Blog Post Four: Advertisers

I have always been incredibly interested in advertising. I find advertisers' ability to manipulate, persuade, and encourage consumers to buy or behave in certain ways incredibly fascinating. Little do we understand as a society just how big an impact advertising really has on our lives and thoughts. Ads and media play are gigantic part in gender roles. For example if a strong, good-looking man is posed with some type of soap or wearing some particular hat, from that moment on other males will admire those products because they might be fooled into believing that using that soap or wearing that hat makes them more of a man.

I understand that some people consider themselves people who can ignore advertisements and all their effects. But in truth the more I have studied advertising, the more I am convinced that no one can really go unaffected by advertisements. This is because advertisements understand how to appeal to one’s desires, something that we as people cannot always control. By appealing to our wants and desires, advertisements have the unique ability to help shape what we want in life. This is a scary control advertising has over its consumers. I think that as an individual, you must be aware of what you are seeing, because there is a bigger story behind that ad if you pay close attention.

Sarah Blog Post #3

The impact of social and personal identities on how we see and are seen is a very modern topic of discussion, and I am glad it is becoming more talked about. "If people define a thing to be real, it is real in its consequences," is something that my anthropology professor said in a lecture regarding race and ethnicity. This is an important note to make, in that identities such as race and ethnicity can be based on real biological variation, and this definitely has a huge impact in the real world. However, oftentimes these classifications can also be based on assumptions and stereotypes. It's important that we conduct ourselves in a way respecting these facts.

Advertisements

Ahhhh. One of the most recognizable advertisements on television today. The Dos Equis Man. This advertisement works tremendously because of the slogan that they use. At the end of every commercial, the same white bearded man states, "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis." Dos Equis has done a great job with this advertisement because this ad and its jingle allows people to recognize the brand every time they see it in stores. Even my younger brother, who is 15, wants my parents to purchase Dos Equis because he enjoys listening to the advertisements on television. 

As seen in every Dos Equis advertisement, the man who appears to be around 55 years old, is constantly surrounded by young woman. The man always wears a suit and thus, is trying to portray the picture that he is sophisticated, wealthy, and intellectual. These advertisements also picture the white male as a smooth talker and as elegant. In this particular advertisement, the "Dos Equis man" states that some people know more than you (the viewer). So, the viewer should listen to those people. By stating this, he is influencing the audience to believe that the viewer should drink Dos Equis because if they do, they can be surrounded by young females every single night. Being an older and wiser man, he wants to lure the audience to think that he knows more than them and that they should listen to him. 

It is also interesting to note that this ad is directly used to gain the attention of men. I only come across these commercials when I watch football games or any other sporting games. 

I think that Dos Equis does a great job in engaging the audience to listen to their advertisement, while also creating brand recognition. Just like my brother, I am a sucker for these advertisements and when I turn 21, I would love to drink a Dos Equis because if the most interesting man in the world does, then I should too.  

Personal vs. Social Identities

At the "Change It Up" conference we attended a couple weeks ago, we discussed the identities we think about the least/most.  I didn't think about the fact that I might have multiple identities depending on my situation (for example, if I'm alone vs. how I present myself in the world).  With our class lesson regarding the identity wheels in mind, I would change how I answered the questions at Change It Up.  It's interesting to me how difficult it is to respond to some of the prompts coherently (in one/a couple words) on paper, even when I know the answer in my head.  It was also strange to me that the wheels differed, despite the fact they were both about (and filled out by) me.  That led me to question why we even separate social and personal identities.  Shouldn't they be the same thing? 

Social Identity Wheel

One's social identity is extremely important when you are trying to identify who you are and where you come from. Although people never really think of their own social identity, it is an extremely important topic that people should consider. While completing the social identity wheel, the question that I found to be most striking was when I was asked, "what identities do you think about least often?" I thought that this was a very alluring question because it allowed myself to reflect. The identities that I think about least often is my sexual orientation and my race. This is because I am a heterosexual white male. However, everyone has a different answer - not one human is the same. If someone was bisexual or was questioning their gender, they would probably write these two categories in the question that states what identities you think about most often. 

Your own social identity influences how you see yourself and how others see you. However, you should not allow these characteristics to limit who you are and what you are capable of. 

