The skeleton of my essay
Unspun in a world of disinformation, chapter four exposes a political advertisement trap known as the “Pictures in our heads”. The authors, Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Jamieson reveal to us that “deceivers are aware of the human tendency to think in terms of stereotypes, and they exploit it”. (72) Video campaign advertisements are used by deceivers to persuade the audience to vote for their candidate by way of structural features, aspects beyond verbal content.
An extremely critical element that is placed with in campaign commercials is candidate mythologies. These are pictures of the candidate shown in different situations. If the candidate is shown with an audience clapping for him or shaking someone ones’ hand, viewers are misguided to believe that the candidate is a hero. The candidate could also be depicted as a father figure when shown supporting child aid laws, or as a friend to the public surrounded be smiling civilians.
Video ads can also create a center of appeal provoking emotion within the viewer. Positive appeal can be given with feeling of great patriotism and communicable pride. Appeal though can also be used to play upon the viewers fears. Scenes of war, crime, or the need for better education leave the viewer with an idea of unsuitability when describing an opponent.
Clothing can also make or break a candidate. An expensive suit and tie portrays authority and executive power. Where as short sleeves represent hard work and an understanding of civilian life.
The stereotypes implanted with in our cerebral cortex, through properly devised video advertising, subject our opinions to change. How we feel about a candidate is molded by the pictures seen and the stereotypes they create, through a candidates’ clothing, visual appeals, and/or candidate mythologies. If we learn to decipher these ads we can avoid being “spun” by their structural features.
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to lauren
Lauren,
The skeleton seems like to has some workable qualities in the way it's going to build on the chosen passage. Be sure to provide some lead-in to the particular video, naming the video, and making it clear why it matters that we look at the "non-verbal" cues in the video so we can fully, or more fully, understand what it's getting at.
At this point, there's not much more I can say without the particular video being worked in. The paragrahs make ti clear what savvy voter point will be touched on, which is good. The explanation as to why they matter seems to work, but again, without the flesh on the bones, it's hard to say.
One point to keep in mind is that when discussing the appeals as they do in the savvy voter guide, these are logical fallacies. If I appeal to your fear, it's because logic won't work. The same as if I appeal to your vanity, your patriotism, your greed, your sense of normalcy and so on. Appeals of this sort are used when logical appeals, good reasons, are failing or absent. Keep that in mind as you work on that point. It's not always a bad thing, such appeals, but they are almost always a sign that there is no logical reasoning supporting a claim.
Bradley
Just add the political ad video and you are set.
Introduction: You stated the authors, title of book, used a direct quote from the text, and presented an idea from chapter four that you used as your "springboard".
Essay Focus, Thesis, or Main Point: Thesis is good and provides direction on where the rest of the essay is headed.
Conclusion: Well-written and ties in nicely with the introduction. As Bradley mentioned, "The conclusion is your last chance to get the reader to see things your way...", so find a way to make the reader really care about the deception surrounding politics.
Development of Ideas and/or Experience: The body paragraphs support the claims in the thesis, but you are supposed to include a political ad that you then dissect using the Savvy Voter criteria.
Organization/Structure/Paragraphing: Paragraphs flow well from one to the next and more information will fill the body paragraphs once you include the video.
Adequacy of Response to Assignment: Everything's good just add the video. Overall, great start to essay two!
Kellys Response to Skeleton
Introduction: Don't see a clear thesis at this point.
Essay Focus: Since the thesis is not real clear at this point it is hard to find the focus of the essay.
Development of Ideas and/or Experiences: I see that you have found an item from chapter 4 to evaluate, I see that you have connected it to the ideas of the dissecting and ad, however, I did not find any specific reference to the ad you were dissecting in light of the instructions for this assignment.
Organization: Could use work on this.
Wording/ structure/conventions: This part is pretty good.
Adequacy of Response to Assignment: This is definitely a skeleton of an essay.
Appropriateness of Topic: Topic is appropriate.
Kelly
Introduction: Starts out
Introduction:
Starts out really well.
Essay Focus, Thesis or Main point:
Seems to have a main point that you can jump from.
Adequacy of response to assignment:
I can't seem to find the video you were dissecting. It seems you just wrote about the book, and the savvy article. We are supposed to find a specific political ad and dissect is using the format you just wrote about.