RD4

It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It

Chaz Hirata

29 April 2011

RD4

In the United States, Americans enjoy many civil liberties that are not granted in other countries. Chief among these rights is the freedom of speech which allows citizens to voice their opinions freely without fear of persecution. It is a right bestowed upon us by our forefathers to insure that Americans do not suffer any religious, journalistic, or verbal restriction or repression. [THESIS] While the First Amendment grants all Americans the freedom of speech, it does not protect the individual from the backlash and condemnation that may ensue as a result of those remarks or observations. [THESIS]

There are people like Ward Churchill who knowingly abuse this valuable right for their own personal benefit. In essence, these individuals are hiding behind the Bill of Rights and liberally interpreting the text to tailor-fit their needs.  When Churchill claimed that the September 11^th attacks were provoked by the United States’ stringent foreign policies, he made a valid point.  However when he insinuated that the civilian workers killed in the World Trade Center bombing were “military targets” and that the real heroes were in fact the airplane hijackers who “manifested the courage of their convictions, willingly expending their own lives in attaining their objectives,” Churchill deservedly encountered harsh criticism and widespread condemnation.  His sentiments were considered extremist and Anti-American, making him a social pariah and eventually costing him his job at the University of Colorado. 

Churchill’s writing style can best be described as aggressive and antagonistic. His essays and books focus on controversial subjects like the US governments’ fight against the Black Panther movement and the systematic displacement of American Indians from their homeland. He is courageously defiant in his wording and his content is far from politically correct. While we must have free-thinkers like Ward Churchill to ruffle some feathers and say what needs to be said, it must be done in an appropriate manner.  

Leo Tsuchiya writes, “Speakers like Ward Churchill must be carefully monitored and kept in check. Speakers like Churchill make nonsensical metaphors and use many controversial and emotionally charged material specifically to get a rise out of people. By using the "little Eichmanns" metaphor Churchill is using sensationalism to increase interest in his book and essay. His writing can't stand on his own so he is creating a stir and interest by using such an emotionally charged term. Speakers like Churchill who use this type of material just to draw attention to their own works or agenda must not be allowed to thrive or it will overshadow the people who do not employ sensationalist tactics and have real material that people should be aware of.”

I agree with Leo that the crucial mistake made by Churchill was the unsympathetic and abrasive tone of his essay. His choice of words was off-putting and extremely offensive to the families of those killed in the September 11^th attacks. The author appears to be out of touch with reality, unwilling or unable to see eye-to-eye with his intended audience. As we move into the 21^st century, many Americans are still not in tune with the world around us. When Churchill reiterates that point in his essay, you can sense his distaste for his fellow countrymen. He writes, “As a whole, the American public greeted these revelations with yawns. There were, after all, far more pressing things than the unrelenting misery/death of a few hundred thousand Iraqi tikes to be concerned with. Getting ‘Jeremy’ and ‘Ellington’ to their weekly soccer game, for instance, or seeing to it that little ‘Tiffany’ and ‘Ashley’ had just the right roll-neck sweaters to go with their new cords.” (Churchill) 

He goes on to disparage and belittle his fellow countrymen by questioning their ethical fortitude in allowing an act of “deliberate genocide” to occur, later insinuating that the World Trade Center bombings were some richly deserved retaliation or as he put it, merely “chickens coming home to roost.” These statements struck a nerve in the general populace. There were angry letters and over 100 death threats aimed at Churchill as outraged citizens protested his personal analysis of the September 11^th attacks.

