Essay #3 Rough Draft

Essay #3

          Rise and shine! As most parents, or alarm clocks try and wake there heavily sleeping adolescents before the sun rises on the new day. Only to find that much is difficult. Teenagers waking early for school usually spend later hours in their routine of sports, studying, extracurricular activities, or doing assignments for other classes. After dragging themselves early out of there sheets like a mindless zombie they go to school where they might constantly struggle in paying attention to there instructor, and accidently falling in and out of sleep in class. Where the instructor themselves would be frustrated with the student, and believing that it was laziness, or rudeness that drive them to slumber while they teach. Is it really the teens fault? Might an adjustment to their daily schedules provide beneficial results? I believe so.

          While I may be just another freshmen in college, I know what it’s like to be waking after a long night of finishing homework, and causing frustration to my parents, or teachers (or both) trying to keep my eyes focused. I’ve however done some research on why it almost always seems to be a constant struggle to wake early in the hours of the morning. I found that psychologists believe that teens are “biologically driven…to these sleep-in, stay-up-late schedules” (Insert source). Also as they go through the long road of puberty they are more prone to develop sleep deficiencies that get them deeper into something I like to call sleep debt. Teenagers require more sleep than adults with teenagers needing roughly 9 hours of nightly sleep, compared to the general 7-8 hours for adults. With their busy schedules, the time the teen usually go to sleep to when the wake up does not normally reach this necessary amount.  This impacts there learning and academic performance as well as their behavior, and mood throughout the day. It may overall cause a risk to one’s own health by developing unhealthy addictions, and possible depression. With early routines shifted by at least half an hour could make a powerful difference.

          Say normally a high schooler starts school around 8 a.m., but suddenly there was a 25 minute delay in the school start time. This happened in the state of Rhode Island where researchers studied 197 high-school students, and how the change in time would affect the adolescents sleep habits. The results were outstanding. There was about a 79% decrease of students sleeping less than 7 hours, and a 16% to 57% increase in students sleeping 8 or more hours nightly. The students experienced significant improvements to there emotional and physical health, and their performance at school during the day.

In Class Lab: “Incorporating Sources Effectively”

1.) In his article on the Psychology Today website, the psychologist Michael J. Breus states, “New research indicates (link is external) that even a small delay in…the beginning of the school day was associated with significant changes to sleep and waking mood.”

Source:

Breus, Michael J. “Is It Time to Start School Later?” Psychology Today. Sleep Newzzz, 26 Feb. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2015

2.) In his article of USA Today, Ted Velkoff provides facts on how delaying the start of school would have negative effects, and believes that are school system now is efficient as well as organized enough.

Source:

 Velkoff, Ted. “Later Start Times Cost: Opposing View.” USA Today. Fairfax County School Board, 27 Aug. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2015

3.) According to William H. Moorcroft, Professor in Luther College for Sleep and Dreaming laboratories he asks, “If you were asked to determine whether someone is asleep, what would you look for?” (1). In his book Understanding Sleep and Dreaming, Moorcroft tells us, “This book is written for college students with no prior knowledge of sleep and related phenomena” (vii).

Source:

Moorcoft, William H. “Understanding Sleep and Dreams.” Decorah, IA. New York: Spring Boston Heidelburg, 2005. Amazon.com. Web. 19 Nov. 2015

Comparing Position Essay's

Things About Sprigg’s Essay We Noticed

• Spriggs addressed the other points of views well and gave a bit of evidence even supporting the other side.
• She proved the evidence wrong, which built up her credibility.
• Sprigg’s argument didn’t have very solid facts, since her idea that she wanted to discuss is not something you can prove or disprove.
• Sprigg’s pictures added a good contrast for the farms.

Things About Our Essays We Noticed

• In Jacob’s essay, his author had a phD which made the author a bit more credible. His phD was in psychology (we think).
• In Jacob’s essay there is evidence and facts. There is a lot of solid facts, since the topic of school starting later is a tangible idea.
• Jacob’s essay had a very small counter argument. Same with Chloe’s. Same with Corben’s
• Corben’s essay was a very opinionated review, and there really wasn’t a counter argument for his paper. The counter argument would be not to buy it, but so far there hasn’t been a counter argument.
• Chloe’s essay didn’t have pictures, but if you had pictures of the topic “animal essay” it might be too graphic and scare people away.
• Riley did not have an essay, but has created a survey to collect personal responses.

