Month: September 2020

Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis Essay

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The Rhetoric of Der Fueehrer’s Face

On January 1st, 1943, Disney released a short-animated film titled Der Fuehrer’s Face. The film follows Donald Duck as he works in a German factory making missiles for the Nazis. While this seems odd at first glance, the cartoon gives a subtle yet powerful impression of terror, fear, and overall absurdity in Nazi Germany. Der Fuehrer’s Face uses powerful rhetoric and elements of Kairos in order to reveal the hellish, fearful, and horrifying conditions of Nazi Germany in a frivolous way to propagandize the American public in supporting the United States against Germany in World War II. The use of a popular character, Donald Duck, not only makes it easier to undermine Nazi Germany’s image of strength, but also immortalizes it in the minds of the viewers. As a recipient of the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, Der Fuehrer’s Face surely impacts minds young and old alike with the standard cartoon flare, but also with a more subtle and important message.

 

Belize: Service and Exploration

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The summer after my junior year, as part of meeting my service requirements, I took part in my school’s service trip to Belize. Belize is located in Central America bordering Guatemala to the west and Mexico to the north. Unlike its neighbors, Spanish is not widely spoken; as a former British colony, English and Belizean Creole are the most popular languages. Going into the trip, I expected to just build a house and maybe see some marine life, but this trip impacted me in ways I would have never expected.

For the first part of my trip, my classmates, three teacher/faculty chaperones, and myself visited San Pedro. Here, we went snorkeling off the coast of the island. Unlike many beaches in the United States, the water is very clear and you can actually see. On the boat rides out to the snorkeling spots we would sometimes see rays swimming alongside the boat.The water had many different colors too; sometimes the water was light blue, turquoise, and even green. We were able to see and swim alongside lots of marine life;I was actually able to touch the fin of a shark. One of my friends even got bitten by an octopus. The beauty of the Belizean waters is indescribable and full of marine diversity.

For the service part of our trip, my classmates and I ventured to Belize City. Here, we helped to build houses for people with a program called Hand-In-Hand Ministries. In three nine hour work days, we were able to finish building the house. This was my first construction experience and it was a little difficult for me at first. I remember watching with my classmates in awe as one of the other volunteers, Mr. Barry, hammer nails in one try and with ease. Working in humid one hundred degree weather didn’t make it easier. But after all these obstacles, I will never forget the satisfaction of building that house with my classmates.

For the last part of this trip, we stayed in a resort in the western part of the country close to the border with Guatemala. This wasn’t your typical five star resort; we stayed in huts on a large property by a river. My group and I visited some ancient Mayan temples, went tubing down the river, and went swimming at a cenote. Here, I really got to see the rural aspects of the country and not just the tourist hotspots.

Even though people typically visit Belize for its tropical paradise, the country has a lot more to offer. There is a lot of ancient history to explore but also a distinct people and culture. I met lots of very interesting and nice people including native Mayans, a former Belizean professional soccer player, a volunteer named Randy, and a hot sauce creator who had also had the surname Galvez (unrelated). I took part in many new experiences that I will never forget and I do suggest visiting the country some day.

Civic Artifact Speech Outline

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Attention Getter

Donald Duck and Hitler. Normally, you wouldn’t associate these two things together. One is a lovable cartoon character that has entertained viewers for decades while the other is a genocidal maniac who was responsible for millions of deaths during WWII.

 

Elaborate on the Purpose of the Piece and the Rhetorical Situation

Give a little background on Der Fuhrer’s Face. Explain what the cartoon is about and introduce ideas of how Kairos is used.

 

Questions and Claims

But why would Disney use such a lovable character, like Donald Duck, as the protagonist in a such a dystopian, cult-like, and evil Nazi society?

 

Broader Context

Elaborate more about portraying Nazis at Donald Duck’s cartoonish and goofy level. Also throw in a comparison with Jojo Rabbit, which essentially does the same thing. Explain how the humor waters down the serious and dark elements of both depictions of the time.

 

Closer

Quick summary of connection between Der Fuhrer’s Face and Jojo Rabbit and how they connect to the audience but also how they use humor to spread their message. Summarize the two and their connection with Kairos. Thank the audience.

China: The Middle Kingdom

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When I first went to China three summers ago, I experienced quite a bit of culture shock. From eating scorpions and cucumber flavored chips to seeing vending machines selling Jack Daniels, I saw and experienced many new things. At the same time, I was amazed at all the differences and enjoyed every minute of it. This post is about the second country I visited outside of the United States, and the first time I ever went halfway around the world.

