Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Topic Proposal Essay 4

Kelly Renfro

Billy Bull

April 13, 2009

Topic Proposal #4

 

 

Issue: Legalization of Marijuana

 

Media: 

 

 

Obama Inhales Frequently:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpBzQI_7ez8

 

Ending Clip?:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BOQxyTrgw&feature=related

 

Slide Show:

 

Open with Clip:

 

Statistic (fluffed):

                        -Quit Breathing

                        -All Celebrities

            Remedy-

-       http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512158,00.html

Grandmother and children

            - http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509282,00.html

Target Celebrities:

            Snoop Dogg

                        - http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/575/97846156.jpg

            Phelps

            Bob Marley:

             -http://hoodyalan.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/10342_w.jpg

            George Bush

            Jonas Brothers- 1 out of three says no

                        http://cdn.buzznet.com/media-cdn/jj1/headlines/2009/03/jj-flies-jonas-brothers.jpg

Alternate: http://music.ology.com/files/2009/02/jonas_brothers_300_07.jpg

 

http://music.ology.com/files/2009/02/jonas_brothers_300_07.jpg

 

 

Thursday, April 9, 2009

SWA 8

Billy Bull
English 102
April 9, 2009
SWA 8

 

            The seemingly perfect ad campaign proposed six months ago is not performing as well as we had intended.  I believe that we should not discontinue the ad, but we can alter the timing and the programs that the ad is aired during. 

            As of now the target audience is obviously towards one who is working in an office.  If it is possible we can change the target audience so that it can be more relatable to everyday people.  For right now Bud Light should keep their current ad, but just enhance the ad.  However, the company should launch a new ad campaign that relates more to everyday America.  For example, a possible ad targeted towards the everyday worker can be of a man daydreaming about a place that beer is easily accessible and free to everyone; a sort of Willy Wonka idea without the candy and sweets.    

            The current ad should continue to air and finish its budgeted time of a year, and then Bud Light can discontinue the ad.  A possible problem with the ad can be the times that the company has decided to show the advertisement.  Since the target audience is the office worker the commercial should be aired on weekdays around 6pm to about 11pm.  That time slot takes into consideration rush hour traffic, the worker that has a certain television program to watch, and the typical hour one goes to bed.

  The ad should also be shown throughout all sporting events.  Although the main target audience is the office worker, anyone can find the ad comical.  The idea that a professional setting can be altered based off a case of Bud Light is genius, and the fact that the office had to raise money by implementing a swear jar makes it even better.    

I believe that the ad can easily be enhanced solely through a more strategic timing and the programs it is aired during.  

Monday, April 6, 2009

SWA 7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJJL5dxgVaM

The Rhetoric of the Marke

1.       We know that ads are supposed to be persuasive.  Take this for granted.  But what do these ads persuade you to think, do, or believe—especially beyond simply purchasing their products?

......This ad is in no way believable or realistic.  Beer commercials can get away with being funny and not having to worry too much about persuasion.  Although recent Bud Light commercials promote their "drinkability," beer commercials are way more lenient than other products.  

     ... As you study the advertisements, consider all the elements of it that you can identify.  In other words, try not to just focus on the explicit argument.  What implicit elements argue here?

............Bud Light is trying to argue that even the most professional environment will lower its standards or rules for a beer.

3.       Describe the apparent use-value of each product; then describe the exchange-value as you see it.  Basically, what might purchasers of these products expect to get from them that an inexpensive, generic version would not provide?  Evaluate the ads in terms of use-value appeal and exchange-value appeal—how does each address use and exchange concerns?  Do they all do both?  Do any of your observations contradict what you might have expected?

..............Bud Light already has a credible name and at this point with advertisement, the company has more room to be random.  People are going to be brand loyal to this company, so they can be more unprofessional in their advertisements. 

4.       Who would you say the imagined audience for each ad is?  What magazines do you think each came from?

...........The audience is sports watchers, beer drinkers, and anybody who is over the age of 21.