In Class Lab: Developing Your Arguement

1.) What are you trying to change? (position)
I'm trying to change the school systems starting times for students and teachers.
2.) To whom are you writing? (audience)
Students, parents, teachers, and the school board.
3.) How do you appeal to their beliefs, values, etc? (pathos)
By providing personal examples of what there lives might of been, or are like as a high schooler.
4.) Why should your audience believe you - who are you, and how can you best represent your persona as a writer? (ethos)
In this writing I could be a psychologist, or a former high school student. I would use examples on how lack of sleep put a dent on my memory, and studying.
5.) What are at least 2 reasons the change should be made?
The change should be made because according to psychology adolescents are usually awake late at night getting homework done for classes, so they require more sleep to get back there energy. The teachers would also have less problems with students falling asleep in class, and better grades.
6.)What's a good point that the other side makes about the issue? (concession - ethos)
The school board, or parents might say that it could waste more money if they redue the schedule.
7.) How would you answer that point? (rebuttal - ethos, logos, pathos)
Yes, it would at first, but after a time the teachers will have an easier time teaching fully energized students. (Will provide statics later).
8.) Is there another good point that can be made for the opposition? (concession - ethos)
(To be decided)
9.) How would you answer that point? (rebuttal - ethos, logos, pathos)
(To be decided)
10.) Who will benefit from this change-you? the audience? society? a well-deserving group?
If I had still been in high school, and it started around 9 sharp then a majority of people would benefit from the process (me included). The students wouldn't be dragging there feet in there halls in the morning, falling asleep in class, have plenty of time to eat breakfast, and be able to focus more.
Teachers would feel more refreshed as well, and be able to progress with there assignments without the need of waking irritated students.
The school board would see a definite increase in grades among students as well as an increase in moral.

"On Buying Local": Thinking About the Text (p. 100)

1.) The author Katherine Spriggs has convinced me that her topic matters because she highlights the benefits of polycultures compared to monocultures. While with a polyculture system we wouldn't have certain produce year around we would still see a rise in small farming with local markets, less pollution to the land (monocultures use too much pesticides), decrease the amount of pollution in the air by at most 75%, and "could demonstrate to the world our commitment to environmentalism."

2.) While reading the text I noticed she stated positions other then her own to show other positions. For example she details the fact that yes, large farms are more efficient than small farms in the total output of one crop per acre, but she (Spriggs) counters with the fact that small farms being more efficient in total output of all crops per acre. She then also addresses the position if more crops were grown in the U.S. there'd might have a negative impact then our current methods compared to the U.S. using more advanced technology then third world nations we obtain food from. She counters with the use of statics saying that U.S. citizens in reality is only 13% imported (a lot shorter then we thought).

3.) I found her essay very effective on page 96 because she gives the two sides; monoculture farms, and polyculture farms. She points out the different methods each use to farm with one (poly) keeping the land healthy for crops, and the other (mono) destroying the natural ecosystems. She also points out that if we  buy local we would reduce the high cost of fuel and energy used to transport food around the world. Thus convincing an audience that the position of buying local from polyculture farms would be eco-friendly, and save money on transporting goods by valuing seasonal fcrops instead of trying to make them yearly.

4.) The photos Spriggs uses in her essay give the reader a spotlight on what she's trying to point out. For example she uses the image of a farmers market selling fresh organic squash to give an appealing perspective of purchasing from local farms gives a more natural outlook in communities. She then provides images of what a polyculture (small farm), and monoculture (large farm) look like compared to each other. The small farm presents a lush natural green with hard workers nurturing the crops while the larger farm lays out endless dusky greens without a person in sight. Lastly, the image of the trucks point out how trucks carry produce thousands of miles which end up being financially expensive, and ecologically damaging.