In his essay, Some People Push Back: On the Justice of Roosting Chickens, Churchill writes, “True enough, they were civilians of a sort. But innocent? Gimme a break. They formed a technocratic corps at the very heart of America's global financial empire and they did so both willingly and knowingly. To the extent that any of them were unaware of the costs and consequences to others of what they were involved in – and in many cases excelling at – it was because of their absolute refusal to see. More likely, it was because they were too busy braying, incessantly and self-importantly, into their cell phones, arranging power lunches and stock transactions, each of which translated, conveniently out of sight, mind and smelling distance, into the starved and rotting flesh of infants. If there was a better, more effective, or in fact any other way of visiting some penalty befitting their participation upon the little Eichmanns inhabiting the sterile sanctuary of the twin towers, I'd really be interested in hearing about it.” (Churchill)

These statements allege that these attacks represented America “reaping what it sowed.” However, the 9/11 attacks cannot be justified solely based on the United States prior transgressions. Jeremy Hine states, “In the aftermath of September, 11, 2001 Ward Churchill's essay made many valid points on the causation of the 9/11 attacks as he tried to come to an intellectual understanding of how such attacks could have happened.  However, his insensitivity and offensiveness when using certain correlations with 9/11 victims made many of his arguments weaker. This being said, we cannot silence such speech. I think many Americans are offended by the notion that we are in some way implicit in what happened on September 11, which I think is another reason so many jumped to attack Churchill. Freedom of speech means we have to accept and allow statements and sentiments that we don't agree with, in order that we can make statements that others will not agree with.  Although there are several things I disagree on with Churchill, I would be the first to stand up and defend his right to speak his opinion. I have strong opinions myself, and I would want the same protection to say what I think.” 

I would argue that most Americans are aware of our country’s history of political missteps and understand that terrorism is one of its consequences. However, Churchill’s declaration that civilians killed in the September 11^th attacks were somehow comparable to Nazis could be the most ludicrous statement ever made. Just because these citizens worked for the US government in an administrative building, Churchill sees them as a justifiable target for terrorism? This guilt by association would incriminate us all as American citizens. If this is the case, who is to say that Churchill himself is not partially to blame? How can he feel comfortable chastising others about their lack of action when he chose to stand by and do nothing?

In his addendum, Churchill finishes by saying, “I'll readily admit that I've been far less than thorough, and quite likely wrong about a number of things. For instance, it may not have been (only) the ghosts of Iraqi children who made their appearance that day. It could as easily have been some or all of their butchered Palestinian cousins. Or maybe it was some or all of the at least 3.2 million Indochinese who perished as a result of America's sustained and genocidal assault on Southeast Asia (1959-1975), not to mention the millions more who've died because of the sanctions imposed thereafter. Perhaps there were a few of the Korean civilians massacred by US troops at places like No Gun Ri during the early ‘50s, or the hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians ruthlessly incinerated in the ghastly fire raids of World War II (only at Dresden did America bomb Germany in a similar manner). And, of course, it could have been those vaporized in the militarily pointless nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” (Churchill)

I imagine that Ward Churchill’s noticeable distaste for America stems from his Native American heritage and the federal government’s long history of exploitation of American Indians. As a professor of ethnic studies, he stepped outside of his area of expertise and his ideas were met with hostility and anger.  His essay dehumanized the victims of the World Trade Center bombings and characterized them as mindless drones working for the powers that be. Instead of celebrating them as hard-working Americans who had their lives ended too soon, he rationalized that their deaths were justified and even necessary. In a 2004 interview Churchill was quoted stating, “One of the things [I’ve] suggested is that it may be that more 9/11s are necessary.” 

We must remember many Americans lost important family members and loved ones in this tragedy and are still in mourning. Although Ward Churchill was unaffected by this tragedy, September 11^th will be remembered by many as the day when their lives changed forever. Instead of honoring those who perished on that fateful day, Churchill chose to denigrate the victims and their families.  For that, Ward Churchill deserves nothing more than our contempt and disdain.

