Winter Break Assignment

  Language has a connection to race and gender in conversation, media, entertainment, an even politics. There are many terms that have been used to undermine people based on their ethnicity or gender. Despite this fact, some have taken it upon themselves to try to make once derogatory terms positive. For example the n-word and the b-word seem to have taken on whole new meanings. The n-word, which stems from a racial slur is commonly used as an amiable term. The b-word, which once defined women that were looked on, now describes women with status.The fact that the people these words were meant to undermine now use them freely makes using such language seem empowering. However, some people argue that these words can never be positive because of where they came from. The n-word, originally meant an ignorant person, it was later used to label slaves. In "Nigger vs Nigga" on the Huffington Post, Chlaku Hanson discusses that the word should be banned no matter the context or ending. Another controversial view on these terms is that they can be appropriated.  In. "You Say ‘Bitch’ Like It’s A Bad Thing: Examining the Implications of the Notorious Word", also on the Post, Zoë Triska explains that even though name calling is bad, and that the context is never okay when it is done by a group that historically oppressed another. Because of this, Triska states "it will never be okay for a man to call a woman a “bitch.”". In my opinion , it is best to stay away from these words, as Hanson stated "If a word cannot be used in court, chances are, it’s a bad word."

Reaction to "I Want a Wife" and "Marked Women, Unmarked Men" 12/18/2016

 
    The essay "I Want a Wife" by Judy Brady and "Marked Women, Unmarked Men" by Deborah Tannen both analyze social norms concerning gender. In "I Want a Wife" Brady lists the various tasks that her ideal wife would have to complete while in "Marked Women, Unmarked Men" by Tannen discusses how women are labeled. Despite the fact that the essays were written at different times, they both still hold relevance today. The expectations for wives that Brady describes- cooking, cleaning, minding children, making sacrifices, are still ones that some men still have for their future wife. Also, Tannen broke down how women were judged based on appearance, from hair, to make up, to shoes. The authors both find ways to make readers ask themselves why these expectations or judgements were normal. Tannen does this with eye-opening facts, she states that women can have various titles , "Ms' or "Mrs" while men are simply "Mr". Judy Brady does the same with her seemingly ridiculous hypotheticals, she stated that she would want the right to easily replace her wife and children. Both essays provide interesting insight when addressing social norms involving gender.

Reaction to Logical Fallacies 11/27/2016

Logical fallacies are used daily to make and support invalid arguments. For example, fallacies that appeal to nature imply that just because something is natural or found in nature it is good. The fallacy I focused on was loaded question. Loaded questions are formed to make the target inevitably seem guilty and have no right answer. In comparison to fallacies that appeal to nature, loaded questions seem shady.Other example of shady fallacies include tu quoque and building a strawman. These types of fallacies seem especially relevant due to the thanksgiving memes that pop back up this time of year. The similarities are uncanny.

Reaction to "Don't Fight Flames with Flames" 11/20/2016

Despite the fact that the author probably had good intentions when writing this article, his whiny tone made it unpleasant to read. He opens up by telling the readers about an instance when he was attacked on Twitter for voicing his opinion on Trayvon Martin. For example, he states that if reader tries to insert their input "One person says one thing and then the digital mob is upon you". The author then rants about how social media is a catalyst for destructive arguments. Despite the fact that the author got expert opinions, they sounded more salty than informative. He states that instant replies only "perpetuates conflict". In conclusion, "Don't Fight Flames with Flames" was an unpleasant read.

Reaction to "Why do Drug Dealers Still Live With Their Mothers?" 11/5/2016

   This article was very enlightening, it explained the economics behind the drug world. There were lots of statistics about salaries, and other forms of information. Despite the fact that the abundance of numerical evidence helped fulfill the author's purpose, it became a bit overwhelming. In addition, one of its purposes seemed to be to canonize people's perception of drug dealing and gangs. It provided the back story of a specific gang, giving a few of its members personality and purpose. The reminded me of a documentary, "The House I Live In", which addresses how the war on drugs has affected America. Both discuss the ways it has succeeded and failed while bringing up interesting facts and theories. In conclusion, "Why do Drug Dealers Still Live With Their Mothers?" was an enlightening and enjoyable piece.

Reaction to "On the Want of Money" 10/23/2016

             
                 William Hazlitt's "On the Want of Money" was very interesting to read and analyze. The simple fact that the whole thing is two run-on sentences shows that Hazlitt wrote it that way to emphasize humor and the points he was making. Throughout the excerpt, Hazlitt compares the woes of the rich as well as those of the poor. He discussed that the poor spent their lives trying to earn wealth in obscene ways while the rich were only valued by those who benefited from the wealth they had. The piece also had a few examples of alliteration, adding to the humorous tone. All in all it was a good read.

Reaction to Advertisements 10/7/2016

          Despite the fact that all the advertisements analysed this week promoted different things they all heavily used pathos. The use of pathos helps make the audience feel as if they need to spend their money. The ad for the prescription medicine used a rooster for humor. In addition it assumed that the audience lacked sleep and tried to relate to them through the narrator and shots of the lady looking tired. The ASPCA ads relied on the audience to be empathetic and generous by using shots of animals looking distressed. In general advertisements try to make audiences feel a certain emotion to make them want to spend their money.

Clinton and Trump Speeches 9/25/2016

          Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump used ethos and pathos in their nomination speeches. Through the use of these devices they validated why their opponent should not be president. Trump, for example, states "This is the legacy of Hillary Clinton: death,destruction, and weakness". The word "destruction" has a negative connotation and puts images of chaos and despair in the audience's head. Clinton on the other hand states "he wants to divide us - from the rest of the world, and from each other", The word "divide" has a negative connotation and makes the audience picture the wall Trump promised to build on the border of Mexico. Trump develops his ethos by stating "I'm with you, and I will fight for you, and I will win for you". Repeating the word "I" makes Trump seem confident and more than capable of accomplishing his goals. Hillary develops her ethos by stating "Our country's motto is e pluribus unum: out of many, we are one". By using the country's motto, which calls people to unite, Clinton makes herself seem patriotic and cooperative. All in all, Trump and Clinton used specific words and phrases to develop ethos and pathos in their speeches.

Bush 9/11 Speech 9/18/2016

      The speech George Bush delivered in response to the terrorist attacks on 9/11 used a variety of ethos,pathos and logos. Throughout the speech he uses phrases like "deliberate and deadly" and "evil,despicable acts of terror" to describe the events that happened. These words have negative connotations and resonate with the audience, proving that his use of pathos was effective. In addition, Bush tells the audience of his work with allies, and Congress to solve the terrorist problem proving his use of ethos effective since he was the president. For effective use of logos Bush, constantly mentions the event and the amounts of lives lost. All in all, by appealing to the audience's emotions, validating his authority, and using logic Bush's 9/ll speech proved effective.

Testing Post 9/15/16

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