Stereotypes

Do you think that advertisers have a moral duty to avoid stereotyping people?

Personally, I think people have the freedom to promote, advertise, and endorse their product however they feel like necessary. Maybe the product itself is for a specific audience and the producers want to advertise their products so that it will appeal to the audience that it desires. 

This will also depend on the medium that the company chooses to advertise its audience. The reason why they might choose different mediums is to appeal to their audience who use the platform. For example, Video Sharing Sites (YouTube, Vimeo), and Social Media Sites (Facebook, Twitter). If people decide to advertise their product on YouTube and Facebook, who’s audience are older millennials who won’t have an easily offended audience, then there won’t be numerous complaints about offensive content. However, if the company decides to promote their product on TV, which people viewing TV can’t decide what is televised and broadcasted to them, then they will probably get many criticisms about offensive content being aired publically taking in the audience.

People can also be offended very easily as well. Many people may have had either experienced the situation before hand, or are just people are offended easily. This can cause protests against the product and could lower the reputation of the company.

Print Ad

In class, we have been assigned a print advertisement. This blog post is going to be an analysis of the print advertisement.

The ad focuses mostly on the cultural context. Mostly tradition. In the ad, the woman is wearing a wedding gown and is tying the shoe laces of her converse shoes. This usually isn't worn in a traditional wedding. Usually the bride wears and expensive, or white heels, traditionally. But this is meant to go against tradition. Beside the subject (the bride), there is a text that reads "Never Follow". This is linked with the shoe. The shoes are meant to symbolize the subject not following the tradition.  The shoes she is wearing are mostly cheap and are more casual. they shouldn’t be worn in a special occasion, especially a wedding where people, especially in western societies, take it very seriously. Also, the setting of the ad is very odd for a marriage to take palace and for her to be fitting her wedding costume on a set of stairs. The word play of the company also can play in to the ad. Hour Choice is the name of the company and sounds like Our Choice. This can also connect with the rebel side of the viewer and be inclined to wear the watch because of what it symbolizes and the ideology it possesses.

Historically, in this generation especially, people have done this type of thing before. Being wed in an “extravagant” place. Some people mix nature in their wedding by being married in a forest. This could be because people are to insecure about the fact that people try to be the same and the traditional marriage occasion is set. People try to stand out in the crowd and be special. Or the feel like the experience would be more enjoyable if they express their emotions on their special day.

This could also be a movement if seen general. One of the biggest issues that people face is the choice of conformity. Most of our subjects that we take in classes are focused on the topic and/or concept of conformity. This could make people break traditions and make their own ideologies and not to follow society norms and make their own rules. This again could make people more inclined to buy the product because of what it symbolizes.

Pitch Reflection

What main appeals did you use in your pitch? Why did you decide they would be the most effective?

We were aprehended by a company to create a a advert for their product, a high sugar energy drink. The first appeal that was used, was the fear appeal. This was used to denote the strength of the drink in a way. It was used in situations like try to finish a meager or somber task, or trying to complete an asessment, or reach career/work objectives/goals, but sleep is getting the best of you. If youd rink the energy drink, the unbidden sleep will disapear in a mattter of seconds. Another one was the bandwagon appeal, to be apart of the group. We could have a hip-hop/RnB star to be at the studio without the energy to record a verse.But once he consumes the drink, he feels the energy rushing through his body and makes him feel alive. Snce it was a healthy drink that has a better taste than most caffinated drinks and coffee, we also appealed to the logical side of things. Since it is healthier than most drinks, people will more likely be obligated to buy the drink since it won't damage their health, and since it tastes better than most drinks, they could also have a positive association with the product since it tastes good and it is healthy. 

What were some specific persuasive techniques you used (include examples) why did you believe these would be effective?

The most persuasive techniques was the way we presented our appeals. We already had an upper hand by making a healthy energy drink in a market where not only is it an obese market, but a heavy energy drink use market. So having an efficient healthy good-tasting energy drink made it easier. We also tried to explain in detail while being consise enough not to bore the audience and make them interested. This would make them have more information rather than broing the audience. 

How did an awareness of audience and context influence your overall approach to this activity?

It would be in specific places. For example, it efected where we would advertsie the product because since we wanted to appeal to the 18-25 year old audience. We had planned to use youtube, facebook and other social media mediums in order to advertise the product. Our appeals where also change. in order to use the bandwagon appeal effectivley we would have to use celebrities that are very relevant and have a huge following. it affected our fear and logic appeals as weel. In order to appeal to fear we would have to use young people in our advertisement and school juniors/seniors in order to appeal to the worry of failure. And as for our logic, we had to make sure that we had to market the heathy a lot since it is a very relevant topic and is very wiley know to use healthy, organic products

Letter to the Editor

To,
The Editor
The Daily Mail
25 North 10th Street
NY, 2510
USA

Subject: Twtr? It's majorly bad! Leading headteacher condemns 'text speak' for eroding schoolchildren's language skills

I do agree that social network does have an effect on our generation, and we are the first generation that has been present in the advanced technology age. I also do agree that the "text speak" does have an effect on our language, but it is not necessarily a bad effect. You might be correct that social networking does have a bad effect on our health in some ways, but language has actually improved through the time that texting has existed.

