The Persuaders

In today's world, we are all surrounded by advertising. It is such a normal part of our lives and sometimes we don't notice. In the film The Persuaders, Frontline analyzes how modern day companies break through the clutter of our society to reach customers. They put ads on the back of bathroom stalls, on our social media, on our clothes and on huge billboards we see while we drive. It is a constant competition to reach the consumers.

Madison and Vine is the relationship between the advertisement and the entertainment industries. It is common for TV shows and movies have products in their shows. If the viewers see the products in the show, then they will want to imitate the lifestyle and use the product. 

The biggest example I have seen of the Madison and Vine relationship is in the show 30 Rock. It is a sitcom about a TV show writer played by Tina Fey. The show is set at NBC and they use a lot of references. In the show, NBC is owned by GE and the sold to CableTown. Throughout the first couple of seasons they show a lot of different microwaves and make fun of product placement while actually practicing product placement. I think it was a trick. The Persuaders talked a lot about how the main goal of advertising is to get the viewer to convince themselves. The goal of making fun of product placement within the show was to have the audience understand that they were making fun of other TV shows. After this, the audience can think that they outsmarted the producers, putting them in a situation where they can convince themselves to buy the product. They believe they are on top of the world and want to buy the microwave as a reminder. 

Another example of product placement is in Keeping up with the Kardashians. When I noticed that all 300 members of the family driver slicked out-black Range Rovers, I was so happy for myself. I was so content for noticing such a small detail. After the episode, I found myself wanting a Range Rover. I realize I wanted a Range Rover because the Kardasians drove them.  I don't want to think of myself as someone who looks up to the Kardashians, but I think their show has had a negative effect to my world view. The reason I wanted a Range Rover was because I wanted to be like them even if I couldn't admit it to myself.

Persuaders taught me that a lot of what goes through the consumers mind is between subconsciousness and awareness. Consumers often think about their purchases in their heads which translates to their actions. I think a lot of it they don't even realize. If they see Oreos at the store, they might feel an intrinsic need to buy them but they do not now why. Little do they know it has a lot to do with the Oreo ad they saw 3 hours ago in a magazine that they enjoyed. Marketing experts have successfully broken through every barrier of privacy and self control to reach us. They put their products in our heads and we become the vehicles with the sole purpose to buy the product to pay their pay check. 

George Orwell Applied To Police Brutality

In the essay Politics in the English Language by George Orwell, he discusses the idea that, "language is a natural growth and not an instrument which we shape for our own purposes." Throughout the entire piece he explains two main issues that writing has evolved to: unnecessary disruptive words and lack of precision. The quote above explains that we can not warp words to mean what we want them to. We can directly relate this to modern day controversial issues. For example, police brutality is a widely written debate. 

Incidences of excessive force by the police seem to pop up every week sparking movements, such as Black Lives Matter. An article in the New York Times about a shooting in Chicago is a good example of Orwell's argument. The article states, "Ms. Alvarez said the array of material provided clear evidence that Mr. Johnson had been armed with a gun, resisted arrest and posed a potential threat to pursuing officers." Key words in the passage that are often manipulated are resist, potential, and pursuing. Throughout many police brutality cases, such as the murder of Michael Brown, the defining factors of the conviction involve these words. 

Different media outlets might define them differently. One person might say that pursuing is simply a law enforcement at the scene of the crime while someone else might say a pursing police officer is one that is actively trying to arrest the suspect. Because this word is so widely used throughout media to describe the same situation but through different perspectives, the court might have a hard time learning the real story. 

This is the case with many words. Because writers, especially political writers, use words to their advantage and slowly warp them over time, it causes chaos throughout all aspects of language. In the case of police brutality, words that have been written about can be used in court that changes the case entirely.

We use words to describe everything around us. When they are manipulated by the media chaos is pushed upon everything. The challenge of writers and speakers is to use words in a considerate way that does not forcibly direct the audience through manipulation.

 Click here to read NYT article

Immigration: Obama vs. Trump

It was evident when I was watching Time's video collage of Donald trump interviews, that they really dislike him. It was an example of his blatant ignorance. He seems to care about himself, and only himself. But I have to wonder. What in the video sparked such high emotions for me?

The langue used by each side of the argument largely sways the audience. It is like if someone was to say, "Let's eat grandma!" or "Let's eat, grandma!" These statements have completely different meanings and tells the listeners two completely stories. Cannibalism or family bonding?

