Propaganda

1. Propaganda Technique - Testimonial. Emeril Lagasse, a celebrity chef, is speaking out in support of BP, and defending their methods of dealing with the oil spill

Fallacy - Argumentum Ad Populum. Emeril doesn't have any support for what he says about the oil spill, and even admits that he is not a scientist, and thus knows little about the situation. He just calls it devistating many times and expresses his sentimentality towards those who were affected.

2. Propaganda Technique - Transfer. It tries to transfer the prestige of respectable olympic athletes to the name of BP, although the two are not really related in any concievable way.

Fallacy - Red Herring. It tries to distract you from the wrongs BP has committed by having olympians speak of their triumph and the odds they overcame. It doesn't really relate to BP other than in an allegorical sense and in the display of the logo at the end, but it makes you feel good about what you just saw, thus repairing their shattered public image.

3. Propaganda Technique - Card Stacking. It only speaks of the jobs BP has created, not the devestating effect of the spill.

Fallacy - Observational Selection. Same reason for propaganda technique: It ignores effects of oil spill, and only speaks of the positive impact of BP on the economy.

4. Propaganda Technique - Glittering Generalities. They say that the beach is "Great, and only getting better." and that they "Made it right." These are "glad words" with no real meaning.

Fallacy - Bandwagon Fallacy. It tells you how many people are going to the states affected by the oil spill, and encourages you to visit, as well.

Death of the Ball Turret Gunner

This poem is about, as the title would lead you to believe, the death of a ball turret gunner. I know this because of, like I mentioned previously, the title, as well as the phrase "When I died." Three words in this piece with a similar connotation are "Fell," "Loosed," and "Washed out." These three verbs all have a connotation of force and helplessness. Putting all of this together, I think the theme of this poem is the injustice of the draft, and the overall horror of war.

This Land Is Your Land

     Woody Guthrie believes that America is a very hypocritical nation, and that we do not practice what we preach. In the first four stanzas, he displays what America claims to be, singing "This land is made for you and me" over and over, and using many positive imagery like "Golden Valley" and "Diamond Deserts." In the 5th stanza, however, the song takes a turn, as Guthrie promotes disobedience by having the speaker trespass. This seems to show that Guthrie believes that, while America claims to be the land of all people, we have rules, such as laws against trespassing, that directly contradict this. In the fifth stanza is when the meaning becomes most obvious, as Guthrie questions if this land is actually for everyone after seeing impoverished people struggling with hunger near the relief office. Especially with my prior knowledge of Guthrie's association with assorted Communist groups, it is obvious that, despite how the song is often interpreted, this song is actually an attack on America, promoting increased freedom, and perhaps even anarchy. I agree with Guthrie in many ways, as America is very hypocritical in it's constant promotion of freedom, while holding back most non-middle or upper class white people.

Where Have You Gone Charming Billy?

The setting of this excerpt is a warzone at night. This can be seen by use of terms like "Platoon" and "Soldiers", as well as passages like "The black plastic stock of his rifle" and "The primitive stealth of warefare." The mood is very dark and gloomy, using words such "Shadows," "Black," "Died," and "Dark" multiple times each. It changes in Berlin's final paragraph, however, to optimistic and rather comforting, with passages like "He would bathe in the sea" and "It would be better." This makes us symparhize with PFC Paul Berlin, as we can see the dismal setting he is being forced to live in, as well as his optimistic nature, thinking that things will surely get better, despite the horrors he's been through in just his first day at war . We then begin to like Berlin, which is typically quite important for a protagonist.

Ads 2

Country Cornflakes:
Appeal: Logos, as it makes sense that one would buy cornflakes that don't melt in milk

Fallacy: Red Herring, as there's all sorts of unrelated chaos taking place on screen, very little of which actually involves conrflakes.


Alka Seltzer:
Appeal: Ethos, as it says "It's the best," giving them credibility as the best kind of seltzer tablet.

Fallacy: Argument from omnisciece, as it claims that it is the best antacid for everything, which nobody could know for sure.

Delk:
Appeal: Logos, as it makes lots of sense to get the cheapest and best autoparts, which Delk claims to have.

Young Life - 10/02/12

1. The people in this picture are hunting for food, not sport. This is supported by the fact that they are relatively lower class in appearance.
2. The artist a Southerner. This is evidenced by the fact that the subject is handled with a rather personal tone that an artist who didn't live with people like those in the painting could not handle.
3. The man and woman are a couple. This is evidenced by their loving pose.

Soma - 11/15/12

In Brave New World, the characters take a drug called Soma when they are unhappy, and it eliminates those negative feelings immediately. The theme of the song "Soma", written by Julien Casablancas, is that conformity causes feelings of confusion within oneself. This is seen in the line of the song that states "I am stop and go." These lyrics show that the speaker is so unsure of himself that he uses two complete opposites as means to describe himself. It is also seen in the line preceding that line, which states "He was trying too hard to be like them." This obviously relates to conformity, as it's practically a definition of the word. The fact that it directly precedes the line "I am stop and go," shows that conformity is a direct influence on the speaker's conflicted nature. Finally, the allusion to Brave New World in the title and lyrics add to the theme. Like I stated in the first sentence, Soma is a drug that equalizes everyone's mood, thus eliminating individuality and forcing conformity. It also, however, causes the novel's characters to lose track of who they really are. Thus, it shows how "Soma", or in the context of the song, conformity causes inner conflict. The theme of this song is that conformity causes feeling of confusion within oneself.

1-Introduces idea of Soma that will be brought up later.
2-Topic Sentence.
3- Gives example
4-Explains example.
5-States second example.
6-Explains second example.
7-Explains connection between first two examples.
8,9-Introduces final example
10-Explains final example through connection to introduction
11-Finalizes final example, ties ideas together.
12-Restates theme.