Most of the texting audience are adults who use and create abbreviations. And even so, only 10% of text messages around the world are abbreviated. Which not only questions the fact the kids use it during speech but, if anyone uses is it often during speech. I think that texting can actually improve literacy skills. Since conversations skills are used quite a number of times, they can improve and since writing and reading are involved, the skills can become honed. I will not disagree with the fact the pupils do make quite a lot of mistakes in essay writing, but the same complaint can be traced back to 60 A.D. And now, millennials have actually developed their own language through text speak. The Vikings did the same and so did William Shakespeare. They removed unnecessary letters and created words to ease communication.

Although texting can deteriorate health in some ways,   language has not been affected in a way that makes the English of today's pupils' decline. It has improved and has made it easier for children and teenagers to communicate. And has evolved our English (One way or the other)

Yours Sincerely,
Soccer Mom
Pine Heights
06 East 10th Street
NY, 0610
USA

Diary Entries: Kendrick Lamar

October 23rd, 2012

I don't really know how, to begin with these, I guess that's one. My sophomore album just released yesterday, and I don't really know what to expect. I don't if people will see me as just another rapper talking about the hood, or the savior of Hip-Hop. There isn't really much to say about the album, but the results are still pending. I'm a bit overwhelmed by the results and reviews from the first album, but nothing I couldn't take.

October 25th, 2012

So far the album has gotten high reviews, and I can feel the same overwhelmingness that is reminiscent of the first album. But I hope it doesn't get too out of hand. I do feel like there is a trajectory towards its successfulness. I can see how it will affect my reputation as a rapper and I hope it gives me a positive effect on my level as a rapper. Not just another guy who's trying to make money, and talking about topics that create misconceptions towards the artform, but an artist who just wanted to spread a message, not just about the hood, but spread a deeper message through this artform.

March 13th, 2013

I honestly don't understand the amount of props that I am getting from this album. It was unexpected. Pitchfork gave it a 9.5 out of 10. Rolling Stone gave it 4 out of stars 5. Metacritic rated it 91 out of 100. And that's not the reason why I am overwhelming, users had given it a 9 out of 10. Now, they heralding me as the savior of Hip-Hop. That's where I get a bit overwhelmed. It's the fact that they are calling me the voice of my generation, the voice of the voiceless. Now, I feel like their whole influence is based on my movement.


August 18th, 2013

I'm starting to like this is getting to me. I feel like my anxiety towards the albums high level is getting to my emotions. Am I the leader of this generation, is it me who should be wearing the crown. I had already been nominated for rewards and accomplishments, on an international basis. After every interview, I contemplate on my place in the pedestal. Is this my place, 1st place. I remember people telling me and commenting on my potential, usually my label would do so, but I did not agree with so.

February 21st, 2015

It's been a while since I had written on here. I was working my third album "To Pimp A Butterfly". And it actually answers my worries about my place in the game. I remember through my 2-year hiatus, that I contemplated for a reason. I was meant to be here. It was for a reason. I not only had a great following, but is able to spread my message through what is known as an illogical artform. I was a messenger in some ways. I was here to spread the word of God to the yearning ears of teenagers and young adults who listen to my music. I was meant to share my message. I was put here to cast my message through the artform with a diverse audience. And tell stories that have morals which all can relate. And for that, I am proud of myself. 

A Memoir

     As an IB student, especially in Raha, diversity is a huge factor in the school. The more diverse you were, the more experience you were heralded to have. I am a very common type of diverse. Arabic, and English. I can communicate and conversate with both, and I am somewhat from countries that speak both. But I also am a Muslim, which is also very common.
    When I came to Raha, about six years ago, I had arrived from a very undiverse school. It was very common to be Muslim and Arab. It was very uncommon to be otherwise. I remember how odd it was when a Russia girl had come to my class. I remember people were frantically switching gazes from the girl to the classmates, and again. I was uneasy at first but I realized, she's just Russian, I have Russian friends outside of school. But that uneasiness cemented and embedded itself into me and was triggered every time I saw here walking around, like coding.
   Moving schools was overwhelming as it is, now, I had to be able to switch between Arabic and English repeatedly and fluently. I also had to meet people with unpronounceable names and are from countries that I never heard of. I had put myself in a different mindset. The first thing I had to get used to was talking English about 75% of the time. I felt like I was being pushed from my language and forced into a new hive full of bees buzzing English.
   It took me a while to get used to it, but it was kind of an aid to my conversating skills since I was horrible at English. It made me jump out of my comfort zone but, new things usually end in good results, right? That wasn't the case for me.
   Through the years of speaking English, it kind of besmirched Arabic to me. I was learning the complexity of English, learning about adjectives, and predicates, but Arabic became second-hand to me. When I would speak to someone, I would first speak Arabic, and then, if he did not understand me, speak English. Now, I just speak English, and if he doesn't respond, Arabic doesn't even come to mind. and this was very rife.
    I felt like my Arabic lexicon was broken, but it would take acres of work and studying to be able to bring back that part of me. But what was even worse was Arabic went from being basic to being complex in months. I was dropping in my grades, my parents would have a hard time conversating with me and I couldn't communicate the same with my friends. My mother offered to move me down to the lower standard class, but I held up my pride and declined. I regret that decision but, I look back and I am proud of it sometime.
   Arabic is very important to me. It was the language of my people, my nation, my family, and my religion. But whatever I tried, I could not revive that part of me. I felt like a huge portion was missing from me. I was known as the "American" due to my lack of Arabic and having an American passport and the school identifying me as an American. I just had my heart ripped out when I saw it. I try to put these thoughts aside, but it happens really often. When I recite Qur'an, "Reading was good but you have to improve your speech and annunciation".
   I realized now how important Arabic was to me. How a language could change me and I felt like I was forced into a new one. I still try to speak somewhat but to no prevail. I heard a story about a pigeon who was not content with the way he was walking. He wanted to walk like an Eagle, proud and chest forward. So the pigeon tried to walk like the hawk but did not succeed. After a couple of months he forgot how he used to walk, he couldn't go back to it. So he started hoping since it was instinctual. 

