TOW #14: How to Live Without Irony

Christy Wampole, a columnist at New York Times, recently published an article that was, for the most part, aimed towards the so-called "hipsters". These "contemporary urban harlequins" who are living a life of irony, nostalgic for times they have never experienced and are partial to outdated fashions, mechanisms, and hobbies. I feel as though this article was written in an appropriate time as this generation as been experiencing a growing phenomena of hipsters. A fad you could call it. Or even a cult. Wampole probably felt a need to address this growing number of hipsters emerging from every suburban corner and making their way to cities with obscure bars and farmers' markets. It also seemed like Wampole's audiences were not only those who identified themselves as being hipsters, but also to those like Wampole, herself. People who are afraid of giving sincere gifts because something about choosing a personal, meaningful gift is too intimate and too momentous. People who give "a kitschy painting from a thrift store" or "plastic Mexican wrestler figures". This is a form of self-defense, instead of potentially running the risk of getting hurt because your friend does not like the gift of sincerity, you evade the whole situation all together. Hipsters and their outmoded fashions, you and your self-defensive gifts ―all forms of ironic living.
I think Christy Wampole did a good job of not only defining the modern-day hipster and how ironic their way of living is, but also adding a personal aspect to it with the use of anecdotes. It made the article more relatable and less insulting. Wampole also utilized ethos, logos, and pathos in her article to make it more interesting and credible. She mentioned relevant and important facts such as the Berlin Wall and Generation X to support her article. Overall, Christy Wampole clearly established her purpose in an interesting and credible manner.

TOW #13: Outliers - Chapter 5 & 6

Malcom Gladwell, a British-Canadian journalist and best-selling author, talks about how people do not succeed based on their ability and hustle, in chapter five. Rather, people succeed based on their origins of virtue. Intelligence and ambition are not enough and Gladwell supports his statement with the story of attorney Joseph Flom. According to Gladwell, Flom did not succeed based on his ambition and how qualified he was. He succeeded in part by being raised in a Jewish culture where hard work and ingenuity was encouraged. Chapter six talks about how a person's origin, their culture, makes a big impact on who they are in the present. Gladwell uses ethos to support this claim; psychological studies have shown that cultures based on honor, where reputation is regarded as the most important, are more aggressive in defending their culture. Such places with these honor-based culture are down south and in Asian countries. It seemed that Gladwell's purpose was to show that success is partisan, that it does favor those with a better background and is not always fair. He accomplished getting his purpose across with the use of two prominent rhetorical devices, anecdotes and ethos. Gladwell used an anecdote about the attorney, Joseph Flom and established ethos by citing psychological experiments that supported his claim. The audience members, followers of Malcom Gladwell's writing pieces as well as people interested in how success "works", are told that success is, in fact, bias. Though society tries to hide that fact, it cannot be ignored, and Gladwell does a good job of stating and narrating that claim.

TOW #12: The Power of Introverts

Susan Cain, a graduate of Princeton University, former Wall Street lawyer, and author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, talks about who introverts are and their importance in the extrovert-oriented society in a TED Talk. Susan Cain felt the need to clarify that being introverted is not necessarily a bad thing; it has been proven through research that introverts actually have better grades in school and higher IQ's. Society projects the ideal that extroversion is superior to introversion and Susan Cain wants to make it known that, that is not the case. Her purpose is to not only educate people on what being an introvert is and means, but also to encourage and embolden her audience, specifically the audience members who might identify themselves as being introverted. Susan Cain includes personal anecdotes to help her audience, the general public, have a better understanding of where she comes from and make her story and her message more relatable. She also uses euphemisms to illustrate extroverts, often characterizing them as excited people who lose track of the importance in certain things. Ultimately, Susan Cain did a wonderful job defining what being an introvert is and letting the world know that introversion is not a bad thing; introversion is actually essential to this society as these kinds of people are the very ones capable of keeping a business running, being a boss - assuming the role of leadership.