At the beginning of the summer after my sophomore year of high-school, I was a part of my school’s first trip to China. The group consisted of fourteen of my classmates, two teachers, myself, and a Chinese guide named Arthur; we all bonded quickly through our shared experiences together. After 16 hours of flying, we landed in Beijing. During my time there, the group and I visited Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the National Museum, the Pearl Market, and several Buddhist temples. I’ve always loved Chinese history and culture and it was an amazing experience to be able to experience it first hand.

After staying in Beijing for about a week, my group and I went to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. It was a thrilling experience standing on such a significant historical artifact but it also came with a breathtaking view and a lot of stairs. The night before, we stayed in a rural village and were able to see how people lived outside the city. After the Great Wall, we took a bus to Shanghai. After an initial tour of the city, we visited the Oriental Pearl TV Tower; I was able to see the entire city beneath my feet. We also visited the Madame Tussauds Shanghai, a wax museum, and spoke to an American representative of Under Armour in Shanghai. I learned that Under Amour was trying to branch out into China but marketed themselves as more luxury clothing rather than athletics, another difference between China and home. After staying in Shanghai for a few days, we returned to Beijing for a few more days and then sadly returned home after two weeks of seeing the country.

This trip will always have a special place in my heart. I was my first time going to Asia and I loved all the little differences. These include never seeing dog with a leash on, the exotic foods, Chinese people wearing t-shirts with english profanity, and even seeking a goose walk around the Beijing University where I stayed. Although public perception of China now may be a little bit complicated, once international travel resumes, I would definitely suggest visiting such a cultural and historically rich place.

The First Step: Toronto

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Traveling and seeing the world has always been a big part of me. I’ve always had my aspirations to see the world and I am very fortunate to have been able to travel to so many cool places. For the first official post of this topic, I figured it would be appropriate to talk about my first experience out of the country, seeing Niagara Falls and Toronto with my family. Although it is not far from our borders, it was still a special and memorable experience for me, as I was able to add one tally for foreign countries that I have visited.

I first visited Canada with my family in June of 2013. I remember being very excited to leave the country for the first time, but not so excited to sit in a car with my sisters for 8 hours. Eventually, we made it to the Sheraton Hotel and were able to get a first glimpse of the city. The next day, we went to Niagara Falls. We went on one of those ferry tours through the falls; wearing ponchos and sunglasses, we were able to see the beauty of this landmark up close. Our hotel also had an amazing view of the waterfall and there were even fireworks some nights. I will never forget the beauty, grace, and tenacity of Niagra Falls.

After seeing Niagara Falls, my family and I ventured to downtownToronto. We did many activities such as a double-decker tour bus of the city, visiting the Royal Ontario Museum, and went to the St. Lawrence Market. My family and I also took a ferry to see the Toronto islands one day. These activities allowed me to see what Toronto had to offer but also what life in another country is like. We also went to a restaurant featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, The Stockyard. Even our hotel was a site to see itself. It was right in the middle of the city and even had a rooftop pool where we could see the lights and skyscrapers of downtown Toronto.

This vacation with my family will always have a special place with me. My first trip out of the country showed me that the world has plenty to offer outside of the United States but that I also didn’t have to travel halfway around the world to see it. This trip taught me about Canada, but also fueled my passion for visiting other countries. It seems fitting that my first foreign country visited would be our next door neighbor.

 

Hey Kid, Catch.

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The Super Bowl is one of the most televised events in the United States. As the final game of the American Football season, it tends to draw millions of viewers from around the country and the world. It is well known that the Super Bowl commercials are very entertaining and have a large role in the event; advertisers seek to capitalize on this buy attempting to produce memorable and funny commercials. One of the most memorable aired during the 1980 Super Bowl between the Pittsburg Steelers and Los Angeles Rams. It was a Coca-Cola add featuring Hall of Fame Defensive Tackle, Joe Greene. The commercial is famously remembered by Joe Greene’s catch phrase at the end, “Hey kid, catch.”

