Cultural Artifact Extra Credit

We have all seen the Allstate commericals staring Dean Winters as the Mayhem guy.  This video is the one where he is a hot girl jogging.  There are numerous others like the teenage girl driver, the windstorm, the quaterback, and alot more.  I love these commericals, they are so funny, but at the same time so true.  The target audience is everyone who needs insurance coverage.  The Mayhem guy is a throwback to the popular bad guy who causes problems that the product for sale can solve.  If you watch all the Mayhem commercials I am sure you or someone you know can relate to one of the circumstances.  Allstate started the Mayhem campaign to compete with price rivals like Geico who uses cave men, geckos, and googly eyes, and with State Farm’s campaign which features actor Eddie Matos.  Allstate stated that the Mayhem character tested well with their audiences including their young targets.  The Mayhem campaign wants to get the audience thinking if they are covered for whatever kind of Mayhem they encounter.  I think Allstate has done an awsome job with the campaign.  Everytime a new one comes out I’m calling people asking if they have seen it.  What is your favorite Mayhem commerical?  Are you in Good Hands?

Stephanie Burchett

Cultural Artifact

 

Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the mascot of McDonald’s fast food restaurant chain.  In earlier years the commercial showed Ronald in his fantasy world McDonaldland, and his adventures with Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie, and The Fry Kids.  In recent years McDonaldland has phased out and Ronald is shown interacting with normal kids in their everyday life.  Ronald was introduced in 1963 by Willard Scott ( a radio personality who also played Bozo the Clown). Since 1963 Ronald has appeared in movies, comics, books and video games.  He has became well known world wide.  Many people work full time jobs making appearances in the Ronald costume visting places such as children’s hospitals.  There are also Ronald McDonald houses where parents can stay overnight while their children are in the hospital so they can be close to them.  I know there is a Ronald McDonald House in Winston.  How many of us remember being a kid and going to McDonalds and sitting on a bench with a statue of Ronald, or seeing Ronald and running up to hug him.  I think its neat today how children still get excited when they see a Ronald McDonald.

Stephanie Burchett

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV Movie—Extra Credit

Ashley Blanton
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer originally was a character in a coloring book. Robert L. May created Rudolph in 1939. In 1948, Johnny Marks decided to turn the cute character into a song. It wasn’t until 1964 that Rudolph became a movie star. NBC’s Rankin/Bass produced the movie. They added characters such as Hermey, the elf; Yukon, the silver miner; and Clarice, Rudolph’s crush. The audience for this movie was all Christmas-loving TV watchers. It’s purpose was to provide a good Christmas movie originated from a classic tale. Do you have a favorite Christmas movie?

Extra Credit Cultural Artifact

Michelle Cokeley  English 111  Fall 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTdzRaw55zo&feature=related

This youtube video is of a recent Miller Lite commercial I seen on television.  I think these Miller Lite Beer commercials are very funny.  The target audience in the beginning of the commercial seems to be women, however as the commercial progresses, the target audience is definitely men.  When the commercial starts,  the actors appear to be talking about dating, but the funny twist is the woman is talking about dating and the man is talking about  Miller Lite Homedraft.  Take a look at this commercial…if you haven’t already seen it on television, I think most of you will find it to be funny.  What do you think the target audience is? Do you think it’s a funny commercial?

Cultural Artifact

 

This picture came from onlyfunpics.com. The author/creator is unknown and was probably just an individual who happened to pass by as this man was holding up a sign. The audience for this picture is anyone who goes to the onlyfunpics.com to search through all the hysterical pictures to enjoy a good laugh. This picture is also showing what most of us think these people on the side of the road holding up these signs want any ways.

The purpose of this picture is to both provide a laugh and to also reiterate the common perception that most of us have regarding what these people do with the money that we are giving them.

Would you prefer that others we see on the street corners holding up these signs we be just as truthful as this man is, if that is really all they need money for?

Chris Givens ENG-111

Week 7 Discussion Question

This week we are going to do cultural artifact posts as our discussion. Many of you have not posted on your assigned week, and we seem to have strayed from the goal of the assignment. Remember the Old Spice man from week one? You all did a rhetorical analysis of the commercial, analyzing the author/creator, audience(s), and purpose. That is exactly what you should be doing with your cultural artifacts.

To get us started, I’m going to give another example of a cultural artifact rhetorical analysis. Anyone like lolcats?

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

This picture is from icanhascheezburger.com, a blog that allows people to post silly pictures of their cats and give them funny captions. Although the creator of the picture is probably an amatuer photographer/cat owner, he or she establishes credibility by adhering to the pattern expected of picture on this site in terms of tone (lighthearted), subject (cats), and layout (blocky white text surrounding the cat). We are also aware of the author’s credibility because the picture has received 2063 votes since it was posted on November 2, showing that many users found it funny.

The audience for the picture is other users of icanhascheezburger.com, probably cat owners or people who like cats. But this picture is also meant to appeal specifically to people who work or have worked in an office environment. The caption likens the cat to a sneaky, nosy boss, who is not afraid to chastise employees if they take a break from their boring work for a quick peek at facebook.

