A Different Way of Looking at Things

One thing that I have learned over my lifetime, is that there are many different ways to look at the same thing. One person may see one thing in a few different ways. Different people may look at the same thing different ways. The end result of this could either be a broad range of perspectives resulting in the development of new knowledge or conflict amongst those with differing views. In the 2008 film, Vantage Point, this concept is seen perfectly. According to the text, "point of view can thus encourage the audience to react in one way or another to the same kind of events" (Brummett, 171). The film is set in Spain, where a controversial president is delivering a speech at some type of parade. The president is then shot and assassinated by an unknown assailant. The rest of the film is chronicling the events leading up to, during and after the assassination as seen through the eyes of various people who were in attendance and as viewers later find out, in some way involved in the situation. On of the perspectives was that of a member of a secret service like security officer, one is of a media reporter who was in the film room at the time that the event was being recorded and televised live for the world, and one was that of a citizen attending the rally who happened to be using a video camera to capture the event, along with many others. As the story progresses and the truth is revealed, we find that each one of these characters has their own motives and motivations for doing what they did. Although they are witnessing and experiencing the same event, each one of their points of view tells a unique story.


 Reference List
Brummett, B. (2011). Rhetoric in popular culture. (Third ed.). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE
Publications, Inc.

Inverted Racism

"Crabs in a Barrel" is a common term used in the black community. It took me getting older to really understand what it means. It has come to mean the tendency of African Americans to pull each other down when they see them doing well, instead of lifting one another up. Many people, both in and out of the black community, see that inability to come together as a race as one of the major downfalls. The idea of hegemony helps support this idea that one group of people "may participate in their own oppression" and therefore ultimately be their own downfall. Racism typically means pitting one race against another, but in this instance, it sees one race pitted against themselves. When a group has turned inward against themselves, the end is near. African Americans have shown a lack of racial harmony over the years in various ways. There is this idea of lighter skin and darker skin somehow being different, there is a lot of black on black crime, and there is a lot of self degradation in using things such as the 'n' word and the mistreatment of women. The worst part is that not only have African Americans become a part of their own disenfranchisement, they have come to accept this as the norm. Women believe that they are meant to be single mothers, men believe that selling drugs is the best way to support their family, and children believe that the way to become successful is to become a rapper. Breaking out of this mentality is the key to advancement as a race.


 Reference List
Brummett, B. (2011). Rhetoric in popular culture. (Third ed.). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE
Publications, Inc.

The Horror Film Genre

During the horror film craze of the 1960s, 1970s, and the 1980s, you couldn't tell moviegoers that there was anything scarier on the planet. From hockey mask wearing Jason Voorhees to butcher knife wielding Michael Myers to scissor-knife fingered Freddy Krueger, terror reigned in the hearts of viewers everywhere. As frightening as they were, times have changed. In today's generation, we have so much blood, gore and realistic effects, that it's almost overwhelming. Looking back, on all those original horror movies that I used to watch, they seem very dull compared to the extravagance of today's films. By dull, I mean kind of cheesy and predictable. All three killers, although they use different modes of killing, they all seem to follow the same pattern. They are all male and their targets are usually almost always female. It seemed as if all the directors wanted to play up the fact that the killers had the advantage. Whether the women was being physically overpowered by the killer or intellectually outsmarted by him, she was made to look foolish in a sense. Whether they had to run to the sheriff or another male figure in the film, it seemed as if they could never come out victorious on their own. Even with male aide, it seemed as if the killer still had the upper hand. This shows 2 ideas from the book: both feminism and generic expectations. "Feminist critics note the heavy imbalance of leading characters and heroes in film and television, in which most of the strong characters are male" (Brummett, 2011). Generic expectations are fulfilled in a variety of scenarios, like when the music builds and someone jumps from behind a closet, when the helpless female victim falls and breaks her leg trying to escape the killers' grasp or when the killer seemingly dies at the end of the film, only to not really be dead.

 Reference List

Brummett, B. (2011). Rhetoric in popular culture. (Third ed.). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE
Publications, Inc.

The Barack Obama Presidency: The Power of Words

It's no secret that the campaign of the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, was both historical and controversial. He is the 1st African-American president, he inspired the youth to show up at the polls in record numbers, he inspired the nation with his theme of "change". Most critics note that a major positive on his part was his ability to speak and well. The textbook refers to this ability as "orality". Orality can be described as "the power of the spoken word, the belief that all power is ultimately that of oral communication" (Brummett, 2011). Using his words, he was able to inspire a nation that some would consider down on patriotic pride. "Spoken word creates an immediate bond between speaker and listener" (Brummett, 2011). Many critics argued that he used his speech to overshadow the areas in which he lacked, but it is almost undeniable that he is an eloquent, persuasive and powerful speaker. As far as culturally, he used speech to bring together people from all different demographics. While both his opponents, John McCain and Mitt Romney had supporters who seemed to all be uniform in lifestyle (white, middle-aged, affluent, etc.), Obama had supporters who ranged in age, differed in race and came from various different socio-economic backgrounds. He tailored his speech and chose his words to apply to all different types of people and that made him stand out. His use of words possibly swayed a lot of people to vote in his direction in both his 1st campaign and his bid for re-election. He is the perfect example of how much power rhetoric has and how much of a difference it can make not only in the life of one man and his family, but to the world.

 Reference List

Brummett, B. (2011). Rhetoric in popular culture. (Third ed., p. 152). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE
Publications, Inc.