Blogging- A Retrospective

Writing 140 has come to a close, and now it is time for a look back on the semester.

There was a lot to be learned in this course, and it feels difficult to condense into one short blog post. I will do my best.

Academic inquiry requires an intense amount of pre-writing, thoughtful planning, hard work, and research. There is a certain necessity to make sure that you've covered all possible angles in your inquiry, meaning one must be keen to explore possible counterarguments and flesh out presented facts with reasonable and credible evidence. Evidence leads us to the next big point here: research.

Research is key, crucial, the crux of an academic paper. Without research, a paper is just a collection of ideas and thoughts. It is necessary to back up your opinion with others in order to strengthen the argument and find a way for the audience to place your paper in an established school of thought or niche. On top of that, research allows for knowledge of what has been said before so you know that you are not treading on already-worn ground, but carving a new path. What's more, reading the opinions and thoughts of others informs and can help spawn ideas of your own (as long as proper citation is given, of course).

The process of collaboration is one that I believe in immensely given my background in filmmaking. Making a good film is a process that requires the input of many individuals, and that, I have learned, is true of papers as well. I believe this to be the single greatest lesson I learned from this course: allow others to help, as they will see things and suggest routes that you could never have thought of.

I will take what I've learned in this class and apply it to all future classes in some way. Academically, the value of research has been instilled in me. Filmmaking wise, the lesson of collaboration is key; that it can be useful across academia only strengthens it as an institution for me.

This class has been extremely beneficial, and one that I will carry for the rest of my USC career.

Fifth Assignment- Post #2

The audience plays a huge, and arguably most important, role in the ethics of a rhetorical situation. By engaging in public discourse, politicians, newspeople, or other public figures are inviting discourse from the public as well; a back-and-forth between the professionals and the non-professionals is a part of the bargain. Unfortunately, in its current state, audiences tend to be more destructive than constructive. Most of the (attempted) ethical rhetoric is done online in articles or videos posted to YouTube or Yahoo, and in the comments section the users have full anonymity and free reign to speak on whatever they'd wish with no consequence. A part of this means that attacks are common and people use their faceless avatar to say exactly what they think without working towards a common goal, rendering the institution of ethical rhetoric non-existent. This was described as well in my previous post.

Fifth Assignment- Post #1

Our current model of public discourse is unfavorable, as it does reward bad faith argumentation. Instead of listening, assessing, and most of all working toward a solution, the media strives to make its case and give credence to nobody else's. Even if they were to say that they valued all opinions, an audience wouldn't know it; there is screaming, wrong information, and sentences cut off before they are finished which can only mean the person arguing it didn't hear the whole thing and thus isn't quite sure what it is they are arguing.

Another place where these things occur, albeit in a slightly different way, is on online forums. Even if someone gives a reasonable and well-thought out argument in the 'comments' section of a political news video, the only thing that people can do in response is 'like' the post, 'dislike' the post, comment agreeing with the post, or comment shredding that original poster to shreds (and that, unfortunately, makes up a majority of the content). This is not actually accomplishing anything; instead, it acts as a facade for the anonymous and nameless to voice their opinions without any real chance at legitimate discourse or or at working towards any kind of remedy for the issue at hand. For a wonderfully irritating example of this roundabout gibberish, take a look at the following link:

http://news.yahoo.com/affordable-care-act-only-chips-away-core-goal-175534209.html

^Be warned when you click, as there are over 1,500 comments at the moment.

This kind of unethical discourse is encouraged, unfortunately, because nobody wants to put a stop to it. Arguments make good promo spots, which increase ratings. In terms of 'comments' strands: why show restraint when you are protected by a screen and remain anonymous? Say what you want to say and don't hold back, right? The damage that these things do is real, as people are actually hurt and spend hours upon hours rebutting in an argument that can only lead one place: nowhere. I believe that perhaps our greatest privilege in this country is free speech, but I can't help wishing that we used it to a more satisfying end.

Fourth Assignment: Blog #2

A film that dabbles in Noir conventions as well as uproots them is Devil in a Blue Dress. Femme fatale, political corruption, murder, betrayal, big reveals...this film has them all including the cliched voiceover from out protagonist. The difference in this film is that the protagonist is black, a minority that is itself or similarly exploited or made to embody villainy in previous Noir films. By placing Denzel at the forefront, it makes a huge statement about Noir films: they can be multiethnic, and the stories can apply to others. The issues or race and class brought about in AMST 274 are certainly brought up here; Denzel's character makes a big sea out of his home being his home, and his car being his car. The pride of his class standing is a major part of his character, as is his inability to secure a job which leads him down the rabbit hole of the plot. In closing, the film is certainly a Noir film in its conventions but uses race to differentiate itself.

Fourth Assignment: Blog #1

Paul Schrader, a noted filmmaker, has penned a far-reaching and time-spanning article titled simply, "Notes on Film Noir." More like an expansive exhaustion of the genre than a simple listing of "notes" as the title suggests, Schrader tackles several of the elements film noir has come to represent including 'War and Post-War Disillusionments,' 'Post-War Realism,' 'The German Influence,' The Hard-Boiled Tradition,' 'Stylistics,' and 'Themes.' Each of these dives deep into the influence it had on the genre as a whole, which he notes as one of "the best known and least known" periods in Hollywood film. This dichotomy, along with that list of topics that Schrader tackles, makes this an indispensable resource. One thing I learned that I didn't know comes from 'The German Influence' section, where Schrader notes famed cinematographer of Hungarian descent named John Alton who helped "adapt old expressionist techniques to the new desire for realism..." That kind of adaptation is an interesting one to explore not only in relation to John Alton but in relation to any noir film.

