Happy Thanksgiving

This is a reminder for most of you and an announcement for John and Maggi, who weren't present today: on Wednesday we will not be having class. Instead, it's your responsibility to communicate with your project group and to make sure you are all researching a different aspect of your group topic, to share the resources that you find, and to establish a wiki (on Google sites) for your group. You should add me as an owner on your site, and send me the link by Friday. By Monday, you should have a preliminary bibliography on your site, with everyone contributing a few sources. By the following weekend, you will have each written an annotation for at least one source, summarizing its usefulness for your research.

Enjoy your turkey.

Last minute peer review

Since you have all finished your second paper now, I want you to do a last-minute swap in order to act as proof-readers for one another. Here's how it works:

Tonight (Monday), read your paper again carefully and fix any spelling, grammar, wording etc. issues you spot. Then, when you are satisfied that it is pristine, email it to your partner. Do this before sunrise. Your partner will do the same.

When you get your partner's paper, read it through carefully looking for errors and trying to follow the argument. Then cut and paste the following checklist into an email and send it back to your partner, along with any other comments you have. Also, send a copy of your comments to me. Do this by sunrise Wednesday. The final versions of your papers are due Friday.

1. ___ I found formatting problems (explain).
2. ___ I found typos.
3. ___ I found spelling mistakes.
4. ___ I found grammar mistakes.
5. ___ I found diction mistakes (using the wrong word).
6. I agreed / disagreed with your conclusion. (Circle one)
7. Explain your answer to number 6.
8. Other comments:

Read this over the Thanksgiving break

I've just posted, on the list of links to the right, a pdf of the first chapter ("How the Fork Got Its Tines") from a book called The Evolution of Useful Things. The chapter is about how forks came to be designed the way they are, and about the cultural influences on and ramifications of their design. You can consider this a model for the kind of historical description and analysis I expect you to do in your papers. Please read it this weekend and we'll discuss it next Monday.

Essay #3 : A Short History of X

Your final essay for this course will be a carefully researched history of something that we don’t often think of as having a history: cultural institutions, concepts, and inventions that we usually take for granted. A list of possible topics is below.

Since this will be a research-intensive process, we are going to take a slightly different approach: you will be assigned to a group of four or five students, and as a team you will choose a topic and conduct research. Your research must presented in an annotated bibliography on a group wiki (created on Google Sites). Each of you will be responsible for reporting on at least one source related to the topic (Wikipedia does not count). Then, using these sources, each of you will write your own 4-5 page paper on your group topic.

Possible Topics

Parks
Libraries
Resorts
Bars / Taverns
Hotels / Inns
Subways
Cemeteries
Sewers
Weekends
Hitchhiking
Sneakers
Keys
Pets
Birthdays
Chewing Gum
Soup
IDs
Money
Receipts
Magazines
Fandom
Dentistry
Grades
Composition classes

Wednesday

Please do not forget that tomorrow's class will be held at the library. We'll be meeting with a librarian to learn about research techniques, in room 101A (downstairs) in the Rosenthal Library. See you there at 5:30. Do not be late.

Clothes closet ad

ECO FRIENDLY ADVERTISEMENT....COOL!!!

Your second paper

Now that you've finished revising your first paper once and for all, how about doing another one? We will be spending less time on this second paper. On November 17 (next Monday), we will do a preliminary peer review of your first drafts. You must bring a draft of your paper to class that day. The following class, November 19, we will be going to the library to learn about research techniques. Your revised papers will be due on Monday, November 24. These papers should be 4-5 pages (although your first draft might be longer).

What will you write about? Your paper will be based on the topic you chose for your personal blog about advertising, and you will write just what you've been writing on your blog. In fact, you may use ideas that you wrote about on the blog in your paper. Here are the basic parameters: you should choose 2 or 3 ads that you think illustrate something (either through similarity or contrast) about your theme. You will describe these ads and the messages they convey on three levels: the superficial level (what images and sounds does the ad use?), the marketing level (how does the ad deploy certain techniques in order to sell or promote its "product"?), and the ideological level (what messages does the ad convey about the culture of which it is a part?). Your paper should include an image of, or a link to, the ad in question.

Nationalism

Thanks for sharing your ideas with each other this week. Today (Monday) we're going to talk about the role that nationalism plays in advertising, and a little bit about what goes into making an ad. Let's start by looking at these ads:

Hey this a video i saw on TV during the week that works for you katrina

Mcdonald's funny ad

Hey Christine
Since you are working on fast food ads.

Election Ads

Honestly, I think Obama’s commercial is more emotional than McCain’s. Obama really pays attention to the details about some awkward situations presently and decides to change those troubles. In the beginning of Obama’s commercial, we could see a long lens of country sights and then transfer to a business city, and he was talking to some civilians at kitchen. Every one could get one point that just likes a nearest relative around us. Moreover, “We need a chance” that sentence should come from every American’s heart. Definitely, economic problems, employment, fail in counter-terrorist war and standard of people’s life is going down. So Obama used those problems to explain his opinions in commercial. Incontrovertible, Obama is a black man and his special status decides himself should use a special way to prove himself and tells every one he would be a successful president in history. In addition, he really did hardest and best job to make propagandas even we could see different ages people were supporting him in his commercial. Comparing McCain’s commercial, he just made examples of former presidents’ voice and profile to explain his ideas would be correct. Therefore, I thing could smell some odors of gunpowder from his speech. “We will never surround” .Yes that’ true but don’t you think this point was too old for right now? And America seems to afford any other worse problems any more. McCain did not represent any exact subjects to change anything and still using a old way to work out troubles. And for me, I think McCain’ commercial is so strong and let people feel a little uncomfortable. Thus, form Obama’s commercial and his emotional speech, every one should be infected and believe that he would shepherd the Unite States of American must surmount any troubles.

Roland Barthes on Myth

Hello folks. The article that I asked you to read for next Monday is here. It is a rich but difficult text, so please read it a couple of times, and write down a few notes: how does Barthes define myth? In his explanation, what are meaning and form? What else does he say about myth?

Election Ad (SORRY better late than never)

I think that Obama is more successful in the election ads than McCain. Obama is addressing “change” to America by introducing himself as a “black” man. America has always depended on a “white” man to lead this country, and I think now, more than ever, is the best time for a change. Minorities will feel more acceptable and important. Obama is cutting taxes for the working class which is very significant since we work so hard to have a roof over our head and to put food on the table. Fewer taxes will help us pay off all our bills and provide a better life for our families. He also mentions moving people from welfare into working. I think this is a great plan! There are so many individuals who are stuck in welfare because they know that they will get help monthly and cannot depend on a job. Providing these people with a steady working position will help them mentally by increasing their self-esteem and by providing a better life for their families. Obama attracts a large number of families who were raised by a single parent and who struggled financially because he was raised in that way. Obama states, “Do to others what you would want done to yourself”. I think this statement is very significant since many people do not follow it and if many did, the world would be a better place with more love and less hate. On the other hand, McCain is introducing the same things that most of our past presidents have introduced, especially Bush. McCain is offering a prosperous future and I remember Bush introducing the same thing and he has only caused more harm than good. In addition, electing a “white” president will demonstrate that presidents with from other ethnic groups will never be able to lead this country. WE NEED A CHANGE!!!!

Gender ads

This page is an excellent collection of ads that use techniques related to sex, gender, and stereotypes.

Off-topic but interesting

This video is pretty interesting. It shows some facinating data points about technological progress in the last ten years and how that will impact education.



Discuss.