The website that features the Miller Lite commercial is Youtube.com, an online video forum. Its main purpose is to “connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe,” and “act as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers.” On the home page, there are multiple sets of videos that the viewer can click on – it has categories such as “spotlight”, “featured”, and “new”. When a person views a couple of videos, the homepage will even offer suggestions, or videos that that person would enjoy.
The website wants to get people interactive with the website as well. Below each video, there is a comments area where viewers can read and post comments of their own. There is also a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” button that the viewer can press to indicate whether they like or dislike a video. Some videos even allow viewers to upload a video response of themselves underneath certain videos, so that others can view them. The comments, thumbs up/down, and video response allow the viewers to get involved with featured videos; it provides a place for interaction. (What would happen if Youtube.com didn’t offer a place for comments, thumbs up, or other forms of interaction?)
The major theme of Youtube.com is connectivity. It wants to promote an identity of the world’s largest video platform, and center of interaction through videos. With the aforementioned features, Youtube.com has definitely proven itself to be an online video broadcasting titan. An innocent video post could turn into a cultural epidemic because so many users are connected over Youtube.com; take for instance, “My New Haircut,” or “Bed Intruder Song.” Within weeks, these videos became extremely popular on a nationwide scale, sparking responses that range from your next door neighbor to Conan O’Brien. Whenever I am sitting at a computer in the library, or see someone who is surfing the web during class, I am almost always guaranteed to see that person watching a Youtube.com video, or soon about to be watching a Youtube.com video. It has become such a significant part of our ever growing technological age, and I can see it only getting bigger in the years to come.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Individual Post Group 6 - Question 4
The advertisement has one direct appeal to its audience. Toward the end of the commercial, the narrator says that the beer has "the great pilsner taste you love." When the narrator says "you," he is referring to young, single men. They are the target audience for this commercial.
This is true because the commercial has many elements that are meant to appeal to young, single men. The first way that they try to appeal to them is by using a dating service type ad. Usually only single men date! The second way that they appeal to their audience is by using a beautiful woman in their advertisement. Her presence in the ad will keep most men watching the commercial. The advertisement makes it seem as if the man is talking aboujt the woman when he says that the relationship is going very well, and that it is just as good on the 30th day as it was on the first day. The ad then shows the viewer that the man is talking about his beer, so the viewer is lead to believe that the Miller Lite can make them as happy as the man was with the woman.
The author of the commercial believes that single men are his audience. I think that the writer believes that he is the same as his audience. He believes that men should have a passion for what they drink. He believes that men should love Miller Lite as if it were their beautiful significant other.
This is true because the commercial has many elements that are meant to appeal to young, single men. The first way that they try to appeal to them is by using a dating service type ad. Usually only single men date! The second way that they appeal to their audience is by using a beautiful woman in their advertisement. Her presence in the ad will keep most men watching the commercial. The advertisement makes it seem as if the man is talking aboujt the woman when he says that the relationship is going very well, and that it is just as good on the 30th day as it was on the first day. The ad then shows the viewer that the man is talking about his beer, so the viewer is lead to believe that the Miller Lite can make them as happy as the man was with the woman.
The author of the commercial believes that single men are his audience. I think that the writer believes that he is the same as his audience. He believes that men should have a passion for what they drink. He believes that men should love Miller Lite as if it were their beautiful significant other.
Individual Post-Group Six-Question Five
This advertisement clearly has an effect on its viewers. The commercial truly plays with our minds; the romantic scenes set up an initial thought of an advertisement for match.com and eHarmony.com with quotes such as, “I was pretty skeptical at first, I just didn’t think I would find something that would last.” Furthermore, the man exclaims “it has been almost thirty days now, and it’s still as great as it was on day one.” Soon after these quotes we realize that what we thought were words of emotion towards his female lover were actually speaking of the draft beer’s promise to be “Fresh for Thirty Days.” This sudden change in the advertisement makes it become more interesting and effective in selling its product.
Viewers know that this isn’t the right way to compare a romance with a woman to a romance with a beer, and viewers realize that the advertisement isn’t trying to tell us to compare the two. Furthermore, once we realize this, we realize how original the advertisement is. The scene and lines of the commercial are quite humorous. The advertisement is catchy and it plays on these characteristics throughout the rest of the commercial.
Once we realize the advertisement clearly has some kind of an effect an effect on its viewers, whether this be through people’s knowledge, values, or ideas, we must ask ourselves if the advertisement is effective enough to sell its product. Through the shocking play out and the humorous lines, does this commercial make the viewers want to get up off the couch and go buy a Miller Lite Home Draft? The viewer is shown the product being advertised within the last ten seconds of the advertisement. Is this enough time? Did the advertisement build up enough suspense to catch the viewer’s attention? I think it did a pretty good job; what do you think?
