One of my favorite TED talks is “Looks aren’t everything. Believe me, I’m a  model” by Cameron Russell. I really liked the way that she created her message, and I also felt very connected to her message.

She started the TED Talk off by having the first ever on Ted stage outfit change. She came out in a short dress, then put on a long skirt and a sweater. This completely changed the image of her within 5 seconds, which showed that image is so powerful in how we perceive people. I thought that this was a really inspiring message, and an impactful way to display her message.

I also liked her use of powerpoint. She effectively showed pictures from when she was modeling, and compared her modeling pictures to selfies or pictures taken with family within months of the modeling pictures. She looked entirely different. She looked “normal” in the family pictures, which emphasizes that the modeling pictures aren’t real. This drove home her point about image, and how it’s completely different from reality.

I also like how she talked about race and genetics. She said, “I am on this stage because I am a pretty white woman” and addressed a very important issue in today’s society. Minority groups are underrepresented in modeling, and I think that a lot of this has to do with image and how our culture has based the image of beauty off of white people. I think that she was very honest in talking about how she won the genetic lottery, and modeling is not something that you can work towards or earn.

I think that this is an extremely impactful and honest TED Talk. I like how Cameron Russell was very honest about her feelings, and I think that she shared an important message.

For my Unit Two project, I think that smoking could be an interesting topic to research. I think that it could work because the way people think about smoking has changed dramatically over the past century. In the early to mid 1900’s almost everyone smoked. Today many teenagers view smoking as disgusting and recognize it is unhealthy. I think that I would look at how people have changed with regards to science, focusing specifically on smoking. People take science more seriously today, and almost every young person in America has been exposed to scientific research proving that smoking is harmful to the body. The science around smoking has also changed, as many scientists in the 1900’s were influenced by tobacco industries to prove that smoking is good, as well as there was a bias for smoking in the 1900’s because so many American adults smoked. I could also analyze how juuling and vaping are now big parts of teenage culture, and our society is almost taking a step backwards in regards to smoking and taking care of our lungs.

I also think that the change in technological dependence in teenage culture could be an interesting topic to pursue. Teenagers constantly feel the need to have something in front of them at all times, whether it is a phone or computer, and at many points this can detract from their life. For example, texting and driving is a huge issue in American culture, and this is because teenagers constantly feel the need to be on their phones. Before texting was widespread in teenage culture, texting and driving was (obviously) not an issue. I could look at how technology has changed how teenagers interact with one another, and how a lot of interactions are now online instead of in person. I could also look at how being dependent on technology affects attention, and how some teenager feel that they always need to be using a device.

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.

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.

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

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

Feminism and women empowerment has become increasingly important in today’s society. Empowerment can be targeted at teenage girls; most of whom experience significant drops of self-esteem during puberty. But there are many unacknowledged aspects of everyday life that still lower women’s self-esteem. For example, the phrase, “you run like a girl” is usually meant as an insult, as is “you throw like a girl,” or “you catch like a girl.” But Always, a feminine product brand, has changed these sayings from insulting to empowering. The commercial linked above asks teenagers to run, fight and throw “like girls.” They jog and flip their hair; they act weak and unathletic. However, the commercial asks young girls to run “like girls” and they run really fast and act determined and strong. The commercial shows the contrast between the previous ideas of doing something “like a girl” and how Always hopes all people will think of doing something “like a girl.”

The ideology in this commercial is women empowerment. One of the commonplaces is strength; specifically the idea that women are strong. This commercial showed women’s strength through athletic ability; their physical strength represents mental strength. The commercial persuades the audience that women are strong by showing the girls physically being strong, as well as playing powerful music in the background. Another commonplace is the need for change. There needs to be a change in order to improve inequality. The teenagers in the commercial made a physical change in their running after being told that “running like a girl” doesn’t have to be a bad thing. The commercial showed all of the teenagers that previously ran mockingly sprinting and looking determined. The difference in their running shows that on a wider scale change can and should be made. The clips of strong girls as well as audio of a young adult speaking about women empowerment inspires the audience to seek change.