Yuxin Xuan Blog 3

Advertisements play such an important role in our daily life that sometimes they can bring a new trend. In my country, there are two ads aiming at young people that drew the most attention. I'd like to introduce them to you.
The first one is a print ad from Vancl. 'Vancl' is a fashion brand and 'vancl' means 'ordinary people with some special features.' The 'Vancl form' like 'Love singing, dancing, and the fifty-cent street shops. Love staying up, sleeping in, and tearing up at various touching scenes. I'm not overly proud in anyone's eyes, nor am I just an obedient girl. I am a vancl. I am XXX.' sounds so smart and unique that youngsters discussed and mimicked it as soon as it appeared on magazines.  Another one is a TV commercial produced by JMEI, an online cosmetics company. In the ad, Leo Chen, the founder of JMEI, said proudly to the audience,'I am Leo. I speak for myself.' The words also became a topic for young people and added recognition to the brand.
As you can see, these two ads both emphasized the text and created memorable slogans which could be imitated by many. This method satisfied and made use of the public's especially the proud and rebellious youngsters' psychological needs and so obtained the anticipated effects.

Advertisements

A couple nights ago, my friends and I got together and did an impromptu "ranting game" (meaning we used a random word generator, and gave someone a random topic to rant about).  One of the topics that became a popular discussion was that of advertising.  My friend brought up a couple of interesting points:
1. that advertising is ruthless in exploiting the stereotypical insecurities of the genders and 2
2. that those insecurities don't usually overlap.  For example, men are sometimes insecure of their masculinity and oftentimes, ads provide them with ways to reassert their masculinity (ex. with a specific type of beer).  Women, on the other hand, are usually concerned with their appearance.  If they, however, choose to buy Cover Girl foundation, they shouldn't have to worry about that anymore.

It was interesting to me to note how the stereotypes don't overlap, and it was an interesting discussion all around because I found that other people have the same opinions as I do when it comes to reacting to advertisements. 

Bliss in Detroit

As we finish up our discussion on graffiti in Detroit, I wanted to share a poem I started to write while we were on our field trip and just finished up today. As we discussed perspectives and the light in which Detroit was viewed I felt these things being reflected in each photograph I took.  I felt the power to change views, including my own, but mostly I felt like I was learning so much, and I love to learn.  Anyhow, here is my short acrostic poem, Bliss, and a few pictures that I took while in Detroit.

Buildings scraping the turning grey sky
Losing themselves in a tale of stories untold
Images shattering before me
Shards of silhouettes piercing my soul

Sharing emotion, an unbreakable bond.

Effects of Graffiti

The effects of graffiti on the city of Detroit have been both a blessing and a curse. This art, that is in many ways revitalizing the city by putting hope in its inhabitants and drawing tourists that bring in big money, is also sometimes an illegal act of property damage and vandalism. This war on graffiti has been an ongoing battle between artists, writers, admirers, protestors, and lawmakers since it’s inception. The legality of their act is inconsequential to these writers, as long as their message is clear. Street art inspires or enrages, it sparks emotion and thought, it demands to be seen.  “Is it illegal art? Yes,” said Matt Eaton, director-curator of the Red Bull house of Art in Eastern Market and a longtime champion of street art. “Does that take away from its relevance as social commentary? No!” ’ (A Street Art Culture Clash as Graffiti Goes Mainstream, Mark Stryker). This mindset is what has led to the strong tension between the law and graffiti writers, and is what ultimately gets graffiti writers into trouble. This tension has disturbed the inner peace of the city and has given Detroit a negative reputation with the rest of the country.   Simultaneously, however, this art has given Detroiters hope by expressing the inner thoughts many share regarding the city’s situation.

Closing Statements on Graffiti

As our section about graffiti is coming to a close, I want to express my feelings on this topic. As we first began talking about this subject, I was cynical and perplexed about graffiti. To me, graffiti wasn’t really an art. To me, graffiti was created by so called gangs in rundown neighborhoods or cities with no meaning at all. Because of this, I thought that graffiti looked awful on buildings and that the so called “tagging” was completely unnecessary and should be considered illegal as it appeared to be vandalism.

            However, as we are concluding this section about graffiti, I now see these colorful murals on walls in a new light. By looking at some of the most beautiful pieces online and on our trip to Detroit, I can now see why graffiti should be considered art. Graffiti allows rundown areas of cities to almost look like an urban outside art gallery that visitors want to observe. These pieces are almost always thought provoking and colorful, while also allowing certain areas to reinvent itself through this beauty. By studying graffiti, it has also become apparent to me that graffiti artists use their artwork as an opportunity to express and create their own stories. These artists want to tell their stories through these pieces of graffiti, but more importantly, they want the viewers to listen. They want the everyday person to pass by their work, stop, and think about the significance of the piece.

