Static Image-Green Marketing

Genre, Features, Purpose, and Audience

This image is a photograph that comes from a company called, Norquest Bags, which sells different types of reusable shopping bags. The photograph is in color, but it seems like a digital technique of some kind was applied to make the image appear faded. It has a smaller format because it is located on the home page of the company’s website. There is a little boy’s face in the foreground, and white space in the background. The image is from an up-close perspective. The purpose of the image is to make the viewer feel compassion for the little boy because he looks sad. Written words next to the image suggest what the little boy wants from his viewer. The intended audience is non-expert adults who will spend at least some time examining the image. Initially, non-experts would probably be more drawn to the little boy’s emotions than the technical terms next to him.

Meaning

The faded image of the little boy’s face in combination with the words “green marketing” in a bold font and all capital letters catches the viewer’s attention because of the contrast between the two. Only when the viewer finally stumbles upon the quote, can the big picture can be seen. The little boy plays the role of a green businessman in a sense. Given the genuinely sad and innocent face the average green businessman appears to be sincere, but his marketing efforts will have little impact on sales if there are consumers who are not interested in green products or initiatives. 

http://www.badlani.com/blog/2007/02/21/effective-green-marketing-needs-engagement-not-evangelism/

"Why Businesses Should Commit to Environmental Initiatives"

In my paper, I will try to make the claim that big businesses do have something to gain from using “green” initiatives in their production or distribution processes. While this article is very closely related to my topic, it calls for a “commit[ment]” from businesses and I am simply asking for businesses to consider my stance.

I first found this article as a PDF on Google, and I noticed that all of the authors had some relation to a company called “Tefen”. After doing some research about the company, I realized that this article came from a business management magazine called The Tefen Tribune. The article is lengthy and uses technical terms, but the biggest reason I think it is scholarly is because it uses a visual aid, which is paired with a description, to link a critic’s viewpoint to the viewpoint of the authors.

After the fall of communism in Romania, the country joined the European Union and was expected to quickly comply with strict environmental regulations. The authors explain that it was easier for big businesses (as opposed to small businesses) to implement high environmental standards of protection because they could come up with investments more easily.

The increase in energy costs is encouraging people to invest in manufacturing technologies, so companies get funding for these projects more quickly.

Misrepresentation of products and competitors are two issues in society that can make or break a company.

I think that this article does convey a successful rhetorical message because of the authors’ use of pathos.  The last section of the article emphasizes the words “bond” and “admiration” when discussing employee relationships within a company and a company’s relationship with its consumers. The authors make the reader feel like the use of environmental initiatives is a positive step for big businesses.

http://www.tefen.com/about_tefen/media_center/tefen_tribune/spring_issue_2009/environmental_initiatives.html

Why is the cause for pot legalization continuing to gain momentum in America?

Last November both Colorado and Washington voted to legalize marijuana, and now Rhode Island and six other states are in negotiations to legalize the substance as well. This fast-paced legalization seems ironic because we have been “at war” with drugs for almost 40 years now, but perhaps the biggest irony of all is something that many of us have never even thought about before. That something is: Republican support for the cause.

In College Station, for example, at almost every “house-party” I have been to, I have been offered pot in one form or another. At the same time, Texas A&M is nationally known for its conservative views. We even have a Political Science college called the “Bush School”, named after a former Republican president named George H.W. Bush. While the argument could be made that today’s youth has less traditional and more liberal leaning views, Republicans in Congress are backing marijuana because doing so would cut federal government spending going towards the War on Drugs.

For extremely conservative individuals, such as former president Ronald Reagan, one of the most important economic goals has always been to reduce federal government spending. The more states that legalize marijuana, the less the federal government will be able to tax Americans for the War on Drugs. It seems like many Republicans and Democrats have been able to come to an agreement on this issue, especially in the states, which has resulted in momentum towards legalization. How do you feel about the legalization of marijuana? Can you think of something different that has encouraged legalization?

Should young children be exposed to gruesome Holocaust stories?

For 83 year old Holocaust survivor Al Marks, who visited my “Post-Civil War” history class on Monday afternoon, the answer to this question was a definite yes. Marks came up to the classroom stage podium with a quiet confidence and said, “I’ve been talking about my experiences to students for fifteen years now, many of them being elementary school students”. He went on to mention an elementary school he went to last week where, “not one single parent excused their child from attending my speech”. Marks suddenly punched the air with his fist in celebration and swelled up with joy because he knew that many of these parents weren’t Jewish, yet they still allowed their children to hear Marks’ story.

The parents in this scenario thought that the prospect of preventing discrimination (by allowing their children to hear Marks talk) was more important than the fact that Marks was a member of a different religion. For most parents and most Americans in general, the concept of religious toleration is obvious, but the toleration of violence is not. To put it lightly, the Holocaust was most certainly “violent”. Therefore, when I was in elementary and middle school I learned about the Holocaust once a year and my parents would always express their concern by saying, “Why do teachers put the kids through this”?