Viewers know that this isn’t the right way to compare a romance with a woman to a romance with a beer, and viewers realize that the advertisement isn’t trying to tell us to compare the two. Furthermore, once we realize this, we realize how original the advertisement is. The scene and lines of the commercial are quite humorous. The advertisement is catchy and it plays on these characteristics throughout the rest of the commercial.
Once we realize the advertisement clearly has some kind of an effect an effect on its viewers, whether this be through people’s knowledge, values, or ideas, we must ask ourselves if the advertisement is effective enough to sell its product. Through the shocking play out and the humorous lines, does this commercial make the viewers want to get up off the couch and go buy a Miller Lite Home Draft? The viewer is shown the product being advertised within the last ten seconds of the advertisement. Is this enough time? Did the advertisement build up enough suspense to catch the viewer’s attention? I think it did a pretty good job; what do you think?
Group 6 Blog Project
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTdzRaw55zo
The video we chose is a Miller Lite commercial, found on youtube.com. In the commercial, it shows a man and woman who seem to be carrying on a very healthy relationship. It resembles the sort of ads that are promoting dating sites such as Match.com and Eharmony.com. In the commercial, the man talks about finding “the one”, and he seems very happy. He talks about how they have been together for 30 days. The man and woman are shown doing things that typical couples do, such as throwing popcorn in each other’s mouth, swinging, and kissing. At the end of the commercial, the man and woman are standing in front of a fridge; the man politely says “Excuse me”, and makes his way inside the fridge where a home draft is waiting. The girl seems obviously upset, and to make it even worse, the man excuses himself again so he can grab some chips.
The commercial portrays stereotypes of love and romance within the rhetoric of love. The commercial does this by having the man draw a heart on the window, playing music in the background, and showing the typical couple interaction. It is interesting that Miller Lite can attract the consumers to a product by comparing their home draft with romance, love, and personal relationships. Miller Lite seems to be saying that their beer is more important than romance and relationships. The commercial is unique because the man has that type of love towards the beer. In a way, it is saying that every man should have that same shared love towards beer, especially Miller Lite.
We thought that this commercial was interesting, because of the stereotypes of love connecting with such an unexpected ending. A possible viewer would not expect this commercial to be a beer commercial, until they see the last 10 seconds of this commercial. A majority of comments that were posted on youtube.com were made by men. A few of the comments ask about the girl, saying how hot she is, and others talk about how anyone could choose a beer over such a beautiful woman.
The video we chose is a Miller Lite commercial, found on youtube.com. In the commercial, it shows a man and woman who seem to be carrying on a very healthy relationship. It resembles the sort of ads that are promoting dating sites such as Match.com and Eharmony.com. In the commercial, the man talks about finding “the one”, and he seems very happy. He talks about how they have been together for 30 days. The man and woman are shown doing things that typical couples do, such as throwing popcorn in each other’s mouth, swinging, and kissing. At the end of the commercial, the man and woman are standing in front of a fridge; the man politely says “Excuse me”, and makes his way inside the fridge where a home draft is waiting. The girl seems obviously upset, and to make it even worse, the man excuses himself again so he can grab some chips.
The commercial portrays stereotypes of love and romance within the rhetoric of love. The commercial does this by having the man draw a heart on the window, playing music in the background, and showing the typical couple interaction. It is interesting that Miller Lite can attract the consumers to a product by comparing their home draft with romance, love, and personal relationships. Miller Lite seems to be saying that their beer is more important than romance and relationships. The commercial is unique because the man has that type of love towards the beer. In a way, it is saying that every man should have that same shared love towards beer, especially Miller Lite.
We thought that this commercial was interesting, because of the stereotypes of love connecting with such an unexpected ending. A possible viewer would not expect this commercial to be a beer commercial, until they see the last 10 seconds of this commercial. A majority of comments that were posted on youtube.com were made by men. A few of the comments ask about the girl, saying how hot she is, and others talk about how anyone could choose a beer over such a beautiful woman.
Group 6 Individual Post - Question 2
For this commercial, some people thought the context was funny and others did not. There were even arguments taking place in the comments that followed. Some people thought that this played straight into the stereotypical man and portrayed them in a bad light. Other people thought this commercial was very funny and they had to watch it again. This commercial apparently stuck out in people's minds because one comment said that they were going to go buy one right then and there.
I agree with the people who thought the commercial was funny. Humorous methods are used in advertisements for many different products. It makes them easy to watch and remember. If this was a boring commercial that just talked about Miller Home Draft, people would not remember it nearly as well as they most likely will after watching this version. This commercial could be take many different ways. It all comes down to one question. Is this commercial humorous or just down right offensive?
