September 2018 archive
44,965. That’s how many American lives are lost to suicide yearly. That’s how many deaths we could have prevented this past year. Which is why many organizations are fighting to help those suffering from mental illness. Thirteen Reasons Why is a TV show that follows the story of main character Hannah Baker’s suicide. Hannah left behind 13 tapes, each addressed to a contributor to the decision to end her life. I focused on the last episode of season 1, which recounts Hannah’s final day. This show brought attention to an important issue, however its potential was not reached. I wanted to share 13 reasons of why this show failed to perform its intended civic duty.
Reason 1: The media used was kairotically inappropriate with our time period. Today TV is used for entertainment. Many audience members failed to see the importance of the message due to the lax media used. Some made memes of the TV show for their own amusement.
Reason 2: The commonplaces of the different cliques of students made the show unrealistic and almost corny. Many high schooler’s social lives do not operate in such a cookie cutter manner. This detracted from the overall genuine message.
Reason 3: Gomez’s celebrity status reduces her ethos. She did not live a normal teenage life, which contributes to why the show is not the most realistic.
But focusing on the final episode itself, juxtaposition and hyperbole specifically failed to effectively portray the intended message.
Reason 4: Juxtaposition of scenes before and after Hannah’s death have a misleading message. Hannah indirectly asked Mr. Porter, the guidance counselor, for help in brightly lit scenes. Reflecting that if Hannah could find help, she had a chance of getting better. After her death, Clay visited Mr. Porter to discuss Hannah’s suicide in dark and blueish lighting. Representing the regret of failure to act on Hannah’s behalf. This showed the audience that they should help others before it’s too late. However, this message was overridden by another juxtaposition. The inaction of Mr. Porter was compared to the result of his inaction, being that he was the 13th reason of why Hannah killed herself. This portrayed that the suicide was used as revenge partly against Mr. Porter, minimizing the effect of the color scheme.
Aspects of the show that created drama, like the latter juxtaposition, tended to take away from the show’s message.
Reason 5: Other students over exaggerated their feelings by insincerely talking about killing themselves. This hyperbole was met with other characters brushing off the suicide claims, underrepresenting the importance of suicide.
Reason 6: Hyperbole was utilized in Hannah’s suicide scene. Its purpose was to show that suicide is painful and gruesome, but its graphic portrayal was so violent that it made many audience members focus on their own comfort, instead of the pain Hannah felt.
Reason 7: The suicide scene may have unhealthily triggered audience members suffering from mental illness.
Reason 8: The show increased suicide ideation and may have even lead to an increase of suicide attempts.
Reason 9: The show glorified suicide. After Hannah’s death, the school seemed to worship her, showing those suffering from mental illness that suicide has positive effects.
Reason 10: 13 Reasons Why aimed at starting a conversation about suicide, although it did to an extent, it also backfired and many of its viewers focused on the negatives of the show, instead of the message.
Reason 11: The show suggests that bullying and sexual harassment are the main reasons for suicide. The show mostly ignored mental health; Hannah did not show signs of mental illness.
Reason 12: The aftermath of Hannah’s suicide involves the revenge of the tapes more so than the ruined lives of those left behind. This underrepresents the negative effects of suicide.
Finally, Reason 13: The show utilized pathos to create a sad and scary message: bullying can lead to some traumatizing actions. However, the show could have used a more hopeful message to inspire teenagers to perform their civic duty instead of frighten them into action.
Overall, the show failed because it asked the viewers to focus on the story of Hannah Baker, not the message.
Thank you.
Fighting Suicide
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in America, killing 44,965 Americans yearly, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. That’s 50,000 preventable deaths, which is why many organizations are fighting hard to prevent suicide and help those suffering from mental illness. The TV show Thirteen Reasons Why and the Project Semicolon were created to prevent suicide and spread awareness of this epidemic. However, both use different rhetorical strategies to combat suicide, which have vastly different effectivenesses. Thirteen Reasons Why is a fictitious show that utilizes hyperbole and juxtaposition to attempt to bring the effects of bullying and the need for suicide prevention to attention. But the show fails to justly create a positive change in teenage culture. However, the Project Semicolon, specifically the letter written by founder Amy Bleuel, creates ethos through first person narration as well as pathos through honest, but upsetting diction. Bleuel’s story effectively calls to attention the effects of depression and suicide as well as shows the audience the importance of suicide prevention.