TOW #11: Syrian Government Enemy Chart

This cartoon illustrates the "enemies" of the Syrian government. It is stating that the Syrian army targets the old, the young, and the very young. The author (whose name is too small to read) is a credible cartoonist from TIME, an also credible news source. TIME released this illustration on May 31, 2012, the context being that the Syrian civil war was occurring during the month of May, 2012. This cartoon uses sarcasm as well as satire to show the audience, news readers and followers of the current situation in Syria, that this war is doing nothing but killing innocent citizens. Sarcasm and satire are closely related in this cartoon as the author makes a satirical jab at the Syrian government and army; the old and young are the "rebels, terrorists, and armed insurgents", when in reality, they are harmless and unsuspecting. These innocent citizens are being ruthlessly murdered because of paranoid army men. The ultimate purpose of this text is to bring awareness to the "outsiders" of this crisis, letting them know that innocent people are being targeted and murdered. Another possible purpose may be to let the Syrian government know that what they are doing - who they are killing - is not, in any way, acceptable. The author did a good job of succinctly conveying the brutality of the Syrian government through a comical yet effective cartoon.

TOW #10: Outliers - Chapter 1

In chapter 1 of Outliers, Malcom Gladwell, a credible British-Canadian journalist and bestselling author, starts off by saying that we view success in a certain context and he supports this with the analysis of professional hockey players in Canada. The understanding is that the best are the best because they were born with that certain talent. However, Gladwell begs to differ, stating that the best are the best because of the month in which the hockey players were born. He explains that the cutoff date for hockey classes are January 1. This means that a child born earlier in the year could possibly be playing another child 364 days younger than him, an advantage in physical maturity. Gladwell finishes the chapter by stating that cutoff dates are significant and that things like hockey classes should be divided based on birth-month.
Gladwell introduces this example of cutoff dates and hockey in order to show his readers, especially those who think talent is an innate ability, that talent is cultivated. His purpose is to show that, although some are exceptionally gifted in certain facets of life, date and birth holds much more weight than actual talent and whether or not one is born with "it" or not. Gladwell persuades and intrigues the audience, readers who are intrigued by success and what causes success, with the use of ethos. By citing credible sources, such as Canadian Psychologist Roger Barnsley, Gladwell gains the trust of his readers; he becomes a reliable and believe source. Gladwell also uses anaphora to emphasize the reason in which certain people achieve success. He starts the sentence with "The best are the best because..." and states the most common misconception and then states the actual reasoning in the second sentence.
Malcom Gladwell has started off Outliers with an interesting theory and legitimate reasoning that has shed light to a possible reason as to why some people are more talented (and ultimately more successful) than others. I am excited to read more about Gladwell's reasoning and ideas.

TOW #9: Ivan the Terrible and His Son (Painting)

This picture depicts the aftermath of a heated argument between Ivan the Terrible and his son, Ivan. The argument ends with the father swinging his pointed staff at his son, whereupon his son falls to the ground. Ivan the Terrible immediately drops down to kiss son and attempts to stop the bleeding. The Metropolitan Museum Journal published this painting as a result of an art article created by Elizabeth Valkenier, a member of Columbia University. This painting's purpose seems to be that the painter wants to illustrate Ivan the Terrible's horror at this moment in his life. This painting depicts the tragedy both Ivan the Terrible and his son deal with and the audience, art enthusiasts or anyone capable of appreciating historical paintings, is able to feel that same pain. They are allowed a glimpse of a terrible event and this painting evokes a sense of regret, hopelessness, and excruciating pain from within the audience using pathos. The deep reds and shades of dark colors used help exaggerate the terrible emotions the the subject is feeling. Ivan the Terrible's face is that of sheer fear and regret and this taps into the audience members' own experience with traumatic events. Ilya Repin, the painter, effectively conveys multiple emotions through a poignant painting; the audience members are truly able to experience these feelings, almost as if they are there, witnessing the death of Ivan the Terrible's son.

TOW #8: Freakanomics, Chapter 5-6

In chapters five and six of Freakanomics, the authors address parenting and how parents' choices and financial status can affect their children's lives. Levitt makes an example of one of his studies on the safety of backyard swimming pools. He concluded that children are 100 times more likely to die by drowning in a backyard pool than by a gun. This book was written by two credible authors, Steven D. Levitt, a economics professor at the University of Chicago, and Stephen J. Dubner, a former writer and editor at The New York Times Magazine.
With so much talk going around about child safety and improving it, Levitt probably wanted to provide concrete evidence on ways to increase safety with a research experiment. That is why he conducted the backyard swimming pool experiment; he wanted to find out how safe it was for children to be swimming in backyard swimming pools. His purpose was not only to inform people, specifically parents with young children, but also to provide shocking facts and statistics about how parents' socioeconomic status have the greatest impact on children's academic success. Although many rhetorical devices are used throughout this book, logos was the most prominent. Many data tables and statistics are used to create a credible narrative. This whole book is based on logic and facts. The swimming pool experiment is a prime example of logos. Levitt appeals to the readers by coming up with a shocking statistic through thorough research and analysis. Overall, I think Levitt and Dubner did an excellent job in accomplishing their main purpose, which is to educate the masses through an informative yet interesting book about economics, the study of incentives.

