TOW #7: TEXT- Boys Love Rainbow Loom, Defying Stereotype and Delighting Moms Everywhere By Annie Murphy Paul

In this opinion piece, Annie Murphy Paul discusses her son's newfound desire for Rainbow Loom, a popular bracelet making toy. Paul, being a mother herself as well as a writer well-established health writer understands that a "girly" toy such as the Rainbow Loom usually isn't something that boys play with. Paul then takes this information to essentially say that this change could possibly lead to more gender equality in the future. In order to make her point, Paul uses a plethora of rhetorical devices to draw the reader in. Paul first starts out with an anecdote as to target her audience of parents of children under 12 years old. By talking about a common motherly experience with her 12 year old child, Paul is trying to connect with her parent audience. By using her real like to draw experience from, Paul makes her article seem less scientific, and more approachable. However, in order to substantiate the claims she makes through anecdotes, Paul then uses scientific evidence to show 97% of all boys prefer cars, weapons, etc. (stereotypical boy toys) over girly ones. Although this is the case, the bracelet making toy has stood the test of time as such a fad is still going on today. Paul shows the benefits of boys taking on this very meticulous task of looming because instead of just breaking things, boys are now spending their time quietly making bracelets. Then to wrap it all up, Paul says that this change in toy selection, one of the most gender separated industries, is a positive one because it is eliminating gender roles in society. Personally, I think this claim is a bit far fetched, however I agree that this change to bracelet making for all kids is quite unusual. I think Paul's rhetorical devices were really well used because after reading the article, I had to think about what was truly happening with these rubber band bracelets. Although at the end of the day I don't agree with Paul, I think she made really good points.

TOW #6 (Text): Are Chicks Brighter Than Babies? By Nicholas D. Kristof

In the New York Times article, Are Chicks Brighter Than Babies?, author, Nicholas D. Kristof provides insight as to how chickens, despite popular opinion, are actually smart. Kristof uses the fact that chickens are not "birdbrains" to provide a broader message that cruelty of animals, no matter what we think of them, should be eliminated. Kristof, a two time Pulitzer Prize winner, grew up on a farm and provides anecdotal evidence as to how chickens aren't simply dumb birds, but rather social creatures. He then uses scientific evidence to support his claim that chickens are indeed smart, and in some cases more so than babies. Kristof uses a combination of ethos through his anecdotes and logos through his scientific studies to provide an overall message that chickens should be treated with respect, and not treated as a dumb and unworthy bird. In an attempt to seem less of a preacher and environmental activist, Kristof admits that he himself eats chicken all the time. However he uses this point to further show that the common meat eater can take small steps to avoid harming chickens by just not eating factory farmed ones. He puts into the reader's mind the scene of rotting dead chickens next to others in a farm and says that this is wrong. One of the most effective parts of Kristof's argument is how he compares chickens to human characteristics. Through his anecdotes, Kristof makes a claim such as, "Geese shared family obligations" and then delves into his argument that geese (chickens) are similar to humans. He later even compares them to babies, saying that chickens have been seen to replicate TV faster and better than when babies are shown what to do on TV. The comparison of chickens to humans was an attempt to show that chickens don't deserve cruelty just as much as humans don't. Being a vegetarian, this article really connected with me and I found it a refreshing way to send the vegetarian message. Although it didn't say to go vegetarian, it provided simple steps as to how the common consumer can easily avoid animal cruelty. I found that Kristof's overall comparison of chickens to humans, scientific evidence, and use of anecdotes were profound as this is quite possibly one of my favorite articles that I have read in a while. 

Suffering Chicken

TOW #5 (Visual Text)- FedEx Advertisement by FedEx

     In the FedEx advertisement shown below, FedEx is essentially showing consumers that they are as much as two times better than UPS, a competitor in the shipping industry. In this advertisement, FedEx is targeting anyone who uses postal services and more specifically, those who don't know whether to choose UPS or FedEx. Since many people don't really know which company is better for their shipping needs, FedEx tries to clear this discrepancy for customers as through the advertisement they essentially they can ship twice as much as UPS while also showing that UPS uses FedEx to transport its own trucks. FedEx uses this visual advertisement to stress to the consumers that FedEx is so good that even its competitors use it. Although this may not be true, FedEx's use of hyperbole makes the viewer think that FedEx is the superior company. In addition to hyperbole, FedEx puts two UPS trucks inside one of its trucks to show that FedEx can ship twice as much as UPS. Although consumers probably aren't going to want to send two truckloads of items, the comparison of 2:1 makes FedEx seem far superior to UPS.  FedEx, being a huge leader in the transport industry, is trying to further prove its brand, and make it seem better than the competition, and in this advertisement it does achieve that task. Personally, this advertisement caught my attention right away, and I thought it was a creative way to make FedEx seem better than UPS. With a simple image, FedEx was able to make it seem two times better than UPS, while also showing that it is a reliable brand that even its competitors use. Overall, I thought this advertisement was very effective and the rhetorical strategies to essentially build up the ethos of FedEx worked. Currently, I have my own t-shirt company, Qi Apparel, and after seeing this advertisement I feel inclined to check out FedEx prices because the advertisement was so compelling. 

Advertisement from FedEx Blows UPS out of the Water

TOW #4 (IRB)- Moneyball By Michael Lewis

The first part of Moneyball by Michael Lewis consists of a thorough explanation as to who Billy Beane is. In the first section, Lewis talks about Beane's baseball promise, his rise to the MLB, and then his eventual downfall into an angry General Manager (GM) of the Oakland Athletics (A's). While seemingly just summarizing his life, Lewis, a credible non-fiction author and financial journalist, uses a plethora of rhetorical devices to make simple backstory into something interesting and connectable. In this first section, Lewis' purpose is to essentially introduce Billy Beane, and paint a picture as to what the context of Moneyball truly is. One way that Lewis makes something like baseball seem more connectable is by using extended metaphors. Throughout the introduction, Beane compares baseball prospects to sports cars. He writes, "They feel more like sports cars being taken out for a spin than they do like young men being tested"(5). He continues this metaphor throughout this chapter as to make the foreign subject of baseball scouting something more relatable to the average reader. In addition to using extended metaphors, Lewis uses a lot of direct quotations to solidify his points. Because Lewis is retelling a story, he needs to make it seem as real as the actual events. In order to accomplish this goal, he uses quotes from people involved such as Joe Torre, and even Billy Beane himself. The use of direct quotes makes the story more believable and as though the reader is reliving the events. Personally, I think that the two strategies make Moneyball a much more connectable non-fiction piece as the direct quotes and extended metaphors make me feel the experience much more than a simple summary of the events. Although the book is so far just a summary of the events, the way in which Lewis makes the book more connectable makes something that would be dry, something interesting and involving. 

The Real Billy Beane