I agree with the people who thought the commercial was funny. Humorous methods are used in advertisements for many different products. It makes them easy to watch and remember. If this was a boring commercial that just talked about Miller Home Draft, people would not remember it nearly as well as they most likely will after watching this version. This commercial could be take many different ways. It all comes down to one question. Is this commercial humorous or just down right offensive?
Monday, February 28, 2011
Interview Responses from Zack and Emilia
My name is Zack Meisel and I’m the editor-in-chief at The Lantern. I started out covering football for the paper at the start of my sophomore year. I also covered men’s and women’s basketball that year. Then I became sports editor, leading football and basketball coverage again while managing the sports staff and producing the sports section every day. After four quarters as sports editor, I stepped into the role of editor-in-chief, where I’m in charge of the entire staff of editors and give the final answer on newsroom decisions. Working for The Lantern has provided me with countless opportunities to gain experience that will be valuable as I continue on my path toward what I hope is a job as a sports journalist (I’ll be starting out covering the Cleveland Indians for MLB.com following June graduation). I’ve gotten to cover just about every football game over the past three years, including the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl. I’ve covered the NCAA Tournament and even appeared on an episode of ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” to provide analysis of the OSU football suspensions over winter break. For college students interested in a career in journalism, or even just interest in writing or news, there’s no better way to obtain experience at this level than working for the student newspaper. The Lantern recently swept the Ohio Newspaper Association awards for college papers in the state, highlighted by the award for best college paper in Ohio. (Questions by Rob, Hae Soo, Minghao)
How did you become a writer/editor for the Lantern?
I caught an ad for sports editor out of the corner of my eye during my freshman year. I applied, despite little experience, impressed enough during my interview to get several editors and advisers to request that I write for the paper, then after a year of serving as the beat writer for football and basketball, applied again for sports editor and got the job.
How do you relate to such a large student body? What are the challenges?
It’s our job to provide news coverage of the topics students care most about. For example, we’ve had a number of stories in recent months about tuition and the potential for an increased tuition beginning next academic year. It’s somewhat easy for us to relate to the student body because we are students too, so we have a pretty strong sense as to what people want to read about. We know the scarlet and gray that Buckeye Nation bleeds during football season, for example. The challenge, of course, is finding something to appeal to everyone, which will rarely, if ever happen, with 60,000 students on campus. We have to do our best to provide coverage of stories that a majority will find interesting, and then make our coverage diverse enough so that every person on campus can find something that appeals to them.
How do you find sources that appeal to students at OSU? What kind of sources do you find?
We always try to include student voice in each campus story since we are “the student voice of Ohio State.” Aside from that, we also strive to reach the people that would have the most immediate, profound impact and are the experts on a story. If we need a comment from President Gee, we’ll seek one. If we need a comment from a specific department, we’ll strive for that.
How much is the average article changed during the editing process?
It always depends on the writer, the story and the timing of the story. We hope that we guide the writer along the correct path when handing out the story assignment and getting in contact with sources so that when the story is initially submitted, it’s not too far off from our expectations. However, there will always be instances in which a story needs to be reworked or even restarted. Regardless, each story goes through an editing flow in which the section editor, at least two copy editors, the copy chief, the managing editor and the editor-in-chief all read through and edit the story.
Does a writer appear at every OSU sports event?
Just about, yes. We allot coverage based on our audience’s interest, so football coverage will typically trump coverage of the other sports. But we still have a reporter at just about every home sporting event and even away games for football and some basketball.
How does your work with The Lantern intersect with your other more formal, academic writing as a student?
Learning writing skills will help in anything a person does. The style of writing performed for a newspaper article is different than that of an economics paper, but the basics are still the same, and mastering the craft will help immensely. I’ve found it much easier to get through papers for class as my journalistic writing has improved.
Emilia Benton (Questions by Safianu, Nick, Mason, Drew)
How do you manage your time with work, running, and writing your blog?
During the week, I run first thing in the morning. This means waking up an earlier hour than I otherwise would. I blog about two or three times a week and usually do it at night after work. I'm lucky in that I rarely have to work late, so it's not too difficult to balance the three things.
When writing your blog, how do you make it compelling and interesting so people want to read it?
I think working toward a goal keeps people interested. Last year's New York City Marathon was my first and it had been on my list of life goals for a while. I learned a lot about myself in the training process and I think my readers (particularly the ones who aren't such seasoned runners) were interested in the challenges that it entailed. Hopefully documenting my future long-term goals (breaking four hours in this year's NYC Marathon and eventually qualifying to run the Boston Marathon) will keep drawing readers in.
How do you create a blog that is relevant but at the same time draws the readers in?
