Advertisement Analysis

           

         The ad I am analyzing is for Metromint peppermint water and was found in a People Style Watch magazine.  Considering the magazine it was placed in, I would assume this ad is targeted specifically for young women.  The ad uses bold colors and a sleek design to perhaps appeal to a trendy audience.  This also goes along with its placement in a style magazine.  The ad makes an effort to promote the fact that the water is 100 percent pure, has zero calories, and uses no sweetener but still provides cool refreshment.  It specifically uses the phrase “100% guilt-free.”  This is likely to appeal to young women who are figure-conscious and are involved in an active and healthy lifestyle.

            I think the main message of this advertisement is simply that by drinking this brand of water you will be both trendy and healthy.  Even the graphic design of the label on the bottle looks modern and would appeal to a young, active generation.  I think the use of style, colors, and text does a good job of reaching the target audience.

Simile/Metaphor exercise

Metaphors:
She sat quietly on the front porch letting the sunlight embrace her.

He was a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any moment.

Similes:
The building stood tall like a proud soldier watching over the city.

Her harsh words felt like a knife twisting into my chest.

Post #8 - Japanese Internment Memorial

            The vignettes at the Japanese Internment Memorial depicted an emotional past of not just the artist, but the entire Japanese race. 

The Japanese Internment began shortly after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.  The Internment, authorized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, allowed the confinement and relocation of Japanese and Japanese Americans living in the U.S to what were known as “war relocation camps.”  This was essentially prompted by racial prejudice and fear of the Japanese people in America revolting against their own country.  Eventually, President Ronald Reagan apologized on behalf of the U.S. government and attempted to distribute more than one billion dollars in reparations to the Japanese Americans who had been held captive in the country they called their home.

 In 1942, San Jose State University utilized their gym (what is now Yoshihiro Uchida Hall) to house and register Japanese Americans before sending them off to various internment camps.

Ruth Asawa was one of those interned during the 1940s.  An aspiring art teacher, she was unable to get hired for the prerequisite teaching that was necessary to complete her degree.  She instead became a sculptor, famous for her many different styles of art including stone and wire sculptures, paintings, and drawings seen all over the Bay Area.

In her Japanese Internment Memorial sculpture in downtown San Jose, Asawa portrays much of the angst, fear, and confusion of those dark days in American history.  Scenes are pictured of children being held in areas surrounded by barbed wire fences.  This makes them look more like herds of cattle being imprisoned rather than innocent young children.  The carved images show the discomfort of tight, crowded living quarters, with families practically piled on top of each other.  Overall, the murals convey a sense of fear and frustration from the hands of an artist with firsthand knowledge and experience of such devastating times.

In my opinion, it would be almost unthinkable for something like this to happen in the future.  It seems that our country is in a much different place than in the 1940s.  I think the events of the Japanese Internment will remain a sad but prominent piece of American history.

Post #10 - Fish out of Water

      (Warning... this is a little lengthier than the required word limit, but I felt it was necessary to completely tell the story!)     

           As many San Jose State students know, the start of a semester can sometimes prove to be quite a challenge when it comes to getting all your desired classes.  I was no stranger to this last semester, and unsuccessfully tried to get into three different classes at 12:00pm - the only time period I had available.  My attempts failed and therefore, desperate to keep my status as a full-time student, I joined the first available class I could find at 12:00pm.  And so begins my “fish out of water” story in Philosophy of Law.

            I regretted my decision to join the class almost immediately.  It was made up of about 15 students, all Philosophy majors or law school hopefuls.  In case you’re wondering, I am neither of those.  As the teacher droned on about in-depth philosophical scenarios that were way above my realm of understanding, I looked around to find all the other confused faces in the room.  Unfortunately for me, mine was the only one.  Some even nodded in agreement periodically while I sat dumbfounded, wondering how I was going to survive the next 18 weeks or so.

            As the semester progressed, I came to class each day promising myself that today would be the day I would learn something groundbreaking.  Each day I sat in the front row, desperate to take in something – anything – she said.  I felt like I was sitting in a room full of Latin speakers, trying to pick up at least one or two new words every day.  I debated withdrawing from the class several times, but my pride kept me from doing so.

            Some days, we would break into groups for intellectual discussions.  These were the times I felt the most uncomfortable.  As my group tried to figure out if A was more likely than B or if C was more likely than both, I tried to smile and nod along with my classmates’ awe-inspiring revelations, but I always felt as though I had the word “fraud” written across my forehead.

            Before my semester of discomfort came to an end, I had to complete two major tasks.  The first was a term paper discussing some kind of ethical debate and the philosophical pros and cons associated with it.  Luckily, my ability to write came in handy in this situation, as I was able to fudge my way through a seven-page paper sounding as though I knew exactly what I was talking about. 

            The second task was taking the final exam.  I did the best I could, based on the limited amount of information I was able to soak up from lectures and the textbook.  At the end of the exam, there was a space to write any comments you’d like to leave for the teacher to read.  I did not hesitate to tell her just how difficult this class was for me.  I told her that even though I never felt like I belonged, I still tried my best and wanted to be recognized for that.

            I’m not sure if it was my sympathy-invoking comment or my well-written paper that saved me, but somehow, I miraculously ended with an A in the class.  I have never been more proud in my life.  I talked about that A for weeks. In fact, I still bring it up occasionally.  The main point I’ve made to myself is that sometimes we are smarter than we think we are.  We should never let intimidation or fear of inadequacy allow us to sell ourselves short of our potential.  I’m so glad I got the opportunity to be a “fish out of water” because I was able to prove to myself just how far my own strength and determination could take me when I simply refused to give up.

Word #8

1. Eschews
2. "David Carson eschews grids of any form."  Source: My textbook - "The Magazine from Cover to Cover" by Sammye Johnson and Patricia Prijatel
3. Part of speech: Verb.  Definition: to abstain or keep away from; shun; avoid
4. The tight knit community eschews the rebellious girl who does not belong.

Post #9 - IMHO (#1)

A current news story that has sparked controversy is one regarding photos that have surfaced showing U.S. army troops posing with body parts from dead suicide bombers in Afghanistan.  The photos, published in the Los Angeles Times, had been taken in 2010, but were recently given to the Times by a solider from Ft. Bragg.   Army officials have condemned the soldiers and have said that an investigation could lead to disciplinary action. 

This story upsets me for several reasons.  I find it disgraceful that American soldiers would stand posed with smiles on their faces and giving “thumbs up” to the camera while surrounded by death and war.  In my opinion, it doesn’t matter how horrible the enemy is, no one should be flaunting and celebrating death as though war is the epitome of happy times.  This makes American troops look arrogant and inhumane, which is unfair to those fellow soldiers that are respectable and would never degrade themselves to that level.

Another problem I have with this (which is also mentioned in the article) is that actions such as these could spark revenge attacks from the Afghan army.  These troops’ careless actions could actually be inciting violence upon their fellow service members, which is wrong.  The article mentions several recent “damaging and embarrassing incidents” involving U.S. troops such as: a video showing U.S. marines urinating on Taliban corpses, an incident at an American army base where copies of the Quran were burned, and the recent killing rampage of mostly women and children in Afghanistan by a U.S. soldier.  I believe the U.S. soldiers in this photo should absolutely have known better than to further prompt the embarrassing reputation being given to the U.S. army.  American soldiers should stand proud and hold to a higher standard, fighting with honor and respect, not with carelessness and mockery.

http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/18/11262685-us-condemns-troops-who-allegedly-posed-with-dead-suicide-bombers-in-afghanistan?lite