Today’s media seems to me to be centered on all people having whatever opinion they have. They don’t leave much room to argue or try to express both sides, but it does hold a lot of power when it comes to how we feel about certain aspects of society such as politicians or the economy. When we depend on them to just tell us what’s going on and how we should feel about it we sometimes do not question whether what they are saying is all true. We forget that the media is not infallible and how much sway they have on us.
Some of my writings:
Encomium to Helen analysis :
The power of speech and persuasion is a device that is not to be taken lightly. This is what Gorgias wished to convey to his audience in his Encomium to Helen of Troy; Gorgias is faced with the task of defending Helen with the excuse of speech, love, and force. Who is she but a beautiful women caught under the net of persuasion. He believes that Helen is not at fault for what she was made to believe, rather the words of the one whose belief caused her to blunder. She did not but what she was compelled, through these expressions, to do. If these words are so commanding, then can it not be said that rhetoric, which caused poor Helen to leave her husband, can be damaging to truth and belief when faced with the determination of someone very convincing? This is what Gorgias was faced to answer against Socrates. Socrates felt that rhetoric was a tool which worked without the use of knowledge; an ignorant man could sway an audience to believe something that was not of honest purpose. Of what nature was an “art” that needed no comprehension or genuineness, but merely the belief and powerful words of an individual? Gorgias argues that rhetoric could not be blamed for the ill-means of those that used it perversely, but that it had pure purpose, and like any other art, could be corrupted easily. As in the case of Helen, who can be seen as a victim of rhetoric under Socrates definition, with her values stripped away under Paris’s words. I do believe that Gorgias did not do an exceptionally good job of defending rhetoric. His first mistake was showing the power it had to distort Helen’s beliefs, and then by saying to Socrates the power it had to enslave those unfortunate enough to not be able to defend themselves. I agree with him, in that rhetoric has good purpose, but that it is solely up to the individual’s opinion and how they wish to use it.
Religion and Advertising:
Through all of our evolutionary advances and the modifications that they have brought upon many social institutions, one seemed to remain unchanged, religion. It has always seemed to be a preference based upon an individual’s own sacred desires and principles. Now, however, we are starting to see a new trend in advertising, where religious conviction and faith is the selling point. Has corporate America gone as far as to convey our values on a 30 second commercial or a print ad? I would not be so quick to be doubtful, if not even our psyche can be protected, what gives us the right to have reservations that our convictions are any more secure? It appears that we have begun to fall victim to losing not only our mental identity, but out spiritual one as well. My first two ads center on The UCC and their controversial campaign in the present day, the Tahoe “ad” shows how we can sincerely use humor to address a rising issue. The three ads I am evaluating are marketing very diverse “products”, and yet they all give us the feeling that not even religion can be safeguarded against an inevitable synthesis with the supremacy that is capitalism.
"The churches that are going to survive in this era are going to need to be on TV." Does this comment from a UCC spokesperson hold true for all others in her position? Who’s to be blamed for this new development, is it our own sense of indecisiveness that causes us to quickly replace an inadequate element with another, or is it the church, who has found a new path to our devotion, that is to be held accountable? The UCC has become known for its controversial way of using advertisement for member enrollment. In one 30 second commercial titled “The Bouncer”, we see a place of worship with a line of individuals anxiously waiting to enter; two men with the facade of classic bouncers that you would encounter at the entrance of a nightclub seem to be selecting those “worthy” enough to enter the church. While a standard looking white American family is graciously ushered in, several individuals find themselves not permitted access, including a Middle Eastern boy, a homosexual couple, an African American girl, and a handicapped man. Then a message appears on the screen saying “Jesus didn’t turn people away and neither do we”. The point the UCC seemed to be communicating might have been one of welcome, but the underlying message of a brand seems to be ever nearby.
For more go to: http://jg1020.pbwiki.com/Jessica+Billick
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