In Class Lab: Homework Discussion

Drinking PSA:

• The after effects of two sisters who were young passengers of a girl driving drunk. The two older sisters, 15 and 17, died but the 13 year old lived.
• Used a guilt trip to persuade you by not being able to experience graduation, prom, becoming valedictorian, getting their driver’s license etc.
• Had perspectives from people at the fire station who had seen a bit of the same thing before. Another person outside of the family
• Music is very powerful and adds to the pathos appeals.
• Added more pathos through the dates of how long the girls lived, and videos of their lives when they were young and happy. The parents were devastated, and you could relate really well to the ad because of the age and the sadness in general.
• Logos = death
• The big message is not to make a big mistake, which is a call to action.

Texting PSA:

• Shouldn’t text while you drive, because you could die.
• They targeted the younger audience who texts
• About the girl who died the day before her graduation… her family celebrated her birthdays after she had died and it connected really well with anyone who has lost a loved one and was a good pathos appeal
• Ethos was built through the police officer having experience with texting and driving cases before, and the families testimonies.
• The pictures of the girls who died added a lot of pathos and the memorials at their death sites.

Drinking and Driving: Summary and Analysis

Two Sisters Tragic Story Summary:
A video I just watched involved two sisters with one named Shauna Murphy, and the other her younger sister Meghan Murphy with there friend Melisa. All three were a car one night in Southboro, Massachusetts after having a few drinks at a party one night before driving home, but crashed into a utility pole where the two sisters died. The parents of the two sisters, a Chaplin, a fireman, and the survivor Melisa share there stories of the events.
(Pathos) The video tries to capture an emotional response of the viewer by first letting them describe the personalities of these girls who died, and how kind they were to other people around them. They proceed by retelling the events of how they learned of an accident involving there car through a phone call, and how through the eyes of the Chaplin we learn that they were deeply horrified when they heard it was there daughters who didn't survive.
(Ethos) It continues with the survivor Melisa giving her side  of the story in which Shauna found a license, bought alcohol, and had a party together. When they were heading back home they crashed, and the car was impaled by a utility pole. Melisa states she was in shock, and rightfully so. She learned while her friends didn't seem that drunk (though she was drinking too), they should not have driven that night or had the drinks.
(Pathos) The video further gets its message across by sharing videos of the daughters growing up while the parents are describing how there cooping after there death. They believe that if they were still alive they would of told everyone else to not make the same mistake they did with drinking and driving, so that they can experience there lives unlike there daughters.

In Class Lab: "How Things Mean"

Album Covers:

What do they suggest?

• The female album cover is sexually suggestive, while the male album covers are more physically intimidating. In the male cover, the pictures almost have a cold and closed off feeling, while the female cover invites you closer.

How do they suggest it?

• The female album cover has a woman staring at the camera, but slightly upwards, giving the viewer the impression of being looked up at. This establishes the power balance between the woman on the cover and the viewers, with the woman being submissive and the viewer being dominant. After establishing this, the album cover suggests a sexual element by having the woman’s hair fall messily in front of her face, having her shyly peek out from behind it. It also has the woman placing her fingers into her mouth, touching her lips. This draws attention to the mouth and creates a sexual undertone in the cover.
• The male album cover shows the men being the focus of the cover. Both are standing in the center, staring forward. Unlike the female cover, the men are not looking up at the camera but either directly at it, or downwards. This creates the illusion that the men are either on the same level as the viewer or up above, putting them in a position of power. Neither men are being portrayed sexually, but as stand alone people, without connection to the audience at all. The men seem to be dismissive of any audience, with the left covering his eyes and puffing his cheeks outwards, making himself bigger and harder to connect with, and the right has his mouth closed tightly, with his chin slightly turned up as if he was challenging the audience or viewers. Both sides are lacking in an invitation to come forwards like the female cover had.

Which elements of each image work on the viewer in various ways?

• The lighting, and shadows of the image captures  the viewer’s attention to the ideal stars.
• The left rap cover album shows a more intimidation factor when looked at. The monotone colors and stark contrast create an essence of fear.

Rolex & Hello Kitty watches:

What do they suggest?

• The Hello Kitty watch suggests childness, though it is not limited to children it is aimed at a child demography.
• The Rolex watch suggests being elite.
• Both suggest an easier way to keep track of time.

How do they suggest it?