I try to focus on my personal experiences, struggles and accomplishments rather than rehashing news I might read online or in magazines; I think the personal element is what keeps people interested.
Where do you find the motivation to put yourself through something like a marathon?
I ran track and cross country in high school and decided to continue running on my own when I got to college in an effort to stay in shape. I knew I wanted to someday run the New York City Marathon after getting to college, and qualifying and getting accepted is no easy feat. Moving to the city after graduation and not being able to afford a gym membership meant running was my only option for free exercise, and it gave me the perfect opportunity to focus on qualifying and training.
Your blog, was it bred from your love of running or writing?
Definitely from my love of running. Documenting my first go at marathon training was a way for me to focus on what worked for me and what didn't, and sharing my time goals with the blogosphere was extra motivation in achieving them-- I ended up beating my marathon goal time by more than 20 minutes.
The name of your blog is Run For Your Life, how does your day job in the health industry aid in developing topics for your blog?
Honestly, I can't relate my job to it at all. My writing for work is aimed at medical professionals (rather than consumers or patients) and I often write about complex diseases conditions that I don't understand too well and connect to my blog topics at all. I'm definitely more in my element when I can write about what I know, and blogging about my running experience is a nice escape that allows me to do that. On a related note, though, working in publishing has helped-- one of my past internships was at a footwear trade publication and my editors usually let me cover athletic wear press events, and getting in touch with those contacts helped with a few posts: http://www.caffeinatedrunner.com/2010/12/time-for-some-product-reviews.html
Does your running experience aid you in your career as a health reporter?
Not really, since I can't really relate the topics I cover (kidney disease and emergency medicine) to running and fitness. I do think that being an avid runner and talking about my experiences played a small role in helping me get this job because it showed that I am a pretty health-conscious person and health/wellness is something that I am genuinely interested in.
How would you rate your level of fitness to a runner who does not take in caffeine? How do you feel about running six miles without caffeine?
Honestly I doubt caffeine really has much of an effect on running, especially if one is running later in the day versus first thing in the morning after being woken up by an alarm. I drink coffee every morning regardless of whether I'm going to run or not. I don't always pop right up feeling ready to run and sometimes the coffee is key in getting me out the door if I might be feeling uninspired, especially in the winter.
Do you feel running is the best form of exercise? What other form of exercise would you have done if you didn't run?
I took up running because I'm not good at any other sports, so I'm really not sure what I would do otherwise! In college, I would frequently mix up my runs with some sessions on the elliptical.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
I didn't actively seek out a job in medical publishing; this just happened to be the first of countless interviews that panned out. Even though it's sometimes very technical and a little boring, I feel lucky that I get to cover topics that are important could actually help people, which is something I never felt like I got to do at, say CosmoGirl.
What do you least enjoy about your career?
There aren't very many young people in my office and a lot of my co-workers work from home most of the time. It can get lonely! I'm also not sure if this is what I want to do in the long run. Now that I know I no longer wish to pursue a career in magazines, I'm hoping to move back to my hometown of Houston possibly as soon as this summer and often feel like I'm just biding my time with this job. Healthcare is a big industry in the South, so I'm definitely keeping my options open, but I worry that I might end up pigeon-holing myself in this field if I switch to a similar job. Another one of my big interests is country music, and I think my next "dream job" would be to work in a communication capacity for a non-profit like the Country Music Association. Maybe someday...
Do you think that the United States should have a presumed consent for organ donation?
I have interviewed people who have had family members die while waiting for a kidney donor, and since being a living donor comes with serious risks, I think it would be a good thing if more people were educated and aware of the many lives that could be saved with organ donation.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
In-Class Public Writing/Blogger Workshop, Part 2
Workshop Activity 2
Now, evaluate these articles by the Ypulse Youth Advisory Board. How well do they reflect the criteria you came up with? How might your understanding of these articles cause you to change your call for submissions?:
(Optional:
Stephanie Faddis - Group 5 - Individual Blog Post
The Pepsi Max commercial featured does not really promote the actual product very well. It advertises the Pepsi product to men by putting it on a greater or equal level as sex, the selling point being that it is almost or as good as being with a woman. Most viewers, however, will probably take this lightly as a joke and are not convinced to buy Pepsi unless they know more about the taste of the product itself. Only a small fraction of people seemed to be offended by the depicted stereotypes of men and women in relationships, as seen in comments on the Youtube video here. Most people, though, maintain the claim that the man and woman in the video are a somewhat accurate representation of real life, but aren't necessarily swayed to purchase Pepsi Max because of this.
