Being Cool

"Cool" can take many shapes and forms depending on a multitude of factors. If you're athletic, cool is probably sports. If you love fashion, then being cool probably means dressing good. And if you're Derek, then cool is probably Taylor Swift and Beyonce. However, one form of "cool" that a portion of society seems to always follow would be the mook.

Definition of "mook"- a stupid or incompetent person

  

 These are pictures of prime time mooks. We all see how dumb they are, yet so many continue to follow in their footsteps. We see them in movies and at concerts doing idiotic things such as smashing tables, shouting obscenities, and pounding tons of alcohol. You probably know a mook or two. . . I know I do.

Perhaps mooks are followed simply because they are glorified in our media (for some odd reason). Things such as Jackass and Jersey Shore are glamorized and this message of "if you act stupid, then you're cool" is projected.

But despite how dumb I believe mooks are, even I sometimes find myself enjoying and promoting the antics that they are up to. I'll admit it, sometimes I like to see guys do wild stuff like beat each other with rotisserie chickens or run through doors. A little mind-numbing entertainment is nice every once in a while. When I'm stressed and need to let anger out, *cough term paper* I empathize with people such as the rapper Tyler the Creator when he says "kill people, burn sh*t, f*ck school." I suppose it is the consumption of mook behavior by people such as myself that keep the cycle of mook-ness turning. But of well, crap happens.

That is all for tonight. But before I go. . .

In the words of Lil B. . .

"i love you (points at you) even if you do not love me back!"

'Revenge' for Eric Garner

This past Saturday, December 20th, two uniformed NYPD officers were shot dead while sitting in their car on a Brooklyn street corner. The perpetrator's motive for doing so? To get avenge the death of Eric Garner, a man whom who died at the hands of the NYPD a few months ago. The New York Post not only did a through job of covering the story, but it also incorporated the viewpoints of the authors, viewpoints that I also agree with.

The overall view of the authors is that the gunman, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, was certainly in the wrong for randomly killing two innocent officers. The authors express this primarily through describing the policemen, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, and the gunman, Brinsely. "Liu, 32, a newlywed of only two months, had seven years on the force; Ramos, 40, dad to two sons, had two years on the job." This makes a connection with readers because it touches the emotions. It causes one to have sympathy for the policemen and their families while making them upset that Brinsley would take the lives of a husband and a father. 

Next, the Post goes on to say, "Brinsley was already a fugitive, suspected of putting a bullet in his ex-girlfriend's abdomen at her residence in Baltimore." After  painting this picture of a man who destroys families, the authors also state that he is suspected of killing his girlfriend. This makes readers perceive Brinsley as the villain, which he certainly is in this situation. After this, the New York Post outlines various criminal activities that Brinsley engaged in prior to his killing the two policemen, further adding onto this portrayal of him being the bad guy.

I'd argue that justice was not served concerning the Eric Garner case. Excess force was used on Eric Garner in order to arrest him, including a chokehold which was banned by the NYPD in 1993, and there was probably a better way to go about detaining him. However, I believe these two innocent policemen did not deserve to be killed because of other officer's misconduct. It is not right that it should happen to them, and crimes such as these simply create more tension between civilians and police. They are nothing more than fuel to the fire of terror and hatred that many are currently experiencing, and it is the last thing we need if we hope to solve the issues between police and the general population.

Link to the New York Post's article: http://nypost.com/2014/12/20/2-nypd-cops-shot-execution-style-in-brooklyn/

And in case you haven't seen the Eric Garner video: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/dec/04/i-cant-breathe-eric-garner-chokehold-death-video

Chittlins N' Thangs

                                                             
                                                    

If you haven't seen it yet, here is an advertisement for the Chittlins N' Thangs Restaurant here in Sacramento. This billboard uses the family image as well as its humorous restaurant title to appeal to customers.

First off, this image of the family that owns the restaurant could be an example of plain folks advertising. They just look like an ordinary family posing for a picture, looking happy and such. They make it seem as thought any typical family is warmly welcomed at the restaurant. It is as simple as that. A mother or father could also see this and feel as though eating at Chittlins N' Thangs will bring their family together, will bring them happiness like the family in the picture.