Both artifacts used commonplaces and kairos. Bleuel’s story uses commonplaces when describing the college experience; she was exposed to an abundance of drugs and distractions that could help her escape her reality. 13 Reasons Why used commonplaces about teenage life particularly in a school setting to become more relatable to teenagers. Both artifacts were kairotically effective with their message, given that suicide is one of the leading causes of death in America and the suicide rate rises every year. It is a very prevalent topic that is exceptionally important to talk about in today’s society.
In the last episode of 13 Reasons Why season 1, the producers juxtaposed scenes of Hannah talking to the guidance counselor before her death with scenes of Clay talking to the guidance counselor after her death. In the scenes with Hannah, the lighting was bright, creating an optimistic mood. The producers may have wanted to show that there was still time for Hannah to find help and her problems could have been solved. However, in the scenes with Clay, the lighting is dark with a blue hue. This reflects the darkness of Hannah’s death, as well as the failure of both Clay and the guidance counselor to help Hannah. This juxtaposition shows that while we are still in the “light” scenes, we need to help those in need.
This juxtaposition worked well in creating an effective mood for these scenes. However, that message was overridden by another comparison that emphasized revenge. In these same scenes, the inaction of Mr. Porter was compared to the result of his inaction, being that he was the 13th reason of why Hannah killed herself. By putting an emphasis on the guidance counselor’s role in Hannah’s death, this scene emphasized Hannah’s use of the tapes as revenge against those who wronged her. This message shows that suicide can be used as a way of revenge, and that suicide can be blamed on others, not the person who actually committed the act. Civically, that message negatively impacts society, and it gives the audience incorrect impressions about the role of revenge and blame in suicide.
Hyperbole was also utilized in the last episode. Hannah’s suicide was hyperbolistic in that it was over realistic. It showed the physical act of Hannah slitting her wrists and the blood pouring into the bathtub. According to one of the producers, this hyperbole was used to show that suicide is painful and horrific. However, this hyperbole was too much for many audience members, and the suicide could have dangerously given flashbacks to viewers who attempted to take their own lives. The scene also forced many to look at their own discomfort rather than the comfort of Hannah, as it was so over the top.
There were other over dramatic scenes in the last episode. In one scene, Justin tells Jessica that he attempted to take his own life but couldn’t because he kept thinking about Jessica. Her response is to “try harder.” The student hyperbolized his feelings; he did not have the intentions of killing himself. However this hyperbole paired with an apathetic response may give viewers the impression that their calls for help will be ignored.
13 Reasons Why uses over dramatization to create pathos. Viewers feel bad for Hannah and the other characters because of the over dramatized actions that occur in the show. For example, the tapes that Hannah released were unrealistic; not many suicides are that thought out. Also, there was a shooting in the end of the episode, which differs the attention away from suicide, and onto drama. The most dramatic parts of the plot, which is the most addicting for the audience, are the most unrealistic. However, at points the show focuses more on gaining viewers and their entertainment than properly addressing the issue of suicide, bullying, and mental health.
Project Semicolon has the same mission as 13 Reasons Why and Bleuel also used pathos and ethos to create an argument against suicide. Pathos is created through diction. For example, she says, “The next five years of my life were spent in darkness and total solitude” and she uses the word worthless to describe herself. This diction creates a dark and depressing mood, representing how she felt growing up, and relating to readers who have similar feelings.
Bleul recounts, “I spent years wondering what I would eventually learn from my experiences and why I had to endure these things.” She repeats the word endure, which shows her struggle and hardship. This emphasizes that life wasn’t just living, it was a constant struggle. This idea can relate to the audience, and evoke sadness from the readers.