Mother Tounge

This blogpost is mostly based on the short story of "Mother Tounge" by Amy Tan. It talks about the authors experience as a Chinese Amrican and the discrimination towards her mother since she doesn't speak the "Standard English". It is a must read.

My ethincity can be mostly spilt up. I can really pick an ethnicity so to speak. What I mean is that I associate myself with Arabs, Muslim, White, and African (through my nationality...Obviously).  But I mostly associate with Arab, since that is the foundation of my history. Now what does this have to do with the titlew of the blog. Well both Arab and Muslims (the two which I associate with the most) both use Arabic as their Mother Tounge. Arabs are very important in terms of history, especially as a Muslim. History is very important in our beleifs and our general culture as Arabs. The Arab culture can be malleable, depending of the country, but the infastructure of the culture is the same.

In the present day, English has dominated the world's common/universal language. This isn't a bad thing, not at all my point, in fact English is a beautifal, sophisticated langauge full of life, and color. But as Arabs, it is a bad thing. The reason why I brought up the Islam in me earlier, is because Arabic is the only lanbguage that Islam uses. But nowadays, people have veered towards the English language so much, that in most places, it is spoken more than the national language. The next Muslim generation (including myself) have to convey that Arabic to the next generation and so on. It is going to be hard when most Muslims don't even speak Arabic anymore.

In my daily life, I dont really see people talking Arabic anymore, Arabic to me is the most beautiful, and is also a very ciommunicative language. The minor differences in speech and writoing can mean two toal different things. Even the writing is considered art. But no piece of poetry can beat the Qur'an, If you are anaware, the Qur'an is the Islam's Holy Book. The writing is elegant and graceful. It cannot be recreated by any person in the world, and that is a prioven fact. People have tried and have not prevailed. But the only catch to reading such beauty and exquisitness, is to have the ability to speak Arabic.

English is a beautiful language, but when you try to translate the Qur'an into English, that symmetry, that artistry becomes absent. It doesn't exist. Arabic is meant to be and stay Arabic.

This blog isn't about Arabic being the unlawfully runner-up, but it talks about my experience with people not communicating to Arabs in their own language. Every language is like a wife/significant other, No matter what, non are as beautiful as yours. I think thats a good way to end it.

A Good Name

My name is very common, yet it’s meaning is very obscure. Its pronunciation is altered from the name.

The meaning itself is high. Not high in length but high in nobility, dignity, poise, or any other adjectives you can add onto it. It just means high in self-value/importance. I don’t really find a connection or relate to the meaning. But usually in my country, which is Egypt, spell it differently. Instead of spelling it with an I, it is spelled with a Y. It isn’t a vexatious because it is only one letter and it is spelled only one way in Arabic.  It is also the names of one of the important characters in Islam. He was the cousin of the messenger, Muhammed, my peace be upon him. He then took the place of the messenger. The prefix of the name was called Khalifa, the successor. Not only did his name become kind of an onomatopoeia, he also started his own branch of Islam.

Now, my last name is disputable. It is Abousen. It is a very weird combination of names. I had asked my parents about its origin. So what was stated to me was surprising yet is logically sound. My ancestors were from Sudan, which is right below my nation, Egypt. Abou-Sen means father of teeth (Abou means father and Sen means teeth). My ancestors where business men, more specifically, they were merchants/traders. They would sell what was very expensive at the time and still is quite costly, ivory. They would sell the elephant tusks, which were also nicknamed as elephant teeth. So my ancestors were also nicknamed as the father of tooth.

My first name was more cultural, but my last name is also cultural and is developed through the time, which I find very interesting.