Advertising, Happiness, and the End of the World - Blog Post #1

Maile Danilchik

9/27/17

IB Language and Literature

Blog Post #1 - Advertising, Happiness, and The End of the World

"Dove Evolution." Youtube, uploaded by Zephoria, Oct. 2005, www.youtube.com/ 

     watch?v=hibyAJOSW8U. Accessed 27 Sept. 2017. 

"Dove Onslaught." Youtube, uploaded by Tim Piper, 2 Oct. 2007, www.youtube.com/ 

     watch?v=Ei6JvK0W60I. Accessed 27 Sept. 2017.

"Dove Onslaught(er)." Youtube, uploaded by GreenpeaceVideo, 21 Apr. 2008, 

     www.youtube.com/watch?v=odI7pQFyjso. Accessed 27 Sept. 2017. 

Part I:

           I am Maile and I currently attend West Sound Academy. I am a junior this year meaning that this is my first year of the International Baccalaureate Program. For IB Language and Literature I am studying journalism, advertising, and the role of media literacy in today’s society. My personal experiences with media are not expansive since I do not have many social media accounts but I encounter online news and other offline forms of media such as televised or printed forms. In fact, I believe I come in contact with everyday media more than I recognize because of its abundance within our modern day society. Whether it is on television, or on billboards on the streets, media is all around us and we are constantly being barraged by its subliminal messages even though we may not consciously acknowledge its presence. Media in my life plays different roles, the most pertinent being online, since the internet is the most abundant source. I try my best to not spend more time than necessary on the internet but nonetheless I still encounter advertisements, news, and more. The media I see or hear has more of an effect on what I may purchase but not my view points or other aspects of my life. I think our environment has a huge role in how our ideas are shaped and with media being part of our modern environment it is near impossible not to be affected by it. I use technology such as my computer or phone everyday but mostly for homework or communication. I appreciate spending time outside of the screen and enjoying the outside world.

Part II:

           The four big ideas in media regard the message or the meaning the different forms of media are trying to convey to their audience. The first theme in media is how messages are constructed. This includes the way a newspaper front cover is laid out, the soundtrack in a commercial, or the colors used in advertising. All forms of media are created to best and most effectively convey their message to the viewer. Within the context of the Dove commercials I think the use of time-lapse or fast moving frames and the increasingly intense music creates a sense of chaos that could be applied to urgency felt by Dove to spread their message of self-acceptance amidst the negativity or unobtainable beauty standards within the industry that are projected onto our society. 

          The second main idea in media literacy is that media significance is the representation of the world. I think this speaks true to the Dove commercials because of how they highlight the existing beauty industry and how the messages about beauty standards are conveyed in our present day society. I think the first and second commercial, “Evolution” and “Onslaught” speak to this idea more than the third because it portrays the experiences witnessed by everyday people and demonstrate how we as passerby are more deeply impacted than we realize. The second video, “Onslaught” depicts a young girl, a sort of “every girl” representation to universalize the negative effects of the beauty industry on people and consequently, society. 

          The third theme of media is that messages have economic and political purposes and contexts. This rings true for all of the commercials, the first two being political about the message of self acceptance and economic about promoting the Dove brand (which in doing so advertises their products with the Dove name). These first two films could be seen politically through connecting their message with a common theme in feminist movements and other groups promoting positive self-image. The third commercial, “Onslaught(er)” is less economically driven but more politically charged. Greenpeace, an environment destruction prevention group, used an identical template as Dove did in its films but with a twist against Dove. Instead it is about how palm oil in skincare products, specifically Dove’s, is decimating forests in Indonesia and killing the animals and other members of the ecosystem in which the trees are a keystone element. This was extremely political, not only talking about international environmental issues but also mocking Dove’s advertisement and consequently the message of feminism employed by the Dove foundation even if they were not directly targeting Dove’s statement.

          The fourth and final message in media is that individuals create meaning in media messages through interpretation. This is a universal statement that is applicable to every form of media. Within context to Dove, people can either be supportive or in disagreement with the message in the film. This can also be said for the Greenpeace video except there is also an element of how people may interpret the way the organization mimicked Dove’s commercial layout and mocked the Dove name and message. Similarly, people can decipher the meaning of one commercial as more pertinent or important than one depending on whether the viewer places more gravity on the mental health of our younger generations or on the fragile environmental statues of our planet and how our industries affect it. 