Bleuel establishes ethos through first person narration. The story is of her life, showing that she has true authority over its validity. It is a reflection of herself. This directly opposes the ethos created by the producers of 13 Reasons Why, particularly Selena Gomez. Given Selena is not a teenager nor a “typical teenager,” she does not have the most credibility when it comes to describing teenage life. This takes away from the validity of the show.
In Bleuel’s story, she changes the end to optimism. This directly contrasts 13 Reasons Why, as it leaves on a cliffhanger: what’s going to happen to Alex? This cliffhanger was to create a dramatic effect and lead to the second season. Although it relates to suicide as Alex shot himself, the show ends on a scary and sad note. Bleuel’s story ended to give hope to its audience and inspire readers to keep fighting; keep going.
Both artifacts attempt to prevent suicide and effect a change in the world. 13 Reasons Why’s attempt to change the world through a fictitious story led to misunderstandings. The message was not effective; the show was under a lot of backfire for its negative impacts on teenage life. The show made many mistakes, but what it did do is start conversations. This is similar to Project Semicolon, which also starts conversations. The semicolon, as a permanent mark on one’s body, is a constant reminder of the need to keep living even when times get tough. It also serves to emphasize the need to help others through difficult times. Conversations may also be started about suicide prevention through curiosities about the meaning of the tattoo.
The semicolon project is realistic and more personal. By reading the individual stories on the project website, audience members are shown overwhelming numbers of inspiring stories of people affected by suicide, and their choice to make things better. People also choose to tattoo themselves, carrying the personal message with them forever. They also have the choice to represent the project and share it. Anyone can spend a week watching a TV show, and then move on with their life, but one that chooses to indefinitely change their skin invests themselves in the project. With the TV show, people also have the choice to watch it, and a choice is presented to treat others better and with respect, but it is not as personal nor permanent.
A change needs to be made. Civic Americans should pay attention to the media and support things that they care about. One can use this media to learn and help effect the change. Both artifacts want to better civic life, and they both aim at performing their civic duty. Regardless of their success, the two artifacts contribute to an important cause, and have value in today’s society. They represent a lot about what is important in our world; and how people can change the world even a little to make things better.
In the past I have shared successful stories of baking. But an important lesson to learn from baking is that sometimes there will be failures, and that is okay. This is the story of one of those failures.
Penn State had another away game, so I decided to bake for my floor again. This weekend, I attempted to make (excuse my language) slutty brownies. They are a mix of brownies, oreos, and cookie dough; the perfect snack to a football game.
I decided to make the cookie dough first, as I thought that it would take the longest to make and if I had leftover cookie dough I could simply bake it separately from the brownies. Alas, when I finished the cookie dough and went to preheat the oven, I came across a problem: the oven was broken. The oven simply would not turn on. After calling an RA and having numerous football-watchers attempt to turn on the oven, I gave up hope. My cookie dough would not be cooked.
As someone who does not own a microwave at home, I’ve learned to live with only an oven. So when one of my friends suggested to bake the cookies in the microwave, I had no prior experience telling me that this was an awful idea. We attempted to cook the dough in the microwave. The first attempted cookie was barely edible; the cookie was burnt and raw at the same time. The second cookie did not bake as much so it was still gooey, and honestly did not taste too bad. But it was still basically warm cookie dough, and salmonella was still a concern.
As a final attempt to heat the cookies enough to get rid of the risk of salmonella, another one of my friends fried the cookies. He put the cookies in a pan and and some oil, and started the stove. Unfortunately, smoke started rising before the cookie dough was fried, so the dough was immediately removed from heat. The cookie actually did not taste too bad fried, but similar to the second attempted microwave cookie, it wasn’t cooked all the way and was still pretty much cookies dough.
Sadly, I was out of options. I had no way of heating my cookie dough, and I had about 4 dozen worth of cookies in dough form. So, as a final resort, I offered the cookie dough to my floor raw. I warned every person that tried the dough that it had raw eggs in it, and almost everyone on the floor didn’t care. We finished the entire bowl of cookie dough by the end of the night, and honestly it was delicious. Although I understand its inherent risks, I will say dough form is the best form of cookies.
Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in America, killing 44,965 Americans yearly, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. That’s 50,000 preventable deaths, which is why many organizations are fighting hard to prevent suicide and help those suffering from mental illness. The TV show Thirteen Reasons Why as well as the Project Semicolon both were created to prevent suicide and spread awareness of this epidemic. However, both use different rhetorical strategies to combat suicide, and both have vastly different effectivenesses. Thirteen Reasons Why is a fictitious show that utilizes hyperbole and juxtaposition to attempt to bring the effects of bullying and the need for suicide prevention to attention. But the show fails to justly create a positive change in teenage culture. However, the Project Semicolon, specifically the letter written by founder Amy Bleuel of the project that shares her story, creates ethos through first person narration as well as pathos through honest, but upsetting diction. Bleuel’s story effectively calls to attention the effects of depression and suicide as well as shows the audience the importance of suicide prevention.
This week I turned nineteen, so my amazing roommate baked me cupcakes and gave me a little break from baking to celebrate my birthday. Since I did not bake this week, I wanted to share three interesting baking tips I learned from my roommate.
The first week of school, I was having a hard transition to college and my roommate graciously decided to bake me brownies. She bought eggs and brownie mix, but could not find oil at the store. So, she had to find a replacement to use in the brownies. She added the secret ingredient, and I thought for sure the brownies would taste disgusting. But, when I tried it, I could not believe that there was anything out of the ordinary in the brownies. We had others try the brownies and we asked them if they could guess the secret ingredient; none of them could. Little did I know that applesauce was the perfect substitute for oil in brownies. The applesauce is used in a 1:1 ratio with the oil, so simply replace your oil with applesauce next time you run out!
For my birthday, my roommate decided to make me Funfetti cupcakes. Alas, she discovered that she only had two eggs while the recipe calls for three. But no problem, she subtracted 1/3 of the rest of the ingredients so that the proportions would remain the same. And the cupcakes were delicious. Now, we have an extra 1/3 of the mix left with us, and she thought it would be a great idea to make a mug cake.
Unfortunately, I have yet to make a mug cake out of the rest of the cupcake mix. But when I do, I will blog about it. I actually did not know what a mug cake was until my roommate recommended them to me and actually bought me my own box of mug cake mix. The tip to make mug cakes was my favorite that my roommate suggested to me. I, sadly, do not own a microwave at my permanent house. So when I got to college, all of my baking abilities tripled; I now had a new and extremely effective appliance that I could use to make sugary treats. And the first treat I made with the new machine: mug cakes. To make a Duncan Hines mug cake, you simply mix 3 tablespoons of water with a pouch of the cake mix into a microwaveable mug. Then, you microwave the mug on high for a minute and 10 seconds. This is easy, and requires almost no true baking skills. If anyone is interested in a portioned snack, or wants to start learning to bake with an easy recipe, I would highly recommend mug cakes.
I had a very eventful day volunteering for Constitution Day at Grange Fairgrounds. I originally was supposed to work at the First Amendment booth with Emma Lutz. The woman running the booth was going to interview the band, so she asked that Emma and I run the booth while she was gone. We were going to hand out fliers and ask people that came to our booth what democracy means to them. (To answer that question with my perspective, democracy is about equality and giving every voice a fair chance to speak) However, before I was able to ask my first booth visitor their personal definition of democracy, Emma and I were told that our help was not needed. The woman running the booth could not interview the band as they were busy warming up. So we joined the rest of the volunteers at the Gerrymandering booth.
Emma and I, late arrivals, were asked to “take the L” by Dr. O’Hara and dress up as Gerry-monsters. This task included wearing heavy, dragon-like onesies and going around to people at the fair giving them information cards. Once we gave out all of the cards, we were allowed to remove the costume and help with one of the games. As a Gerry-monster, we told fair visitors that we had “totally fair” games to play at our booth (how gerrymandering is “totally fair”) and gave cards that provided a website with more information about the candidates positions on redistribution reform. I enjoyed going up to people and introducing myself as a Gerry-monster. I got a lot of laughs about my pun and the costume, which made the experience a lot more fun. At the end of the day, it didn’t feel like I was taking an L, I genuinely enjoyed meeting new people.
