Definition Paper

Curvy

            Does my butt look big in these jeans? A lot of women have been known to ask this type of question over the years to their spouses, relatives, and friends; but what answer are they actually seeking? It may not be the obvious, “Oh no dear, you have a flat bum!” or “You have a very slim figure.”  Actually, some women want their butt to look big! More and more women are looking to have curvy figures, rather than having slimmer ones. They are even going to extremes such as breast and butt implants to achieve such a body. Some people would associate the term curvy with just being a bigger woman, which is clearly not the case. Curvy doesn’t mean being fatter, bigger or plus-sized. Therefore, being considered curvy wouldn’t have too much to do with one’s weight either. It all has to do with your proportions, how your fat or weight is distributed, and your overall silhouette. To be considered curvy, you must possess an hourglass figure, prominent bust line, prominent hip measurement, a full bust, a full bum, and of course a noticeably smaller waist.

            There are many different body types, specifically in women. Narrowing it down, the most common are apple (triangle downward), banana (rectangular and straight), pear (triangle upward), and hourglass (triangles opposing, facing in). Like I mentioned earlier, a lot of people who are bigger (apple shaped) would be considered “curvy”. But curvy is NOT being big or fat. From all the shapes, the one that is curviest is the hourglass (pear can be from a cultural perspective which will be discussed later.) To have an hourglass figure the hip and bust size are almost equal in size with a smaller waist. Body fat tends to be around both the upper and lower body; which would enlarge the chest, hips, and rear before the waist. Studies show that only 8 percent of 6,000 women have this figure. Having an hourglass figure is one of the biggest determining factors of having a curvy shape.

While shopping at a store called DOTS, I came across a few different fits. They have jean styles that come in 3 different fits; classy, slim, and curvy. Since these are different fits, not different sizes, this implies someone can be a bigger size and still be a slim fit while another can be a smaller size and be a curvy fit. This goes back to curvy does not mean big or fatter, just big or fatter in different places (hourglass). Curvy fits are designed to have a bigger hip area, but a smaller waist area. They also have blouses and dresses that have the same 3 fits to accommodate different body shapes in different sizes.



Sophia Loren



 The perception of what is considered a “hot” or “beautiful” body has undoubtedly changed throughout the years. The most beautiful women of earlier times were over 200 pounds. Real curves really came into play when Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren were on the scene. Although Audrey was very light (weighing in at around 100 pounds) her measurements were mind blowing; a 34 inch bust, 20 inch waist and 34 inch hip. Marilyn was heavier, with measurements recorded of 37-23-36. Sophia Loren’s measurements were 38-24-38, an amazing hour glass. That is more than a ten inch difference between bust to waist ratio and waist to hip ratio. These women are still famous for their hourglass, curvy figures. But are they really curvy? These women had really phenomenal measurements, but what about the actual size of their breasts and butt? Audrey had an A cup breast size, even though she had an hourglass figure. Is that curvy? Sophia Loren had hips, but did she have a big behind? If you have an hourglass figure does it mean that you are automatically curvy?

Culturally Speaking...



Bria Myles



When asked which culture or race has the biggest behind and widest hips most will probably say African American or Black women followed by Latina women. Most of these women are generally pear shaped. Being pear shaped means you have a greater hip measurement than a bust measurement, fat tends to deposit first in the butt, hip, and thigh region. These women tend to have a larger rear and a smaller bosom. A great example is video vixen, Bria Myles, with measurements of 34-25-45. Her hip measurement is double her waist measurement making her bottom heavy. She is curvy, but only bottom curvy. She has big hips and a huge butt that sits out. Her thighs are also prominent. She really doesn’t have an hourglass shape. To men, mainly African American men she is considered “thick” and curvy even though she is only pear shaped.

Most African American men prefer women with a bigger behind and big hips. Most video vixens that are in many hip-hop videos display this type of figure. Although they wouldn’t mind a woman with a bigger bust line and a big butt, they would rather have a woman with hips and a big bum rather than a flatter bum with a bigger bust line. Black women tend to want this type of figure and agree that this is more attractive.          

A lot of news portals and media that are aimed towards the African American community or urban culture primarily promote this type of figure. Most Hip-Hop music videos have woman with big busts and a bigger bum. A popular urban internet site called MediaTakeout.com always features stories about any butt or hip they can find, either claiming that it is the best body they have ever seen, or claiming that the butt we see is enhanced, especially when it comes to non-black women.

Pamela Anderson, on the other hand, is far bustier than Bria Myles, with narrower hips and a small behind. She is more top heavy and top curvy. Although she is considered an hourglass because of her measurements of 36-22-34, she really looks narrower in the hips because of her huge cup size. If she stands sideways, her butt isn’t prominent at all. She has a curvy bust line, and to many she is considered curvy, but is she?

Caucasian men tend to lean toward a woman who is slim with larger breasts. A lot of Caucasian people would agree that it is ideal for a woman to have bigger breasts with a slim figure, hence Victoria Secret models. The “Does my butt look big in this?” originates from this type of thought. Many white women feel that having big hips and a big butt is considered fat. They feel that they need to have a slim figure with bigger boobs. Megan Fox is considered to have a very nice body; she had breast implants which put her measurements at 34C-26-24, very slim at the hips. Both cultures however, agree that a smaller waist is important for overall attractiveness.

Top Heavy Vs Bottom Heavy

Like pointed out earlier, different people have different definitions of curvy. A lot of women are bottom heavy with a smaller bosom and a lot of other women are top heavy with a smaller butt; so which one of these is curvy? Both have been and will continue to be considered curvy. I think that they are curvy too, but rather top heavy or bottom heavy. I don’t consider them as curvy as an hourglass with a full bust and full hip and butt, but just curvy in some places. In order for them to become curvier they must either gain more hip or more bust, but until then they are basically just top or bottom heavy curvy.