• The Hello Kitty goes about being childish by having simple designs that are more friendly. With the cartoon character on the watch face and circular, round edges suggest a more friendly appearance. Hello Kitty is a TV show about a friendly cat looking character, it is meant for children like the watch is meant for children.

• The Rolex suggests it because there are many diamonds in the watch, and you have a good view of it’s fancy and expensive features. If you can buy such an expensive watch you are in an elite group of people.
• The fact that they are advertising a product for watches usually suggests that people want to keep track of their time.

Which elements of each images work on the viewer in various ways?

• The angles of the watches are important, because the Rolex watch being more front facing is showing off all of it’s components while still allowing it to look professional.
• Hello Kitty watch is tilted more to the side and standing so it looks more “fun,” if a watch could be considered fun. It is a simple watch, so that angle brings most of the attention to Hello Kitty itself and not the other parts of the watch, since Hello Kitty is the selling point. Hello Kitty is also a fun character, and is a cartoon character and cartoons mainly represent fun and non-seriousness.

Brief Outline Album Cover:

Thesis: The images convey a message about the objects by using strategies to tell the consumer about their product, and why they should buy it.

Introduction: Give necessary background info, like the history of each person and then begin to describe the covers.

Body paragraphs:

Female album cover: How her position draws people in. How the cover uses sex to sell. Where the girl is looking, and how that asserts dominance.

Male album cover: How their positions make them look interesting. How the cover uses power to sell. Where the guys are looking, and how that asserts dominance.

Compare and contrast of the covers: physical aspects and how the covers impact people. If allowed more research, which album sold better and the possible connection to the covers.

Counterargument: How a different conclusion could be drawn and what the argument would use as support. How it’s valid, but not as effective or complete as the one we are making.

Ending: Tie in the most important parts of each body paragraph into the conclusion that draws from the thesis and intro paragraph. Make a closing argument that uses a summary of the evidence stated, making sure to have addressed each part of your thesis.

Brief Outline Watches:

Thesis: The images convey a message about the objects by using strategies to tell the consumer about their product, and why they should buy it.

Intro: The Rolex and Hello Kitty are on opposite sides of the watch spectrum. With Hello Kitty being the fun side of having a watch, and the Rolex shows that having just a simple tool to tell the time can be turned into more of a fashion statement and a status statement. Watches have become more than just something to tell the time with they have become a way to express your status, whether it's young and fun, or elite and serious.

Body Paragraphs

Rolex- Rolex is stating that to be elite is to purchase one of there watches. By having jewels surrounding the clock portion, and a metal band all around we see that the watch is trying to argue that you can’t be as fancy unless you have this watch.

Hello Kitty- Consider the consumer that they are trying to sell this watch to. It would be amined at a younger audience that is more familiar with the cartoon show Hello Kitty. Kids want stuff that has something to do with their favorite show. Having Hello Kitty on the watch face is a celebrity endorsement. Consider how this would affect the consumer and how this is effective or ineffective.

Both Watches: How both watches have things in common in their strategies to sell the product. discuss why they might have these in common. Both watches have in common that they are specifically aimed at a certain group of people. Though the consumers are different, one being kids and the other wealthy adults, the products are still geared toward a certain audience.

Counterargument: How another conclusion about the two images might have been drawn and how. Acknowledge this, and also tie it into your own argument, using the failings of the other to help support your own, which also creates a more effective air of authority.

Ending : Conclude your argument, addressing every part of your thesis and drawing the argument back into the introduction.

Textual Analysis: Final Paper (#2)

Funny Business

(Paper #2)

            Another day, another mind numbing topic that really grinds my gears. I’ll be honest, when I was told I had to do a thorough analysis on a few advertisements of my choice, I was dreading it wholeheartedly. Therefore I had to ponder for a while with the almost frustrating question of “What on god’s green earth is my topic going to cover?” To that question I searched endlessly through Google images for advertisements until I struck gold with something funny enough to catch my interest. There were a few insurance ads I saw from companies like Progressive with their quirky spokesperson Flo, and how I laughed whenever I thought of the commercials with her sponsoring the product. Usually the topic of insurance would bore an individual like myself, but while these ads encompassed easier, and cheaper ways to save on money, they also did it through comical methods that had me smiling. So I decided to find another ad that revolved around this method, and this time asked myself “how does comical advertising persuade the audience to buy their product/service?”

