Visual Rhetoric Reflection Paper

 Link to Google Doc


Visual Rhetorical Analysis Paper

Visual Rhetoric Object

Thai Xiong

ENGL1A

March 17, 2014

Visual Rhetoric

My topic is of fast food, and my main theme is many children are obese from overeating fast food. And the fault is no one’s but the parents. My visual object is going to be sort of spin off of Michelangelo’s painting, “The creation of Adam,” except it will be a three dimensional object. I’m going to create a 3D model of out paper, depicting two hands touching. The main difference being, instead of having God and Adam depicted, it will have a hand belonging to a parent, and a hand belonging to an obese infant. In between their hands will be a generic fast food bag, the hands, positioned similar to that of the painting.

I will be using of course, some form of paper and glue to hold together the model. I may use steel/metal wiring from hangers to help keep the form of the fingers. A crazy idea that I had was to have the entire thing made/covered out of McDonald’s bags, but that would be quite costly and I would need a lot of McDonald’s bags. But if I did, do this, it would further increase the effect that it has on its viewers what the cause of the obese infant hand is. In addition, I will have a toy ring placed on the adult hand, to signify marriage; making it obvious that the hand belongs to a parent.

Draft 3

Thai Xiong

ENGL1A – MWF

March12th, 2014                               

Extra Pickles on that Heart Attack please?

The issue of fast food and obesity has been around for – more than it should have. Along the years, different groups have sent their own kinds of messages to relay the truth about fast food. There different sources I have collected are of three different genres of writing; however they all take up the controversy of fast food. Those three genres are an academic journal, a comic strip, and a very interesting video. Yet, when it comes to effectiveness, each genre and medium will vary in effectiveness depending on their own audience and format.

The international Journal of Obesity looks like it should, informative and educational. Everything is very organized, complete with links and sub-links. The authors, Steen Stender, Jorn Dyerberg, and Arne Astrup, each accredited with their own background of health knowledge in Clinical and Health nutrition studies, present their materials with a thesis going against the widespread daily consumption of fast food. But it is not simply saying not to eat fast food because it’s bad, but they have studies shown to back it up. This kind of genre is created to for the general public, data for anyone who wants to absorb and use it. However, its overall demographic exposure is limited because this is a information that acts almost for reference, thus only people actually looking for it will read it. The tone of the journal stays consistently factual and its writing as well is very formal.

 On the other hand, a comic provided by daily-comix.com, is the exact opposite. It relies on humor to relay the same message, and wants to grab attention. The characters in the cartoon are drawn as stubby business men, complete with a tie and quite fat choice of people and how they’re drawn, aims to grasp to the working crowd, whom tend to eat out more because of the busy lifestyle. However, the placing of the comic, on a daily comic viewing site, allows for a broad audience, just the average consumer to view it.  Color-wise most of background and clothing on the people is plain baby blue. Then, in contrast one bright color is planted in the middle of the comic. That highlights the bag, immediately drawing attention to it; a fast food bag that closely resembles something strangely familiar, McDonalds. The visuals are not the only source of humor, but the dialogue is hugely satirical. The entire dialogue box reads as:

Heart attack with extra cheese, heart attack with bacon

, double bypass no pickles, --hey! Where’s my diabetes and large stroke? (Daily Comix)

 Each generic choice on the menu is mockingly replaced with vulnerable health conditions combined with basic condiment options like pickles and cheese. This joke is funny however, it does make the viewer doublethink how it must be to be in his shoes, and it’s that thought that is the reason why this comic was made—for us to think twice before we pay those two dollars.

On a more serious note, the video advertisement “Fast Food and Children,” targets our hearts, not our laugh organs. In full frame motion, this short clip reveals a comparison of a mother about to inject an child with “junk” as the video names it, to feeding your child fast food. The music is tense, and the child is silently drawing, in all his innocence. This combination reaches out to the hearts of any and all who have siblings and family. However most of all, it reaches the hearts of all parents and mothers especially; ending with the line in black and white text “You wouldn’t inject your children with junk, so why are you feeding it to them?