Kim Kardashian



Another important thing to note is that there are actually top or bottom heavy hourglass shapes. Instead of being primarily top heavy or perhaps pear shaped, you are an hourglass with either a bigger bust line or a bigger hip. A perfect example of this is Kim Kardashian. She is a bottom heavy hourglass figure. Her measurements are 34-26-39, with a D cup bust. She has a curvy body because she is an hourglass with a big bust, but a bigger butt.

Is it All about the Hourglass?

            Clearly, you need to have some type of hourglass figure to be curvy, but there is more to it. What if a woman is broad at the chest with an A cup, small at the waist, and wide at the hips with a very flat butt. Is she still curvy? Considering curves means that you have a prominent bust line and prominent behind, measurements by themselves won’t do it. This woman clearly would have an amazing hourglass shape, but in reality she isn’t really curvy because she isn’t really full in these regions. She may look promising when looking at her frontal view, but since we live in a 3 dimensional world (or 4 dimensional, since many people have disputed this) we have to consider all dimensions.

            Sometimes a woman may look slim, but she still may be busty and have a bigger bum. Usually, the bust line and butt will automatically give her an hourglass shape and she will look and be curvy. Therefore, actual measurement may become deceiving. In some cases where it won’t give her an hourglass figure, then it really isn’t as prominent as needed for her to be considered curvy. She may just have a really nice bust and butt, but ultimately she isn’t really considered curvy.



Toccara Jones



            Everyone mentioned has a waistline in the 20 inch range, but being curvy doesn’t mean you have to be necessarily small. Toccara Jones is a plus size model with measurements of 46-30-46. She is curvy because her waist is still smaller than her rather large bust and behind. Curvy really has nothing to do with weight or actual overall body size, but rather the proportions of one’s body.

Implants and the Ideal

Nicki Minaj

The need for curves is becoming more and more popular. Breast implants have been extremely popular and they still are, but now there are even more surgeries that can make a woman curvier. Nicki Minaj, Kim Kardashian, and a lot of models are being accused of having butt implants or butt injections done to make their behind look voluptuous and curvy. I think the need for curves for those who desire them is because it helps them feel extremely confident. I think being curvy to these women is very important and affects their self esteem a lot; the same goes for a woman who wants to be thin, or even a male who wants to be “well-endowed.” Even though plastic surgery is a bit extreme, to get an ACTUAL curvy figure, it is necessary if your genes simply don’t fit in the category.  

So who is the curviest, most hourglass figure I could find? Mrs. Nicole “COCO” Austin whose measurements are 39-23-40; she is definitely the definition of curvy. She has an hourglass shape with big breasts and a big behind. It has been speculated that she has gotten butt implants, although she never admits to them, however she does admit to having breast implants. Either way she is extremely curvy and she knows it.

Nicole "COCO" Austin

Real women have Curves

Instead of throwing the word curvy around to define someone who is out of shape, fat, chubby, skinny, regular or whatever the case is, curvy means being curvy! You have to have certain qualities and expectations to meet. Being curvy doesn’t mean you’re fat at all. Actually your waist has to be smaller than the rest of your body. Ideally, your bust and butt are at least ten to twelve inches bigger than your waist size. Curvy comes in all sizes. You can be 100 pounds but as long as your butt and bust is clearly bigger than your waist; you are curvy. You can be 200 pounds, as long as your waist is tiny compared to your bust and derriere; you are curvy. Curvy is beautiful and beautiful are women and women are curvy!

Works Cited

"How Audrey Hepburn Ruined My Day | The Great Fitness Experiment." The Great Fitness Experiment - Fun and Crazy Fitness Antics with Uncomfortable Overshares. Web. 20 July 2011. http://www.thegreatfitnessexperiment.com/2009/02/how-audrey-hepburn-ruined-my-day.html.
"The Hourglass Figure List." Listal - List the Stuff You Love! Movies, TV, Music, Games and Books. Web. 20 July 2011. http://www.listal.com/list/the-hourglass-figure.
"Female Body Shape." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 20 July 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_body_shape.
Clark, By Kevin. "Bria Myles | Buffie The Body, Nicki Minaj, Hip Hop Honeys & Video Girls | HipHop DX." For New Hip Hop Music, Hip Hop News & All Things Rap & Hip Hop | HipHop DX. Web. 20 July 2011. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/beauty-brains/id.3/title.bria-myles.

"Pamela Anderson." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 20 July 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela_Anderson>.

"Megan Fox Height, Megan Fox Weight and Measurements." Hollywood Actress Pictures, Hot Hollywood Actresses Photos & Wallpapers. Web. 20 July 2011. http://www.hollywoodactress.org/Megan-Fox-Height-And-Weight.php

Photos

"Bria Myles." Bria Myles. Web. 20Jul 2011. http://www.briamyles.com/.

"Sophia Loren." Web. 20 Jul 2011. http://www.listal.com/list/the-hourglass-figure.

"Kim Kardashian." Web. 20 Jul 2011. http://cannemma.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/kim-kardashian-bikini-1-02.jpg.

 "Toccara Jones." Web. 20 Jul 2011. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbx9JPjL3v8scwQdt_rHBdz0r41R8gfqCemu7KU9b2Rj7omM2P37uSsDSk8YL2KAJLKsrmBD-Cvfw8Rj9lrH18CI-7zUrzFx6pt8tRHanm1W5DsTA6U-RtFGFG2-OudoyDW5F53-K7oBGI/s1600/Toccara_Jones2

"Nicki Minaj." Web. 20 Jul 2011. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72nWai8uJL1rbCwga2vxUPWb4nfwo1vCexIsw1FfNWInV-pyS-FwstiHlJCzdn8SVzc4XXDRIzWMjFjX1sYT5oGJvJaPSD7hGpARYq61qlmfECk298z9KRsbytldKZBoi2B_rFlzig4k/s1600/nicki-minaj-g3.jpg.