            To my surprise when I compared two humorous ads involving insurance, I found a few unique similarities. Right away I saw in several Progressive and Geico ads they had used the color blue to express their company logo, but why does this matter? Usually insurance companies want customers/the audience to know they’re serious about their work, and will help you when you call them which is why they choose the color blue to label their logo because it typically means loyalty, and professionalism. Another fun fact is that blue makes you feel more awake because it fills you with endorphins. Windows used blue originally to do this, so does Google and many other businesses. If they were to use another color like green it would instead be associated with greed or jealousy, and wouldn’t get the same point across, sending the audience away instead.

            Moving forward to the image in the Geico ad… If you saw some crazed professional Laker’s basketball player (who looks somewhat like a caveman, keep this in mind) with his mouth agape in wild surprise, it would probably fill you with a case of the giggles too. I believe they used a basketball player opposed to say, a lawyer because it would come out as sort of odd. Anything but a basketball player/athlete would be less brutish and less caveman-ish. It’s more humorous. With an athlete a person would expect strange faces while shouting cheers of joy, but with a lawyer (or professional business man) instead it might come across as an angry expression. Their idea was to draw a lot of attention to the man’s appearance, so the viewer would shift there gaze to the text describing what their company is trying to offer. In this case there is text saying that it’s “so easy even a caveman can do it.” This is a funny way of saying that there insurance procedure is so easy that even a man (or woman) millions of years ago without the slightest idea of how to use technology could “(easily) save hundreds on car insurance.” Of course once they called, or went to the company’s site to get a “free quote,” that is. The purpose of this ad is to enlighten the heavy subject of insurance with laughter, and thus in catching the audience’s attention and diverting it to the text they may understand that there is an easier way of going about saving money.

            Let’s look back first to when I was mentioning Progressive’s ad involving there spokesperson Flo. Aside from the contagious red-lipped smile on her face the viewer would probably wonder why this particular printed ad would attract them. The idea is that you’ve already seen the TV advertisements involving her spreading the word of Progressive’s insurance rates in bizarre ways. And I mean really bizarre such as smashing an electric guitar, or spinning a basketball.  As well as setting a metaphor that states that they (Progressive) save the individual more money than other businesses by having two men from those corporation spy on Flo, and several other scenes that try to grab the viewer's’ attention (like the Geico ad). It’s with Flo’s enthusiastic expressions about the greatness of Progressive in these scenes that grabs a person’s attention. Hypothetically though, let’s say that the person watching these commercials were too distracted by the plot of events that they didn’t get the full idea of how it was trying to persuade you. In this case the printed ad I stumbled upon would inform a person who is familiar with the character Flo to shift their gaze to the ad, and inform themselves with the text hovering to the side of her. They would see that “you could save $550 on your car insurance,” and would result exciting the viewer who needs better coverage. Better yet, it would thrill them once they learned that it would only take about “6 minutes” to start. Thus convincing the audience that there policy is a quick, easy process that will leave you as content as the lovely Flo.

            In conclusion these ads use comedy for what they're trying to convey to the audience. By using odd expressions, contagious smiles, and memorable scenes as reminders I was able to infer that such aspects provide a more positive exposure of the product of insurance. So while at first I found this paper to be rather aggravating, I’ll admit that it highlighted certain aspects I didn’t put into deep thought before as to why a color could show-off a type of theme, how a basketball player over a lawyer in an ad could shape a persons perspective, or how a whimsical character could make an ad become frequently more familiar.

In Class Lab: What's really being said and how?

~What arguments does the author make?

• The argument that white people and people of color who are not black should not use the n-word
• The argument that there are two separate conversations by black people and white people and as white people, we should not have anything to do with the conversation that black people are having about the n-word.
• The author argues for a clear position against the usage of the n-word by any group of people who are not black.
• The argument is not ambiguous or long enough to call for an in depth analysis. The author is extremely straightforward in his reasoning but he does use personal anecdotes as justification and evidence for his argument.
• The author makes the argument that even beyond use of the n-word, terms such as “redneck” or any possibly racist slur shouldn’t be used by people outside of the “family.”