Third Essay- Entry #1

I am writing about Blood Diamond (2006), a film where Leonardo DiCaprio plays the white savior role of Danny Archer who, at the end of the film and after a spiritual transformation realizing that selfishness is not the solution to living a meaningful life, gives his life to save a black man (Dijmon Hounsou playing Solomon Vandy) and help him rescue his kidnapped son. This act fulfills the role of white savior; he must die (and chooses to) in order to save a black man who desperately needs his help. The character is the lead of the film, the star, the crux, and is entirely necessary; in a way, the film is based around the idea of this individual being a white savior choosing to reveal it only at the end.

Second Essay- Entry #2

It is not possible to be completely un-identified because even a favorable opinion of something ties you to it in a way. To be completely un-identified is to say that the identities available do not apply or interest you; a member of one race or ethnicity can identify with another based on morals, values, ethics, etcetera. The possible benefits to this state would be that some of the harsh inter-ethnic feuds or long-standing grudges would have no bearing on you; while some are understandable and justified, to avoid them altogether would be ideal. The drawbacks would be similar to the aforementioned benefit: having a group of people to relate to where stereotypes are nonexistent because they are formed by absent outer parties can be an incredible rich and rewarding experience. It is important for people to associate, bond, and relate with one another and through identification this happens on an inherent and subconscious level. It may be impossible to completely un-identify, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Second Essay- Entry #1

The best way to understanding and "performing" an ethnic identity, and the method I would employ, would be to watch those around me. Ethnicity is something many people hold dear and are very proud of, often showing it in their daily lives through devices such as dress and dialect. It would be important not to infer stereotypes based on such observations and keep individuality in mind; rather, a more successful approach might be to pick one ethnicity and delve into it, interacting with and taking note of all the different kinds of people that exist within that one ethnicity. Of course, in order to "pick" an ethnicity like the characters in 3rd Rock from the Sun, one must understand that research into most every ethnicity that exists would have to be done not only to see what variation exists and make an informed decision, but also to ensure a fair sample and not give precedence to any one ethnicity. The delicacies and intricacies of each ethnicity consist of something close to infinity, rendering the task that Dick had taken on a bit impossible. The key would be fairness, observation, and interaction.

First Essay- Entry #2

The WeightWatchers campaign featuring Jennifer Hudson is mostly effective and mostly positive. She has a powerful voice that keeps us from changing the channel when it comes on, and the dramatic lighting in the commercials add a cinematic flair. Ms. Hudson has been the subject of a lot of public attention between her American Idol run, her family tragedy when her nephew, mother, and brother were killed by her brother-in-law, and her movie career (which earned her an Academy Award). Always a figure of strength and composure, she is someone we generally trust and like as the public. Add the fact that she lost 80 pounds and she becomes a woman that other women can follow as an example; a real role model. In terms of star power, a better choice couldn't have been made.

In terms of positivity, the ads seem to be innocent and get the job done. There is one quality to them that I find a bit iffy, and that is the lack of speaking. Ms. Hudson spends most of the ads singing and showing off her body which is fine, but she never speaks about the power or effectiveness of the product. Moreover, the songs she sings are generally inspirational with no specificity whatsoever. One of the most popular has Ms. Hudson singing "Believe" and the audience is meant to construe the message in relation to the goal of WeightWatchers as an organization. While it isn't hard to figure out, it is interesting to see that WeightWatchers isn't even trying to convey the message. The ads may be more successful if she shared a testimonial, or sang a song written for the commercial itself.

In terms of her race, I don't find it to be an issue. The fact that she is African American might draw more African Americans to the company, but her race is hardly the motivating force to make her the spokesperson. Instead, it is her storied and accomplished past with a tragedy she has overcome that makes her an effective and positive spokesperson.

First Essay- Entry #1

Jennifer Hudson has been a figure in the public eye for many years. After getting voted off of American Idol in seventh place, she went on to record several commercially successful albums and find her fame on and off the track. Her greatest accomplishment came, perhaps, in 2007; Ms. Hudson won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress after delivering an incredible performance in Dreamgirls. While she's stayed away from mainstream hits on the big screen, her presence has been gracing televisions for the last few years and in a far different manner.
The comments below bring up interesting questions: is the ad race neutral? What is the ethnic breakdown of WeightWatchers customers? The question of race is an interesting one, and I thank the commenters for their insight. While one site claims WeightWatchers has over 763,000 subscribers, I have not found an ethnic breakdown of said subscribers. The question of race neutrally in the ad campaign is an intriguing one. It would appear the the content of the ads is race neutral, but knowing Ms. Hudson's past suggest it might not be. She was in Dreamgirls, a film based on the landmark African American broadway show, starred in The Secret Life of Bees which is known for its strong female African American characters, and even this past winter was a lead role in the film musical entitled Black Nativity. Her audience has seen her predominantly in strong African American roles.
Of late, Ms. Hudson can be seen predominantly as a spokeswoman for WeightWatchers. She has lost a substantial amount of weight since her American Idol days and these commercials showcase her slim physique, incredible voice, and charismatic confidence. Please find one such commercial below.