            For these reasons, I now see graffiti in an entirely new perspective. Although pessimistic at first, I can now visualize why graffiti shouldn’t be deemed vandalism. Rather, graffiti should be thought of as art that could revive certain areas by beautifying them.

Have a great Fall Break!   

Authority in Style Wars Blog Post 3

What I found most striking about Style Wars were the insane commentaries from the authority figures. The juxtaposition of the artists to the authorities helped to point out how crazy some of the responses, such leaving a graffiti artist in jail overnight, were. Whether or not the movie was in favor of the graffiti artists, , the film makers were most likely aware of the foolishness of these men’s responses. It is amazing how much hate can be stirred from something that some people love. Just like the opposition of the artists to the authorities, graffiti creates a complete difference in attitudes as some people love it while others hate it. Because of this difference in opinion, graffiti has created controversy that still continues in the present day.
How could authorities hate on something so deeply, despite some of the meaning that goes with it? Their disdain is over the top and irrational such as considering wolves as a defense mechanism. This constant rift building between the heads and the "criminals" is overwhelming. Perhaps, if people could find meditation, things would be better. However, part of me thinks that some of the appeal of graffiti is that it can be illegal. These artists can produce these super intense and controversial drawings and get away with it. Maybe their message is better heard because it is illegal and thrilling, and maybe these messages and thrill are the causes of the panic for the mayors and other leaders. Graffiti might not mean the same if there were no cops and mayors after the artists.

Eva's Post on Super Cool Art Revitalizing Detroit

Hey guys,
If any of you are going to be in Detroit this weekend go check out the flower house! It is a 3 day Massive Installation from today to Sunday and looks super cool. Check out this link to learn more even if you can't make it!  http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/10/flower-house/

Women and Graffiti

   In watching the movie Style Wars, I was amazed at the lack of female representation throughout the movie.  Throughout the entire movie I didn't see a single woman involved in painting graffiti, break dancing, or involved in the hip hop community in general.  While I was aware they wouldn't be portrayed as a pivotal role in the movement (because when are women ever?), I was perplexed at the circumstance of them being purely absent from such a prevailing culture of that time period.  It makes me wonder whether they truly weren't participating in the activities, or whether they merely weren't getting credit for their work.

   This realization made me think back to the piece we read last week on feminist graffiti.  At the time that we read this, I already had a more positive reaction to the article than most of the class, which makes sense because I was essentially raised in a household with four women.  I was inspired by the idea of making my voice, as a woman, heard in a subversive way that female voices rarely are heard in.  Seeing this video only furthered my desire to join this discussion through graffiti which it seems women weren't invited to.  While I'm not sure graffiti is the answer, I'm sure awareness is, and I hope that while looking at graffiti everyone can examine the lens through which it was most likely painted, because it probably wasn't a woman.

Thoughts on Style Wars

This was the first time I saw graffiti writing as a culture in a way. Graffiti has a history and a community. It's more than just a hobby for some people it's a way of life. Putting a face to writers helped me to understand why people do this. I could see the passion in the kid's eyes as they talked about their art. It hurts me that there are people in roles of authority trying to take away something these people love. If law enforcement and politicians took the time to realize just how deep writing is for some people and what it means to them, perhaps they would end this stupid war. For me personally it would be like if  writing stories was illegal. It's a ridiculous idea but is basically what's happening.
The most interesting part of the film was listening to the very different point if views. One writer's mother called what he was doing stupid. That relates to our previous discussion on lenses. People's opinion are shaped by their experiences. Without an open mind it's hard to see things differently. It crazy to me how strongly people oppose graffiti. To all the cops I say go catch a real criminal like a murder. It almost seems like that's too hard so instead you go after writers. To all normal people who find graffiti disgusting, get over it. Graffiti is not going anywhere.

Danny Ziegelman Blog #3

Blog #3

Danny Ziegelman

October 12, 2015

The trip to Detroit was very interesting despite how cold it was.  When I saw the deteriorating walls covered from floor to top in spray paint, it made me think that these walls got a fresh breath of air.   Detroit is filled with walls of artistic expression in the form of graffiti.  It is a lifestyle and a language that I do not necessarily understand, but can appreciate it for its rough beauty.  The city of Detroit is doused with thousands of murals with decorative patterns and styles of different significance to each and every person that sees it.  Coming from the city of Chicago I have seen graffiti before, but nothing like this.  What I am used to is called “tagging” where an artist would write his name in a seemingly illegible way on wall and assert his dominance there.  Tags cover walls, allies, and various other structures usually hidden, but sometimes clear as day in the city streets.  The concept of claiming space is very important in graffiti subculture as the more important you are or the more street rep you have, the bigger your name can get.  The walls are the artist’s canvas, and the city is its inspiration.  