As for the name Chittlins N' Thangs, well, it can be seen as humorous depending on ones sense of humor. When saying the name of the restaurant aloud, it sounds like someone with a southern accent, and some people tend to mimic southern accents because they think they sound funny. The name is also unique and not typical like Mcdonalds, Burger King, or Wendy's, so this could draw new customers in. One might want to eat there just so they can utter the phrase "Yo I was at Chittlins N' Thangs today."

Do notice that "Soul Food" stood out the most due to its size. Perhaps this was done because it is essentially a summary of the rest of the billboard and if a driver sees this while craving soul food they'll think "Oh damn, I should read the rest of this sign to find out where this place is located."

Goodbye fellow organisms.
                                               

Rudy Project: Print Ad

L.A. Dodgers outfielder, Yasiel Puig

I found this print ad in one of my grandfathers magazines. It is an advertisement for sunglasses, featuring Yasiel Puig of the L.A. Dodgers.

This advertisement utilizes certain techniques and appeals in order to get people to buy the product. Specifically, it appeals to achievement, uses bribery, and also uses testimony.

The appeal to achievement is demonstrated through the phrase "Elevate your performance." It encourages the readers, if they play baseball, to enhance their performance on the field by wearing these sunglasses that apparently succeed in blocking out the big bad sun. And if their performance is enhanced, then they will win their games, thus showing the appeal to achievement.

Bribery runs rampant in this add, "Buy these, and get these FREE." "Score a FREE casual sunglass!" "Free Shipping." "90-Day Money-Back Guarantee." It doesn't take rocket science to see the bribery in this ad. All of this "free" talk and "money-back" gives a desirable extra something. It makes the reader want to buy the product because they'll be getting more than they asked for.

The testimonial advertising technique is shown through the usage of Yasiel Puig. "L.A. Dodgers rookie phenom Yasiel Puig prefers Rudy project sunglasses - on & off the field." Puig is a famous baseball player, so if one were to see this ad they would think "A famous person is wearing this so it MUST be good."

One Word: iPhones

One of the most popular devices in the world is the Apple iPhone. Famous beyond imagination, loved more than words can express, the iPhone is everywhere and it is virtually impossible to get away from. Year after year, Apple introduces another iPhone to continue their series of creations. As of September, the iPhone 6/6+ has taken the spotlight and has been accompanied by an arsenal of commercials and other advertisements.

In this iPhone 6/6+ commercial (look at their hands), Apple highlights the new "Health" app they've added to the phone. This little app simply provides an easy-to-read dashboard of the owner's health and fitness data, telling the owner things such as their heart rate, calories burned, blood sugar, etc. The commercial is simple and it primarily uses an appeal to wit and humor in order to make consumers want the phone.

Although the commercial is a dialogue between the owners of the iPhone 6 and 6+, it looks more like a dialogue between the phones themselves since they are the only images shown throughout the commercial, aside from the hands of the owners.

 In most cases we just naturally find this humorous or interesting. We like to see inanimate objects with feelings or emotions, it draws us in. The humor and wit of the commercial is demonstrated through the dialogue between the two phone owners, somewhat emulating that of a friendly competition between an older, mature brother, and his younger, somewhat goofy brother. The owners take a few shots at each other, going back and forth with various health statistics their phones have gathered about them throughout the course of the day. The owner of the iPhone on the right wins in the end because he had a lower calorie count than the owner of the iPhone on the left. But the owner on the left doesn't seem to mind, after all, those 1,230 calories of funnel cake were "delicious." This portrays the typical scene of a younger brother and his crude, simple comments that he makes towards his older sibling during a debate.

The actual voices as well as the hands used in this commercial are of some significance. The voices are pretty even-tone throughout the commercial. They are calm, sound natural, and they enunciate their words just as they should. These things come into play when selling a product. Admit it, we're a shallow society, and sometimes we can be bought over by attractive people or pleasing voices. So the usage of ear-pleasing voices could help persuade consumers to buy. I hope you looked at the hands of the men holding the phones. Their fingernails are clean, smooth, and nicely trimmed. Their skin is smooth and free of any blemishes.We'd hate to see some ugly nub fingers with barbecue sauce slathered on them, we wouldn't want to see jagged fingernails or scarred hands. Notice how they hold the phones and how calm their movements are, their scrolling and screen-tapping. You as well as I know that it is quite rare for anyone to operate their phone in such a way, we typically hold it in one or both hands and use our thumbs to scroll and select.  These hands were used in order to make the commercial more appealing.

