Wiz Wit

For those of you from the Philly area you probably have visited or perhaps even frequent either Geno’s Steaks or Pat’s Steaks.

I am blogging about cheesesteaks because yes, there is rhetoric associated with cheesesteaks. You can usually tell who the tourists are (and not by the cameras around their necks or fannypacks around their waists), but by the way they order their cheesesteaks. I’m not a native of Philly, but when I visit I strive to appear to be a local. I know how to order. But, it appears my parents, (who probably actually were wearing fannypacks) don’t know how to order. I explained to my parents there is no need to say, “I’ll have a cheesesteak please,” “I’d like cheese wiz,” or “can I have onions?” Geno and Pat and their local co-workers know you’re ordering a cheesesteak, there is no need for you to say so. And as for saying you want onions? A simple “wit” will suffice. These world famous landmarks in The City of Brotherly Love have a language of their own and have a low tolerance for those who don’t speak it. The culture, rhetoric, and language of the Philly Cheesesteak is almost as important as the steak itself.

So using my knowledge of cheesesteak rhetoric I took it upon myself and ordered “three wiz wit” for my parents and me. Thankfully, rhetoric saved me from embarrassment.

Dominos

If you read The New York Times or keep up with any major news source, you are well aware of the widespread North African unrest, strife, and revolution.

When I think about the North African unrest I draw a parallel between a scene in V For Vendetta and the domino effect of revolution in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. In this particular scene V sets up a massive domino line and tips the outlying domino and watches as they all fall.

How does “The Domino Effect” affect current politics? The Kennedy administration used this title to describe the spread of communism is Eastern Asia in the countries of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Is what’s happening in Africa a domino effect as well?

Did Tunisia realize that their stand against injustice would spark a revolution across almost half a continent?

What was different about the North African conflicts was that social networking was used as the medium of revolution. Social networks and the rhetoric of the free media pushed over that outlying domino. Tunisian and Egyptian youth Tweeting and Facebooking about the events taking place in their own country sparked movements in the hearts and minds of citizens of other African countries and inspired people to join the greater movement.

Ad Analysis

Throughout this week we have been analyzing advertisements and commercials and determining what rhetorical devices are essential to the particular advertisements or campaigns we analyzed. We have seen many different commercials with many different motives.

This idea of motives got me thinking. What are the motives of advertisers? What is the motive of the company behind the advertisement?

I feel that all too often people read too far into advertisements, scrutinizing the company’s production, message, and motives of the particular advertisement. Advertisements are there to advertise. Why must we feel the need to make sure they are politically correct? Why do we feel the need to point out every mistake, hidden innuendo, or small detail of an advertisement?

The success of the advertisement is judged on how well the product is advertised, not how well the consumer knows the ins and outs of the advertisement itself. I’m not saying we should not be critical consumers, but I feel sometimes we dive too deeply into the world analysis and place too much emphasis on what we know about the reasons behind something than appreciating that something for what it is.

His Story

What is or what “defines” history?

In my American History class junior year, our teacher asked us this question on the first day of class, and also on the last. She challenged us to ask ourselves why we personally and societally determined certain things, people, events, and information as historical. Is history up to personal and societal interpretation? Is it about strict factual information or is it “his story?” If so, who is he?

I shudder to think that a quote from Adolf Hitler backs up my point, but when I was reading Mein Kampf for my “History of Nazism and Fascism” class I came across a quote stressing the confusion over what history really is:

“Few teachers understand that the aim of studying history can never be to learn historical dates and events by heart and recite them by note; that what matters is not whether the child knows exactly when this or that battle was fought, when a general was born, or even when a monarch (usually a very insignificant one) came into the crown of his forefathers…To ‘learn’ history means to seek and find the forces which are the causes leading to those effects which we subsequently perceive as historical events.”

Hitler’s definition is not a concrete example of what history is, and I don’t think a tyrannical anti-Semite would be the best source for a definition of history. But what is important is that we realize the importance of interpretation and rhetoric in history. The line “which we subsequently perceive as historical events” is extremely powerful because it acknowledges perceptions as a crucial part of history. Factual information, decisive battles, and non-biased facts all attribute to the creation and documentation of history, but I feel the beauty of history is lost in those dates, numbers, details, which we all seem to remember.

We often forget to textually and contextually analyze the events that led to this “history.” It is crucial we understand the perceptions, biases, and opinions of the people in these events and the people who document them. We have to ask who is the “his” in “his story?”

Would the stories of “Jim Crow South” be the same stories if they were told by a person of color verses a white southerner? Would an impoverished protester and President Mubarack view the current unrest and revolution in Egypt similarly?

It is crucial that we understand the importance of perception, context, and societal interpretation when studying history. Through critical analysis of the people, places, and events in our past we can better understand what we personally and socially define as history, and make efforts to change it in the future.

Appeal to Authority

During class this week we talked about advertisements and the methods used by companies to get consumers to buy their products.  As I reflected on the appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos I recall studying about logical fallacies in high school. 


I studied many fallacies varying from “begging the question” to “slippery slope.” The fallacy that rings strongest in my head is appeal to authority.  Using ethos, a company, rhetor, or person will appeal to an “authority” figure that supports the product they are selling or the argument they are making.  The most common example is “#1 doctor recommended.”  This appeal is attempting to convince the consumer, reader, or audience that someone who possesses expertise in a field supports this product.  The reader must understand that just because the box says “#1 doctor recommended” does not guarantee the success of the product or the strength of the product. As an informed audience it is our job to make sure that we understand these crucial uses of rhetoric, logical fallacies and appeals to ethos that surround us.

         
One of my favorite appeals is when a celebrity supports a product.  It isn’t enough to see commercial actors say Proactiv clears all their acne, in order to truly see how magical the acne medicine is we need to hear how it changed Katy Perry’s life.

         
I caught a recent episode of Saturday Night Live and was amazed at how this clip exemplified the use of celebrities to promote products, charities, and even crisis hotlines…
Celebrity Crisis Hotline

"Baracky Road" to Innovation

So today (yesterday morning) I had the honor of being asked to volunteer at President Obama’s speech at Rec Hall.  What’s even cooler was the fact that I was on the third row from the front and also met JoePa; needless to say, it was worth missing LA 101H (no offense Robin). But I digress…

         

Being somewhat of a political enthusiast and a strong democrat I jumped on this opportunity to volunteer and hear The President’s address.  I was excited to see what Obama had to say about energy innovation, Penn State, and “Winning the Future.”  He spoke of numerous locations across the country where energy efficiency was being incorporated in both the business and domestic realms.  He cited many examples of Universities and educational institutes leading the charge against waste and toward sustainability.  I was elated to know I attend a University on the forefront of innovation and technology.

         

What I noticed about the President’s speech was the many rhetorical devices he used throughout his speech to incite, inspire, and entertain the numerous Penn State students and faculty in attendance. 

         

When the president first arrived at the podium he made a joke reference to meeting “someone he didn’t know but had heard of.”  Of course the audience reacted positively when the punch-line being Joe Paterno was delivered.  And throughout his speech Obama made several pro-PSU remarks referencing Joe Paterno’s 400 wins and a history of excellence.  These carefully placed remarks are explicit examples of the power of rhetoric influencing and winning over an audience.   

An audio clip of my personal take on NPR's "This I Believe."