"Nicole COCO Austin." Web. 20 Jul 2011. http://trend911.com/wp-content/4326.jpg.

Cultural Analysis!

Twitter and #TeamBreezy

             It seems like celebrities live in their own world. If you are lucky, you might get an autograph or a hug. You never know what they are doing at this exact time, what they are feeling, what is really going on in their own personal lives. Well now you can with the use of Twitter. Sounds like a phony ad you might see on T.V. or hear on the radio, but it is true. Celebrities are now using twitter to communicate with their fans almost every day. This technology has created a cultural change within a fan base of a celebrity.

In eighth grade I remember bringing cake to school on May 5, 2006 to celebrate someone’s birthday. This wasn’t my friend or classmate’s birthday, but someone I loved and listened to everyday.  It was Chris Brown’s birthday. Not only did I have multiple copies of his first album, but I also had numerous magazines, taped television appearances, and clothes with “Chris Brown” glittered all over. My MySpace page always had a Chris Brown song playing along with images of him in the background. I joined numerous internet sites and forums with others who were just like me. People would call me obsessed, but I would go around proudly saying I was “dedicated”.  Obviously, I was a diehard Chris Brown (CB) fan. Now six years later (he debuted in late 2005), I am still a CB fan. I listen and support his music all the time, he is by far my favorite artist, and even though I still don’t necessarily celebrate his birthday with cake and wear clothes with his name all over, I feel more in touch with him than ever because of Twitter.

            When I had a MySpace page, CB was one of my MySpace friends and I would visit his page a lot, but all it had on there was the same information that a lot of other internet sites had, and I knew a lot of the time he probably never even cared to check it out anyways. I think the most important thing to me, like any other fan, is if you can actually communicate with that celebrity. Like I mentioned before, you could find information on him anywhere, but you never really knew what he was feeling, what he was doing, etc, until twitter. Twitter, according to Wikipedia is, “…a website, owned and operated by Twitter Inc., which offers a social networking and microblogging service, enabling its users to send and read messages called tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the user's profile page.” You can check up on a person’s twitter, or actually follow them. Twitter even offers a way to get a specific person’s tweets directly on your cell phone via SMS. Now we have the most personalized messages we could ever have from anyone. Celebrities can post how they feel from anywhere and at any time they want, no strings attached! (Most of the time, it is the actual celebrities tweeting, not someone doing it for them, like Facebook or MySpace does).

            As a huge Chris Brown fan, I feel almost obliged to know what is going on in his life, his latest hits, and just any other information that I can get. One of my friends, who is also a CB fan agrees, “Twitter is awesome, I don’t think we could get any closer to any celebrity than their instant tweets. We know what they are doing, how they feel, it gives them a chance to clarify any misconceptions that the media has portrayed them to be. Chris Brown has got himself in a lot of trouble, but Twitter has made it possible for him to explain his side of the story in an instant.”  With these tweets, Chris Brown communicates with his fans daily, issues public apologies, clarifies media claims, and releases his latest material. Since Twitter is composed of somewhat instantaneous thoughts, he also stirs up controversy with his “twitter beefs” and his twitter lash outs.

            “I love teambreezy” is one of the many tweets that Chris Brown has used to show appreciation to his fans. “Team Breezy” is simply the name of fans that Chris Brown has. It has been hash tagged by him and a lot of twitter users. A hashtag (#) is used to mark keywords in a specific Tweet. It was created by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages. (Twitter Help Center) This way any fan can find any tweets that has to do with Team Breezy, including CB’s tweets. When Chris Brown mentions his fans in almost every other tweet, it shows his fans how much he really does appreciate them. In a way it shows that he is quite humble and appreciative in a more personal way, rather than in an interview on television. Knowing this, fans eventually grow to like him more and more; therefore listen to his music in the same pattern. Besides interviews or appearances, how would any fan know how much Chris Brown really thinks about his fans every day? With twitter, of course.

            Most of my friends and peers are always searching for the latest and newest music to listen to. As a Chris Brown fan, I do the same, especially with his music and videos. Where is the best place you can find an artists’ latest songs, videos, tour dates, and appearances other than from the artist themselves? As soon as a song is released, Chris Brown tweets about it and tells his followers and fans to check it out. The song also gets more publicity because of his repeated tweets about it. As much as I’d like to believe that I can find CB’s songs and videos on my own, I have to admit I have used his tweets to direct me to some of them. It gives fans a quick and easier way to access his music. News and other sites have used his tweets to find about his latest singles and hits also.

            Chris Brown has used twitter to apologize and to clarify a lot of thing that has gone on in his life. The latest apology Chris issued through twitter had to do with the media blowing things out of proportion for the singer. Chris used the word “gay” to insult a member of the paparazzi. He then tweeted, “I have total respect for Gay community and my intention was not to insult anyone in it…” The point is not really to say if he was right or wrong, but his actual apology he could issue immediately through twitter. If he waited until he was questioned in an interview, it may have gotten even more explosive. More importantly, if he didn’t clarify or apologize in his tweet, a lot of his gay fans may have been offended. As a celebrity, everything you do is put under a microscope, scrutinized, and criticized. With twitter, celebrities, like Chris Brown, have the opportunity to slam and/or clarify claims like this instantaneously to protect their reputation in the eyes of their followers and to ensure fans a better understanding.

            In 2009, Chris Brown was convicted of assaulting his then girlfriend, Rihanna. Until this day, the media still brings up the assault. Not only do people and the media do this, but other celebrities do. This has actually caused a few “twitter beefs” between Chris Brown and other celebrities, most notably, Raz B. A twitter beef is a media coined term which means an argument between users on twitter. Raz B, a background singer for the old group B2K, started by tweeting about CB being “disrespectful” to Rihanna. Then, of course, Chris Brown tweeted back and began insulting Raz B and so on and so forth. Chris Brown did use a lot of gay slurs in his insults. Undoubtedly, this hurt his image with his gay fans. Not only was it inappropriate, but it was also immature. This type of behavior comes from instant lash outs of anger that can be seen by fans because of the moment in time tweets celebrities can make. Like mentioned earlier, anything a celebrity does is maximized on larger scale. Twitter has made it possible for a person to say what is on their mind at that very instant, which may not be a hefty idea for celebrities, especially those with strong attitudes. This can and most likely hurt some of their fans, they may even lose some altogether.

