochondria and self-evaluation of personal heart health. These can lead to seeking out similar articles on this and other websites in the readers. This tactic is common place and entirely effective.
Though this article is short and bluntly written, the content delivered reveals a certain degree of tactical creativity. There are no examples of colorful language or vivid imagery to be found, but it is in what Geggel has chosen to include and not include that allows her to effectively impact her audience and achieve her desired goals in this text.
The first of her two strategies really only seeks to give teeth to her article. She explains the scientific context of the study that found the information and stresses numerical data saying, "The number of heart attacks increased 24 percent on the Monday following a daylight saving time, compared with the daily average for the weeks surrounding the start of daylight saving time". Geggel knows that her reading audience will be the scientifically minded people that read Live Science. Therefore it is logical to stress the data and meta-data of the study to her audience.
The second of her two strategies is the one that actually furthers her causes of safety and fear. Approximately one half of the entire article discusses exactly what symptoms might point toward a yet-to-come heart attack, who is at risk, and exactly what to do. Geggel writes, "With this in mind, people who are at risk of a heart attack — such as those who smoke, have a strong family history of heart attack or have high cholesterol or high blood pressure — shouldn't delay a trip to the emergency room if they feel chest pain". This both informs her audience as a safety briefing and begins to induce a mild hypochondria and self-evaluation of personal heart health. These can lead to seeking out similar articles on this and other websites in the readers. This tactic is common place and entirely effective.
Though this article is short and bluntly written, the content delivered reveals a certain degree of tactical creativity. There are no examples of colorful language or vivid imagery to be found, but it is in what Geggel has chosen to include and not include that allows her to effectively impact her audience and achieve her desired goals in this text.
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