Effectiveness of a text depends largely in part of what the genre and medium the text is actually in. For example, the academic journal would be less effective than it already was, if it had an emotional tone, trying to appeal to pathos would lessen their factual credibility. The strong point of educational articles is that they are there for reference, arguing a point with actual studies. Because the article is very formal, and presents evidence we can see and confirm, one can feel more inclined to believe and think about it more sophisticated. That being said, it is there for reference, the message they are trying to convey is clogged by the fact that its own genre limits what they can actually do. The article itself will not be as effective on its own, but to be used as a reference in a bigger genre, say like a letter or essay against fast food.

Now something like the comic will seem like it will only create a good chuckle. But I think it’s quite effective because once the reader thinks about it, they realize they’re laughing about something that isn’t so funny after all. “Heart attack, double bypass, and diabetes, these conditions are brought to surface, reminding viewers what can really happen to them. Now that’s bound to generate some degree of over thinking. Relating to what the genre is and what it is in relation to its topic also limits its effectiveness on its message. While the comic is very effective, pictures worthy of a thousand words, we can only hope that a huge mass of people will log onto dailycomix.com and stumble upon that particular strip.

 As for the video it will create a moment of sadness and compassion. For the video, its goal is achieved, and very effective it is in. Striking emotions intensely and visually through video(changing images), here you would have one thousand words for each frame. However it’s not effective without weakness. Being effective through emotional visuals mean that the effect last only until their emotional mindset disperses. Likely, the viewers will dodge fast food for a couple times…unless they forget about it in the long run. The effectiveness of this video is complex, very effective in changing the way people look at fast food there and then, but long term efforts may or may not be underwhelmed. There simply aren’t any facts or studies shown in the video that will your brain will retain as knowledge in the future. But that goes both ways. The academic article, while it has an entirety of all the facts, doesn’t lure us in temporarily to keep enough of an audience interested to absorb these facts.

Between the comic strip and the video, it’s a tough call, but the video is more effective and mostly due to the fact that it has more potential. The video, being an ad, already has a bigger audience than a comic strip. Television and video on the internet is so widespread, and comic strips are limited only to those who are looking for them specifically, a similar case with the academic article.  To make a huge impact on the wide demographic of people who consume fast foods, means you have to reach a broader demographic. The academic article is simply stored for reference somewhere online.  In contrast, the video has more potential, as its genre is unlimited. Facts and data can be included alongside the dramatic acting. While an academic article on the other hand, is limited to factual unbiased information, it can’t incorporate exaggerated acting.

These three texts have their own distinctions, but in their own genre, they’re not always similar to each other. The biggest reason that may be the case is audience.  As I emphasized above an audience is different, the entirety of the genre itself will be presented dissimilarly than its other counterparts (of the same genre). In retrospect to a genre and how it says something, it’s important to consider its layout (as discussed briefly above) and limitations. The relationship between a genre and its message and method of relaying that message is crucial to understand the best way to communicate something. A webpage has almost endless limits of information and links and other technical advantages. However, the way this is implemented matters in that in relation to the way it’s trying to say something. Being on the web means that only those with electronics at hand will have access to it. However, newspapers, or videos, advertisements have the advantage of physically being there. The fact that something is in your hands, and you are reading it, seeing it, alters how a message can be stated.

When we eat junk food, fast food, we become them, fat, oily, and high in calories. The same thing follows for what we read. We are constantly shaped by the texts that we read and see daily. We aren’t only what we eat; we’re also what we read and see. But what we read and see are the ads on TV, ads on newspapers, ads on billboards, and ads online. If one surrounds themselves with a certain genre, say, videos that talks about fighting fast food corporations, more likely than not you will grow to be against fast food. Yet at the same time, we are bombarded with advertising campaigns that do just the opposite, promoting fast food.

Sources Cited

 “Fast Food.” Daily Comix. Nd. Web. February 21, 2014.