            In the end, twitter has changed the culture of Chris Brown fans. In broader terms it has even changed the culture of other celebrity fan bases. Celebrities can now communicate with their fans on a whole different level then they have ever done before. It is really interesting for a fan to see what a celebrity is tweeting about, you find out a lot of information you may have never known before and what other sites couldn’t have given you. On more specific terms, I think Twitter has shown Chris Brown fans how CB really is on a raw, more personal level. It gave them a chance to see that he is like any other person and got to know him more, rather than just looking up information on a second hand site.

            Undoubtedly, anyone can see how twitter really changes how fans can feel about a celebrity, as well as follow their thoughts and feelings. But will Tweets always remain raw and personal? Or will they just become a gimmick sooner or later. Will celebrities keep tweeting on a regular basis and will it be for fans or for money? Kim Kardashian receives a significant amount of money for her each of her tweets already. If twitter turns into just a publicity stunt, then the point of it is destroyed. Fans will not really be getting real tweets, and they especially won’t be as personal as they are now.

            All in all, Twitter has really affected Chris Brown fans. From the latest music, to what he is wearing, to his crazy twitter arguments; they see a lot more of him through his tweets. Without Twitter, a lot of media speculation and claims would be believed and blown out of proportion if he never addressed an apology or clarification via Twitter. I think it is important that his tweets stay personal and raw, even with all the media controversy it may accumulate, for the sake of fans. It shows them the real him and not something the media is trying to create. Twitter has definitely changed the perspective of CB fans, only 140 characters at a time.

Works Cited

 

2010, Late November. "Twitter." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 July 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter.

 

"What Are Hashtags ("#" Symbols)?" Twitter Help Center. Twitter. Web. 05 July 2011. http://support.twitter.com/entries/49309-what-are-hashtags-symbols.

 

"Chris Brown Insults Gay Community Then Apologizes on Twitter | Echilon Enterprises." Echilon Enterprises | Connecting You To The Public. Web. 05 July 2011. http://echilontel.com/2011/06/23/chris-brown-insults-gay-community-then-apologizes-on-twitter/.

 

Brown, Chris. "Chris Brown (chrisbrown) on Twitter." Twitter. Web. 05 July 2011. <http://twitter.com/chrisbrown>.

How Twitter affects Chris Brown fans

Intro/background/exigence- Define twitter, how people follow their celebrities and teams that they have created aka #teambreezy (chris brown)
- ethos, my background as a fan

Body paragraphs: how this effect fans, especially me,
controversy with media
celebs use it to apologize
communicate with fans daily
post pictures etc.

SOOOOOOOOO what's it gonna be?

Ok so I thought about it for a minute and it just hit me. LOL.
This is gonna sound really crazy, but here goes.
Ever since Chris Brown came to be, I was obsessed with him. I mean obsessed! I was in middle school when this happened, and yeah, I even brought cake in for his birthday... Yes I used to call my self dedicated...

Anyways, Chris Brown is still my favorite singer and performer. When another favorite song of mine is playing on the radio, but any Chris Brown song is playing I have to switch to that Chris Brown song to offer "full support". It's really a rule of my car. Hahahaha. So I was thinking about how Twitter has influenced me, as a huge Chris Brown fan. When I look and check his twitter, which is everyday, I find out his new songs, new videos, tour dates, where he's at, what he's thinking, what he's doing, etc. I know this is kind of weird for a person, but for me it holds some kind of importance as a HUGE Chris Brown fan that I am.... It gives me news straight from my favorite artist.


I love SHOPPING!! Another thing I thought of is how when browsing on the internet, whether your actually shopping at that time or not, you get a lot of the ads for things you want all over... It like follows you window to window. I don't know what that's called, but as a shopper, it has influenced me. More than half the time, I do click on those ads to my favorite online stores and the like....

I was thinking about BBM and a college student as an idea, but I don't know how much I could write on that......


So whatya think?

What the heck shall i do?

Don't you just hate it when you feel all the good topics are taken "cough cough " Mrs. Amy! LOL hahaha. Just joking, but SHEESH I really cannot figure out anything to do for my cultural analysis. I keep coming back to arab american culture, arab american culture and once again, arab american culture. That's too broad for me, plus I have no idea what technology effects it or vise versa. I'm trying to think of all the cultures I belong to and I really don't have that many in mind.... and when I do think of one, I don't see how a technology would tie into it. I asked my BBM (blackberry messenger) list of buddies and since it's not their project they don't seem to be a big help... see if I help them anymore pff. :) Anyways, I really want to figure this out soon! I know if I pick a good topic I can write a lot on it !

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

  In the article “Is Google Making us Stupid” Carr makes a few interesting points. He claims that now we cannot possible think in deep thought like we were once able too. We don’t get lost in a book like we had in previous generations. He implies that emotionally, technology and the internet have taken away the joy of getting lost in a story, but it also has made our life more advanced.  He uses a previous example of the printing press. Although it advanced society in a great deal, it may have posed a major threat because now information was being able to be multiplied and dispersed all over. The same kind of thing is happening with technology and the internet.

                He also uses another example of the mechanical clock and how that related to society. When the clock was invented, people used the metaphor “your brain is like clockwork”. Whereas now, we say “your brain is like a computer.” These types of similies/metaphors are important to take note of because it implies what is advanced in our society. Our brains aren’t neccesarily working as computers, but rather we have become as advanced as they are.

