Category: All blog entries
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Response to Practices of Looking Chapter 6: “Consumer Culture and the Manufacturing of Desire”
1. What are some of the historical and cultural reasons why consumer culture has appeared and proliferated? The use of advertising – which almost always incorporates visible rhetoric – has been a staple in the spread of consumerism. “Increased industrialization and bureaucratization in the late nineteenth century meant a decrease…
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An Array of Colors
Thursday’s presentations were very enjoyable (thanks for the pizza, Angela!) and also quite thought-provoking. As noted in a previous blog entry, the color purple has polarizing effects. My research seemed to indicate it was unique in this aspect, but as the presentations continued I realized that most colors have the…
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Media – inside and outside
As a working journalist, I engaged Sturken and Cartwright’s analyses of American media from multiple viewpoints. First, I followed their commentary as an American consumer of media — and I felt their views were spot-on. The sheer magnitude of media messages we take in each day is overwhelming. It’s no…
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A love/hate relationship
I have been struck in my investigation of the color purple by its polarizing effect on those who view it. Our readings noted that people tend to either love purple or hate it. Its use in religion, then, is not surprising, as religion is often a polarizing topic. But, because…
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Legz and Power Ties: The Vice Presidential Debate
The vice presidential candidate debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin was rich in visible rhetoric, but I think one image really brought that home to me in a far more compelling way than any others. The day after the debate, I was working on putting together a national news…
Erin Anne Clark 