TOW #3 - Why I Let My 8-Year-Old Use Swear Words

     This article's uncensored title (in contrast to the one on TIME.com) was "I Let My 8-Year-Old Drop F-Bombs - And So Should Every Other Parent." It gives a pretty clear picture of the ideas to follow: the author has written this article to convince other parents that his controversial decision is a good one.

     Published late this summer, Tom Burns wrote the article after struggling with his daughter through some tough times. Burns is a respectable author, considering his writing has been featured by names such as TIME and the Huffington Post, and still the best ethos for this article comes from his experience as a parent. So he establishes ethos with vivid storytelling that also appeals to pathos.

     The article starts, "My 8-year-old kid has had a rough year. She's struggled with anxiety, school, friend drama, and her first experiences with orthodontia. Third grade has been much, much crueler than expected" (1). Immediately, the reader feels sympathy for both the parent and child. Then Burns juxtaposes that gloomy introduction with a shocking statement: "to instantly cheer her mood… I let her say "f---" occasionally" (2). Burns knows this isn't the norm of parenting; he knows that the whole article is rather provocative, so he goes full steam ahead and bluntly states the main point. His directness is effective because each point cuts straight to the reader.

     He also addresses the obvious counterarguments to letting a child swear: "I’m not giving her license to use those words to hurt other people. I’m letting her use those funny little taboo curses to express hurt, fear, and frustration in a way that hurts no one, in a way that makes her feel special" (29-30). His logic works well. Though I still don't completely agree with him, but I certainly respect his thoughtfulness in being a parent.

     Although the article's simplest purpose was to convince parents that letting kids swear is a way of "commiserating," it goes beyond that. Burns challenges parents to think deeper into the intentions and effects of each action by a parent or child. He turns what could have been a superficial, touchy topic into a thought-provoking investigation into parenting.

TOW #2 - Unmatched

     A few days into the 2015 U.S. Open, a set of Gatorade commercials were released featuring star tennis player Serena Williams. The lead video, titled "Unmatched," is based around a short clip of Williams as a young girl. At the start of the commercial, a young Serena is asked, "If you were a tennis player, who would you want to be like?" The video then transitions into her professional career, featuring clips of major victories and struggles, portraying her as a history-maker. The video concludes with Serena's response, "Well, I'd like other people to be like me," before fading to a black screen with the Gatorade logo and the tagline "Win from Within."

     The ad, timed with the media attention of the U.S. Open, gives publicity to both parties. Gatorade gets support from the best women's singles player in the nation (and at times in the world), and Williams gets some nice airtime with another crucial tournament. Most simply, the ad promotes Gatorade's sales and Williams' name - with that, the audience is athletes and athletics-admirers everywhere.

     However, it goes further into the promotion of a mindset built for success, an idea of self-driven perseverance. The main clip implies that Williams' ambition and determination, even as a young child, is what ultimately got her to where she is now. Showing Williams as grounded - with struggles, hopes, and victories - appeals to an unlimited audience. Perhaps, it's most aimed towards the younger ages, encouraging a fearlessness to go after what they want. In doing so, both parties build their reputations: Williams as a role model and Gatorade as a company that cares about its athletes.

     Ethos is immediately established by the fame of both Williams and Gatorade, logos by the use of Serena Williams' expertise to bring viewers to support Gatorade. An appeal to pathos is created by dynamic storytelling. We see Williams go through the best and worst of emotions. We see her as a confident young girl who isn't afraid to dream big. We see her as a successful professional athlete, passing on the wisdom she has gained over the years. The commercial is one minute of drama and realism that effectively fulfills both parties' purposes.

IRB Intro Post #1

My first book will be "Just Kids," a memoir by Patti Smith. I was initially drawn to this book because of its subject - romantic, dreamy, and edgy all at the same time. After I flipped through a few options, I chose "Just Kids" because it seemed the most appropriate - written well and fairly challenging, but less daunting than the brain-busting scientific jargon of option B and the textbook-sized option C. I'm excited to go on this journey with intriguing main characters and an unfamiliar backdrop.

TOW #1 - The Great Unease

     Roger Cohen is currently a writer for the New York Times, though he spent many years working and travelling through Europe and the Middle East. His real-life experiences in conflict zones - and his works on war and conflict - likely helped build the perspective he shares in this article.

     Cohen explains how society's obsessive materialism leads to a general "unease" and unhappiness that should not be in our lives. In making his argument, the main analogy used is that of the airport, which he compares to a "jewelry [store]. After the Sapphire members boarded came the Ruby members and then the Diamond folk followed by the Platinum people" (3). Cohen uses polysyndeton to emphasize the utter ridiculousness that comes from a concept of material "success."

     Cohen also uses antithesis to show the confusion created by such a world. He writes, "They have access to everything and certainty about nothing" (1). Cohen emphasizes how with so many options, people no longer know what is supposed to be the best. He describes a scene in which people ran "helter-skelter between 'fast-track' and ordinary track, seemingly unable to establish which was moving faster, tormented by the thought that they might somehow be losing out" (6). The imagery concretizes the idea of unease, shown by Cohen to stem from a fear of losing one's status and material wealth.

     From there, he develops the counterargument: material gain isn't nearly as fulfulling as emotional and spiritual growth. Once you stop worrying so much about losing a few spare minutes or dollars, you suddenly have more time and resources for others - "for acts of spontaneous generosity, for surprise visits, for being sidetracked, for idle conversation, for the gestures that forge community" (8). He lists these actions (enumeratio) to emphasize their importance, so often overlooked.

     The article is aimed towards everyone, though most simply the usual readers of the NY Times Op-Ed column. From those who guiltily recognize themselves as the airport-dashers to those who pride themselves on rejecting all things materialistic, the author manages to provide each reader with a take-away. The author accomplished his purpose, even if not to convince a reader of a life transformation but just to consider stepping back to think.