1. Representing Others in Visual Rhetoric 1105 Scanlon Fall 2009

2. Refresher:  Visual Arguments: inform (increase awareness)inform (increase awareness) convince (persuade)convince (persuade) explore (challenge pre-conceived notions)explore (challenge pre-conceived notions) make decisions (call for action)make decisions (call for action) talk about the past, present, or futuretalk about the past, present, or future Everything’s An Argument, Lunsford. p.p. 9-20

3. Advertising: The Optimist View  Theorists Horkheimer & Adorno: “Advertising is [the culture industry’s] elixir of life….In a competitive society, advertising performed the social service of informing the buyer about the market; it made choice easier and helped the unknown but more efficient supplier to dispose of his goods. Far from costing time, it saved it….” (162).

4.  “The triumph of advertising in the culture industry is that consumers feel compelled to buy and use its products even though they see through them” (167). Advertising: The Pessimist View

5. Let’s take a vote:  Does advertising inform us about the choices we make or does it force us to conform? 0 Optimists 0 Pessimists

6. Branding or Stereotyping?  “Marked differentiations such as those of A and B films, or of stories in magazines in different price ranges, depend not so much on subject matter as on classifying, organizing, and labeling consumers” (123).  “The standard of life enjoyed corresponds very closely to the degree to which classes and individuals are essentially bound up within the system” (150).

7. Media Stereotypes  Microsoft vs. Apple http://bradley.chattablogs.com/archives/2007/05/

8.  “Back to School” sales Media Stereotypes http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=otm0ld&s=3

9. Media Stereotypes  Band-aids http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html

10. Media Stereotypes  Abercrombie & Fitch http://flowtv.org/?p=3923

11. Media Stereotyping  Land Rover Picturing Texts, Faigley et al., p.p. 32

12. Media Stereotyping  Bratz http://www.mothertalkers.com/tag/Barbies

13. Watch these clips…

14. Now complete your own analysis on any one of the clips:  What people or groups are represented, and how?  How are people represented visually? What might those people think of the way they are represented?  How are people represented verbally? How are they described or quoted?  Does the text overgeneralize or in any way suggest a stereotype? Is this intentional? If so—for what purpose?  What purpose does the text have?  Who is the intended audience? Who might like and appreciate this? Who might dislike it?  What is the point of view? Critical? Sympathetic? Ironic? Something else? What cultural or historical factors might account for the point of view?

15. Your own Products  Choose one product from your personal inventory that you believe demonstrates media stereotyping  Write your own vignette  Keep media stereotypes in mind, but remember to describe and show, not react and tell

16. Fighting Stereotypes  Blogs Blogs  The Music Video The Music Video The Music Video  Television & Music Television & Music Television & Music