rhe315spring2015

[shortvideosandstuff]

x

[kenyatta]

A Tru Tumblr Success Story.

[unionmetrics]

mensweardog knows how to command the fashion community. 

[mandacondaa]

Favorite.

[nc-t-blog]

Wow.

[visualrhetoricspring2015-blog]

I think you mean much wow.

[visualrhetoricspring2015-blog]

Hi everyone, the new #Ferguson readings are up in PBworks in the Reading Materials folder. Please look through them for class tomorrow. Additionally, please bring at least three additional texts related to #Ferguson to discuss in your small groups.

[leoncloudking-deactivated201802]

I found that my Warner Mind Map helped me by simply seeing where all of the different pieces connected together. I didn’t really understand all of the Warner reading at first, but as I began mapping it out, I realized that I was using the same words for different sections of the map, (or at the very least, synonyms). 

When I found these same words I realized that they were connected by more than just the word, “Public,” but they seemed to be focused on communication. Of course this seems obvious in hindsight, but when I was reading Warner, I didn’t realize that what Warner is basically saying is that it’s all about communication. A person or piece communicates to others and then they communicate among themselves and it spreads and branches so that people begin talking about the source of all the clatter and BOOM, you have a public. 

[dam169-deactivated20150521]

Warner Mind Map

Link for better view of mind map

My mind map might not be quite as impressive as some others, but it did certainly help my understanding. Something that has been very intersectional between most of my classes this semester is the idea of In-groups and Out-groups. 

In my banned books class, we’ve been discussing the classic To Kill A Mockingbird, which is heavily centered on Harper Lee’s subtle notions on many concepts, which can on the whole be broken down into concepts that involve In-groups/Out-groups. 

Similarly, in my Race, Ethnicity & the Media class, we obviously discuss race quite a bit. In the beginning there was a lot of idea establishing about the what, why and how of race, which also breaks down most easily into notions of In and Out groups. 

Perhaps I still haven’t been able to explore the full depth of Warner’s text (that’ll probably take a few re-reads and external analyses), but still, especially through plotting out these concepts in this way, its gives me a much greater understanding of just how permeating In and Out groups are in nearly everything, especially rhetoric, and therefore, especially visual arguments.

[anarsi101]

Here’s a link to it since the quality is really crappy

So this is my mind map for Warner, maybe I went a little overboard? Idk. I really think it helped me understand the concepts a little better though, and it finally made sense that everything was connected. Making this also really helped me get that you can’t always read things in a linear manner. 

Source

I think that this image relates to Warner in some sense because it relates to how he said that everything has a public and/or audience and theres no way to speak or write without directing it to someone, so when they are talking or writing, they are doing so with the intention of actually communicating with at least 1 other person. And that is how valuable and relevant discourse is created: when someone writes/talks to or for someone, not just about something. 

[katiegilroy04-blog]

Here’s my mid map; I feel like it’s pretty simple compared to a lot of other ones out there…

Here’s a screenshot of People Magazine’s website. This relates to Warner’s views on gossip and how it can involve public figures. This whole magazine pretty much runs on gossip. This magazine circulates throughout America, and people buy it just to judge celebrities, and they pretty much put them in “In Groups” and “out groups” based on the gossip circulating about them. Lindsay Lohan is currently being ostracized because she is in legal trouble which is generally frowned upon in society.

Peoples “News” Section

[kelly-ngo-deactivated20150714]