                Lastly, an argument quoted in Carr’s article is that deep/critical thinking comes with deep reading. This may seem controversial because we may not neccesarily need to be critically reading to be critically thinking. Anyways, I think that Carr was relating to an audience of an older generation, rather than a younger one because of the fact that he speaks about an emotional change and loss that we do not have anymore in relation to books and stories because of technology.

I smell like Windex...

Work was so slow today I only made a lousy 15 bucks (waitress). Pshhh plus i couldn't find the Fantastic cleaner to clean off my tables so I cleaned off everything with windex. Yikes! Anyways, I have a new paper to do called a cultural anaylsis. Boy, this is going to be a broad paper. It's hard because there is so much you can say about how technology affects a certain culture and I don't want to ramble, but really there is so much too put into it. Maybe we will discuss it in more specific terms later in class.
English is a lot of discussion, which is good cause I LOVE to talk, like I've mentioned before. Talk talk talk talk, bla bla bla bla thats why I'm scared my paper will never end hahaha. Anyways, like I said before I still have never been in an english class like this before. It almost feels like it's like the science of english. It's a lot of break downs and a lot of information that is discussed. Well anything is better than that heavy ugly literature book I used to carry in high school with boring long annoying stories. No offense, I know that Maya Angelou is a great writer, but let me tell you when we were listening to her stories in my middle school class through tape thing, I thought I was going to die. As you can see, I still remember that long day of class. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO boring . Don't wanna go back to those days, so thank god for rhetoric and technology :D!

Final Rhetorical Anaylsis

Rhetorical Analysis: The Fight against College Alcohol Abuse

            How does a college student’s life on campus affect the actual purpose of going to college? Many would agree that the purpose of going to college is to further education andto become successful in the future. But going to college is a lot more than just learning especially, for many freshmen and other students who would like to enjoy the freedom that comes from living on their own for the first time away from the vigilant eyes of their parents or guardians. The college experience comes with a life of its own filled with social events, rallies, and partying. Actually, there are many lists online that rank the nation’s top “party schools,” schools that are indeed famous for that. When you go to a college party you almost always find alcohol, but the truth is that alcohol is easily accessible on most college campuses. In her article, “The Fight Against Alcohol Abuse,” Melissa Parsons takes alcohol use to a different level, arguing that it has now become an epidemic we should worry about. She calls this phenomenon alcohol “abuse” rather than simply alcohol “usage” and points out that there should be more done to create some sort of a balance. In order to persuade her audience, Parsons’ uses various rhetorical strategies such as exemplification, cause and effect, and word repetition.

            Evidently, Parsons’ makes it clear that college drinking isn’t a new problem, but one that has become an even bigger one. She uses studies of different college campuses that show that alcohol abuse is a significant contributing factor to academic problems. She states that binge drinking is also a problem for students that do not binge-drink, yet still face the secondary effects of alcohol abuse. Thus, alcohol abuse affects everyone not just the drinker. Even though the dangers of alcohol abuse affect mostly the drinker, her article is directed towards everyone involved. These include the parents, other students, and faculty of the colleges. A lot of activist groups like the Alcohol Coalition have taken initiatives to help students make healthier choices. In her opinion, therefore, everyone needs to work together to find a way to end alcohol abuse on college campuses. However, this way of life is deeply rooted in the culture so it is hard to come undone.

            The most effective and most used rhetorical strategy that Parsons’ displays in her article is exemplification. Exemplification is the use of statistics and facts added to an argument. Parsons’ article is loaded with lots of case studies, surveys, facts and statistics. For example, she uses a prestigious college’s, Harvard School of Public Health, findings on fraternity and sorority members, “4 out of 5 of those living in fraternity or sorority houses were “binge drinkers””. This type of information that combines an authoritative source and an alarming statistic drives home the idea of the seriousness and how common the issue really is. Similarly, another study found that “alcohol was involved in 90% of all sexual assaults and date rapes on campus,” bringing to the reader’s attention the magnitude of the problem and how it can affect relations between male and female students. As stated above, this specific quote also provides the reader with evidence that alcohol abuse does not only affect the drinker, but also those around them. Because exemplification relies on evidence and facts, it has a logical appeal, logos.

            Another rhetorical strategy used numerous times throughout Parsons’ article is cause and effect anaylsis. A cause and effect anaylsis anaylzes why something happens and describes the consequences of a cord of events. Her very first sentence is a cause and effect anaylsis, “Causing approximately 50 deaths from drinking each year and many more hospitializations from poisoning or related accidents, alcohol remains the top health risk to college students.” By using this eye-catching cause and effect, Parsons does a pheneomenal job attracting the reader to her article. Also this anaylsis strengthens her argument because it brings up the frequency of alcohol related accidents and because of this frequency , it has remained the biggest health concern for college students.  So what is the effect of alcohol abuse besides the sad endings with of hospitalizations, drunk driving and even death?  Another important cause and effect anaylsis Parsons’ addresses is “…administrators across the country are taking steps to attack the problem head on. Many universities are establishing alchohol- free housing policies primarily to ensure the health and safety of their students.” This issue has become such a problem that administrators are dealing with it in an extreme way. This adds that yes, there is some initiative taking place, but it is actually by someone else involved, not the drinker. It reassures that steps need to be taken by everyone to resolve this issue. Now the reader has hope, all those incidents related to alcohol are now causing some type of change to fix the problem. The cause and effect analysis in this article relates to pathos, an emotional appeal. Like I mentioned, she has many examples of what alcohol abuse leads to which causes the reader, especially her particular audience, to feel weary, sad and in shock by how much this is effecting our college campuses; then happy that there are activists taking initiative to end this.