< http://www.daily-comix.com/fast-food-kind-like-that-comic-1171.html>

“Fast Food and Children.” Youtube. April 23, 2011. Web. February 21, 2014

< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K3F_53Sn34>.

Steen Stender, Jorn Dyerberg, and Arne Astrup. “Fast food: Unfriendly and Unhealthy.” International Journal of Obesity.31. (April 24 2007): 887 – 879. Web. February 21, 2014. < http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v31/n6/full/0803616a.html#aff1>.

Draft 2

Thai Xiong

ENGL1A – MWF

March 9th, 2014

Extra Pickles on that Heart Attack please?

The issue of fast food and obesity has been around for – more than it should have. Along the years, different groups have sent their own kinds of messages to relay the truth about fast food. The three different sources I have collected are of three different genres of writing; however they all take up the controversy of fast food. Those three genres are academic journal, a comic strip, and a very interesting video.

The international Journal of Obesity looks like it should, informative and educational. Everything is very organized, complete with links and sub-links. The authors, Steen Stender, Jorn Dyerberg, and Arne Astrup, each accredited with their own background of health knowledge in Clinical and Health nutrition studies, present their materials with a thesis going against the widespread daily consumption of fast food. But it is not simply saying not to eat fast food because it’s bad, but they have studies shown to back it up. This kind of genre is created to for the general public, data for anyone who wants to absorb and use it. However, its overall demographic exposure is limited because this is a information that acts almost for reference, thus only people actually looking for it will read it. The tone of the journal stays consistently factual and its writing as well is very formal.

 On the other hand, a comic provided by daily-comix.com, is the exact opposite. It relies on humor to relay the same message, and wants to grab attention. The characters in the cartoon are drawn as stubby business men, complete with a tie and quite fat choice of people and how they’re drawn, aims to grasp to the working crowd, whom tend to eat out more because of the busy lifestyle. However, the placing of the comic, on a daily comic viewing site, allows for a broad audience, just the average consumer to view it.  Color-wise most of background and clothing on the people is plain baby blue. Then, in contrast one bright color is planted in the middle of the comic. That highlights the bag, immediately drawing attention to it; a fast food bag that closely resembles something strangely familiar, McDonalds. The visuals are not the only source of humor, but the dialogue is hugely satirical. The entire dialogue box reads as:

Heart attack with extra cheese, heart attack with bacon

, double bypass no pickles, --hey! Where’s my diabetes and large stroke? (Daily Comix)

 Each generic choice on the menu is mockingly replaced with vulnerable health conditions combined with basic condiment options like pickles and cheese. This joke is funny however, it does make the viewer doublethink how it must be to be in his shoes, and it’s that thought that is the reason why this comic was made—for us to think twice before we pay those two dollars.

On a more serious note, the video advertisement “Fast Food and Children,” targets our hearts, not our laugh organs. In full frame motion, this short clip reveals a comparison of a mother about to inject and child with “junk” as the video names it, to feeding your child fast food. The music is tense, and the child is silently drawing, in all his innocence. This combination reaches out to the hearts of any and all who have siblings and family. However, most of all, it reaches the hearts of all parents and mothers especially; ending with the line in black and white text “You wouldn’t inject your children with junk, so why are you feeding it to them?

Effectiveness of a text depends largely in part of what the genre and medium the text is actually in. For example, the academic journal would be less effective than it already was, if it had an emotional tone, trying to appeal to pathos would lessen their factual credibility. The strong point of educational articles is that they are there for reference, arguing a point with actual studies. Because the article is very formal, and presents evidence we can see and confirm, one can feel more inclined to believe and think about it more sophisticated. Now something like the comic, will seem to only create a good chuckle. But I think it’s quite effective because once the reader thinks about it, they realize they’re laughing about something that isn’t so funny after all. “Heart attack, double bypass, and diabetes, these conditions are brought to surface, reminding viewers what can really happen to them. Now that’s bound to generate some degree of over thinking. As for the video it will create a moment of sadness and compassion. For the video, its goal is achieved, and very effective it is in. However, being effective through emotional visuals mean that the effect last only until their emotional mindset disperses. Likely, the viewers will dodge fast food for a couple times…unless they forget about it in the long run. The effectiveness of this video is complex, very effective in changing the way people look at fast food there and then, but long term efforts may or may not be underwhelmed. There just simply aren’t any facts or studies shown in the video that will your brain will retain as knowledge in the future. But that goes both ways. The academic article, while it has an entirety of all the facts, doesn’t lure us in temporarily to keep enough of an audience interested to absorb these facts.  To make a huge impact on the wide demographic of people who consume fast foods, means to reach a broader demographic, however this academic article is simply stored for reference somewhere online.  