Although it was a seemingly simple commercial, there was certainly more than meets the eye in order to persuade consumers to purchase the iPhone 6.

Lovemarks: Rice Krispies Cereal

The lovemarks marketing concept was first publicized by Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saattchi, in his book Lovemarks. Roberts believes that love is what's needed in order for companies to flourish, that extreme loyalty for a brand is created through emotional connections with the customers that evoke love and respect. In our media today, we unknowingly see plenty of lovemark advertising. An example of this marketing concept in application would be this Rice Krispies Cereal commercial. What better way to reel in some customers than by tapping into their emotions?

To summarize, the commercial was basically a cute little daughter getting excited over her bowl of Rice Krispies that her mother was feeding her. A heartwarming scene, but as for the contents of every advertisement, there is a reason the advertisers used this as their commercial (I'm sure you knew that, champ). This commercial was primarily targeted at parents and arguably, small children. So if this didn't exactly strike you in the feels then don't be surprised, you're not the emotionless monster you may think you are. But I digress, this commercial forms a clear emotional connection with parents because after seeing this, a parent is likely to reflect on how deeply they love their diabolical offspring. A parent may think, "Wow Rice Krispies, you really care about the wellbeing of my relationship with my child. You understand. I need you in my life." The parent respects the brand for caring so deeply, for caring on such a personal level for the parent and their child. Never again will parents buy those godforsaken Cocoa Puffs or those demonic Fruit Loops. Not today Toucan Sam, you're out of luck. It's Rice Krispies's time to shine.

As for small children, they may see this commercial and think that by eating Rice Krispies, they'll instantly have a deep bonding experience with mommy or daddy. Of course they will, the happy mother and daughter in the commercial promise such an event. And because of this emotional connection being made with said child, because it causes the child to think about how much they love mom and dad, it brings the child to be loyal to the product being advertised.

I won't lie, as a small chid I would see commercials such as these and I'd wish that there was a box of the cereal in the house so that my mom and I could make Rice Krispies Treats. Sure, it sounds silly, but we all fall victim to advertisements here and there, and as for myself, these Rice Krispies lovemarks would definitely get me.

Deviating from a focus on lovemarks, there is an obvious advertising technique I'd like to address in this commercial. This technique would be the clearly illuminated box of cereal sitting in an all grey scene. Plain and simple, this illumination draws the viewers in and makes them focus on the Rice Krispies. And although the cereal may be figuratively brightening up the mother and daughter's morning by bringing them joy, the contrast of color literally brightens up their morning as well. So this commercial is just conveying the idea that Rice Krispies will bring you happiness.

Thanks for reading and may you also be exposed to some form lovemark advertising today. And remember, give into the craving. It's always the right thing to do.

2008 Chevy Truck Advertising

Although it was 6 years in the past, the 2008 "My Truck" Chevy commercial is a prime example of advertising techniques that companies use in order to sell their product. Whether it be an appeal to tradition, the utilization of devices that evoke patriotism, or making an emotional connection with the audience, these are all some of the many ways that Chevy tries to sell its truck in the commercial.

The commercial starts off with a man standing in a field, accompanied by some of his working dogs and in the background there are big, snow-capped mountains as well as hills. This scenery sets the very typical country, hard-working-honest-American tone. The audience thinks, "Wow, what a guy. He probably has calloused hands and that means I can trust him." The man seems genuine in his talk about enjoying the adventures that life takes you on. Soon after, the song "Our Country" starts playing, further adding onto the whole country/ working American vibe of the commercial and adds a taste of patriotism.

Next, the commercial switches to an African-American man talking about how he really values the days where he can help move people from shelters, to permanent housing by way of his Chevy Silverado. Although it is a small change, the incorporation of an African-American man fosters this idea of diversity, this idea of, "Hm, this truck isn't only meant for Caucasian countrymen, but it also suits middle-aged Black men." It opens up the broadcasting to another group of people, another demographic in order to draw in more customers.