Works Cited

Churchill, Ward. “Some People Push Back: On the Justice of Roosting Chickens.” Pockets of Resistance #11. September 2001. Web. 21 April 2011. http://www2.hawaii.edu/~jamess/freespee/w_church.htm

 

Hine, Jeremy. “Defend Churchill” Online posting. 18 April 2011. Laulima Discussion. 27 April 2011. https://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/site/KAP.XLSENG215js.201130/page/dce5cccd-f9ac-4ad1-8c6b-6896281bf756

 

Tsuchiya, Leo. “Attack Ward Churchill” Online posting. 15 April 2011. Laulima Discussion. 27 April 2011. https://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/site/KAP.XLSENG215js.201130/page/dce5cccd-f9ac-4ad1-8c6b-6896281bf756

FD3

The Tangled Web We Weave

Chaz Hirata

1 April 2011

FD #3

There is an old proverb that is often repeated by parents and teachers, “Honesty is the best policy.” That familiar saying is ingrained in our minds at a young age, a reminder to always be truthful regardless of consequence. Honesty represents a basic moral dilemma that we deal with every day. [THESIS]During our formative years, we are taught that to be deemed honest is to be regarded as respectable and trustworthy. However it seems that even at a young age, we are fully capable of swearing by and defending the lies and half-truths we tell. [THESIS] 

If honesty is the best policy, why do so many of us lie on a regular basis? To answer that question, we must first examine why we feel obligated to lie. Dr. Robert Feldman believes that he has found the answer. "It's [all] tied in with self-esteem,”" says University of Massachusetts psychologist. "We find that as soon as people feel that their self-esteem is threatened, they immediately begin to lie at higher levels (Lloyd)."  

An example of his findings has been published in the Journal of Basic and Applied Psychology. His experiment called for two test subjects to be videotaped while participating in a normal conversation. The participants were complete strangers and the topic of discussion was immaterial. After the dialogue was completed, Dr. Feldman asked each of the subjects to watch the video of the conversation and identify any part of the conversation that was not entirely true. 

Initially, every single test subject assured Dr. Feldman that they were indeed telling the truth. However, upon reviewing the videotape of their conversation, the participants “were genuinely surprised to discover they had said something inaccurate.” In the end, the Feldman’s analysis found that 60 percent of people had lied at least once during the 10-minute conversation, saying an average of 2.92 inaccurate things (Lloyd).

Although 60 percent of the test subjects revealed that they were not completely honest, these numbers should be expected as we have already acknowledged the fact that humans lie. Furthermore, since the test subjects were complete strangers, it is somewhat surprising that the participants did not lie or embellish more. There was no substantial reason for the subjects to tell the truth, which may account for the larger number of “little white lies.”  

This data also proves that human beings will lie instinctively. There is no reason to try to impress a complete stranger that you will possibly never see again, yet we still find ourselves telling tales of grandeur and weaving webs of deceit. But are human beings really natural-born liars? Is it a part of our DNA, a trait that has been embedded in our minds since birth? In his blog for the website Psychology Today, Dr. Alex Lickerman tells a story about his son Cruise to detail a young child’s evolution of lying. 

While attempting to toilet train their young boy Cruise, Dr. Lickerman and his wife would place their son on a small toilet and urge him to, “Pee pee in the potty.” This phrase was repeated over and over as they tried to encourage the child to properly use the facilities. To keep his attention Alex would read to his son during toilet training, which Cruise enjoyed immensely.   

This process continued until one late night when it was time for Cruise to go to sleep. As they were tucking their son, he grabbed his diaper with his hand and exclaimed, “Pee pee on potty. Pee pee on potty.” Having just changed his wet diaper a few moments ago, the couple knew that Cruise had already relieved himself and didn’t need to go again. Dr. Lickerman and his wife quickly realized that at 20 month of age, Cruise had already learned how to lie. In hopes of staying up later and listening his father read him a book, the young boy had told his first fib without even knowing it. 

It seems that human beings are natural born liars, but it is still in our power to stop. Each of us possesses the inherent ability to be honest, we simply choose not to. To change that, remember the times when you have been deceived and make certain that you never replicate those same misdeeds. As an example, for the past year and a half, my future wife and I had been planning our wedding. Both of us are very close to my co-workers and wanted them all to be able to attend. The restaurant I work at has always been closed on Sundays so we purposely scheduled the wedding on a Sunday so the entire staff would be off. Less than two months before the big day, the owner of the restaurant decided to begin opening on Sundays. Naturally, this worries my fiancé and me because we have everything already paid for and the date set. Many of my co-workers had already booked hotel rooms for the night and one of them was to perform the wedding toast as well. The owner promised to find replacements to pick up everyone’s shifts and assured us that, “It wouldn’t be a problem.” However, as the date drew near, the owner did not schedule any replacements and refused to close the restaurant for the day. Needless to say, this was extremely disappointing to us and put a small damper on an otherwise perfect day.