.............. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tNe3n0LQJo


1.       We know that ads are supposed to be persuasive.  Take this for granted.  But what do these ads persuade you to think, do, or believe—especially beyond simply purchasing their products?

............This ad persuades one to think.  With a nearly silent beginning, one does not know what to think with an assembly of car parts working in a domino like fashion.  

2.       As you study the advertisements, consider all the elements of it that you can identify.  In other words, try not to just focus on the explicit argument.  What implicit elements argue here?

............. The implicit elements argued is the strength and technology used to build the Honda Accord. 

3.       Describe the apparent use-value of each product; then describe the exchange-value as you see it.  Basically, what might purchasers of these products expect to get from them that an inexpensive, generic version would not provide?  Evaluate the ads in terms of use-value appeal and exchange-value appeal—how does each address use and exchange concerns?  Do they all do both?  Do any of your observations contradict what you might have expected?


..............With this product, the company is trying to teach their viewers that their cars are stronger, safer, and more luxurious than their competitors. 

 

4.       Who would you say the imagined audience for each ad is?  What magazines do you think each came from?


...........The imagined audience is anyone from the age of 15 and up.  The commercial would probably be played during a sporting event or duing a reality tv show.  


Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Overseas Contingency Operation: Quick Check America’s Diapers

Billy Bull
English 102
March 26, 2009
Topic Proposal 3

Overseas Contingency Operation: Quick Check America’s Diapers

I.                   Introduction:

·         The Obama administration has decided to no longer describe the current war as the “War on Terror,” but has decided to refer to it as the “Overseas Contingency Operation.”  According to dictionary.com, contingency is the “dependence on chance or on the fulfillment of a condition; uncertainty; fortuitousness.”   The new title for America’s current situation is cowardly, belittling towards the citizens, and an attempt to erase history. 

II.                Body Paragraph 1: Cowardly

·         I would like to think that the United States had more confidence, especially when there are soldier’s lives in danger. 

III.             Body Paragraph II: Babying U.S citizens

·         There’s a difference between cautiously wording phrases and fabricating phrases in order to try to make them less harsh

IV.             Body Paragraph III:  Forget about Bush

·         Appears that Obama wants to not forgive, but forget the Bush administration

·         Ban on phrases like:

o    “War on Terror”

o   “Enemy Combatant”

V.                Body Paragraph IV: My Opinion

·         Reiterate how Americans are being “babied”

VI.             Conclusion

 

 

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Kramer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBcskBB1eNs

Imagine

Imagine
By John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today... 

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace... 

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one 

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world... 

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

SWA 4

Billy Bull
Wright
English 102
February 19, 2009
Topic Proposal

Outline

I.                   Introduction

a.       Thesis:  Does feel good education lead to an inability to deal with failure or does it aid in developing confidence and an ability to be self efficient?

II.                How it could help

a.       http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Politics/story?id=3221230

b.      http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/new-book-provides-examination-42772.aspx

III.             How it fails

a.       http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_n2632_v126/ai_20301230

b.      http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/14/cf/c8.pdf

IV.             True Education

a.       Aristotle

                                                              i.      Learning from experience

                                                            ii.      Learning from travels

V.                Conclusion

a.       Restate Thesis

b.      Summarize

Thursday, January 29, 2009

SWA 3-Outline

Outline of Rhetorical Analysis

I.                   Introduction

a.       Thesis:  In Robin Hemley’s Relaxing the Rules of Reason, one notices the strategies that were used by the author to support his argument and the techniques utilized in order to persuade the reader.