            The last rhetorical strategy found in this article that has to be the most interesting is word repetition. Word repetition is the constant use of specific words to help persuade a reader. Parsons’ chose the term “binge-drinking” or “binge-drinkers” repeatedly throughout her article. Binge drinking means a person is consuming an excessive amount of alcohol that may lead them to become heavily intoxicated. She uses the word “binge” numerous times in her essay. This extremely supports her argument because we now see that it is not social or casual drinking, but rather in fact these students are getting heavily intoxicated. This gives the reader a whole different vibe. If she had just continually used drinking or just alchohol usage, it wouldn’t have seemed to be as problematic as it really is. The repetition of binge drinking appeals to pathos. It shows the reader how the serious the drinking is and gives them a realistic outlook on what is actually going on.

             

            Altogether the use of exemplification, word repetition and cause and effect anaylsis indeed help deliver Michelle Parson’s argument home. The use of facts and statistics never can fail because it is solid hard evidence. She ties this type of information to her own opinion and it strengthens her argument. Word repetition creates a specific emotional appeal to her audience because of the fact that this effects our own family members and friends. They are the ones who are binge drinking . It isn’t just an isolated part of a community. It is happening nationwide on many college campuses. Her cause and effect anaylsis introduces activism. This is important to her argument because now the audience can see that alcohol abuse is such a huge issue that there needs to be measures taken to end it. These rhetorical strategies create a mix of logos and pathos which are key appeals that support her argument.

            Michelle Parsons really does a great job in getting her point across. She addresses the problem throughout the essay and even went an extra step to show the activism taking place. Furthermore, the use of rhetoric in her writing is excellent. Anybody reading this article will know that the author has really done her research on the topic. More importantly, along with all the facts and statistics, she engages the audience emotionally. The people who are binge drinking are our daughters, sons, relatives, students, and friends. Automatically, this becomes a problem for everyone involved because these aren’t strangers.When your friend, son, daughter, cousin, or student decides to go away to college, alcohol abuse should be a huge concern, especially when they are conducting internet searches on the nation’s top party schools and then wanting to apply there.

Wait wait wait!!!

I'm re editing my rhetorical analysis today!!! I didn't know it was due at 12 midnight tonight. Always room for improvement!

Does Technology Change culture, or does culture change technology ? Freewrite

I think technology and culture work in a flow chart type way.

It goes technology then culture then technology then culture again and so on. For instance, our culture is now face paced so we need technology to keep up with our way of thinking and our way of life. We have texts, emails and instant messages that can be sent in an instant rather than mail or a telegram. On other terms, technology can change culture. For example, we now have playstations and xboxes where kids play and in terms become more technologically savvy rather than playing board games or playing outside like their mothers and fathers used too. Everyday I see younger and younger kids that have cellphones, iPods, iPads. Something I never had when I was their age. So I think it works both ways. 

Rhetorical Anaylsis

Rhetorical Analysis: The Fight against College Alcohol Abuse

            How does a college student’s life on campus affect the actual purpose of going to college? Many would agree that the purpose of going to college is to further education andto become successful in the future. But going to college is a lot more than just learning especially, for many freshmen and other students who would like to enjoy the freedom that comes from living on their own for the first time away from the vigilant eyes of their parents or guardians. The college experience comes with a life of its own filled with social events, rallies, and partying. Actually, there are many lists online that rank the nation’s top “party schools,” schools that are indeed famous for that. When you go to a college party you almost always find alcohol, but the truth is that alcohol is easily accessible on most college campuses. In her article, “The Fight Against Alcohol Abuse,” Melissa Parsons takes alcohol use to a different level, arguing that it has now become an epidemic we should worry about. She calls this phenomenon alcohol “abuse” rather than simply alcohol “usage” and points out that there should be more done to create some sort of a balance. In order to persuade her audience, Parsons’ uses various rhetorical strategies such as exemplification, cause and effect, and word repetition.

            Evidently, Parsons’ makes it clear that college drinking isn’t a new problem, but one that has become an even bigger one. She uses studies of different college campuses that show that alcohol abuse is a significant contributing factor to academic problems. She states that binge drinking is also a problem for students that do not binge-drink, yet still face the secondary effects of alcohol abuse. Thus, alcohol abuse affects everyone not just the drinker. Even though the dangers of alcohol abuse affect mostly the drinker, her article is directed towards everyone involved. These include the parents, other students, and faculty of the colleges. A lot of activist groups like the Alcohol Coalition have taken initiatives to help students make healthier choices. In her opinion, therefore, everyone needs to work together to find a way to end alcohol abuse on college campuses. However, this way of life is deeply rooted in the culture so it is hard to come undone.

            The most effective and most used rhetorical strategy that Parsons’ displays in her article is exemplification. Exemplification is the use of statistics and facts added to an argument. Parsons’ article is loaded with lots of case studies, surveys, facts and statistics. For example, she uses a prestigious college’s, Harvard School of Public Health, findings on fraternity and sorority members, “4 out of 5 of those living in fraternity or sorority houses were “binge drinkers””. This type of information that combines an authoritative source and an alarming statistic drives home the idea of the seriousness and how common the issue really is. Similarly, another study found that “alcohol was involved in 90% of all sexual assaults and date rapes on campus,” bringing to the reader’s attention the magnitude of the problem and how it can affect relations between male and female students. As stated above, this specific quote also provides the reader with evidence that alcohol abuse does not only affect the drinker, but also those around them. Because exemplification relies on evidence and facts, it has a logical appeal, logos.

            Another rhetorical strategy used numerous times throughout Parsons’ article is cause and effect anaylsis. A cause and effect anaylsis anaylzes why something happens and describes the consequences of a cord of events. Her very first sentence is a cause and effect anaylsis, “Causing approximately 50 deaths from drinking each year and many more hospitializations from poisoning or related accidents, alcohol remains the top health risk to college students.” By using this eye-catching cause and effect, Parsons does a pheneomenal job attracting the reader to her article. Also this anaylsis strengthens her argument because it brings up the frequency of alcohol related accidents and because of this frequency it has remained the biggest health concern for college students.  So what is the effect of alcohol abuse besides the sad endings with of hospitlizations, drunk driving and even death?  Another important cause and effect anaylsis Parsons’ addresses is “…administrators across the country are taking steps to attack the problem head on. Many universities are establishing alchohol- free housing policies primarily to ensure the health and safety of their students.” This issue has become such a problem that administrators are dealing with it in an extreme way. This particularly adds that yes, there is something being done, but it is actually by someone else involved. It reassures that steps need to be taken by everyone to resolve this issue. Now the reader has hope, all those incidents related to alcohol are now causing some type of change to fix the problem. The cause and effect analysis in this article relates to pathos, an emotional appeal. Like I mentioned, she has many examples of what alcohol abuse leads to which causes the reader, especially her particular audience, to feel weary, sad and in shock by how much this is effecting our college campuses and then happy that there are activists taking intiative to end this.