My parents felt torn because they wanted me to see how damaging discrimination can be, but they also wanted to protect my innocent mind from the cruel world that the Holocaust presented so clearly. The Holocaust seems unimaginable for those of us who didn’t experience it personally, but unfortunately, it was reality for millions of Jews. At the tender age of 13, Al Marks knew what it was like to have his reality change for the worst in an instant. I think that practicing non-discriminatory thoughts and actions on a daily basis, like the religious-tolerant parents did in Marks’ discussion, and learning about the Holocaust time and time again is the only way to protect children from the meaningless violence that the Holocaust represents. We must make sure that an event of this nature never happens again.

How do you feel about the fact that the Holocaust is taught in schools? Would you allow your children to learn about it, or would you excuse them from class?

College-a mecca for language diversity (Quest. 3)

I write in English, read in English, think in English, and speak in English. I simply can’t do these things in any other languages. Lu would probably say that I’m lucky because I don’t have any feuding ideals or “voices in my mind”, but I think that communicating with English exclusively is more of a curse than a blessing.

As far as writing goes, it makes sense that Lu is a distinguished author because she has a more holistic view of the world. Lu has gained this holistic view because of her firsthand experience with two different political cultures or “voices”. Therefore, credibility depends on experience.

The routine of my daily bus ride to and from campus is occasionally rattled by competing “voices” or languages that I fail to recognize. Cell phone screens in the seats in front of me are lit up with text messages made up of strange and unsettling characters. At the beginning of college, I felt as if the people that these “voices” belonged to were more intelligent than me because I didn’t understand their form of communication, but they understood mine.

I grew up in an exclusively Standard English-speaking, homogeneous community where I felt comfortable communicating at home and at school. The truth is that I had been isolated from diversity and the “melting pot” that defines America, even though I physically grew up in America. Coming to Texas A&M gave me an opportunity to become more accustomed to languages and dialects other than my own, which gives me more credibility in writing about culture.

Different Impacts: The Culture of Alcohol and Cell Phones

Drinking and the use of technology is part of our culture as Texans and as Americans, but what happens when driving is added to the equation? Do these leisurely activities become more than we bargained for, and which one of these activities might be more detrimental to the public’s safety?

The Austin Police Department has alerted various other Austin news sources that the number of traffic fatalities has increased from 8 in 2012 to 15 already in 2013. Back in 2011, KXAN (Austin news and weather) reports that a woman in her early 20s, Gabrielle Nestande, was arrested because of a “deadly hit-and-run” with a woman on the side of the road. Last Thursday, a jury convicted Nestande of criminally negligent homicide, a charge punishable up to ten years in prison. The jury pardoned her for being intoxicated the night of the crash and setting an alarm on her phone when she swerved. The fact that Nestande escaped from alcohol related charges makes some sense, but this trial should’ve set the standard for banning the use of cell phones while driving.

The state of Texas has relatively loose drinking laws in my opinion, allowing those under 21 to drink with parental supervision. In Las Vegas, Nevada, those that are underage can’t so much as take one foot off the main carpet that winds through a casino because alcohol is served in all areas except for that main carpet. Since my grandparents live in the Reno/Tahoe area (near many casinos), I was often scolded by casino employees for veering away from this “safety carpet”, even though I was just trying to explore. Texans grow accustomed to being around alcohol, and it can’t be assumed that our state has more problems with underage drinking than other states. My point is that Nestande was of drinking age and under the legal alcohol limit, so there was little for the jury to discuss regarding the possibility of alcohol charges.  

Nestande looking away from the road during the exact time of the crash is a key factor in explaining why she didn’t see the woman that she hit. In theory, cell phone use physically and mentally diverts a person’s attention away from the road, while mild intoxication is simply a mental distraction. However, Texas continues to allow its drivers to use cell phones, so the number of traffic fatalities will most likely continue to increase. If the Texas government would put more of a premium on safety and ban the use of cell phones while driving, maybe we would be able to avoid yet another increase in traffic fatalities for 2014.

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/breaking_news/nestande-is-guilty-of-criminally-negligent-homicide

MUSIC-a broad term with simple goals

Let’s use music videos for example. What do they say about us? What do they say about our parents? Probably the same thing thanks to MTV’s continuous stream of videos in the 80s and the mass variety of videos that we stream through YouTube today. It seems crazy to think that we have something that is a substantial part of our lives in common with our parents, considering we use their texting struggles and other everyday technological struggles as comedic relief. Despite the drastic change from low to high resolution phones, computers, and camera screens, it is not technology that gives music videos their natural prestige. Music videos and music as a whole is able to transcend time and even space because of the personal connection and sense of “escape” that it provides.

Mr. Kenny Chesney represents the epitome of personal connection and “escape”, capturing the delight and attention of his STADIUM SIZED, country music loving audiences. Chesney’s ticket sales alone may certainly speak for themselves, but his appearance at countless preshow tailgates and relaxed persona truly makes people feel as if they can put their worries on the back-burner, at least for a couple of hours.