II.                What is the purpose of the argument? What does it hope to achieve?

a.       Breaks down the ways of writing in a more comical manner

b.      Tells the reader to take more risks

c.       With the authors examples and experience the reader realizes the risks the author instructs one to take, but notices that the author makes writing comedy seem easier

III.             How does it try to make the writer or creator seem trustworthy?

a.       The author establishes credibility through his real life examples

b.      His ability to use examples from others in order to keep a flexible view

                                                              i.      Showing that he has done his research

c.       Instructional-the author gives guidance

IV.             How does the language or style of the argument work to persuade an audience?

a.       The author uses more of a personal tone

b.      Able to bring the reader into his stories

                                                              i.      Causes the reader to think and relate to what he is describing

V.                Conclusion:

a.       Restate thesis

b.      Brief Summary

c.       Leave the reader with a thought 

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

SWA 2

Billy Bull
English 102
January 27, 2009
SWA 2

I really enjoyed the discussion in class about “shock value.” I feel that shock value should have been incorporated into the acronym: THREES, under the category surprise. Comedians such as Katt Williams, Steve Hostetter, Chris Rock, etc. tend to be very offensive; however, they are good at what they do and they cause the audience to laugh. Comedians have always tried to create a stir over what jokes they tell or who they have offended. What may have been crossing the line when my parents were my age is most likely not as shocking for those my age. For example, Animal House may have been shocking for my parents, while Zack and Miri is pushing the envelope for my generation. Even when my grandparents were my age, they could have thought that Some Like It Hot was shocking.

The author that explains it fairly well is Henri Bergson. His piece, The Comic in General-The Comic Element in Forms and Movement Expansive Force of the Comic, describes that people tend to find shock humor fairly funny. The term shock humor is very broad and can be applied to many different jokes. For example, a man tripping could be cause a shock, but is not necessarily shocking, where as the sexual jokes in Animal House or in Zack and Miri tend to be more shocking. The difference between causing a shock and for something to be shocking is that a shock is more instantaneous. While something that is shocking is fairly instant, it may stand out in one’s mind when he or she reflects on the joke more so than something that creates a shock.

Any film created by Kevin Smith is a great example of the use of shock value humor. For example, in his film Clerks he even shows through the customers that he knows he is being offensive. Pretty much everything that comes out of Randal’s mouth is offensive, and Kevin depicts this with the reaction of the customers in both the video store and the market. The majority of the dialogue as well as the scenes have something shocking and some scenes may have gone too far.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

January 20

January 20, 2009
SWA 1

In Henri Bergson’s article The Comic in General-The Comic Element in Forms and Movement Expansive Force of the Comic, the author describes some of the common elements to humor are clumsy jokes, pranks, and witnessing pain.  Bergson continues to use the example of a man falling as a form of his on misfortune and in the sense of a prank.

            According to the author, in order to understand laughter, humans must “put it back into its natural environment, which is society.”  The author continually uses an example where a boy trips, and explains it through different ways that could cause this to occur.  Whether the incident was accidental or a prank, the author states this to be funny because it puts the boy in an awkward situation.    

Bergson is completely correct with his views of humor.  Shows such as Punk’d, Jackass, or MXC tend to have a pretty high following.   Although it appears that Punk’d has lost its popularity, shows that focus on pranks are still one of the more popular themes.  Society likes to laugh at when people make fools of themselves.  This continues to be true for shows such as Jackass of MXC.  Jackass is a program that shows a group of men trying to physically hurt each other.  A popular scene from the second movie is the four way see-saw bull fight, where four of the members sit on a see-saw as a bull tries to knock them off.  Another show that depicts pain as a form of comedy is the Japanese Game show most extreme elimination, where two teams try to complete various obstacles that have a high possibility of the contestant getting hurt.  Not only do the contestants make complete fools of themselves, but the T.V. station translates the Japanese into something that would make fun of the contestants or into a sexual joke.   One of the more common events is called Floaters and Sinkers, where contestants have to run across a pond, jumping from rock to rock, but some rocks float and some rocks sink.    

             Why do people find the pain of others to be so funny?  It may be because everybody is a critic; but I don’t think the viewers are judging the boy who accidently tripped; however, I am sure people judge the characters of the show Jackass.  In most of the recent comical movies there is a scene where one or more of the characters get hurt.  Therefore, society will continually feel that pain leads to laughter.