            The last rhetorical strategy found in this article that has to be the most interesting is word repetition. Word repetition is the constant use of specific words to help persuade a reader. Parsons’ choice of repetition was of the term “binge-drinking” or “binge-drinkers”. Binge drinking means a person is consuming an excessive amount of alchohol that may lead them to become heavily intoxicated. She uses the word “binge” numerous times in her essay. This supports her argument extremely because we now see that it is not social drinking, but rather in fact these students are getting heavily intoxicated. This gives the reader a whole different vibe. If she had just continually used drinking or just alchohol usage, it wouldn’t have seemed to be as problematic as it really is. The repetition of binge drinking appeals to pathos. It shows the reader how the serious the drinking is and gives them a different outlook on what is actually going on.

             

            Altogether the use of exemplification, word repetition and cause and effect anaylsis indeed help deliver this argument home. The use of facts and statistics never can fail because it is solid hard evidence. She ties this to her opinion to end the abuse and it is successful. Word repetition creates a specific emotional appeal to her audience because of the fact that this effects our own family members and friends. They are the ones who are binge drinking . It isn’t just an isolated part of a community. It is happening nationwide on many college campuses. Her cause and effect anaylsis introduces activism. This is important to her argument because now the audience can see that it is such a huge issue and there are measures being taken to end it. The mix of pathos and logos heavily supports her argument.

            Michelle Parsons really does a great job in getting her point across. She addresses the problem throughout the essay and even went an extra step to show the activism taking place. Furthermore, the use of rhetoric in her writing is excellent. Anybody reading this article will know that the author has really done her research on the topic. More importantly, along with all the facts and statistics, she engages the audience emotionally. The people who are binge drinking are our daughters, sons, relatives, students, and friends. Automatically, this becomes a problem for everyone involved because these aren’t strangers.When your friend, son, daughter, cousin, or student decides to go away to college, alcohol abuse should be a huge concern, especially when they are conducting internet searches on the nation’s top party schools then wanting to apply there.

Let's brighten things up !

Rearranging this blog :D

Response: Shooting War Comic

Undoubtedly, this is by far one of the most interesting comics I have ever came across in my life. It reminds me of a movie, rather than a comic. When comics like Spiderman and Superman were made into movies, it was a different type of feel then what the comic book was promoting, well for me at least. This is how Shooting Wars is designed. It already feels like a movie. Sometimes throughout the web comic, I came across pictures with no writing or dialect, but rather detailed pictures that made you feel like you were there. This, I believe, was the most important rhetorical strategy to support the argument Lappe and Goldman create which is how the role of media impacts our world today.

I really think that this comic is based on what media, blogs (video blogs in this case), news portals etc. really play a role in what news is and how it impacts us. First of all, the comic has the main character, Jimmy Burns, who video blogs and just happens to be in the right place at the right time. His video blogs cause so much controversy and receives a lot of attention from news channels. However, the comic goes on to show that the newscasters etc, don't really care, they just want that news . It is important role of our society now.

Like I stated earlier, the most important and effective strategy was the illustrative visualizations you could only get from this type of comic (or in other instances, a visual like movies etc). It is important because I am more tuned into the story therefore, I will understand the arguement better. Another interesting strategy I paid close attention to was the use of sarcasm, in futher depth, the use of satire. This adds a huge amount of interest or connectivity to the comic for an ordinary person or reader.

All in all, I think that the rhetorical strategies used in Shooting Wars were especially effective when dealing with an ordinary reader. They create a type of interest that you might not find in other arguments. If these rhetorical strategies were not used, then how would anyone even be interested enough to even care about the argument? Not too many of us would.

English, memorial day, and the Master Cleanse :(

English class is still pretty interesting ! Surprise surprise. Well for me at least since I never cared for the subject. Sorry :( haha. Anyways, I'm kind of excited for this rhetorical analysis essay. I don't know why, but I think I'm going to write an awesome paper. However, I have no clue on what to do it on at all. A movie would be pretty cool, but a little bit more tricky.

Memorial day was so relaxing! I didn't go to the beach or anything just pigged out at mom's house. I also gave my brother his birthday present. Which he loved of course ! Cause big sister always has the best presents ever...

The most interesting thing i have to share is this detox I'm doing called the master cleanse and EW! First of all, I can't eat any food for ten days. I have to do a salt water flush made up of 34 ounces of water and 2 teaspoons of salt water in the morning. That went horrible, i threw it all up just to try it again tomorrow. Then I have to drink 60 ounces of this lemonade made with organic maple syrup, lemon juice and water. I'm supposed to throw in a pinch of cayenne pepper, but if I do that, I KNOW I won't be able to drink it, so I'm taking it seperately. Lots of fun I can't wait for the rest of the cleanse. 9 more days ! :(

An amazing speech...

Barack Obama’s “Speech on Race” undoubtedly is an amazing speech and will probably become a classic. Obviously, his speech deals with a lot of personal stories, emotional standpoints, incredible use of language that makes the reader feel emotional. He also quotes a lot of famous authors, which can play into an appeal of a reader. It’s important to note that the way this speech is formatted, Barack Obama you could say agrees with eveyone, but still points out the negative effect of people’s thoughts and behaviors.  He uses understanding to see every perspective, and although he doesn’t justify any of them, his strategy gains a lot of momentum because everyone can agree that “ Oh he knows how it feels” “He understands me.” etc.  All in all his message is creating a unity ,that we are all a part of America. We all have to focus on the same issues.

