Visual Rhetoric

On any given day of the week, people are shown various images. Static images are seen on television, billboards, magazines, etc. Certain types of images have the ability to convey various messages and can carry different purposes. One of the first things done when analyzing images, such as the one above is to determine what kind of image it is. 

The drawing above provided by an artist's rendering illustrates the negative effects on the women's perception of body image. When looking at the picture from the viewer's perspective, one of the first things I noticed was the difference in body size between the women. The only items present in the drawing are the mirror and the women. Her lack of clothing draws the viewers to see difference in body size. The woman present in the image seems to have anorexia nervosa. It is an eating disorder characterized by immoderate food restriction and irrational fear of gaining weight along with a distorted self-perception. I was then drawn to the women's sad face presented in the mirror. She sees herself as being overweight, but from our perspective she as skinny as can be. Media has changed her mindset to see herself as being someone she is not.

The artist intends for his viewers to understand how a women alters the way she perceives herself based off of the media. He is trying to inform his viewers rather than just show them a picture. 

What are your thoughts on this drawing? What do you think the intended purpose of this drawing is?

Using Sources

I have chosen to research the topic of media having negative effects on the society's idea of self concept pertaining to body image. I found many great articles online relevant to the subject and one that stood out while I was reading was Combating the Negative Impact of Mass Media by Michael Levine. 

On first examination of the article, I looked for clues as to see if it was scholarly. There were no advertisements located on the page and the language used throughout the article seemed somewhat specialized. The author, Michael Levine, is a respected psychology professor who teaches courses in abnormal psychology, the psychology of personality, as well as eating disorders at Kenyon University. The audience he seems to be writing to are other scholars and researchers. Even though the article was found in a database, it was necessary to make sure the article was scholarly due to the fact that some databases index many types of publications. 

The article mainly focused on explaining ways in which people might combat the negative effects of mass media. It also contained explanations of how media might influence life in general and contained an argument of how mass media is a leading cause of eating disorders. At the end of the article, Levine says that media literacy is needed to fight these negative effects. The obsession of "fat" and "skinny" has gained a foothold in our culture and Levine does a great job of elaborating on this point.

Through the use of logos, Levine appeals to his readers' reason. He presents various claims that are backed by sufficient evidence and facts. With these argumentative claims, he is also able to draw his readers onto his side of the argument. 

 

Pop Culture's Influence

What exactly is pop culture? From a dictionary source online, it seems that popular culture is defined as a contemporary lifestyle generally accepted by a big group of people. When I think of pop culture all that comes to mind are things such as dance, sports, recreation, movies, music and other aspects of social life. 

Using media outlets like movies, music and television, young people have been influenced by popular culture since they were born. As with any group of people, the ideals and beliefs are passed down from generation to generation, but at times everything seen outside the home contradicts what seems to be true. Pop culture has the ability to effect people both positively and negatively I believe more so than any other outside influence. Whether it be a positive or negative influence, is something people have to decide for themselves.

No matter where you go, you are surrounded by pop culture. It is what is on our minds at any given time. Listening to the radio in the car, watching television, reading a magazine are all examples of exposures to pop culture.  It is so ingrained into our society that it is almost impossible to not be influenced by it. 

A learning child takes in and absorbs all the information around him/her on a daily basis thus helping them to form ideals, opinions and various outlooks on life. Many children then grow up to mimic or take on personality traits of people around them around early stages of development. If people are too exposed to pop culture media such as t.v or movies, I feel as though a part of their formed identities will be based on this medium.

What are your views on the influential ability of popular culture? 

The American Dream

The American Dream is a critical thread in this country's tapestry, woven together by political beliefs, music and culture.

Although the specific phrase means different things to different people, it has an underlying belief that hard work will pay off and that the next generation will have a better life than the previous generation.

I am a first generation American citizen in my immediate family. My parents came to this country before they got married hoping to gain a better life for themselves. Most kids whose parents have migrated from their home country have probably heard it all before, parents saying how they came "with only dollars in their pockets and the clothes on their back. Kids here in America have it so much better. We grew up living day by day." A little exaggeration was present, but it was to get their point across.

The American work culture allows people to start from the bottom and construct their way up to the top. The story of Tim Harris, a man born with Down Syndrome, is a prime example. "He shows daily how even children born with an extra chromosome can lead normal, productive lives, advancing in their communities" (Lu, Angela). At times there may be instances where people are unable to build up, but most of the time it is the laziness to get up and not do something about it.

Opportunities to succeed are present in almost all areas of work and people just have to find them, take for example the popular video site, YouTube. People get paid millions just for putting out two minute videos! We have it too good here in America. People can find almost any job they want if they go and look.

What do you think about the American dream? 

The Struggle of Language

Speaking two languages is like any other skill. To do it well, people need lots of practice. Along with this practice comes a struggle. The struggle between the language of school and the language of home.

Growing up, the language of home was Malayalam. Before I began school, I exclusively spoke in Malayalam, our native Indian language. I could sings songs, write the alphabet, and read small words. But as I started school, I realized that Malayalam wasn’t the only language in the world.

I faintly remember my early years in elementary school, and I remember I wasn’t a very big talker. In part, the reason I didn’t open my mouth very often was because I didn’t know what to articulate. Words would form in my head but what do I say? I had learned English from my teachers, but my parents were speaking to me in a totally different language at home. I remember thinking to myself, which one do I use? I didn’t know whether my lips should form the consonants of English or the slurs of Malayalam.

I don’t know why it was hard for me to differentiate between the two. Everyone at school was speaking in English, so why shouldn’t I? But then, why were we speaking something completely different at home?