TOW #6: VP Debate

The 2012 Vice Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan focused primarily on domestic and foreign policy issues, with Joe Biden emphasizing the importance of the middle class. I read the transcript on Politico.com, a fairly credible source, though sometimes known for being right-slanted. With the 2012 Presidential elections coming up very quickly, this debate was necessary in either reinforcing President Obama's effectiveness in the government or proving that Governor Romney is the better candidate to lead the United States for the next four years. This debate's main purpose was to convince the citizens of the United States, especially people who are legal to vote, to either vote for President Obama or Governor Romney. It was obvious that both men utilized the rhetorical device of ethos to present themselves as a credible and trustworthy source. Biden's discussion of Medicare and the current tax policy helped him become a knowledgeable person with credible information. Likewise, Paul Ryan talked about decreasing loopholes through tax reforms was an example of ethos, though, his failure to go into specifics cost him some "points".
I believe this Vice Presidential debate accomplished its purpose, which was to inform the United States with plans both parties have in store for the next four years, in an interesting and entertaining manner.

TOW #7: Nannies and Children - Article

A New York nanny is suspected of murdering two children. Yoselyn Ortega was found lying on the bathroom floor next to the bodies of the two young children she was babysitting, with slits on her wrists and a stab wound in her neck. This article from CNN.com, a respected and reputable news site, has provided a harsh reality check for families trusting their nannies with their children's lives. Wayne Drash, a staff writer and senior producer of CNN, most likely wrote this article with the purpose of not only retelling a horrific crime that shocked the Upper West Side, but also of shedding light on an easily forgotten issue: nannies and children. He effectively makes the audience (more geared towards parents with young children in the care of nannies and babysitters) reflect upon their situation with the use of pathos. He evokes a sense of pity and sadness from readers such as parents in order to get his point across: are your children really as safe as you think? Drash also makes use of exemplum, the citing of an example or use of an illustrative story. Throughout the article, many different sources were cited when describing the children or the events that unfolded during that fateful night. The incorporation of both pathos and exemplum allowed for the audience to easily understand the childrens' personality and the mother's love for them. Drash strategically used pathos and exemplum in a way that they accentuated each other's rhetorical purpose. Overall, Drash accomplished his duty: inform people and force reflection upon themselves. He did a good job of subtley but effectively telling people to be careful when it comes to trusting their childrens' lives with a nanny or babysitter.

TOW #5: Illuminati Painting

This painting by David Martin, a freelance cover artist, depicts the effects of an elitist group on the world. It may have been created in response to the growing number of Illuminati conspiracy theories surfacing on the internet.
This painting reveals to anyone interested in the Illuminati, what this cult does. Martin literally paints a picture of the different mediums the Illuminati utilizes in order to influence the world: money, media, violence. Also, this painting addresses followers of this cult, letting them know their secret has been revealed. For unsuspecting people who are not familiar with the Illuminati, it is just another powerful picture showing humans being influenced by worldly things. But to those who are familiar with symbols such as the Eye of the Providence, they can associate this picture with the Illuminati.
This painting gets its purpose across mainly with symbolism. This rhetorical element gives the painting a poignant and intense feel. The Pyramid with the "all seeing eye" symbolizes the Illuminati and the wooden mannequin being controlled by a hand represents how humans are unknowingly controlled by the forces of the Illuminati. The four hands holding a gun, knife, film, and money, are all symbolic of what is used to influence the human race. In this painting, the Illuminati operates through the film industry and has enough money and power to cause events and kill people. Martin's painting forcefully gets his message across, which is that the Illuminati is everywhere, controlling humans. 
But is all of this real? One can only continue to wonder. 