The story demonstrates the importance of honesty and following through on your promises, as they are two of the most endearing qualities that an individual can possess. Sengchanh Luanglaj writes, “I feel being honest at all times is a righteous and honorable characteristic to obtain because it demonstrates the ability to have the strength to speak the truth against all odds. It is when you have strong convictions of what is morally and ethically right. Once this sometimes challenging characteristic is acquired, it allows you and others to “trust” in each other. In return it is the ultimate gain for us human being, it allows us a positive and secure feeling in all aspect of our lives.”

It seems that the most commonly utilized rational for deceit is the idea that a lie is actually “for the greater good” or that “the end justifies the means.” Unfortunately, these statements are just excuses meant to rationalize our misdeeds. Most lies are formed in order to protect ourselves or something we deem worthy of protecting. Frequently, the lies simply end up compounding the problem and making the situation more complicated than before. There is a memorable line by Cary Grant in the 1963 movie titled Charade. When asked by Audrey Hepburn "Why do people have to tell lies?" Grant answers, "Usually it's because they want something. They are afraid the truth won't get it for them." If the truth can’t get you what you want, then it’s almost certainly not worth getting.

Works Cited

Lickerman, Alex. “Happiness in This World: Why We Lie.” Psychology Today 8 March 2010. Web. 28 March 2011. [http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201003/why-we-lie]

Lloyd, Robin. “Why We Lie.” Live Science 15 May 2006. Web. 28 March 2011. [http://www.livescience.com/772-lie.html]

Luanglaj, Sengchanh. “Discussion 2: Honesty in Employment, White Lie, Honesty.” Online Posting. 17 March 2011. Laulima Discussion. 30 March 2011. [https://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/site/KAP.XLSENG215js.201130/page/dce5cccd-f9ac-4ad1-8c6b-6896281bf756]

Log of Completed Activities

_X__ Mar. 3- Intro to Paper #3. Read the Guidelines for Paper #3.
_X__ Mar. 7- Complete readings for paper #3 for paper #3.
_X__ Mar. 11- Laulima Discussion #1
_X__ Mar. 18- Laulima Discussion #2
_X__ Spring Recess Mar. 21-25
_X__ Apr. 1- Submit RD3 [50 pts] Review the guidelines.
_X__ Apr. 4- Submit three RD3 evaluations [50 pts] Review the guidelines.
_X__ Apr. 6- Submit FD3 [125 pts] Review the guidelines.

RD3

The Tangled Web We Weave

Chaz Hirata

1 April 2011

RD #3

There is an old proverb that is often repeated by parents and teachers, “Honesty is the best policy.” That familiar saying is ingrained in our minds at a young age, a reminder to always be truthful, regardless of consequence. Honesty represents a basic moral dilemma that we deal with every day. [THESIS]During our formative years, we are taught that to be deemed honest is to be regarded as respectable and trustworthy. However it seems that even at a young age, we are fully capable of swearing by and defending the lies and half-truths we tell [THESIS].

If honesty is the best policy, why do so many of us lie on a regular basis? To answer that question, we must first examine why we feel obligated to lie. Dr. Robert Feldman believes that he has found the answer.  "It's [all] tied in with self-esteem,”" says University of Massachusetts psychologist. "We find that as soon as people feel that their self-esteem is threatened, they immediately begin to lie at higher levels (Lloyd)."   

An example of his findings has been published in the Journal of Basic and Applied Psychology. His experiment called for two test subjects to be videotaped while participating in a normal conversation. The participants were complete strangers and the topic of discussion was immaterial. After the dialogue was completed, Dr. Feldman asked each of the subjects to watch the video of the conversation and identify any part of the conversation that was not entirely true. 