Looking back at it now, I find it funny that I had this kind of mindset. One language for the whole world? How would that even be possible? As years went by, I resolved my questions and opened my eyes to various languages of the world. I’ve learned more than just English and Malayalam, and have opened my vocabulary to the languages of Spanish and Hindi.

There are assortments of languages across various cultures, but they all come together when it comes to the fact that they are used to express desired messages.

Have you ever faced a struggle between various languages?

Dance Dance Revolution

From Broadway to hip-hop to ballet, dance, in its many forms has become a major part of society in the world today. It has origins in every culture and historical period through the ages. And as time continues to fly by, dance has continued to ‘evolve’.

Most cultures and regions of the world have a particular style of dance associated with them. Coming from an Indian background, I have seen styles of dance that vary a lot from the dances here in America. But then again, I have been to various programs and seen Indian-styled dances that have incorporated Americanized movements and music into performances.

Here at A&M, I am a part of a collegiate raas-garba team. (Raas and garba are styles of dance that have origins in Gujarat, India.) We get dressed in traditional costumes and perform nationally on a collegiate level. Over the past years of competing, I have come to notice that the tracks used for performances have gotten major upgrades. The music contains big bass drops and is sometimes overlaid with hip-hop songs. Traditional music has become less common. Even the style of how different moves are performed has been transformed.

There are numerous of amounts of traditional types of dance, but as years go by, similar to clothes, and technology, dancers want the new and throw out the old. I am not saying this is a bad thing, but I enjoy seeing things of the past.

What are your opinions on dance? Do you see dance as a part of culture?

Sound of Music

"Music does bring people together. It allows us to experience the same emotions. People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit. No matter what language we speak, what color we are, the form our politics or the expression of our love and our faith, music proves: we are the same."

-John Denver

Music has the ability to unite people and cultures of diverse qualities. It is a way to value our cultural heritage as well as other past and present cultures. In a way, music also has the ability to bring together groups of people with different life situations, all with the commonality of enjoying or creating music. Emotionally, music can be relatable and has the capability to transcend a number of emotions experienced by the listener.

Access to music has become so easy nowadays. People can hear a new song on the radio, take out their cell phone and purchase the song in a matter of minutes. Rather than listening to the true meaning of the song, people have just purchased the song for its nice catchy refrain.

I wonder if songs are able to influence people’s thinking even if they aren’t really listening. The artist puts in lyrics for a reason. Music is meant to move people. It has the ability to bring nations together and mend relationships. What’s the point of listening to a song if we don’t know what it is actually trying to convey?

I feel as though the younger generation does not appreciate good music for what it really is. But maybe that's just me...

Technology Domination!

Do you constantly check your phone to see if you've received a text or missed a phone call? Are you jumbled in a mess of notifications from your iPhone, Facebook account and email? People are wired to technology now more than ever, it is evident in our daily lives and people are talking about it.

Most of the blog posts I’ve read pertaining to this topic use a demeaning tone and evoke emotion to persuade readers to rethink the way technology is used. In Hunter Costley’s ‘Is Technology Taking Over?’ he appeals to the readers through logos and the use of statistical records. “An article by the New York Times in 2010 cited that over half of American teenagers ranging from ages 12-17, sent at least 50 text messages a day and over one third sent 100 text messages a day..” he says, adding to his idea that people are changing the way that they learn, speak and interact.

In a similar blog post, Sam Bowden, another fellow blogger, appeals to his audience through diction and clever word choice. “Smart phones are getting smarter and smarter while people get lazier and lazier.” Through the use of personal anecdotes and witty expressions, Bowden is able to get his point across using the Aristotelian appeal of ethos. Just remember, he says, “technology can’t solve everything.”

Technology may be changing, but should we be changing with it?

Lost in Conversation

I believe language can be classified as one of the keystones of culture in the world today. All cultures have a certain spoken language which they can attest to being called their own. For several, language is not just the manifestation of culture but also a part of culture.

It is very common to see migrants from various parts of the world come to the US and bring their first language along with them. Growing up, I had the privilege of learning not only English but also the South-Indian language of Malayalam. Although I’m not as fluent as I was, Malayalam is what I use to communicate to my older family members back home. In a way, I feel as though it is a preservation of our Indian heritage. 

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart”.

-Nelson Mandela

The world has become a ‘melting pot’ of cultures and linguistic distinctions are what seem to differentiate various cultures. According to the Economist, the nation of Papua New Guinea, is linguistically diverse in 830 spoken languages! Isn’t that crazy?! It’s amazing how diverse spoken language can be considering words can only be formed using something as small as a tongue.  

What is culture?

Culture to me is language, religion, social behavior, clothing, food—an assortment of the distinctive characteristics found within a collection of people. To me, culture has no confinements to the way it can be defined. I believe my definition of culture associates most with Aime Cesaire's definition. Cesaire was a Martinique writer who once stated,

“Culture is everything. Culture is the way we dress, the way we carry our heads, the way we walk, the way we tie our ties—it is not only the fact of writing books or building houses.”

My bicultural life enables me to experience the best of both worlds. I love coming home to the tastes and smells of my mom’s cooking. I love going to big Indian weddings with crowds of people. I relish times I get to watch a good Bollywood movie. At the same time, being here in Aggieland I have taken in much of the culture here. From the cowboy boots to the Howdy and Potato Shack, College Station culture is pretty different from home.

The introduction of new cultures into my life is something I enjoy. If you got the chance to try something new, wouldn’t you take it? John Cage, once said

“I can't understand why people are frightened by new ideas. I'm frightened by old ones.”

To take on new experiences and to try new ways of life is my definition of becoming “cultured”. I don’t think I will ever really like country music, but I will admit I do jam to some of Josh Turner's songs.

Do you agree that culture can be defined as everything? Would you experience a new culture if you could? Comment below!