TOW #3 Visual Text "Choose one"

         This public service announcement called, "Choose One," was published by an organization called Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense in America, in 2013. The non-profit began in 2012, as a response to the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. This particular PSA was published in print, as well as online, in order to reach as many people as possible. In their mission statement, Moms Demand Action explained, "We are organizing to effectively lobby and apply pressure that will result in stronger, sensible gun laws, and policies that will protect our children and families." As demonstrated through the campaign, members of this group feel very passionately,  and are striving to make change happen in America. Some bias is present as shown through the exaggerations that are being made. The depictions make it seem as though Little Red Riding Hood and dodge-ball are illegal throughout the country, when in reality, they have only been banned in a few different school districts. Even with this in mind, I still found this series of pictures to be incredibly effective due to the rhetorical devices that it employs, and the events that it was a response to. The add appeals to both ethos and logos, by playing off of viewer's emotions, in addition to basic logic. It is terrifying to think of children walking around with dangerous assault rifles, especially when thinking about the fact that specific candies, balls, and books have been banned for their own safety. The dramatic juxtaposition forces the audience to really evaluate why commonplace items have been banned, while life-threatening weapons have very little restrictions around them. This is a very controversial topic, as well as a much debated one. Although there is some hyperbole involved that works against the purpose of the campaign, in the heat of several devastating school shootings in America in the last decade, the message is well achieved.

I accessed this series of advertisements on the campaign's website:

http://momsdemandaction.org/in-the-news/choose-one-little-red-riding-hood-or-an-assault-weapon/  

There are several in the series, but I primarily focused on these three.

TOW #2 "The 3 Most Important Things in Life" (Section One)

       In Harlan Ellison's, The 3 Most Important Things in Life, he humorously communicates his opinion on the three most important things in life to a wide range of people in his audience. His take on a constantly pondered question is unique, witty, and a breath of fresh air. While making it very obvious from the beginning of his essay that the three things he chose as the most important were strictly his thoughts, he appeals primarily to ethos, establishing his credibility by writing as though he is a professor and the audience are all his pupils. He writes, "I have selected three examples of what I think are the most important things in life. Notes should be taken; this will count as sixty per cent of your grade," (Ellison, para. 7). He enables himself to play off of the Socratic method and create a dialogue within his essay. Throughout the duration of his piece, he asks the audience rhetorical questions in order to better their understanding of this very abstract topic, while formulating an opinion of their own. He is able to primarily build off of this due to the credibility he has established for himself as an acclaimed writer of short stories, novellas, and his work as a screenplay writer in the film industry. 

      In the first segment of Ellison's essay, he writes exclusively about one of the things he finds to be the most important in life, sex. In the two following sections, he writes about violence and labor relations. Rather than merely trying to explain its importance, he shares an anecdote. This is effective in illustrating his point, as well as helping him achieve his purpose in a very timely manner. The subject matter of the first section also helps to specify his audience as a more adult age-group. While I found his essay to be very effective, as well as witty, I found that I was most likely not mature enough to understand this section to its fullest. He achieved his purpose well in sharing his opinion, while also creating a dialogue in which his audience can takeaway a new perspective. 

This essay was recommend to me by a former AP ELC student, and I accessed it on this website:

http://harlanellison.com/iwrite/mostimp.htm

I included this cartoon of Snoopy the Dog to show the wide range of people (and perhaps, animals) who would be curious about the topic of this essay. 

TOW #1 "How to Be Polite"

         Throughout his article, How to Be Polite, Paul Ford uses a series of personal anecdotes to give a thorough explanation of the positive impact that having good manners can have on one's life. He writes from his own perspective, and maintains a rather informal sense of diction throughout the piece, while utilizing a very strong vocabulary. Ford is a freelance writer who primarily writes for A Medium Corporation but this piece was featured on The Atlantic's website. He communicates very openly with his audience, often sharing his opinions, as well as his wit. Prior to suggesting what to do when there is an awkward lull in a conversation, Ford embellishes, "I will share it with you because I like and respect you, and it is clear to me that you'll know to apply it wisely," (Ford, para. 9). Although it is rather obvious that he knows little about his audience and could not judge if they would really know how to wisely apply what he is saying, he includes details such as this to make himself seem more friendly and tap into the audience's emotions. In doing so, he makes himself a very likable figure. This is incredibly important to achieving his purpose. Ford is able to demonstrate that he is a master at using his eloquent manners to make connections with people that will help him in the future, even through the form of writing.

          In order to fully convince those who read his work of the value of manners, he shares stories, as well as insightful tips that can seemingly make a big difference for the better in terms of creating a positive first impression. He teaches his audience about simple things, such as not touching someone's hair without permission, but also about values, such as forgiveness. Regardless of age or prior thoughts that one has about being polite, How to Be Polite, is very difficult to argue with. This is  primarily due to the excellent examples that Ford shares to prove his point. His tone is established and informative, and is able to maintain his credibility while also playing off of emotions.

I accessed this article through the website it was originally published on:

https://medium.com/message/how-to-be-polite-9bf1e69e888c

In the article, Ford references this old fashioned guide to manners, which does not seem to be nearly as applicable to the twenty-first century as what he wrote in response to it.

IRB #1 Introduction

This month I will be reading, Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never- Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems, by David Rakoff. I initially found out about this book while looking for a TOW. An excerpt from the book was included on a list of top essays of the century, and after a few paragraphs I was definitely hooked. I am really excited to peer into Rakoff's very unique perspective on American culture, as well as learn from the strong style he utilizes. I really admire the manner in which his book has elements of humor, while still being primarily a work of non-fiction.