To compare the issue of immigration within the US, I looked at the perspectives of Donald Trump and Obama. They both disagree with the issue of immigration reform and the words they use greatly influence the message the audience hears.

Trump uses the terminology: slob, drunk drivers, drugs, crime, and filthy to describe Mexicans who immigrate to the US. By using these words he is sending the message that we should not let immigrants in because they will only disrupt our peace. He uses words that stand out to people and make them think about them longer than they should. Also known as euphemism, they warp the perception of the audience through persuasion.

By using language like this, Trump appeals to people who are against letting immigrants and refugees into the US. They are an example of racial profiling and are used to predict situations that might happen as a result of these races. By categorizing people in to specific acts, Trump shows his ignorance to real world issues.

Obama uses words such as welcome, youthful, dynamic, and entrepreneurial to describe his case for immigration reforms. He explains that our immigration system is in fact broken. The people that play by the rules are at a great disadvantage to those who skip over them. He suggests the we secure our system by securing to prevent cheating while Trump suggests we close the boarders completely.

Obama appeals to audiences who look for new ideas and opportunity through people who immigrate here. He uses different ethnic backgrounds as an advantage because they bring new ideas. By conveying his argument in a polite manner, he discourages people to use racial profiling as a mechanism to act out.

 In August, after Trump expressed outward hated to our boarder control laws, a homeless man was attacked with a metal pipe and then urinated on because, "Donald Trump was right, all these illegals need to be reported." By using such vulgar words to describe immigrants, Trump has encouraged his followers to react with violence. His word have such negative connotations, they spark feelings of hatred and brutality.


In reality, everyone that lives in America migrated here from one place or another. Trump's fantasy of a wall between Mexico and the US is an example of his stupidity. Our nation is comprised of people from all over the world. This is unique and taking this aspect away is striping us our our identity. It is true, we must revise our current immigration standings. People who follow the rules are greatly disadvantaged over those who cheat their way through the system, but this does not mean we should build a brick wall between us and every other country.

My Relationship with Media

  I would consider my relationship with media as a love-hate type deal. It is my outlet to learning about the world as well as staying connected with in it. However, it can often be a source of distraction, manipulation, and  confusion. I would say I am well versed in the average media outlets such as social media, news, and entertainment. The one thing they all have in common however, is that they all come from the internet. Occasionally I will reach for a magazine or read my dad's newspaper just for the heck of it, but most of the time I experience the joys of written connection through my laptop and iPhone. It is so simple to be involved at the click of the button and requires so much less physical demand than flipping pages. 

     I try to be conscious about how much I am influenced by ads and brands, but it s difficult. I was browsing my Instagram feed the other day, and I realized I am not actually following real people. The majority of people I check up on are brands and companies I enjoy. This speaks to the of influence they actually have on me. 
     I also enjoy my share of Netflix and music like any-other teenager. I have degraded to the level where I am running out of shows to binge watch. If someone were able to tell me the hours I have spend staring at my screen watching How to get Away with Murder, I would be afraid to hear because I know it is some absurd-unhealthy amount. I listen to music that is not necessarily enjoyed by another person within 10 years of my age. When I listen, I don't focus on the artist's themes and lyrics as much as I do the rhythms and beats so I don't think music influences me in such a way it might someone else. Bruce Springsteen, The Avett Brothers, and Brandie Carlile are some of my favorites but I do not necessarily connect to their messages. 
     Like most teenagers at my high school, I am extremely caught up on the ways of social media. Within the channels of media I use, such as Instagram, iMessage, snapchat, ect, I often see societal pressures built in underneath the surface. This could comparing the amount of likes I get on a picture, how many followers I have, or even the amount of comments. Because we subconsciously ranking each other in accordance to our activity on screens, it create an invisible gap between teenagers. Anyone participating in social media is tangled up in this phenomenon causing them hesitation when offered an opportunity to explore new ideas because they are so comfortable with the concepts they are used to. 
     Overall, I am connected with media on a regular basis. Although it might not always please me, I am addicted to it. It is a part of my everyday life. Everywhere I look someone is telling my to be a certain way, buy a certain product, or act a certain way. The struggle of the American teenager is to navigate ourselves through this chaos. We need to build the necessary skills to create our own identity and be happy the way we are.