Individual Post Group 5
Many of the comments on the Youtube video were very angry with how the commercial was shown with the many stereotypes that were portrayed such as men only wanting sex and women being concerned with how the man is good to be a future partner. One comment went into a lot of depth about how they were bothered by the commercial and what it stood for. The person's father had directed Ford commercials and they knew from their father that they pay with people's "ignorance" as this person put it. In other words, people were taking this commercial way to seriously and were even having arguments in some points of the comment section. On the other side, there were many people that enjoyed the humor of this "typical" first date atmosphere. They would quote the commercial during the comedy parts before they bring in the product being advertised. These people did not take the commercial to be stereotypical of people or think that this is how all first dates go. If this is how all first dates were, no one would ever go on a first date with anyone. They know that this is not true about how first dates are and they just took the humor out of the situation which was probably the way it was just meant to be intended to be. Lastly, few people would just go to comment that the girl was hot in the advertisement.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Meet Meredith!- In-Class Public Writing/Blogger Workshop
ABOUT YPULSE
Ypulse Media has developed a unique platform for youth media and marketing professionals, producing an award-winning blog (Ypulse.com), a popular email newsletter (Ypulse Daily Update), a series of informative web-based briefing sessions and the annual Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup Conference.
Driven by an editorial staff who are passionate about youth culture, Ypulse Media provides independent coverage of youth marketing and media for academic, agency, brand, cause and media organizations.
Ypulse.com is one of the top 100 marketing blogs on Ad Age's Power 150 List, and has been featured in several leading publications including USA Today, Business Week, Forbes and Fast Company.
ABOUT MEREDITH SIRES, Transitioning Editor-In-Chief, Ypulse.com
For Meredith, what began as a love of young adult fiction has grown into a full-fledged passion for the emerging field of new youth media. Along with her professional experience in publishing, she brings a deep, uniquely Millennial understanding of the digital landscape to the Ypulse team.
Under her editorial leadership, Ypulse.com has extensively expanded its coverage with exclusive interviews, firsthand youth perspectives and insightful commentary, among other valuable resources for youth media and marketing professionals. She has helped consult youth oriented brands and non-profits, including Best Buy, Target and DoSomething.org.
Prior to joining Ypulse, Meredith started her career as a junior associate at a New York-based book publishing consulting firm. It was there that she began researching the reading habits of teens and tweens and the potential for extending the reading experience online.
Meredith currently lives in Brooklyn, but she knows that she is a Californian at heart. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in English in 2007, and plans on returning to the Bay Area… someday. Meredith has recently been accepted to graduate school to pursue a degree in Information and Library Science
Public Writing/Blog Workshop Activity 1
Pretend you’re Meredith, and that you’re looking for new contributors for Ypulse.com. Based on your exploration of the website, come up with a sample “call for submissions” and list of objectives (similar to the exercise we did for Commonplace) for Ypulse. Writing Analytically tools like the Method and Notice and Focus might be helpful in forming your analysis. What is important to the site, its writers, and its audience, and how can you communicate this to characterize its concerns?
Tips for Good Interviews
When formatting interview questions, be careful to type the way you would in informal communication. There should be no “LOLs” "I dunnos," but it should still read like a conversation. You need an artful balance.
Interview questions should be more open-ended. Yes/no questions will not get you far, and you will not be able to get the most out of your time with your interview subject. That said, do research on the person/company ahead of time so you do not ask questions you easily could have gotten the answer to yourself. Never make the interviewee feel as if they are wasting their time talking to you. Follow-up questions and clarifying questions are always a good idea.
Example of a good interview question: “Rachel, how did you get your start in magazine reporting?”
Good follow up/clarifying questions might include: “So, do you think your internship experiences or your college class work was more influential in getting your first job?”; “How did you go about actually finding that job?”; “Are there other helpful resources you would suggest for students who want to do more public writing?”
Except for certain situations (like investigative reporting, for example, which we aren’t dealing with in this class) make sure to not ever directly criticize yourself and definitely do not criticize the person you are interviewing. These are informative interviews, aimed to help you!
Speak clearly. HOLD EYE CONTACT—this is a way to show respect, and that you value your interviewee’s time. Do not fidget.
Meet The Editors of The Lantern- Public Writing/Blogger Workshop
ABOUT THE LANTERN
Via Wikipedia: The Lantern is the name of the student-published university newspaper at The Ohio State University. It is one of the largest campus newspapers in the United States.
The paper was chartered in 1881 and became an integral part of the School of Journalism in 1914. At one time in the past, with a circulation of 28,000 papers during the regular school year and readership of 75,000, it was the third largest college newspaper in the country. The Lantern is a laboratory paper that is put together daily by students in the newsroom of the Journalism Building. There are 14 paid editors who change after completion of three academic quarters. The business side of the newspaper is operated by 15 full time employees and 5-7 student Account Executives responsible for advertising sales.