I met a couple that moved to State College from Texas. They told Emma and I that they were very excited to be in a swing state as opposed to a state that always goes red. They were also very happy to see young adults volunteering and being active in their community. We discussed our classes because they were really interested in what students are learning, and wanted to know more about RCL. They thought that the civic artifact project sounded intriguing and were pleased to know that students were taking a rhetoric and civic life class. A lot of people that I talked to wanted to learn more about candidates’ opinions on redistribution reform and did not realize that they could find information about it online.
After I handed out the last of the cards, Emma and I came back to the booth and helped with the Gerry-monster drawings. With that activity, people were asked to draw a monster out of a gerrymandered shape. There were two little kids who drew terrifying monsters, and seemed to have a lot of fun with the activities. But the booth really brought to attention how unfair gerrymandering is, and how it is truly a monster.
This weekend, Penn State played against one of their rivals, University of Pittsburgh. Since the game was played at Pitt, many Penn Staters on my floor gathered in the lounge to watch the game. Since I am not the biggest football fan, I decided my attention would be better spent elsewhere, particularly on baking. I decided to make chocolate chip cookies, because it’s an easy recipe that feeds a lot. (I made 5 dozen cookies because I baked them smaller so there could be enough for everyone.)
On Saturday, I went to McLanahan’s to get chocolate chips. My secret to chocolate chip cookies: milk chocolate chips. Semi-sweet chocolate is not sweet enough for me, and I think that Nestle Toll House milk chocolate chips make cookies so much better. I bought milk chocolate chips, and on a whim decided to get white chocolate chips as well.
But when I finally started baking, I realized it would probably be too sweet to have white and milk chocolate chips, so I decided to try something new: I made white chocolate chip cookies.
I followed the Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I simply substituted the milk chocolate with white chocolate and did not add any nuts. I have baked many chocolate chip cookies (including over 100 cookies in a 3 hour period), but these cookies were by far my favorite. Not just because of how I liked them, but because of the reactions that I got from the people on the floor.
When someone eats something I bake, they tell me they like it; that’s just being polite. But there was an obvious distinction between the last time I baked and this time. Many came back for seconds or thirds (some even fifths or more).
I made many friends that night, by simply offering them a cookie. The cookies were an easy conversation starter, and I got to speak with a lot of people I normally wouldn’t. I found out that one girl has a back injury like me, and I ended up giving her some of my IcyHot packets that I no longer need, just because we started a conversation about cookies. Then, during the week I was asked to help someone bake a cake, because they recognized that I bake a lot.
I think that something that adds to a sports gathering, or any gathering at all, is food. In my eyes it brings a community together, and it adds another level of enjoyment to an event. I think that my cookies helped make the victory, which was pretty great on its own, even sweeter.
But, I now have a bag of chocolate chips in my dorm room. Do any of you have suggestions for what I could bake with them next?
Introduction
- Show a clip from the episode
- Thirteen Reasons Why is a TV show that follows the story of main character Hannah Baker’s suicide. Hannah Baker left behind 13 tapes, each addressed to a person that contributed to her decision to end her life. I am analyzing the final episode of season 1. In this episode, the show recounts Hannah’s final day.
- This show is civic because it aims at preventing suicide. It wants to inspire its viewers to treat others with kindness and stop bullying. It focuses on teenagers, who are its main audience.
- Commonplaces and Kairos
- Commonplaces
- In every school there is bullying
- Social media can be used for bullying
- Kairos
- Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in America
- The suicide rate rises every year
Thesis
- Through stark juxtaposition between Clay and Hannah’s interactions with the school counselor and dramatic hyperbole, the creators of 13 Reasons Why attempted to portray that students should be kind to one another. However, these strategies failed to effectively show students the need to end bullying, and the show actually glorified suicide and its use as revenge.