The Islamic Faith

Maile Danilchik

3/13/17

10th Grade World Literature

Islamic Religion

The Islamic faith is a branch among three main religions that compose the Abrahamic faiths. The other two belief systems are Christianity and Judaism. Before I learned more about the origins and core doctrines, I knew that Islam was an Abrahamic religion, but I did not know how similar the perceived origins were to Christianity. I did not know that Adam and Prophet Noah were common themes in both religions. I was interested to see that Eve is not mentioned as an important aspect of Islamic faith, which I also did not know. I previously knew that Prophet Muhammad was very central to the Islamic faith, but I learned that he was the progeny of Prophet Abraham, whose name I assume inspired the title of Abrahamic Faiths. I did not know that the name “Islam” is derived from “Salam” which means peace in Arabic. Therefore Islam is considered the religion of piece. I feel that there is a negative connotation related to the Islamic faith that can be applied by present-day media in our area of the world. I think it is important to understand the history and origins of the Islamic faith before choosing to think of it a certain way. I do not practice the Islamic religion or have much experience with the religion, but after learning more about it I believe it is a fascinating belief system, and I am interested in learning more about it.

Cry, the Beloved Country Observations #4

Maile Danilchik

2/9/17

World Literature 10th

Cry, the Beloved Country Paragraph Assignment #4

Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. New York, Scribner, 2003.

   It was believed throughout the native African community in Ndotsheni that “the white man” has broken the tribe. Many think that a broken tribal system contributed to native crime rates to spike and racial injustice. In Cry, the Beloved Country, the prosperous, busy city of Johannesburg serves as the white man’s town, and Ndotsheni in the poor countryside is the place of the tribe. Apartheid kept the two communities apart legally, but there was a political dynamic between the two locations. For instance, the crimes Absalom Kumalo committed in Johannesburg were said to be “the disastrous effect of a great and wicked city on the character of a simple tribal boy.” (Paton, 233). Johannesburg was the location of where many African youths wanted to go, but instead of gaining prosperity they get either are corrupted by the city or led down a path of crime.

In Ndotsheni, the black community seems to be reliant on white men to survive, Kumalo is aware of the dependency Ndotsheni has on white people, “Where would we be without all that this white man has done for us?” (Paton, 301). In many instances, favors done by a white person for a black person was seen as a rare miracle, and white reformers were idolized. However, the young demonstrator who comes to aid the African people of Ndotsheni explains that “it was the white man who gave [Africans] so little land, it was the white man who took us away from the land to go to work...Therefore what this good white man does is only a repayment.” (Paton, 302). The white man was said to destroy the tribe and cause racial divides; therefore the demonstrator believed that every good deed a white man did for the African community should not be viewed as a random act of kindness but something that is necessary to justify the past.

Cry, the Beloved Country Observations #3

Maile Danilchik

2/3/17

World Literature 10th

Cry, the Beloved Country Paragraph Assignment #3

Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. New York, Scribner, 2003.

     The two most significant communities that were engaged in the racial tensions were the African natives, referred to as “the tribal system” and white people, or Afrikaners. Arthur Jarvis, a white reformer for the black community, wrote about the politics of the issue before his murder. Many at the time thought that natives were inherently criminalistic, but Jarvis argues that “The old tribal system was, for all its violence and savagery, for all its superstition and witchcraft, a moral system. [The] natives today produce criminals and prostitutes and drunkards, not because it is their nature to do so, but because their simple system...has been destroyed.” (Paton, 179). This was a common belief expressed by Msimangu and Jarvis that it was not the tribe’s fault that Native adolescents were getting into trouble, but because the white men had ruined the tribal system and caused “the disintegration of native community.” (Paton, 178). Jarvis had also supported apartheid to “preserve the tribal system by a policy of segregation…” (Paton, 179) but was dismayed at the inequality of segregation when “[South Africa] set aside one-tenth of the land for four-fifths of the people.” (Paton, 179).

    The politics of South Africa was closely tied to the church, and many equated the word of God with the law. Many believe that South Africa was a Christian society due to its close connections to faith. However, Jarvis wonders how God was connected to racial circumstances in South Africa. To him, it seems that “[God] gives the Divine Approval to any human action that is designed to keep black men from advancement…[and] He blesses any action that is designed to prevent black men from the full employment of the gifts He gave them.” (Paton, 187). Jarvis is confused why “God becomes [an] inconsistent creature, giving gifts [to blacks] and denying them employment.” (Paton, 187). This is most likely a reference to the politics of segregation and the motto of “separate but equal”, yet the irony is in the fact that whites and blacks were separated but not treated equally. Jarvis concludes that “[South Africa] is not Christian; it is a tragic compound of great ideal and fearful practice, of high assurance and desperate anxiety, of loving charity and fearful clutching of possessions...” (Paton, 188) and that such injustice of racism would not exist in a Christian society that followed the covenants of God.