After this, a Rodeo Announcer shows up and makes claims regarding the reliability of his truck. The fact that he's a Rodeo Announcer yet again adds onto this broadening of the audience. First it's just some working countryman, then an African-American social worker, and next a Rodeo Announcer, so it makes the viewers feel as though this truck is meant for anyone and everyone. One interesting point, however, is that the Rodeo Announcer wasn't even shown driving his truck. The closest relation he had with the truck was merely closing the tailgate of it. Other than that, it was just a piece of the background.

Further opening the audience is the integration of a firefighter and his experience with his truck. He talks about how his truck started up despite the fact that much of it was melted and singed from a fire. Apparently the fact that it still ran perfectly fine inspired him and the rest of his fire fighter buddies to not give up on what they were doing, this made them feel "If that truck can keep going, then we could all keep going." The use of an instance such as this creates a deeper, more humanitarian feeling. It makes the audience recognize that, "Hey, he's an average person like me and I can relate because sometimes I too need a pick-me-up."

Following, are two more men that begin to take a shift to a traditional appeal and really emphasize the reliability, as well as longevity, of the truck. The first is an elderly man saying how he has had his truck for over thirty years, and it has racked more than 2,000,000 total miles of driving. The usage of this old man and his truck omits a sense of, "Wow, such a long time and it's still running fine." Lastly, there's a Hispanic man that mentions how his grandfather owned a Chevy, his father owned a Chevy, and then he himself eventually owned a Chevy. This highlights the idea of following the tradition of your family, or in other words, as we've learned, appeals to tradition.

In addition there is about two seconds of narration in a manly voice to instill that sense masculinity, that "You're a man if you buy this bulky hunk of metal."

Overall, prominent in this piece of advertisement was the encompassing of various types of people with the same truck, as well as emphasis on how long lasting and reliable it is.

Link for the commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qriNbVCIsow

Until next time, and if I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!

The Language in Ferguson News Coverage

Beginning on August 9th, three and a half months ago, was the civil unrest that was the byproduct of the Mike Brown shooting in Ferguson, Missouri. This event has, without a doubt, drawn the attention of many. Included in this drawing of attention is President Obama, a multitude of people and groups across America, and most of all, the citizens of Missouri. With every news agency constantly covering the story, be it the shooting, the protesting and looting, or the perpetual court case, it's definitely not an event that one can liberate themselves from hearing. And along with so many news groups telling the story, each usually, but not always, brings to the table a certain way of presenting the story, a specific way of using language to evoke certain thoughts and feelings within the listeners.

Starting with The Washington Post, I was taken on somewhat of a roller coaster of thought/emotion because of the twists and turns the authors took when writing their article, "St. Louis area braces for aftershock of grand jury's decision on Ferguson shooting." Right off the bat, upon merely reading the title of the article, one feels a sensation of fear or anticipation due to the wording, "braces for aftershock." When one is bracing for aftershock it is because something serious is about to happen, some storm is on the way and the potential recipients must prepare for it. Adding onto this sensation of fear and anticipation are phrases such as, "It's that decision [of the jury] that has brought St. Louis into a bizarre holding pattern," "Ferguson . . . is prepared for chaos," and "Once the grand jury announcement is made, protest leaders will send a blast text message to a list of 16,000 subscribers - mobilizing them into action across the country." These quotations, such as the first, either emit a sense of suspense due to the lack of knowledge in regards to what will happen in the city, or they somewhat instill a sense of panic/fear as demonstrated through the subsequent two quotes. There is also a mention of the Klu Klux Klan in the article, stating that they will use "lethal force" to combat "threats of violence" that protesters have allegedly made towards police and communities.

But despite all this talk of fear and imbeciles in cone-headed sheets, there is a small twist of hope, of assurance that the situation will get better. The article states, "In this case, there has been plenty of advanced planning time. This has allowed protest leaders and police to draw up some rules of engagement that could keep a cap on tensions." It's rather odd that set amid this language that seemingly radiates nothing but scary feelings, is language that offers hope or a brighter look ahead for the situation in Ferguson, it claims that this time around there won't be as many conflicts between protesters and police.