The Fall of Icarus & Art in My Life

I have always been that kid that was tempted to read or draw while other subjects were being taught. I've had an affinity towards literature and the arts since I was very young, enjoying the endless ways they could affect me, whether positively or negatively. Though I loved the arts from youth, I didn't put much time into absorbing what I was viewing or reading. My last year of high school transformed my understanding of the arts. I was in AP Literature with Ms. Sloan. She was an enigmatic, energetic woman that always pushed us to become more erudite, well-rounded participants in society. One of my favorite things about her class was the first ten minutes. As we walked in, there would be a painting or sculpture up on the projector. Everyday we got a small introduction to an influential artist in history, some of their best works, and the impact they had on the art world. Though it didn't occur to me at first, as the year progressed, I began to recognize names and styles and even specific pieces in passing. I had favorites that made me giddy when I recognized them in public. Even art I didn't recognize changed; I could now offer a perspective based on other artists' work from the era. Seeing The Fall of Icarus by Pieter Bruegel the Elder the other day in class absolutely delighted me because I came from a position of experience and fondness with the piece, all thanks to the simple ten minute lectures from Ms. Sloan's class. Going to Detroit over the weekend brought me to another level of closeness to the art around me because as I walked in the DIA, even though I was technically alone, I was among friends. I saw Rothko and Picasso and Moreau in a more personal way than I ever had before. I hope to continue you to grow my artistic knowledge so I can experience more moments of camaraderie with the greats, even though I stand in an empty room.

Vending Machines

REVIVE, INDULGE, NOURISH, ENERGIZE, HYDRATE, REPLENISH, GRIND, SATISFY

Words big and bold linger above vending machines I've walked by. Demanding and prodigious, words are yelling at me from far away. No stylistic quality or characteristic of personalization is visible in the text. None. Not in the color, not in the height of the letters, not in the widths of their bodies,  not in that all to familiar blue background. Somehow, as devoid as they are of aesthetic quality purposefully placed for both mental stimulation and social controversy, the words placed above vending machines may be the closest thing to graffiti I've seen at this school.

REVIVE, INDULGE, NOURISH, ENERGIZE, HYDRATE, REPLENISH, GRIND, SATISFY

I know there is real graffiti out there! Like the kind we're used to seeing! The shit we want to see. But possibly never have words so blatantly obnoxious enticed the lustful hunger for a bag of chips or a Diet Coke. Imagine if we just took away the vending machines. The SIGN no longer correlate with it's specific machine (let the coffee machine under GRIND dissolve smoothly from the mind's eye). Now, the letters are just screaming loudly, asking impossible and irrational courses of actions. Tell me, what should I grind? Who should I grind on? What needs must I satisfy! They can yell all they want, but I will remain a class act.  I will not succumb to the demands of legal vandalism. 

REVIVE, INDULGE, NOURISH, ENERGIZE, HYDRATE, REPLENISH, GRIND, SATISFY

I'm turning my head around the corner. Let's see who the next unwilling victim is and how he or she is called by the letters who wait patiently, in complete silence, like hunters getting ready to take their prey out. 
"STOP, IT'S A TRAP!"

I want to scream. The SIGNS will be louder than my action of doing so. Advertisement and a mother's nagging, a combined force that makes these commands in english so obvious that its no longer obvious. Food for the subconscious, that's what the signs provide. They are there like any piece of graffiti seen in an urban jungle that's mangled with turmoil and chaos. The signs represent what we want from life, we want to scream at ourselves. I want someone walking by the vending machine to yell at me:
"I'M ALREADY TRAPPED!"

REVIVE, INDULGE, NOURISH, ENERGIZE, HYDRATE, REPLENISH, GRIND, SATISFY

 People in cities who see graffiti might not give it a second glance. It could very well be because they don't need exquisite scribbles painstakingly and swiftly created under the cover of darkness to manifest the turmoil they are drowning in. That they see in their everyday life. People who fall prey to the SIGNS could feel the same way. They don't need a SIGN yelling down their throats, informing them of all the shit they need to do. They just want a bag of chips. One more time.

REVIVE, INDULGE, NOURISH, ENERGIZE, HYDRATE, REPLENISH, GRIND, SATISFY