TOW #4: Freakanomics - Chapter 1 & 2

Chapter 1 talks about incentives and how economy is the study of incentives. There are three types: economic, social, and moral. Incentives are used to manipulate human behavior. In chapter 2, Levitt and Dubner start off by talking about the Klu Klux Klan. A reason as to why the KKK was so successful during the 1940s was because of its secrecy. But then its downfall is caused by Stetson Kennedy, who became a part of the KKK in Atlanta, and learned of the group's rituals, handshakes, etc. Then the authors talk about information asymmetry, which is utilizing information as a means of gaining power at the disadvantage of others. This book was most likely written to further expand economists and people interested in economy's knowledge on economy and its correlation to gangs and real estate agents.
Levitt, a economist at the University of Chicago (Harvard undergrad, PhD from MIT) and winner of the John Bates Clark Medal, and Dubner, former editor and writer at The New York Times, are both credible authors. So far, I feel that the authors have accomplished their purpose of providing knowledge to those interested in economics as they present the information in an interesting and comical manner.
Logos was frequently used, one example is during an incentives study, parents were charged a $3 fee if they picked up their child late from daycare. This did not motivate the parents as the fee was too low. Also, metaphors were used, comparing teachers to sumo wrestlers.

TOW #3: TED - Before I Die I Want To...

In this TED talk, Cindy Chang, an artist, talks about life, death, and ways to empower others. She has set up interactive "Before I Die" walls all over the United States, in which people are encouraged to write their hopes and wishes onto the chalk boards. The context is in that Candy lost a mother-like figure, Joan, and this prompted Candy into contemplating the purpose of life and therefore creating things such as the Before I Die walls. The purpose of this talk and Candy's overall message seemed to be to live your life to fullest but at the same time, live to help and love others. I think this message really touched the audience members - anyone who was willing to listen to Candy's words of wisdom - and inspired them/me to live differently, more positively.
Candy's emotional speech was filled with the rhetorical element of pathos, especially when she talked about Joan's death. Also, Candy used a lot of metaphors and similes to describe New Orleans, her home, and how much she loves the city. The audience was asked rhetorical questions regarding the meaning of life and what you would do if you only had only so much time to live.
TED, a non-profit organization made possible by innovators and hard workers, is a credible source that helped Candy accomplish her purpose: spread the word about love, life, and doing things to help not only yourself, but also others.

TOW #2: Final Destination - Suicide Forest (Article)

The Aokigahara Forest is the final resting place for many in Japan. Located at the foot of Mount Fuji, this dense forest is a "hotspot" for suicide. Every year, nearly 100 hanging bodies are found. The rhetorical question of why so many choose to end their lives in this forest has been repeated throughout this article; it has been a mystery for many years. The description of the lush forest does seem to indicate a possible reason: it is so dense in vegetation that once you enter, it is unlikely to find your way out. For the desperate, Aokigahara is the perfect place to disappear.
The author seemed to shed light on a fascinating phenomena to the general public - anyone old enough to appreciate the tragedy and beauty of this situation. Lyle Brennan, the author, subtly urged anyone contemplating suicide to not follow through with it with the use of pathos. To think it through and be positive. I think Brennan accomplished his two purposes. Readers learned of an interesting occurrence in Japan and they also were subtly discouraged from attempting suicide through an informative yet interesting video. 
The context was in an article indicating the rising number of suicide deaths. Published by Daily Mail, I do not think it is a completely credible source yet I did not note any bias in this article. I do not think an article like this could really be skewed, it is just a report on something that happens in Japan and the enigma behind it.

TOW #1:13-Year Old Boy Charged With 1st Degree (Article)Murder

A 13-year old Florida boy is accused of murdering his 2-year old half brother and sexually abusing his 5-year old cousin. Cristian Fernandez is being charged as an adult and is facing first-degree murder. He is the youngest inmate awaiting trial in Duval County, Florida. If he convicted of either crime, Cristian will face life in prison without parole.
The purpose of the article, at first, seemed to be the telling of another shocking story. But upon further examination, it emphasized Cristian's impending trial. The author, Tamara Lush, brought up the concern of a young adolescent being charged with first-degree murder as an adult. Lush targeted the mothers of the general public with the usage of pathos. She wanted to evoke a sense of pity and loss within the readers. Lush also made use of rhetorical questioning, asking her audience if it is really necessary for a child to spend the rest of his life in prison.
I thought Tamara Lush did a good job of presenting a good story that was succinct yet with a lot of factual information. She accomplished her purpose of informing the masses with an exciting yet tragic piece of news. Though this paper seemed slightly biased (no life-sentece), I trust Lush. She is known as the correspondent for the Associated Press, which is a fairly reliable source. Also, this news article was published on the Time website, which cites all its sources. You can go to the original source to see if Time presented the information in an acceptable manner.