Initially, every single test subject assured Dr. Feldman that they were indeed telling the truth. However, upon reviewing the videotape of their conversation, the participants “were genuinely surprised to discover they had said something inaccurate.” In the end, the Feldman’s analysis found that 60 percent of people had lied at least once during the 10-minute conversation, saying an average of 2.92 inaccurate things (Lloyd).

Although 60 percent of the test subjects revealed that they were not completely honest, these numbers should be expected as we have already acknowledged the fact that humans lie. Furthermore, since the test subjects were complete strangers, it is somewhat surprising that the participants did not lie or embellish more. There was no substantial reason for the subjects to tell the truth, which may account for the larger number of “little white lies.” 

This data also proves that human beings will lie instinctively. There is no reason to try to impress a complete stranger that you will possibly never see again, yet we still find ourselves telling tales of grandeur and weaving webs of deceit. But are human beings really natural-born liars?  Is it a part of our DNA, a trait that we that is embedded in our brains since birth? In his blog for the website Psychology Today, Dr. Alex Lickerman tells a story about his son Cruise to detail a young child’s evolution of lying. 

While attempting to toilet train their young boy Cruise, Dr. Lickerman and his wife would place their son on a small toilet and urge him to, “Pee pee in the potty.” This phrase was repeated over and over as they tried to encourage the child to properly use the facilities. To keep his attention Alex would read to his son during toilet training, which Cruise enjoyed immensely.   

This process continued until one late night when it was time for Cruise to go to sleep. As they were tucking their son, he grabbed his diaper with his hand and exclaimed, “Pee pee on potty. Pee pee on potty.” Having just changed his wet diaper a few moments ago, the couple knew that Cruise had already relieved himself and didn’t need to go again. Dr. Lickerman and his wife quickly realized that at 20 month of age, Cruise had already learned how to lie. In hopes of staying up later and listening his father read him a book, the young boy had told his first fib without even knowing it. 

It seems that human beings are natural born liars, but it is still in our power to stop. Each of us possesses the inherent ability to be honest, we simply choose not to. To change that, remember the times when you have been deceived and make certain that you never replicate those same misdeeds. As an example, for the past year and a half, my future wife and I had been planning our wedding. Both of us are very close to my co-workers and wanted them all to be able to attend. The restaurant I work at has always been closed on Sundays so we purposely scheduled the wedding on a Sunday so the entire staff would be off. Less than two months before the big day, the owner of the restaurant decides to begin opening on Sundays. Naturally, this worries my fiancé and I because we have everything already paid for and the date set. Many of my co-workers had already booked hotel rooms for the night and one of them was to perform the wedding toast as well. The owner promised to find replacements to pick up everyone’s shifts and assured us that, “It wouldn’t be a problem.” However, as the date drew near, the owner did not schedule any replacements and refused to close the restaurant for the day. Needless to say, this was extremely disappointing to us and put a small damper on an otherwise perfect day.

The story demonstrates the importance of honesty and following through on your promises, as they are two of the most endearing qualities that an individual can possess. Sengchanh Luanglaj writes, “I feel being honest at all times is a righteous and honorable characteristic to obtain because it demonstrates the ability to have the strength to speak the truth against all odds. It is when you have strong convictions of what is morally and ethically right. Once this sometimes challenging characteristic is acquired, it allows you and others to “trust” in each other. In return it is the ultimate gain for us human being, it allows us a positive and secure feeling in all aspect of our lives.”

It seems that the most commonly utilized rational for deceit is the idea that a lie is actually “for the greater good” or that “the end justifies the means.” Unfortunately, these statements are just excuses meant to rationalize our misdeeds. Most lies are formed in order to protect ourselves or something we deem worthy of protecting. Frequently, the lies simply end up compounding the problem and making the situation more complicated than before. There is a memorable line by Cary Grant in the 1963 movie titled Charade. When asked by Audrey Hepburn "Why do people have to tell lies?" Grant answers, "Usually it's because they want something. They are afraid the truth won't get it for them." I believe that if the truth can’t get you what you want, then it’s almost certainly not worth getting.