Graffiti is an example of a privately owned space being vandalized and made to be addressed to a public, even if the person who owns the private space did not intend for it. The ‘public’ of this graffiti piece is any passerby who happens to walk by and decides to read it. This relates to Warner’s point that a public is constituted through mere attention. Therefore its public is self-congregated in a way (if they ever decide to truly congregate at all). The medium of this work is through text painted onto a wall and thus it becomes circulated through word of mouth to other people who are fans of graffiti. In this case, you are seeing the graffiti through a photo of it. This relates back to what we learned earlier in class about artwork being replicated through photography. In a way, this allows for the work to further become circulated. The graffiti also presents a message that can evoke what Warner calls discourse. Sometimes the message of graffiti gives attention to social causes. This work, however, addresses the issue of graffiti being an ‘issue’ itself. The addressee of this ‘public’ artwork is both personal and impersonal. The ‘personal’ aspect stems from the idea that the work is meant to be for the viewer in the moment. The ‘impersonal’ aspect comes from the realization that the work is not single-handedly directed to any person in particular. A social space is created through the discourse and the message of this work. And now you are a part of the public of this work.

[braydonchase]

This is an Xfinity commercial that aired during the Oscars on Sunday. It shows a young, blind child’s description of what she “sees” while viewing The Wizard of Oz. It finishes with a voice-over describing a new “Talking guide” feature for people with visual impairments. 

Since we talked all about the issue of accessibility for disabled people on Tuesday, I thought this was very relevant. The talking guide will speak the names of shows/movies that are currently airing, and will speak other things like movie ratings, TV settings, and DVR features. 

As seen in the commercial, although Emily is visually impaired, she still sees images in her head while watching “Oz,” even picturing herself as Dorothy. The commercial brings her imagination to life for all of us to see. This is a very effective way to show that TV and movies aren’t just enjoyable for able-visioned people: they can be loved by everyone. Xfinity is attempting to include visually-impaired people in the viewing of TV and movies by making it easier for them to access shows by themselves. I think it’s a very well-done commercial and great idea. 

Source

[nc-t-blog]

Gorgo. "Moraine Lake 17092005" Digital image. Wikimedia. Wikimedia Commons, 22 Sept. 2005. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Moraine_Lake_17092005.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Moraine_Lake_17092005.jpg>.Released in Wikimedia Commons under PD by author.

[spamlet]

Why is film photography so cool? Like, actually, why is it soappealing? Why are vintage things such a novelty nowadays? When will VHS tapesbe cool?? Should I keep all of mine now so I’ll be even cooler in the future???

Personally, I really love the mystery of film photography. Ilike the feeling of wanting to capture a moment, doing so with the click of a button but not knowing how it will turn out later, completely losing the memory of that moment, and seeing it later on film. The grainy textures add to the nostalgic feel of the photo, I guess. I also love the little accidental light leaks that make each photo so special. With digital photography, it is easy to take a billion mediocre pictures, knowing you can pick and choose and delete the unwanted ones later. However, with film photography, you have to be very conscious of each and every exposure you use: how you compose the photo, the lighting and settings, etc…again, this adds to the meaning of the picture. When you only get one chance to capture a moment, it makes it very important how you choose to capture it on film.

Basically, I feel like film photography is often more effective in terms of visual rhetoric.

[mmarkle]

"There is a fine line between what is funny and disrespectful. Someone said something about my hair at the Oscars that left me in awe. Not because I was relishing in rave outfit reviews, but because I was hit with ignorant slurs and pure disrespect. To say that an 18 year old young women with locs must smell of patchouli oil or "weed" is not only a large stereotype, but outrageously offensive. I don’t usually feel the need to respond to negative things but certain remarks cannot go unchecked. I’ll have you know my father, brother, best childhood friend, and little cousins all have locs. Do you want to know what Ava DuVernay (director of the Oscar nominated film Selma), Ledisi (9 time Grammy nominated singer/songwriter and actress), Terry McMillan (author), Vincent Brown (Professor of African and African American studies at Harvard University), Heather Andrea Williams (Historian who also possesses a JD from Harvard University, and an MA and PhD from Yale University) as well as many other men and women and children of all races have in common? Locs. None of which smell of marijuana. There is already harsh criticism of African American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair. My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that our hair is goo enough. To me locs are a symbol of strength and beauty, almost like a lion’s mane. I suggest some people should listen to India Arie’s "I Am Not My Hair" and contemplate a little before opening your mouth so quickly to judge." [x]

[spamlet]

More drama at the Oscars :O

[j0ykim-blog]

So this is my mind map. It’s a little cluttered, but I guess it’s a good representation of how my mind works. Most of the chains end with questions, and hopefully they get answered soon..