Cry, the Beloved Country Observation #2

Maile Danilchik

1/28/17

World Literature 10th Grade

Cry, The Beloved Country Paragraph Assignment #2

Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. New York, Scribner, 2003.

 

    Before apartheid was officially enforced in South Africa (1948), there was still a psychological and socio-economic barrier between black Africans and white Afrikaners living there. Job, housing, and economic discrimination led to a growing gap between white people who could afford to live and prosper in cities such as Johannesburg and black people who were denied an equal chance at successful jobs had to establish shanty towns and other low-income housing. Some Africans were desperate enough to look towards theft to support their families and themselves. Therefore, the stereotype put on shanty towns and African communities of crime was created, resembling that of ghettos and crime in the United States. The connection that some white Afrikaners failed to make was that crime was not in the DNA of the black Africans, it was a condition imposed by their environment and financial disadvantages due to an unfair economy.

   In Cry, the Beloved Country, the politics of this socio-economic imbalance and the perspectives of white South Africans who did not make the key connection between economic inequality and crime is portrayed through a council meeting. Council members agree that “[they] shall always have native crime to fear until the native people of [South Africa] have worthy purposes…” (Paton, 107), illustrating the assumption made about the African native demographic that many white Afrikaners made, believing that the native black people did not have a purpose in their town. Essentially, some white Afrikaners thought that the black Africans were an inconvenience or an obstacle, not a group of people. The council also mentions how African natives could not afford the proper education for their children, leading to one council member to question whether “more schooling simply means cleverer [native] criminals.” (Paton, 107). I think that this question brought up by the council shows the mindset and belief that black Africans showed inherently criminal tendencies, once again not making the connection as mentioned earlier. These political differences and socio-economic divides were the roots of apartheid since the population was already split by race and economic separation.

Cry, the Beloved Country Observations

Maile Danilchik

1/22/17

10th Grade World Literature

Cry, The Beloved Country Paragraph Assignment #1

Paton, Alan. Cry, the Beloved Country. New York, Scribner, 2003.

   Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton is a novel placed in South Africa during the time of apartheid, meaning segregation. South Africa’s long history of being occupied by different European settlers had created a racially diverse population and many racial controversies to unfold in following years. The domestic disputes between white Afrikaners and black Africans were similar to white Americans and Native Americans in the United States, with a foreign group placing power over the existing people. The politics of those events were illustrated in Alan Paton’s novel through the eyes of the protagonist Reverend Stephen Kumalo. Kumalo is an older Zulu man whose family has been abandoning the countryside where he resides for the nearest westernized city of Johannesburg for the promise of prosperity in its gold mines. He receives a letter from his friend asking Kumalo to come quickly to Johannesburg because his sister is sick. Once he arrives in Johannesburg, he has a dinner with fellow religious leaders and their dinner discussion narrated the how the racial divisions of South Africa affected everyday life.

At the table “they talked of young criminal children, and older more dangerous criminals, of how white Johannesburg was afraid of black crime.” (Paton, 52)  Newspaper headlines had announced black on white crimes in Johannesburg that were spreading fear of black people through white communities. Kumalo questioned why it seemed African youths were committing crimes against white people, and his friend explained “White man has broken the tribe...But the house that is broken, and the man that falls apart when the house is broken, these are tragic things. That is why children break the law, and old white people are robbed and beaten.” (Paton, 56) Kumalo’s friend is referencing the Boer-Zulu War in which Europeans took over native Zulu tribes in South Africa, and that perhaps the African descendants of these people were trying to create justice. I think that the crime depicted in Cry, the Beloved Country is a significant aspect of the politics in South Africa, showing how apartheid had negatively impacted domestic race relations.

Essay Question Examples for Macbeth - 10th Grade World Literature

Maile Danilchik

10th Grade World Literature

10/31/14

Essay Questions

1. Ambition is defined as “a strong desire for power and honor”, how is ambition a positive theme in Macbeth and when can it be negative?

2. How does fear connect to conscience in Macbeth

3. Appearance v. Reality is a factor in Duncan’s murder, can you think of any smaller scale examples of this theme in real life? Ex. After receiving an unwanted gift, you act polite but later you give it to someone else.

4. How can the theme of betrayal connect to Appearance v. Reality?