Getting to see Chesney in concert in Austin, one of the many locations on his 2005 “The Road and the Radio” tour, convinced me to make the best of my experiences and to get excited about them. Moving from one school to another had not been an easy transition for me at the time, but I soon realized that it didn’t have to be the end of the world. This sand-filled beach vacation had not only been an “escape”, it gave me insight on my own life. At the end of the night, audience members in the front row to the notorious “nosebleed” sections all had memories to bring home with them.

There was something about Chesney’s lively stage presence and putting a premium on his fans having a good time that made me feel important, as if my choices from then on could actually have an impact on the world in some small way. How does music make you feel? How do you choose what music to listen to?

Analysis: Reality TV's Effect on Viewers

To me, watching these shows makes me feel like I am in a dreamlike state because I return to watch new events unfold every week and understand the casts’ lifestyle, yet there is no personal connection. Is it unhealthy to be involved in lives that are not our own? Should we be more productive, or is this time just a well-deserved break from our own realities?

I used the very first post on two different blogs to find a deeper purpose behind reality TV shows, as opposed to getting acquainted with one TV show in particular. Both of the blogs have very similar blog titles and mention the concepts of “money” and “instant fame”, yet the first post title is lackluster.   

“Conclusion” http://advpopculture.wordpress.com/

The simple claim that reality television has a “strong influence” on viewers is relatively successful, despite its short length, mainly because the blogger provides an ethos appeal right away and gives that person recognition by citing them. One of the author’s peers, Marcel Danesi, shares that the lure of reality TV lies in the fact that they are unscripted and therefore, “fun” to predict. Throughout their blog, the author describes their writing approach as a “popular culture lens of representation”. Through this vivid imagery or pathos appeal, the reader is encouraged to continue reading this blog and is curious as to how the author thinks these TV casts can represent today’s culture.

“Money and Fame” http://ramizapopularculture.blogspot.com/

The author’s idea that reality TV shows draw “millions” of ordinary people in because the cast members are “ordinary people” as well is probably a bit more convincing than the “Conclusion” post because the author’s personal anecdote or ethos appeal gives this second post more of a tone. The author refers to themselves as a “reality T.V. junkie”, giving the post a friendly feel because they are telling the audience a secret. We may be able to infer that people who religiously tune into reality TV, much like the author, is the intended audience. Explaining why “simplified, dumb people get lots of cash” with the example of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, makes this harsh statement appear much more logical. Since Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is a reality show based on “trivia” questions, contestants are partly earning money based on ability rather than just plain luck.

The Search for Identity

In 2010, the Pew Research Center recorded that 61 percent of our generation of “Millennials” or people born after 1980 said that we have a “unique and distinctive identity”, but where does this sense of identity come from and what is it? I think that because our generation was exposed to relatively advanced technology at an early age, we have more self-confidence in our ability to learn and learn more quickly than previous generations. This self-confidence that we have when it comes to technology is very apparent in our constant use of social networking sites.

However, using social networking sites is not just a way to kill time. Every time we log onto Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube, we are learning (like we did when we were kids) about ideas and cultures that are different from our own.

My most recent learning experience came from watching a series of videos on a YouTube channel called “LAHWF”. It seemed strange to me that the title was a bunch of random letters, and I wondered if there was a point in watching videos with a title that did not mean anything to me. After watching an “extra” featuring the channel’s owner, Andrew Hale, I realized that the title meant “Losing All Hope Was Freedom”. This quote has been said by characters in movies such as Fight Club and Office Space who were able to find their true identities when they stopped caring about what other people thought.

The videos followed Hale as he put himself in awkward social situations such as asking strangers to kiss him and continuously staring at people until they noticed. Although the videos were just humorous pranks, Hales had a bigger picture in mind. My interpretation of the channel is that people can and should be themselves. Hales’ mission seems simple, but sometimes people lose their self-confidence when they don’t embrace their own personalities.

Because of YouTube, Hales has been able to reach and get the attention of a much larger amount of people than he would've been able to without the help of social networking sites and other technology. If learning about technology gives both sharers and readers the ability to gain confidence through posts, do we really need more face to face interaction? 

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

When I began to think about what it means to be "cultured", I thought of it as the identity of a whole nation. However, in the United States, we do not have a common identity because besides Native Americans, most of us have blood lines that originated in other countries. The common bond between us comes from our ancestors' bravery in escaping the turmoil of the homeland. 

As Americans, we are both survivors and innovators because we strive to better ourselves, not because we have all the answers to success. It is Clifford Geertz's 1973 explanation of culture in "From Interpretation of Culture" that resonated with me the most because he claims that it is the individual that chooses how to react to their experiences. 

“The concept of culture I espouse…is essentially a semiotic one. Believing, with Max Weber, that man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun, I take culture to be those webs, and the analysis of it to be therefore not an experimental science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning.”

The optimism of our ancestors continues to course through our veins today, but do we see the act of building “webs” as an opportunity to make something of ourselves? Our culture, as a nation and as individuals, is defined by the decisions we make. Make them count.