TOW #7: "Slaves of the Internet, Unite!" by Tim Kreider

Ever since the arrival of the Internet into the world of media, consumers have assigned a lower value to everything from articles to films to artwork. While the audience might not grasp the problem, content creators like Tim Kreider are finding it very difficult to accept this. In his article titled, “Slaves of the Internet, Unite!”, Kreider writes to Internet users, and specifically those who request content like speeches or illustrations for free, and argues why this is not fair to the artists. Noticing a trend among those outraged with this new standard, he addresses young artists who he believes are more accepting of the fact that they will probably not receive compensation for their published work. Kreider, who has been a writer for 20 years, exemplifies his skill through the use of an assortment of rhetorical devices and strategies. Notably, Kreider employed an anecdote as a hook. In this opening paragraph, he recounts a recent time in which he received three requests to create something for no money. This introduces the subject of the article, and appeals to ethos by showing he has firsthand experience with the problem. In the next lines of the paragraph, Kreider also hints at his purpose by writing, “As with stinkbugs, it’s not any one instance of this request but their sheer number and relentlessness that make them so tiresome. It also makes composing a polite response a heroic exercise in restraint.” Kreider uses an indirect statement to show his negative feelings towards the topic, as well as an analogy to stinkbugs, which generally have a bad reputation amongst people and therefore evoke negative feelings towards these penniless inquiries. In fact, this strategy is used a number of times throughout the article, and really helps to make the article more interesting.

            Seeing as this was published in the New York Times, Kreider’s argument directly applies to many of his readers, who could be on either side of the situation. Given his effective use of rhetorical devices paired with clear and logical arguments, Kreider did achieve his purpose.

One of the pictures accompanying Kreider's article

TOW #6: McDonald's Advertisement by DDB

Seeing all of the reportedly “controversial” advertisements in class made me curious as to what other campaigns there were that had faced heat. During my search, I found a McDonald’s ad that addressed equal opportunities in a unique way, a way that ultimately backfired. The ad has a very simple design, with only three real components: The McDonald’s logo accompanied by it’s slogan, a few lines of text towards the top, reading, “We don't hire Turks, Greeks, Poles, Indians, Ethiopians, Vietnamese, Chinese or Peruvians”, and another block of text at the bottom, in a finer, smaller print, which continues where the first piece left off. While the ad at first seems outright discriminatory, upon further reading (of the smaller print), it is made clear that McDonald’s doesn't take a person’s race into account when hiring, and instead hires based on a person’s ambition and determination. Not only does the message of the first block of text help achieve its purpose as a hook, but the simple font, large font size, and stark contrast with the background also help to promote this to the audience. The fine print reveals that this was a Swedish ad, so the audience would be the public of Sweden. More specifically, however, the ad was probably designed to speak to those seeking employment at a company like McDonald’s. The advertising agency, DDB, is a company that emphasizes creativity, and has a worldwide presence. This ad of theirs reflects their drive to speak to people in new ways. It also reflects the negative effects of a philosophy based on pushing the boundaries of advertising. While their purpose, which is to show how McDonald’s values your qualities instead of your complexion, is apparent once all of the text is read, the small font size of the second block makes it more likely for someone to ignore it altogether, and miss the message. Therefore, this ad is not effective.

TOW #5: "Is Music the Key To Success?" by Joanne Lipman

Music and math have for some time been shown to have a connection; simply put, people who received musical education at a young age had higher math scores. This phenomenon, termed the Mozart Effect, has cast a positive light on musical training, which, according to Joanne Lipman, co-author of Strings Attached: One Tough Teacher and the Gift of Great Expectations, has been on the decline in recent years. In this article she pushed the boundaries of the Mozart Effect by looking at a number of successful individuals who, not surprisingly, played an instrument or still do. Given the basis that musical education is losing momentum in the United States, this article is not only relevant to its publish date, but also the audience to which it speaks, the majority of whom are probably made up of New York Times subscribers. This newspaper has a reputation for being on top of social, political, economic, and cultural movements, and the readers are therefore open to, and maybe even expecting, new ideas like the one discussed in this article. This potential openness is essential to Lipman’s purpose, which in part seems to be to inform. Like many editorials, the author wants to present a new idea to the public in order to gain support, and this editorial seems to be the same. Lipman formats this piece like a standard argument essay, introducing her claim and supporting it with data and evidence, such as Woody Allen’s clarinet career and Condoleezza Rice’s training on the piano. Finally, she restates her thesis and concludes with one last attempt to persuade the reader, saying: “Music may not make you a genius, or rich, or even a better person. But it helps train you to think differently, to process different points of view — and most important, to take pleasure in listening.” Presenting the benefits of musical immersion in a coherent and organized manner, accompanied with a multitude of evidence makes it clear that Lipman has achieved her purpose.

Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/13/opinion/sunday/is-music-the-key-to-success.html?pagewanted=2&ref=opinion

Woody Allen playing the clarinet

TOW #4: blink by Malcolm Gladwell (IRB post)

Gut feelings have always been relevant in society; everyone has probably had the experience at one point in their lives, but never understood the reason behind it, the true meaning of that feeling. In blink, Malcolm Gladwell uses an broad collection of studies and events to analyze the very specific phenomenon that he refers to as “thin-slicing”. Gladwell, who is a staff writer at the New York Times, is also the author of “The Tipping Point”, which similarly takes the role of analyzing a minuscule and often overlooked detail of a large picture. Many of his readers, then, are most likely familiar with Gladwell’s first book and are educated to the extent that they have an interest in what may seem to others like a dull statistical analysis. Those who would not like this book should not have a hard time telling so, as Malcolm directly states the subject and purpose of his book in the opening pages, and later on comments on the route the text is taking. This skill was effective because it is unique and clearly defines Gladwell’s tone and style. Diction was also a noticeable element of blink. There are many instances in which Gladwell uses phrases that include the reader, such as “Imagine you are”, “Let’s dig deeper”, and “we, as human beings”. All of these break down the barrier that separates the author from his audience, and makes him more relatable. This feeling of knowing Gladwell without meeting him is analogous to an example in the book, in which he describes Tom Hanks’ natural likeability. Our unconscious mind is constantly making calculations about the smallest details that allow us to make snap judgments about a person or object, like blink, to give an example. Gladwell’s purpose, as evidenced thus far, seems to be a report of his findings through writing this book, and what can be learned from them. However, the context of the book is not a scientific journal, it is a bound cover in a bookstore or library, available for anyone to read.