These three texts have their own distinctions, but in their own genre, they’re not always similar to each other. The biggest reason that may be the case is audience.  Because an audience is different, the entirety of the genre itself will be presented dissimilarly than its other counterparts (of the same genre). In retrospect to a genre and how it says something, it’s important to consider its layout (as discussed briefly above) and limitations. The relationship between a genre and its message and method of relaying that message is crucial to understand the best way to communicate something. A webpage has almost endless limits of information and links and other technical advantages. However, the way this is implemented matters in that in relation to the way it’s trying to say something. Being on the web means that only those with electronics at hand will have access to it. However, newspapers, or videos, advertisements have the advantage of physically being there. The fact that something is in your hands, and you are reading it, seeing it, alters how a message can be stated.

When we eat junk food, fast food, we become them, fat, oily, and high in calories. The same thing follows for what we read. We are constantly shaped by the texts that we read and see daily. We aren’t only what we eat; we’re also what we read and see. If one surrounds themselves with a certain genre, say, videos that talks about fighting fast food corporations, more likely than not you will grow to be against fast food. Yet at the same time, we are bombarded with advertising campaigns that do just the opposite, promoting fast food.

Sources Cited

 “Fast Food.” Daily Comix. Nd. Web. February 21, 2014.

< http://www.daily-comix.com/fast-food-kind-like-that-comic-1171.html>

“Fast Food and Children.” Youtube. April 23, 2011. Web. February 21, 2014

< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K3F_53Sn34>.

Steen Stender, Jorn Dyerberg, and Arne Astrup. “Fast food: Unfriendly and Unhealthy.” International Journal of Obesity.31. (April 24 2007): 887 – 879. Web. February 21, 2014. < http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v31/n6/full/0803616a.html#aff1>.

SWA Movie Analysis 3/5

   Three creepy films, three different time eras. Nosferatu, a German classic based off of Dracula, The Shining, and The Conjuring, both of which in America. All of the three, while in different ages and technological limits, try to create a sense of fear in us. All three of these movies use the good ol' classic 'dark' background and silent music at points. Similarly they also incorporate the music so that builds up in tempo and volume in correlation to the building tension in their scenes. The shining is a bit different from the rest, since it implements humor into the tension, kind of creating a twisted fear, a sense of hopelessness for the audience watching. The Conjuring, while newer, the only improvement I see is in the special effects, but the plot and story level remains the same as the other films.
   Considering the technology at the time, I would have to say that Nosferatu is by far the most effective. Not that the other movies aren't going to scare my pants off, but Nosferatu seems to be doing the most, with the least amount of technology. Nosferatu is over the top dramatic, but the pacing is real slow, so that instead of trying to scare you, it lets your own thoughts scare yourself.

Peer Review Follow-Up Script

a. Reading my other classmates papers showed me a broader idea of how different genres are compared. It's interesting to see the different areas that they specify and focus on.

b. The suggestions I received for my paper were mostly concerned with things that needed more detail or more development. One source would be thoroughly explained and analyzed, but another source would be overlooked a bit more in my paper.

c. I definitely agree with the comments made. It was helpful, because although I know my paper was weak in some points, I couldn't exactly pinpoint exactly where it needed work.Now that I've gave it some thought and overlooking, I know I will be using the suggestions made by my peers in my revision because it opened my eyes a bit to another way to view my own paper.