TOW #10 "Choose to Be Grateful. It Will Make You Happier" by Arthur Brooks

          In Arthur Brooks's popular piece for The New York Times, he begins to delve into his thematic purpose with a question asked to him by his Spanish in-laws on the topic of Thanksgiving: "Should you celebrate this holiday even if you do not feel grateful?" (para. 3). As this holiday is right around the corner, he brings up a very glazed over question that the American population seldom asks themselves. Through the combination of Brooks's use of statistics and his personal anecdotes he makes a strong argument that it is better to express gratitude even if it does not feel entirely genuine. Brooks simplifies the scientific explanation behind this logic and connects it back to something familiar to his readers: "According to research published in the journal Cerebral Cortex, gratitude stimulates the ventral tegmental area (part of out "reward circuitry that produces the sensation of pleasure) ... Choosing to focus on good things makes you feel better than choosing to focus on bad things. As my teenage kids would say, 'Thank you captain obvious,'" (para. 10). These statements prove the irrefutable reasoning behind what he is saying, while also keeping it simple enough that people without an extensive neuroscience background can relate to it.
           His thesis is made evident in the title he chooses; "Choose to Be Grateful. It Will Make You Happier."As the president of the American Enterprise Institute, who is also a regular Op-ed writer for such a reputable literary column as The New York Times, he is very credible by reputation which allows him to appeal to ethos. He is also appeal to logos and pathos in his piece, thanks to the employment of several device. The combination of all three appeals helps make an argument that is as appealing as it is convincing. Considering the level of academia of the average reader of The New York Times, it is pivotal that his argument has sound evidence, but is also nearly free of logical fallacies. If his audience was less intellectual, he might be able to "get away" with having less accurate information. Brooks brilliantly achieves his purpose, and proves that there is something to be said for being thankful, even when one does not necessarily feel much gratitude. In his conclusion, he proclaims, "This Thanksgiving, don't express gratitude only when you feel it. Give thanks especially when you don't feel it," (para. 22). He leaves his audience with something to think about, as well as a hopeful new state of mind.

I accessed this article on The New York Times website: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/opinion/sunday/choose-to-be-grateful-it-will-make-you-happier.html?action=click&contentCollection=International%20Arts&module=MostPopularFB&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article

This artwork was included with the article and I think that it depicts the idea of gratitude really well, as well as tying the element of a visual text into the meaning of the article.

TOW #9 "Extra Gum: The Story of Sarah & Juan"

            Extra Gum's "The Story of Sarah & Juan" was released in early October and has since taken the internet by storm- but truthfully: and it is not very hard to see why. After every moment the gorgeous couple shares, Sarah hands Juan a piece of gum and on he depicts the scene on each wrapper. Eventually, Sarah finds herself in Juan's art gallery, realizing that all the framed gum wrappers show scenes from their relationship, ending with him proposing. She turns and sees him on one knee. The commercial does an incredible job depicting the one thing everyone seems to want: true love. This idea of undying caring and affection is nothing new to this brand, as they released the incredibly successful "Origami" commercial campaign, in 2013. After the popularity of this advertisement, and the fact that Extra has been around for decades, they are a very credible company with little to prove. With their tokened slogan, "Give extra, get extra," the company has done an incredible job creating advertisements that can not only make people tear up, but also convince wide ranges of audiences to buy their product.
          Through the use of allusion, and the imagery that is achieved through elements of cinematography, Extra gum is able to create a strong emotional appeal that enables them to connect with their viewers so much so, that they are willing to pay more for essentially the same product. Although the two main characters may have arguably fell in love without sharing Extra brand gum since the day they first met, the commercial alludes to the idea that some of the reason behind the couple's success is the small acts of caring demonstrated in their exchange of gum. The allusion to Extra gum being an essential part of falling in love will ultimately drive much of the consumer base towards this brand over their competitors. Additionally, the imagery utilized helps explain the popularity of the commercial, as it is truly enjoyable to watch. Several elements of cinematography were incorporated, hence the commercial feels much more like a short film than a mere advertisement. The scoring of the ad, with sweet vocals and delicate piano plays into the scene of innocence and joy that the commercial wants to achieve. Additionally, the sweeping style of filming and blurred edges effect help contribute to this, among many other things. This choices had be heavily thought about while the commercial was being created, as one of the most key aspects of the commercial is that it feels more like a story than something that is trying to sell you a product.
         As I see this advertisement every time I scroll down my Tumblr newsfeed, it is pretty obvious that teens are latching on to this commercial and loving it. But, after sitting down with my parents and seeing how much they enjoyed it as well, I think that much of the commercial's success can be attributed to the wide range of people that it resonates with.

I accessed the commercial on youtube, and I would highly recommend checking it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLpDiIVX0Wo

This is a still from my favorite part of the commercial, as it does a great job giving a feel for what "The Story of Sarah & Juan," is truly about.

IRB #2 Introduction

This month I will be reading, The Right Stuff, by Tom Wolfe. I found out about this book because it is my Dad's absolute favorite, and he has been telling me to read for ages- so I am really excited to finally get the chance to check it out. The subject of the book is primarily focused on the bravery of the first Americans in space, which is vastly different read. I have already read a few pages, and am already intrigued by the manner in which Wolfe recounts history: mixing in his thoughts on the time period with factual evidence. Can't wait to read more! 

TOW #8 IRB "Don't Get Too Comfortable" by David Rakoff

         For this cycle of TOW's I finished 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. In the second half of the book, he continued to use a humorous, and mildly sarcastic tone to ridicule American culture. I really admire the seamless balance of fun and seriousness he created throughout the book, as this harmony is essential to his purpose, which is to show his frustration and bafflement with the upperclass culture, particularly the "Log-Cabin right-wingers," as he often refers to them. As a very openly gay liberal, his disdain for this group of people must be noted as having some bias.

          He is able to hit on heavy, sometimes rather dry topics, such as socioeconomics and the implications of capitalism, in a very entertaining way through his tone that gives the audience know choice but to burst out in laughter. He achieves this degree of humor with dashing, colorful, figurative language, in addition to breaking his narrative mode of writing with phrases that break the fourth wall and allow him to communicate with the audience. Near the end of the book, he interrupts an informative piece about Swiss foreign police and writes, "I am shocked, shocked, to hear that the Swiss..." (Rakoff, pg. 210).  He is able to take a step back from the seriousness of his subject, and engage his reader. In doing so, he is able to appeal emotionally, while also composing a book that people want to read for pleasure. Contrastingly, he maintains some level of academia throughout the book through his subject matter, and intellectual jargon. Although it is a laugh-out-loud funny kind of book, it is not merely a crowd pleaser. Undoubtably, Rakoff is a very intelligent person with a unique perspective and something meaningful to say. He writes about very serious things in Don't Get Too Comfortable, as well, such as AIDS, "A young man, dead at the age of twenty-nine from hemophilia derived AIDS," (Rakoff, pg. 212). While he uses lots of humor, he is also able to communicate a serious message and share his insights on topics that are far from humorous. This helps him achieve his purpose, while also making a highly-enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend.

This is the cover created by Rakoff, that I think accurately reveals his tone. It also, perhaps, reveals how he earned the nickname, "the witty pessimist".