He would mention “In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don't feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience — as far as they're concerned, no one handed them anything. They built it from scratch. They've worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pensions dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and they feel their dreams slipping away. And in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear an African-American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they're told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time.”  In this quote, he understands where racism might occur in a white perspective. He’s basically saying “yes I understand where your coming from” without justifying racism at all.

Language is a key strategy Obama uses in his speech. I feel the strongest part of the speech where he uses language to play into emotion of the reader is here;“This time we want to talk about how the lines in the emergency room are filled with whites and blacks and Hispanics who do not have health care, who don't have the power on their own to overcome the special interests in Washington, but who can take them on if we do it together.

This time, we want to talk about the shuttered mills that once provided a decent life for men and women of every race, and the homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from every religion, every region, every walk of life. This time, we want to talk about the fact that the real problem is not that someone who doesn't look like you might take your job; it's that the corporation you work for will ship it overseas for nothing more than a profit.

This time, we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together and fight together and bleed together under the same proud flag. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged. And we want to talk about how we'll show our patriotism by caring for them and their families, and giving them the benefits that they have earned.” The repitition of this time creates a strong emotional feel. He uses key examples like “the lines of the emergency room filled with every race who need healthcare”, which furthermore creates his understanding of the troubles we face as Americans. His use of adjectives and description creates an intense visualization and again plays into emotional appeals.

            He ends his speech with a story. I always found that is such an interesting way to end your speech and a great strategy to use. The reason for this is, once again he plays into emotion, but he leaves the audience with something to think about. Something memorable, even though his speech is something that will always be remembered, but the first thing I probably would remember is Ashley and her story. “"I'm here because of Ashley." By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. It is not enough to give health care to the sick, or jobs to the jobless, or education to our children.” This is probably the most intense example Barack uses to describe the start of where unity starts.

            In english class, we mentioned how Obama’s campaign focuses a lot on a pathos appeal. Without a doubt, this speech is solid proof of that. All his strategies and concepts tie into an emotional appeal to the audience. It really makes it not only an awesome speech, but a very touching one also.

Ahhh what a long week!

Well I just wrapped up my 40 hour weekend work shifts. Sounds like a lot of fun, eh? Tomorrow I'm up bright an early for school, if my car doesn't break down again. Really, I've had like 5 flats in 4 months. Just had another one today, I'm not kidding, I got a co worker to change to my spare. All in all, I have super bad luck. :(


Technology is my phone.
My phone is my best friend.
Therefore, technology is my best friend!
Sorry I just had to! :) My english class is the most interesting english class I have ever been in or heard of. I'm not a fan of english classes or language arts. I'm sorry but I don't care about Odysessyus  (I know that's not how you spell it.) in the Odyssey or those long stories in the literature book that was like a hundred pounds to carry! But this class is pretty cool. The professor is really enthusiastic and he KNOWS what he's talking about! Love instructors like that. I love talking about things I'm interested in. I think a lot can agree that technology is a very broad and interesting subject. Most of us use technology every day, so it's easy to learn and talk about in class. I'm new to blogging even though I've had a lot of social network pages and etc. but I already knew I was going to love it. I love to talk and I talk a whole lot especially when I'm interested and know a lot about a subject, so now I can just type type type everything I want to say. I'm  a bit hyper, don't know why because I am SO tired. Oh yeah, I'm also very random, you'll notice as you read my posts. But anyways, awesome start to a class. Look forward to more.

Reaction to the Readings

One of the most interesting articles I have ever read for a class is definitely the Steven Johnson, The Best Technology 2009 Writing article. I mean, where do I begin? I really did like this article and I even told my co-workers about it. It goes on to talk about how it is so hard to concentrate on any reading when you have so many digital or technological interruptions. Obviously, we encounter other interruptions, but if you really think about it, it is true. I check my text messages hundreds of times a day, even when I know I didn’t receive a text! It seems almost impossible to go a day without a phone, even the middle schoolers would agree. After all, they all seem technologically savvy with their blackberries in their hand, facebook pages, skimming youtube when really they’re supposed to have this “big” project due. I’ve witnessed this with my younger brothers who have been begging my parents for a phone. This goes on to say how we are living in such a digital world, that we forget that writing, for instance, was just as interesting as these iPads we are carrying around to those people in the early civilizations. Hard to believe, right? J

             Instead of these long, hefty, some would even go as far to say boring books, we now have the Web. Did Google really make us that stupid? Well, not really. Now we can skim until we find the right information. Face it, there is not enough hours in the day any college student can agree with that. It’s not impossible to read books and stay interested, Johnson says, people still do in mass numbers, and I agree with him. However, when in need of information quick, the internet is the way to go!

            An interesting point Johnson makes is how the Web unravels some phenomenoms. Lots of people are familiar with cyber-bullying, but really, it didn’t start with the Web. Bullying has been around for awhile, the web just makes it more visible. I completely agree with this. I also agree that people tend to be more brutally honest online than in person, whether they are commenting and responding on a matter or creating their own article. When reporters write for a newspaper, they have to mainly appeal to their editors, not their readers. The web has made it so somebody can appeal to their reader and heck, if you want to tell us what kind of shoes your wearing while you’re at it, go right ahead.

            The other articles were a bit more in depth. I didn’t really connect or relate to them as much. Inventing the Medium had some interesting points, I agree with how important it is for human beings to be so interested in creating and finding new tools even if when broken down, computers and other machines are just core stupidity.  I mentioned earlier how writing was once an invention, The Best Technology Writing 2010, brought that to my attention. Altogether, I liked these articles, I agreed with most of the points they brought up. Well back to my texting!