Read information on The Lantern’s current Editor-in-Chief, Zack Meisel’s tenure here. In addition, read four articles from different sections of The Lantern’s homepage in order to get a sense of it’s concerns and ethos. What kind of tone do Zack and his writers maintain throughout the publication? What might be some of the specific challenges of writing for one of the largest student populations in the country? How does newspaper writing compare to other kinds of public writing we’ve read in this class?
Meet Devin! Public Writing/Blogger Workshop
ABOUT DEVIN TOMB
Devin Tomb is the editorial news assistant at Glamour magazine and a reporter for Ed2010.com. She has written for Glamour, CosmoGirl and The Los Angeles Times, among other publications.
Devin is primarily interested in writing news and feature stories about real women. In 2010, she traveled to China to report on the rising cosmetic surgery trend among women in Shanghai, and she regularly blogs for She's the First, a non-profit dedicated to supporting girls' education around the world, as its campaign developer.
Devin is a 2010 graduate of Penn State University, where she was the editor-in-chief of Valley, PSU's women's magazine, during her junior and senior year. She was the first editor-in-chief to put female student leaders on the cover, with the intention of inspiring underclassmen to become leaders in their own way.
Tomb’s most recent responsibilities for Glamour include writing their new fashion column, “Love Your Style,” and developing new content for their iPad app.
Read Devin’s articles from CosmoGirl, Glamour, and the LA Times. How are these articles connected in their style, or concerns? What questions do you have for Devin about how her college experience of public writing prepared her for an even larger sphere at Glamour, CosmoGirl, and O, The O Magazine? Do some research on these publications. Why might they have attracted Devin’s interest?
Meet Rachel!- Public Writing/Blogger Workshop
ABOUT RACHEL MOUNT
Rachel Mount is an assistant editor at O, the Oprah Magazine, where she explores her favorite things: food, wine, and environmental sustainability. Previously, she was the assistant to the coolest Editor-in-Chief in the biz, Susan Schulz at CosmoGirl.
Visit the following websites (from O Magazine and Rachel’s personal blog). All of these are food writing—but how does Rachel’s style vary by medium? How do you get a sense of her ethos, persona, and interests? Do some research on these publications.
Meet Katie!- Public Writing/Blog Workshop
ABOUT KATIE AMEY
Kathryn Amey is an entertainment writer and editor. As a student at McGill University focusing in Political Science, Communications and Psychology, Katie began her journalistic career as a Teen Vogue health and beauty intern, where she was a regular blogger on TeenVogue.com.
While at CosmoGirl and Seventeen magazine, she gained rich experience in teen entertainment, having interviewed A-list Hollywood talent including Zac Efron, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers, and Phoenix, among others. Katie has also written on pop culture, music, fashion, and film for NYLON and NYLON Guys, and for teenmag.com and redbookmag.com. Katie also served as an editor for the online Leacock’s Magazine, where she booked and conducted the majority of their entertainment features.
Katie currently works as an online editor for Baltimore-based Girls’ Life Magazine, where she covers health, entertainment, and beauty for a tween audience.
Read the online articles below, and click around on GirlsLife.com. How is Katie’s writerly ethos able to adapt to these various audiences and situations? What are these? What links can you draw between these diverse posts? Think especially about how you might compare and contrast the rhetorical goals of these articles.
Post 1: http://www.seventeen.com/entertainment/features/zac-efron-charlie-st-cloud-interview?click=main_sr
Post 4: http://leacocks.com/FeaturesBlog/2010/08/leacocks-goes-greek/
Post 5:
Post 5:
http://www.girlslife.com/post/2010/10/21/affordable-awesome-costumes.aspx
Meet Emilia!- Public Writing/ Blogger Workshop
ABOUT EMILIA BENTON
Check out Emilia's biography on her running blog, Run for Your Life!
Read the following posts, and consider the following questions. How does Emilia construct her ethos differently in these posts? What kind of expertise does she draw on for each, and how does she communicate this? How might you compare and contrast the rhetorical goals of these articles? What do you think the main challenges of running a personal blog might be, compared to those involved with working for a publication? Why?
Post 1: http://www.caffeinatedrunner.com/2011/02/look-at-my-winter-morning-running.html
Post 2: http://www.caffeinatedrunner.com/2011/01/six-snowy-miles-through-astoria-and-i.html
Post 3: http://www.caffeinatedrunner.com/2011/01/on-running-like-girl-or-getting-chicked.html
Post 4: http://www.caffeinatedrunner.com/2010/11/nyc-marathon-recap.html
Post 5: http://journals.lww.com/nephrologytimes/Fulltext/2010/12000/Presumed_Consent__More_Deceased_Donor_Kidney.6.aspx
Meet Shelley!- Public Writing/Blogger Workshop
ABOUT SHELLEY MANN
Shelley Mann is the editor-in-chief of Columbus Alive! Read her biography here.