~How persuasive do you find the argument?

• I think the argument is quite persuasive because it is very open, and only really displays facts and the author's opinion. The author is trying to persuade you that he is right, and he backs up his own personal opinions with facts and ideals that are current to the argument of racism.
• The speech is void of any exact sources or links because of it being an oral presentation. Though the speaker himself is quite credible due to his extensive background in anti-racist writings and speeches since 1995. He also has been updating teachers about how to teach kids un-racist and anti-racist topics.
• The argument is persuasive because he backs up his opinion well through facts and widely accepted ideas that cannot really be challenged without the challenger being considered “racist”.

~What is the author’s stance?

• The author objectively describes how the use of the n-word should be only be used by colored people in contrast to a white person because otherwise it would be considered racist.

~Does the publisher bring a certain stance to the work?

• In this case, there was not a publisher attached to the work. However, the argument was originally published in a book by the author, “White Like Me”. When just discussing the video, we have no publisher to consider. If we turn our focus to the book, we may find a stance that was brought by the publisher.
• If you consider YouTube the publisher, the author had the ability to turn off comments (which he did), and that itself brought a support to racism and their claim, because since it is the internet it is guaranteed someone would have started a debate and been racist in the comments.

~Do you recognize ideas you’ve run across in other sources?

• Technically not a source, but in my everyday life I have found this controversy a lot, from music the word is used in, to improper use. For me personally (Chloe), I have always had an issue with the idea of “I’m from ___ race, I can make fun of them!” and I think that this source helped better define this idea in a non-racist way.

~Does this source support or challenge your own position -- or does it do both? EVERYONE SHOULD ANSWER

• Chloe: This source supports my position and makes me believe even more strongly in how people should not use racial slurs such as the n-word. However, the idea that people can depreciate their own people groups is an interesting way to state that, because before this source I didn’t agree with it (as mentioned in the last question).
• Jacob: This source definitely supports my position. Right before viewing the video I knew the n-word was inappropriate to use in my vocabulary, and by watching the video it furthered my knowledge on why it’s wrong. It showed a unique perspective on how the word should only be used in its own color group, but even then it still seems like it dehumanizes the value of a given people.
• Riley: This source supports my position. I agree with the arguments being made by Tim Wise in that the use of the n-word by white people like myself and other non-black people of color is inherently racist because of the historical context behind it. As a people, whites have used the word to continually dehumanize black people, whether it is through slavery, micro/macro aggressions, or even large scale institutionalized racism.
• Corben: This speech supports my own personal opinions on racism. I believe that white people don’t have the “rights” to the n-word and trying to make it okay to use in “politically correct” context is not something good to do. Just leaving the n-word to colored people to use how how they see fit is the best option, we as white people used and abused the word and now we should have no say in the matter.

~What can you tell about how the intended audience and purpose?

• As a white person this spoke to me on high levels. The purpose of the video was to inform the audience that the use of the n-word is not funny business, or cute, but in fact a still modern racially charged term that shouldn’t be used by white people.

"THINK ABOUT YOUR WRITING" Exercise (p. 70)

Recently I was asked to write about which contributes more to a person's life style with nature or nurture. My idea was that it can't just be one or the other, but both because they shape us hand-in-hand. From birth we are nurtured into learning how to speak, how to walk, what to eat, and determine the meaning between right and wrong from our families, Then with our environment (nature) we learn street smarts, look up to friends, get taught by our teachers, and adapt to the surroundings. Without the both of them we couldn't create our own unique identities in the world, and we'd all be isolated from eachother.

"Yes, We Can." Response (p. 69)

Watching the video with the addition of music, voice-overs,written works (like "hope" and yes, we can"), and images of the singers and Obama delivering the speech I noticed a few powerful things that contributed to the argument. One of which was repeated, and stated that we are all equal whether you're black or white (thus why there wasn't any color being betrayed while watching). It was also treating people who could only talk through sign language as equals when they provided an image of a women using sign language, and included other people speaking different languages in the video, Mostly though it was the fact that it is in video form because  when I read it, it was already excellent, but when it became verbally spoken it became something absolutely extraordinary.