Coca Cola took advantage of several qualities of Kairos for this commercial to make it so memorable. It aired during the 1980 Super Bowl, or the end of the 1979-1980 season. During the 1970’s the Pittsburg Steelers were the best team in the NFL; they won 4 Super Bowls and had several hall of fame players and staff. Joe Greene, or also known by his nick name “Mean Joe Greene”, was not only one of the defensive anchors but also a very well-known player. Coca-Cola capitalized on his popularity and catchy nickname in their commercial. A young boy talks to Mean Joe as he limps to the locker room in pain. He gives Joe his Coke to help alleviate the pain. As the kid walks away, “Mean” Joe Greene acts charitably (contrary to his nickname) and offers the kid his jersey, telling him to catch it with his iconic line.

Although the commercial aired months before the game, it was played again so that a larger audience would see it. All of these Kairos elements played a part in this commercial’s memorability. When people are asked about their favorite Super Bowl commercials, this one usually comes to mind and is still remembered forty years after its debut. People will always remember Mean Joe Greene being a nice guy to an adorable little kid who just wanted to help him. Best of all, people will associate this nostalgia with Coca-Cola products.

What is happiness to me?

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What is happiness? This is a question that has plagued philosophers and common people alike since the dawn of human thought. I would define happiness as being content with your surroundings. For me, happiness entails a few things. For one, I enjoy traveling. I love visiting new places and learning more about the world; Earth is too big for me to stay in one place. There’s too much history and culture to appreciate. One day, I would like to visit every country. I also enjoy learning about history, geography, and languages. All of these are intertwined with my love of traveling and were my best subjects in high school. I’ve always been fascinated with world history and how the world got to be where it is today; I’ve also always been curious about the differences between languages. As an American, I’ve grown up only speaking one language and combined with my global aspirations, I’ve found learning not just how to understand languages, but also the history behind them to be very interesting.

I also enjoy things many other kids my age enjoy. I love playing and watching sports, watching movies and television, and being around nature.  I played water polo in high school and was fortunate enough to be a part of several great teams. I’ve always enjoyed playing basketball and football. I love movies such as The Godfather and Pulp Fiction along with TV shows like Narcos, Narcos Mexico, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. What makes me happy when watching these is that I am able to take a step out of my normal life and see a perspective of a different lifestyle; I’m able to immerse myself in a fictional setting that is very different from my reality.

There are many things that bring me joy, but at the end of the day, living a different life than other people is what would make me the happiest. Last year, I took a gap year and was fortunate enough to have the ability to travel and do many exciting things. Most American kids my age don’t do things like this so I enjoyed the fact that I was doing something outside of our cultural norm. I have considered two topics for this blog. One would be a a blog about travel consisting of some stories I have about past travels but also about future trips to plan. Another idea is a blog about my progression in Spanish. During quarantine, I worked very hard to improve my Spanish speaking and comprehension skills to point where I have just begun to speak fluently. I think it would be very interesting to chronicle my improvement throughout the year in a forum like this. I look forward to continuing this blog about my passions and to learn about the devotions of others.

The Use of Slogans in Advertisements/

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The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a slogan as a war cry especially of a Scottish clan or a brief attention-getting phrase used in advertising or promotion. While I don’t know how often one sees Scottish war cries in advertisements or civic artifacts, slogans are some of the most well-known aspects of any advertisement. The components of a slogan are straightforward; it needs to be short, simple, and memorable. Slogans try to accomplish a few goals: they can advertise the product in a straightforward manner (Eat Mor Chikin), make the product seem superior to others (Shave Time Shave Money) or associate an emotion with the product (Happiest Place on Earth). Look at Dunkin Donuts for example. Their slogan, America runs on Dunkin, implies that the entirety of the United States uses Dunkin Donuts as fuel for its daily life. It tells the viewers and customers that they should buy a product from Dunkin Donuts to help start their day. The phrase only consists of four words, yet it is ingrained in the minds of millions of people in the United States. This slogan tries to make Dunkin Donuts look better than other breakfast chains by implying that their food is to people as gas is to your car. Not only is it one of the most recognizable food chains, it has one of the most recognizable slogans as well. Another popular slogan is, “let’s go places” used by Toyota. Like Dunkin Donuts, it only uses a few words to convey their message. The point Toyota is making is that the viewer should go places in a Toyota car. After showing off the new car models, the add tries to convince the audience to purchase a Toyota car and “go places”. The point of having a slogan is to have a simple message that people can associate with a product or place. Any advertisement you see on TV, whether it is an insurance add, an airline company, or a clothing retailer uses slogans to persuade their audience to purchase their product. In conclusion, slogans are the backbone to any advertisement. They seek to influence the minds of the viewers to purchase a certain product over others with simple, catchy, and memorable rhetoric.