Post 3: http://www.columbusalive.com/live/content/features/stories/2010/09/23/movie-review-cairo-time.html
Review the attached articles, and familiarize yourself with ColumbusAlive.com. How would you characterize the site and print paper’s audience—who is the “public” Shelley and her writers are producing this publication for? What are the rhetorical goals of their pieces? What particular challenges might arise when writing for a local audience?
Group 5 Individual Post
Question 3
I think that the creators of this ad, Pepsi, have the goal of making the audience laugh while at the same time trying to sell their product. Because of the over the top actions and expressions of the man and woman in the commercial, it is expected that the company is making fun of typical gender stereotypes in relationships, and while doing this plays on how familiar television watchers are with these stereotypes to promote Pepsi Max. Not much of an ethos is portrayed in this commercial but by watching this advertisement, one can assume that the writers are knowledgeable of how our society views men and women and their takes on relationships. In this way, the Pepsi company is up to date on how feminine and masculine perspectives on love are portrayed in the media, if nothing else. Judging by the comments left on the youtube video of the advertisement, this mockery of stereotypes backfired and some of the audience found the ad to be offensive against both their gender and their religion. The authors do an interesting job of selling their product because they know what the American public desires, at least on their television sets: sex. By making Pepsi Max more appealing than sex to the man in the ad, they have made the impression that their product is even better than what is on the minds of all men. No particularly scholarly knowledge is portrayed in the ad, but Pepsi advertisers do seem to have knowledge of what appeals to their key audience.
Group 5 Individual Post
Question 4
The Pepsi Max advertisement is more directed to men. It was aired during the Superbowl, and since this is a sporting event it is thought to have more male viewers than female viewers. However it does incorporate women through the humor of the first date situation. It mocks both the stereotypical ideal of how men and women act on their first dates and what they are thinking about. It shows men as caring more about sexual desires than a life long partner, while women are thinking more about a long term relationship then just the night. This shows a mocking ideal of how relationships or first dates are set out. This commercial is supposed to be humorous and not taken seriously, so I think the writer is hoping that their audience has a good sense of humor. Also, I think that this commercial is hoping the audience values the type of beverage they drink. The creators of this advertisement attempt to display how good of a drink Pepsi Max is through the man’s thoughts in this commercial. By putting Pepsi Max above sex in this man's head is somewhat of a big deal. The stereotypical ideal for a man is to put sex above anything else, so for a man to change his original thoughts to the Pepsi Max beverage means it must be a very good drink. I think that this advertisement creates a set target audience effectively and creates a commercial that is relatable in a funny, mocking sort of way.
Group 5 Blog Project
Pepsi Max Super Bowl Commercial
This commercial was first aired during the Super Bowl this year. It shows an dramatization of the stereotypical first date between a man and a woman. The man thinks of sex rather than using his brain, and the woman is looking way past the first date and considering whether he would make a good potential life partner. Though they're both looking for different things on this date and in a relationship, the one thing they have in common is a mutual want of Pepsi Max.
In the comments on the Youtube video, it was easy to find people voicing their opinions on sexism, the status quo in America, and even religion. The number of people that were actually offended by the stereotypes depicted was surprising, as this ad is clearly meant to joke about the difference between men and women and of course, to advertise a product rather than provoke debate.
This commercial relates to the theme of love in pop culture because it shows men as sex-oriented and narrow-minded, and women as overly analytical and serious. Obviously, not all men are just looking for sex, and not all women are searching for a serious relationship; however, this is what is seen as the norm in society today.
The ad is most likely directed at men rather than women as it was aired during the Super Bowl. Also, it pokes fun at women while suggesting that men should value Pepsi Max on the same or a superior level as sex.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Group 3 Individual Post
Question 2
The comments on the video seem mostly male oriented. They tend to favor the idea and joke about how beer has been helping UGLY people get laid since 1845, and how the man in the video needs more beer than that. A woman commented on the video and asked "how much beer does a girl need to drink to find him attractive?" I find this interesting because how often do you hear a girl say that? Women are hardly ever heard commenting on the amount of drinks they must consume to find someone attractive. I think there are different reasons why each gender drinks and goes out. Although there are exceptions to every argument, men tend to be more sexual beings. They’ve had a successful night if they found a girl to bring home with them. In response to the comment about how beer has helped ugly people get laid, I think that’s the individuals personal opinion and it doesn’t mean it’s correct. Every person has a different idea of beauty. Somebody might not be the most attractive, but that doesn’t mean they are ugly. Beauty can be defined by their personality, behaviors, thoughts, feelings, way of life, ambitions, etc. Beauty is not something that can be defined just by appearance. Men make women out to be these objects that always have to look their best, while the man can be un-showered, unshaven and in sweats and that’s supposed to be acceptable. It is unfair to put the opposite gender on a higher pedestal then the one you’ve put your own gender on. If you have to rely on drinking to find a person attractive, then you shouldn’t be with the person.