[nc-t-blog]

I was trying to use my mind map to illustrate connections between Warner’s fundamental ideas. The solid, black lines were generally made to signify a stronger or more direct connection than the red, dotted lines which sometimes represent two ideas connected by virtue of being opposites. I started by moving from Warner to the right, so that side of the map has been considered more thoroughly. The left most portion is more an afterthought for completion’s sake. 

[ihateperformanceart-blog]

At lunch today, I was hearing some friends complaining about how one of their professors insists on talking about memes, live tweets, and other digital interfaces on their class. They thought it was pretty annoying, and they had their reasons: they had gotten into that class because they were expecting to learn something, but the syllabus was changed this semester so now the class is pretty different than what they had expected. This is a valid reason but whereas they were complaining about it, I was trying to defend their professor.

I’m pretty this is not only my opinion (and I think most people in this class have a similar opinion), but I think it is great that digital interfaces are being taken into consideration in an academic setting. After all, it is something worth studying. Everything related to internet culture, is by the nature of the internet, extremely universal, and hence, affects human society a lot. This is specially true when talking about younger generations and how youth culture is so closely knit with internet culture nowadays.

I understand why my friends were complaining, but at the same time I am very excited that these topics are being studied by academics, mainly because I do believe that they have changed the way read stuff, think about the world, and ultimately the way we live our lives as individuals and societies.

[mandacondaa]

A Public for Human Rights  [Some links contain violence]

A “public”, according to Michael Warner’s Publics and Counter-publics, is a relation among strangers.  It is self organized. It exists upon being addressed. It is fueled by attention. It is a social space of multi-genre encounter of discourses. 

One such public has formed around the shocking realities of the developing world, where "one third of girls […] are married before the age of 18 and 1 in 9 are married before the age of 15." These are figures that Too Young To Wed, a multimedia partnership between the UNPF and VII Photo Agency, aims to diminish by building a global community dedicated to ending child, early and forced marriage. 

[Image Source]: Tahani and Ghada pose with their husbands outside their mountain home in Hajjah, Yemen. 

Of course, the anti-early marriage public would cease to exist without a counter-public — advocates of early marriage like the parents of young brides. But these titles only apply on a global scale; within countries like Niger and Chad, an overwhelming majority of girls are married before 18. There, early marriage advocates are the public and those in opposition make up the counter-public. 

[Image Source]: “Destaye, 11, and Addisu, 23, Ethiopia. Addisu and his new bride Destaye are married in a traditional Ethiopian Orthodox wedding in the rural areas outside the city of Gondar, Ethiopia. Community members said that because of his standing as a priest, Addisu’s bride had to be a virgin. This was the reason Destaye was given to him at such a young age”. Note that as this picture shows, "a variety of religions are associated with child marriage in countries throughout the world". 

Oftentimes, when members of the anti-early marriage global public hear of the atrocities associated with the practice such as death during childbirth, higher risks of contracting HIV, and domestic violence, we wonder why so many parents willingly marry their young girls to significantly older men. As it turns out, the issue of early marriage is far more involved than it may seem at first glance. For example, loving parents want to protect their young girls from possible rape by wedding them early, for they live in a society where loss of virginity before marriage renders a young women an outcast. Hear more of what Cynthia Gorney has to say about the complications of combatting child marriage practices in India below at [13:58]: 

[Video Source]: “Photographer Stephanie Sinclair and writer Cynthia Gorney investigate the world of prearranged child marriage, where girls as young as five are forced to wed.”

[ulysseancelerhe315]

Warner - Publics & Counterpublics

I feel like this mindmap is shorter than the others I saw, but I do not know what else to add.

[mandacondaa]

Publics and Counterpublics by Michael Warner