Now, as for ABC News and their article, "Civic Group: No Ferguson Grand Jury Decision Yet," it was far shorter than The Washington Post's and was pretty much a mere summary, a condensed version of it. The article didn't really use language to convey anything aside from a very minuscule sense of suspense with their title, emitting the feeling that the whole Ferguson situation is still up in the air and not settled. Otherwise, it just turned out to be basic reporting.

The one major difference that I did notice, however, was the wording that both news sources used for a quote by Mike Brown's mother, Lesley McSpadden. One would think that a quote can only be written one way, that it cannot be tampered with or skewed, for it's supposed to be exactly what the person said. Nonetheless, both news agencies presented the same quote, but in a different manner. The The Washington Post wrote in their article, "'I love you all,' she said. 'It's a long time coming, but it's still coming . . . justice. I just want you all to be careful. Don't agitate the police, don't let the police agitate you. I don't want any of you to get hurt. When I get into court, I want all of you with me.'" With this quote, we get a picture of McSpadden. She sounds like a kind, loving, and peaceful women because of how the quote is presented, using proper English, avoiding the usage of double negatives, sharing an emotional moment with the protestors and such. But in the ABC News article it goes, "'Don't agitate them [the police], and don't let them agitate ya'll,' she said. 'I don't want nobody getting hurt. We're all willing to do something, but I don't want nobody getting hurt.'" The idea behind both quotes is the same, but with this second one, ABC's article, a reader will get an image of McSpadden that is somewhat different from the image presented by The Washington Post. Her words are now presented with the usage of "ya'll" as well as two double negatives, both of which are generally frowned upon in the English language and are categorized as "ghetto." And whether we'd like to admit it or not, we know deep inside that we are usually judgmental of people who talk in this manner. We as a society don't care to hear them as we would care to hear the words used in The Washington Post's quote, and in many cases we look down upon them because of their speech. Although a sad idea, it is pretty much true. As to which news source truly got the quote right, no one really knows. Perhaps both sides are incorrect and they're only trying to evoke certain thoughts within us. Interesting how language can be manipulated in such a way.

Through the way that news agencies use their language, through the words they pick to describe the events they cover, they try to implement their feelings and thoughts within us.

Link for The Washington Post's article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/st-louis-area-braces-for-aftershock-of-ferguson-shooting-grand-jury-decision/2014/11/22/f0615786-7263-11e4-ad12-3734c461eab6_story.html

Link for the ABC News article: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/official-ferguson-grand-jury-meeting-2709866

My Relationship with Media

 Lurking in the shadows, skulking underneath my bed, hiding in my closet; it is media who is always there. My relationship with media is similar to that of a relationship with an annoying, suffocating, and creepy girlfriend. It is constantly surrounding me, continually trying to take over my life, and it seems set on not letting go any time soon.

"You know what you need? Some salsa, my friend." "Vote for Ami Bera!" "Purchase some Castrol oil for the car you don't even have, I insist." "Activia!" This is but a minor preview to the hundreds of slurs that the media hurls at me on the daily, trying to steer me in a multitude of directions, pestering and trying with all its might to lure me into its trap. Just as it is for any other American, media exposure is a large part of my life, despite the fact that I may not always be aware of it. Whether I am simply sitting on the bus, or walking down the street, media is always there. It could taking the form of billboards for Geico, posters for Subway, and all else in-between. However, regardless of its efforts, my relationship with media is more than not, one-sided. I may be exposed to it every millisecond living in America, and it may try to consume me, but in most cases I don't really buy into its messages. I am able to steer clear, curving it, as if it was trying to slide into my DM's.

Sure, I may slip here and there by, for example, making references to pop culture and connecting them to my life. As Missy Elliott and J. Cole said in their song on the radio, "Nobody's perfect." Indeed true, nobody is perfect, not I and not you. We all succumb to the media sometimes, but as for myself, I stay clean more than not.

Despite the medias persistent attempts to assert its rule over my life, it has not gotten far, and it will probably stay that way. This "relationship" of mine with media shall go no further than the awkward first date, the date in which I recognized she wasn't the one. 

Thank you for reading, and have a spectacular, media-filled, day.