The comments on the video seem mostly male oriented. They tend to favor the idea and joke about how beer has been helping UGLY people get laid since 1845, and how the man in the video needs more beer than that. A woman commented on the video and asked "how much beer does a girl need to drink to find him attractive?" I find this interesting because how often do you hear a girl say that? Women are hardly ever heard commenting on the amount of drinks they must consume to find someone attractive. I think there are different reasons why each gender drinks and goes out. Although there are exceptions to every argument, men tend to be more sexual beings. They’ve had a successful night if they found a girl to bring home with them. In response to the comment about how beer has helped ugly people get laid, I think that’s the individuals personal opinion and it doesn’t mean it’s correct. Every person has a different idea of beauty. Somebody might not be the most attractive, but that doesn’t mean they are ugly. Beauty can be defined by their personality, behaviors, thoughts, feelings, way of life, ambitions, etc. Beauty is not something that can be defined just by appearance. Men make women out to be these objects that always have to look their best, while the man can be un-showered, unshaven and in sweats and that’s supposed to be acceptable. It is unfair to put the opposite gender on a higher pedestal then the one you’ve put your own gender on. If you have to rely on drinking to find a person attractive, then you shouldn’t be with the person.
Group 4 Individual Post.
Question 1.
The Go daddy as that we used as our source was originally on television, but we used Youtube as our source. Because YouTube is a very common website that displays thousands of videos I couldn't really use it to analyze our sources website interface. Our video was an ad for GoDaddy.com though, so I went to this website to get the details.
At the end of the ad we watched it said that the website content for GoDaddy.com was “unrated”, so I was unsure of what to expect. To my surprise the website homepage was actually very professional and well done. Of course their Go Daddy girl Danica Patrick was on the homepage welcoming you. The content of the commercials always seem so risque because of the sexual content, but the website was rather clean cut. Go Daddy may use attractive young women to get you to their site but in all reality the site does what it is suppose to do. Across the home page all of their deals for domain names and websites are popping out at you. Go daddy realizes that they use some pretty ridiculous ads to get you to their site, so once your there they want you to be able to trust them and be confident in using their site. Besides the deals there are privacy guarantees and authority certifications stretching across the bottom of the screen. Below this there is a description of each of their services to further comfort you and entice you into using their site over others.
At first glance at Go Daddy's theme of sexual content you might feel the website is unprofessional. But the more you actually look into their products and services you come to realize that their values definitely include customer satisfaction. They want you to be able to trust them and feel confident that you will get exactly what you want from them. Go Daddy is not what it appears to be when judging them from the ad we picked out.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Group-4 individual post
Question3
After watching this “Go Daddy” commercial, I think it is highly possible that the author is heterosexual and male. He made the two go-daddy girls half naked and each girl wear the special costumer with “Go” and “daddy” to appeal the male viewers because he knows what male want about female and what can draw male’s attention. The author utilized a lot of sexual suggestive words like “racy”, “strippers”, “shower with a girl”, “unrated”, and the “double d”, which is not only the letter in “daddy” but also the size of bust. The only thing he tried to do is to repeat so as to emphasize the brand of product or here we can say the name of Go-daddy website. Can you figure what the go-daddy website exactly is and any traits or functions of the go-daddy website if you had never heard the go-daddy before? The answer is no for most of people because the commercial doesn’t tell anything other than the name about the website. So I believe the author is a veteran in advertising and somehow an extremist in job. He should have abundant experience in advertising and dare to break new paths. Because the author gave up explaining the product but concentrated on impressing viewers with the name of product so as to gain the reputation for it. According to the effects of the go-daddy commercial, it is likely that we can make the announcement that sex is one of the most attractive elements in pop culture, which is also the most frequently appeared component in commercial. Because the concept of gender is easy to appeal to people and cause controversy, which are aims of the advertising. Even though sex component would gain the negative responding, sponsors are still welling to do.
Individual post Blog group4 : "Go daddy.com" ad
Question 4
I think that the writer of the ad targets the male audience, who usually connect the Internet. The ad is attempting to promote the product, “go daddy.com.” Even though the ad does not provide detailed information about the website, the audience can easily recognize that the website deals with the Internet domain.
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