TOW #25: Thich Quang Duc Self-Immolation by Malcolm Browne

             Ever since its debut, the camera has had a profound effect on communication, allowing those in one country to see the both the triumphs and struggles of another. In 1963, a Buddhist monk named Thich Quang Duc lit himself on fire to protest the discrimination his religion had received under the Ngo Dinh Diem regime in South Vietnam. A bystander’s photograph captured the moving scene. Thich Quang Duc sits cross-legged in the middle of a street; seemingly calm despite the fire that engulfs his body. Beside him sits a gasoline tank, and in the background, a group of monks watch, with what looks like no intention of intervening.

             An appeal to emotion is instrumental to the power of this image. A person being burned alive would be expected to elicit some sort of sign of pain, but the monk is instead calm and silent. The photographer, Malcolm Browne (AP), said in an interview with TIME magazine that there was panic and cries of misery all around the monk, but no one was even sure if Thich Quang Duc was dead or alive he was so quiet. Browne received a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting and the World Press Photo of the Year in 1963.

Upon its arrival to the press, the photograph was published in newspapers all around the world. Its audience was diverse, in age, occupation, and political stance, as everyone could feel the struggle that the monks were enduring in S. Vietnam through this picture. This seems to be its purpose, after all; Browne had waited after monks had informed him of a new, big demonstration, and when it did occur, he was the only western photographer there. Browne’s intentions probably also included spreading awareness of the turmoil in Vietnam and rallying support for the monks, who he had been following for the past months. As shown by the prestigious awards Browne obtained, as well as the striking appeal to pathos, Browne achieved his purpose.

            

IRB Intro #4: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

Into the Wild is a memoir by Jon Krakauer, in which he recounts his experiences while retracing the steps of Christopher McCandless, whose body was found in a bus in Alaska in 1992. I think this will be an interesting book because I have not read a memoir yet, and I think the narrated style will be closer to a fictional story, which I enjoy more. I hope that after reading this book, I will have gained a better understanding of other people’s lives and perspectives, just as Krakauer may have done with McCandless.

TOW #24: "The Unsettling Thing About Ellen" by Steven Kurutz

            When one amasses as much wealth as modern celebrities of Los Angeles do, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some extravagant spending might take place. Ellen DeGeneres, talk show host and comedian, validates this supposition through her long list of real estate ventures. In an article published in the New York Times titled “The Unsettling Thing About Ellen,” Steven Kurutz details how the star’s interest in architecture and interior design has led her to make a number of pricy purchases on properties from all over California. Now an experienced home designer, Ellen usually takes charge of arranging the décor in her houses, which include paintings by Cy Twombly and Jean Prouve lamps.

            Because this article was published specifically in the Home and Garden section of the New York Times, there is a good chance that its readers will enjoy it. Although the New York Times has a reputation for reporting on national and global conflicts, the audience of this article is most likely made up of adults with a hobby relating to interior or exterior design, given its context. The author, Steven Kurutz, has many articles in the NY Times that cover art-related topics, so he has a level of credibility in writing this story.

            One notable rhetorical device in this article was the author’s asides that were dotted throughout the article. When describing DeGeneres’ solemn attitude towards her former Malibu beach house, Kurutz wrote, “‘I would just stare at it’ from the window, Ms. DeGeneres said, a metaphor for modern celebrity if there ever was one.” The accompanying description to Ellen’s quote expands the horizons of the article, and asks the reader to consider the life of fame that Ellen endures, which at times may not be as fun as designing your own house.

            Kurutz’s purpose therefore might be larger than romanticizing Ellen’s real estate life; it attempts to give readers an accurate glimpse of Hollywood life, specifically through Dengeneres’ eyes. I believe this purpose was achieved, because of how Kurutz’s both told the story of house buying and media attention for a celebrity.