Body paragraphs
- Juxtaposition
- Scenes with Clay and Hannah
- Lighting differences and its effects
- Message it wanted to portray: Clay looked back at his decisions with regret, however the audience can use this lesson to treat others and avoid regrettable decisions
- Message it did portray: The suicide was used as revenge against those who wronged her, particularly the counselor who failed to report that she was struggling
- Hyperbole
- Hannah’s suicide scene
- Other students talking about suicide
- Message it wanted to portray: This is the result of bullying, and it could have been prevented
- Message it did portray: Suicide should be glorified
Conclusion
- The show’s message was misinterpreted
- It reveals information about teenage culture, particularly suicide’s effects on culture
I was recently informed about a recipe for cake mix cookies. I usually stick to my chocolate chip cookies, but I was excited when I learned about this new recipe and I wanted to try it out. So last night, I baked about two dozen cookies and I was very happy with how they turned out.
Even something as simple as baking cookies comes with challenges. I did not have any bowl to mix the ingredients in, so I split the recipe in half, and made the cookies in two tupperware containers; it was not the most exquisite way to bake cookies. I have an electric mixer, but unfortunately the outlet in the kitchen does not work, so I could not use my mixer, and had to use one of the whisks and eventually just my hands. I also discovered that the recipe called for more oil than I wanted because by the time I was done mixing, my hands were glistening with oil. Yum.
The cookies baked slowly in the oven, the recipe suggests baking them for 6-8 minutes, but they baked for about 10 minutes. I had a can of icing with me, and put icing on about half of the cookies. I usually make the icing by hand, but unfortunately I did not have the ingredients to make my own icing. (Side note – If any of you try out this recipe, I would highly recommend adding icing to the top of the cookies, especially when they are warm.)
Overall, I think this was a success, everyone that had one seemed to like it. I will attach the recipe below, as well as the link to where I found inspiration for the recipe.
- Make sure you have a bowl, a baking sheet, and a mixer
- You will need: 1 box of Pillsbury Moist Supreme Funfetti cake mix, 1/3 cup oil, and 2 eggs
- Preheat the oven to 375°F
- Crack the eggs and mix them, this makes it easier to add the other ingredients
- Add the other ingredients and mix it all together
- Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch, and make them about 1 inch apart
- Bake for about 6-8 minutes (depending on the oven, it may need more time) Bake until the edges are golden brown or it can be picked up without falling apart
- Let cool and enjoy!
- *Bonus step!* Add icing to warm cookies if desired
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DrC_PF_3Lg
An unfortunate recent social media phenomenon has caused widespread concern about the misuse of Tide Pods, an alternative to laundry soap. Known as the Tide Pod Challenge, young people record themselves eating or biting into Tide Pods. Tide Pods are toxic and could lead to death if ingested. Tide released a video about 7 months ago to combat the challenge and remind users that Tide Pods are meant for laundry, nothing else.
In the commercial, NFL player Rob Gronkowski emphasizes that Tide Pods can ONLY be used for laundry. Before the challenge came to be, Rob Gronkowski starred in a Tide Pod advertisement, so he was used again to rehash the importance of using the product correctly. He also is very relatable to young people; as a football star, he is very well known. He also was on the Nickelodeon show Crashletes, so many young kids also know him from that.
The kairos of the artifact greatly influenced the commercial. This advertisement was released because of the increased popularity of the Tide Pod challenge and number of injuries. The first Tide Pod Challenge released on YouTube was released January 7, 2018. The advertisement by Gronk was released January 12, 2018. The commercial was created within a week of the viral video; the timing was very important for the company’s public relations as well as the safety of those that wish to complete the Tide Pod Challenge. The company’s public appearance was time-sensitive; if the company did not release a warning about the dangers of Tide Pods, it would have received even more backlash about its products.
If this commercial was made right after Tide Pods were created, it would not have held much weight; many users would know not to ingest Tide Pods and would be confused as to why a warning about ingesting the Tide Pods would warrant a commercial. Many might even take it as a joke, but this commercial was not meant to seriously inform its users of the importance of not eating Tide Pods. But, once the misuse began, it was important for the company to release an advertisement emphasizing the dangers of the improper use of Tide Pods.