The purpose of the picture is to entertain–maybe even while you are slacking off at work looking at icanhascheezburger.com in your cubicle! The brevity of the caption allows the reader to quickly look at the picture and appreciate its humor, providing a quick laugh.

Isn’t that fun? Don’t feel like the phrase “cultural artifacts” means you have to pick something that seems really important. Be creative!

So, here I want you to practice another cultural artifact post. You should post by Friday (12/3) at 9 pm, and respond to two classmates by Wednesday (12/8) by 9 pm.

If you did not do your original post or you think that you did not follow the assignment, you may post an additional cultural artifact ON THE MAIN BLOG PAGE for three points extra credit. You should post by Friday (12/3) at 9 pm.

Cultural Artifact week 7 The “Mona Lisa”

http://www.lairweb.org.nz/leonardo/mona.html ( Couldn’t get the picture to post so here is the link to see it. )

The Mona lisa is argueably the most talked about painting in history, yet we hardly know anything about it. It is said that Leonardo Da Vinci painted the “Mona Lisa” in 1503. Although noone knows for sure who this mysterious woman is, it is speculated that she is Mona Lisa Gherardini. The third wife of Franceso Di Bartolommeo Di Zanobi Del Giocondo who was a wealthy silk merchant. At the time of the painting she was 24, at this point in history she was not considered beautifull.
Perhaps the most concetrated part of the “Mona Lisa” is her smile. In history women were taught to only smile with one side of their mouths to add grace and elegance. It took Leonardo Di Vinci four years to do the painting, some say he never completed it before selling it to the King of France. In the painting the women is not wearing any jewerly, which was very uncommon for this period. Women would wear lots of jewerly as decorationyet the woman in the painting is not even wearing a ring. People have searched the small, intricate loops on her neckline for a “secret message”, none have been found.
The “Mona Lisa” switched hands a few times untill being put in a museum. In August of 1911, the painting was stolen. The employees thaught that the official museum photographer had taken the painting for routine maintence, at this time painting were not kept in cases. It took 24 hours for the theft to be reported. After searching the museum the only thing found was the painting’s frame. It surfaced two years later. It is now in the museum in Paris, France. It stays in a bullet proof case that stays at 68 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. The only times the case is opened is once a year to check the tempurature system and check the painting.
The “Mona Lisa” makes me feel mysterious and beautiful. How does the “Mona Lisa” make you feel when you see it?

Ruth Moser
English 111

The Big Chair

I drive through Thomasville  and go by this chair quite a bit and never really paid much attention to it until I researched it for the cultural artifacts. Well Thomasville has actually had two chairs. The first one was built-in 1922 by Thomasville Chair Company (which is now Thomasville Furniture Industries) because Thomasville had already gained the nick name “The Chair Town”. They used enough lumber to build 100 normal chairs and it took a week with three men working ten hours a day to build it. It stood 13 feet 6 inches tall and the seat was 6 feet by 5 1/2 feet. Well after 15 years of exposure they scrapped it. But it was not until 1948 when the Chambers of Commerce was formed that they decided to build a new chair that would last forever. This Chair was built by James Buford Harvey, who also built the concrete lion that stands opposite the lion. It took him nearly six months to finish the chair that stands 30 feet high with 10 1/2 feet wide seat. When the corner-stone was laid there was a time-box embedded in it. It had things like a bible, photos, safety razor, prospectus for eliminating railroad grade crossings, a city directory, brochures, civic records, and a letter from Mayor Harry B. Finch. This chair also gained national recognition when vice-presidential hopeful Lyndon B. Johnson stopped to greet local supporters from atop the chair while on a campaign whistle stop. The Big Chair has since hosted governors, university presidents, mayors, beauty queens, and even an evangelist. Today it is a major attraction for tourists and citizens and, continues to call attention to our city’s chief industry.

There was a lot of history behind this chair that i never realized. How much do you over look things and not realize how much is behind it until you research it?

 

Cameron Morgan

Week 5 Discussion Question

I’m posting the Week 5 question a little early because I’ll be out of town this weekend.  You should post by Friday, November 19 and respond to at least two classmates by Wednesday, November 24. 

Respond to the essay “Some Like it Hot” in Chapter 9 of the Norton text.  Post a thoughtful paragraph of 8-10 sentences to begin the discussion.

Week 4 Discussion Question: Preparing for the Position Paper

Choose an issue that interests you.  Smoking in restaurants, a specific health care issue, a political issue, or a controversial policy at your child’s school are all examples of topics that might work.  Your issue can be local or global, serious or light-hearted.  Write what you think about the issue and why.

This post will be used as prewriting for your position paper (due November 19).  Use this space to start developing the idea you want to write about for your paper. 

When you respond to someone, ask questions and bring up counter-arguments.  This interaction will help you write a stronger essay.  Be respectful, but don’t be afraid to disagree! 

Keep our reading from They Say, I Say (p.51-97) in mind as you write these posts and respond.  You might even try using some of the templates to help you construct a strong argument and respond effectively. 

Your post is due by Friday (11/12) at 9 pm.  Respond to at least two classmates by Wednesday (11/17) at 9 pm. 

P.S.  Your assignment sheet for Week 4 says that the position paper is due November 17, but I decided to give you a couple extra days so it is now due November 19.