In Class Lab: Memes (Group Activity)

(#1)

http://www.grumpycats.com/like-a-good-neighbor/

Questions:

1. How does it appeal to you-or why does it fail to appeal?

It appeals and it’s funny to me because it’s a jingle, but it’s not because it’s how a lot of people think of their neighbors, and because it’s relatable and a play on words it adds humor.

     2.) What kinds of words, images, or sounds does it use as support for its position?

This is a set of words that is a jingle or small musical line, though it doesn’t have any sound to it, most people know that it is sung to the sound of the State Farm jingle.

     3.) If you were going to revise it for a different audience, what would you do?

I would  change the style of fence to suit a more modern audience.  I would change the color of the font to something more interesting for a more whimsical or young audience.

     4.)  If you were going to create it in another medium, how would it be different?

If we were to, say, make it a state farm TV commercial, it would be much different because then it wouldn’t be as realistic, since the cat would probably have a voice actor or it would be silent and awkward. It works (really?) purrfectly (I mean rEALLy?) just to be one picture.

(#2)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/292522938267517733/

Questions:

1. How does it appeal to you-or why does it fail to appeal?

It appeals because many people defy law and talk on their phones while driving and it results in distraction that can rightfully cause the expression on the feline’s face.

     2.) What kinds of words, images, or sounds does it use as support for its position?

Just a picture is the perfect medium for this joke/comment because it’s the cat’s grumpy expression of disapproval and a fact most people would relate to by saying something stupid like “true.” or “same.”

     3.) If you were going to revise it for a different audience, what would you do?

Well, the joke really isn’t the same if you target the non-driving audience. So if I were going to aim it at non-meme-loving adults I would probably make it a serious commercial that everyone turns off.

     4.)  If you were going to create it in another medium, how would it be different?

If it was going to be in another medium it would be much different, because the cat would become a symbol for a people group or something overly complicated.

(#3)

http://cdn.smosh.com/sites/default/files/2015/03/pepe-gas.jpg

Questions:

1. How does it appeal to you-or why does it fail to appeal?

It fails to appeal because of the overall tackiness of the image.

But it’s message is funny because it’s true.

     2.) What kinds of words, images, or sounds does it use as support for its position?

It has a line of text to caption the photo, describing what the photo is emotionally meant to be. It is not a description of any sort of scene, it is describing the emotion portrayed by this rare pepe meme.

     3.) If you were going to revise it for a different audience, what would you do?

I would use a more sophisticated image and give it a color background.

     4.)  If you were going to create it in another medium, how would it be different?

I would write it up as a joke.  So there would be more words and no image  or make it a comic type of meme with more panels.

(#4)     :D  https://instagram.com/p/5nY_eZCFoT/

Questions:

1. How does it appeal to you-or why does it fail to appeal?

It appeals to me because despite feeling sad Pepe (the frog) was able to feel a sense of happiness in hearing his favorite jam.

     2.) What kinds of words, images, or sounds does it use as support for its position?

Pepe (the frog) has a top hat, and cane with a frowned expression while dancing which indicates that despite his sadness, he still has rhythm to his own favorite music choice.

     3.) If you were going to revise it for a different audience, what would you do?

See 4. Maybe for little kids it would be more funny, less sad, and a longer video.

     4.)  If you were going to create it in another medium, how would it be different?

I might make it a gif image, so that the pepe is dancing and tears are streaming down his face, it really portrays more emotion in motion rather than the still image.

Bibliography(s):

#1: Cat, Grumpy. “Like A Good Neighbor.”Cartoon. Grumpy Cats. 20 Feb. 2013. Web.11 November 2015.

#2: Marie, Candice.”Grumpy Cat Meme.“ Cartoon. Pinterest. 5 Nov. 2015. Web. 11 November 2015.

#3: sadfrogmemer. “Getting Online for the First Time in a Week Like” Cartoon. Smosh. 2014 Web. Nov 5, 2015.

#4: tcenews. “Sad Pepe Meme” Cartoon. Instagram. 26 July 2015. Web. 11 November 2015.