Works Cited

Lickerman, Alex. “Happiness in This World: Why We Lie.” Psychology Today 8 March 2010. Web. 28 March 2011. [http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201003/why-we-lie]

 

Lloyd, Robin. “Why We Lie.” Live Science 15 May 2006. Web. 28 March 2011.[http://www.livescience.com/772-lie.html]

 

Luanglaj, Sengchanh. “Discussion 2: Honesty in Employment, White Lie, Honesty.” Online Posting. 17 March 2011. Laulima Discussion. 30 March 2011. [https://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/site/KAP.XLSENG215js.201130/page/dce5cccd-f9ac-4ad1-8c6b-6896281bf756]

FD2

Chaz Hirata

24 February 2011

RD2

Advertising: The Social Ramifications of Making a Quick Dollar

While a good number of adults consider commercials to be a form of harmless entertainment, many children and teenagers are adversely affected by these advertisements and the messages that they send. Because the majority of these commercials are targeted towards the consumer, namely adults who will expectantly buy the products or services from the advertising company, many of these ads are inappropriate for younger audiences. It is our responsibility to teach our children right from wrong and we need to remember that young adults are the most impressionable demographic. [THESIS] Hence all ads and commercials negatively affect and complicate our lives by misrepresenting and altering our children’s perception of reality [THESIS].

We are living in a time when broadcast television companies, radio stations, and magazines flood us with loads of worthless material that have no bearing on real life. While these advertisements may have little to no effect on you or I, it most certainly influences millions of young Americans every day. For example, it seemed like half of the commercials during this year’s Super Bowl featured different beer companies and their 30-second spiel pushing adult beverages. Every one of these commercials featured handsome men and attractive women laughing and carrying on with an ice-cold beer in hand.  

By glorifying alcohol on television, we send the wrong message to our children and encourage underage drinking among America’s youth. While beer companies may claim that they are trying to appeal to the “mature” adults in the audience, the reality is that these ads target young adults and teenagers. The next time you watch a beer commercial, ask yourself what audience the material appeals to. Is it the 40-year-old businessmen or is it the 18-year-old college freshmen? Which key demographic would be the more profitable to the beer companies, the mature adult or the underage partygoer?  

And it’s not just about the drinking. Beer commercials often step over the line of good taste in an attempt to conjure a cheap laugh. In the Bud Light commercial known as the “Swear Jar,” the ad begins with a young lady sitting behind an office desk featuring a glass jar filled with money.  

A man approaches and inquires, “What’s that?”  

She answers, “It’s a swear jar.  Every time someone swears, you put a quarter in it.”  

“Who gets the money?” the man asks. 

“I don’t know,” she replies. “We’ll use it to buy something for the office like a case of Bud Light or something.”

“F***in awesome!” he exclaims, dropping a quarter into the jar.

The commercial continues with co-workers yelling profanities at each other in order to fill up the swear jar more quickly. The cussing becomes embedded in every office conversation as employees attempt to “earn” their Bud Light. This ad is a prime example of an ad populum argument where writers use provocative language to distract the viewers in attempt to hide their lack of ideas in the argument. In this case, the swear words are used to amuse the audience while urging them to purchase the beer companies’ products.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgSWILFXkSQ

Initially, I thought that this commercial was extremely amusing, incredibly tongue in cheek. Upon further review, I found myself wondering if it was appropriate for a young audience. If this commercial had run during the Super Bowl, would I want my children to see it? Had I seen the commercial for the first time while watching TV with my children, I probably would have laughed out loud. Upon seeing my reaction, my children might copy the same behavior they saw on the commercial thinking that others would consider it funny as well. In turn, they may wrongly assume that swearing is acceptable and humorous based on my initial response to the advertisement.

Some of my peers will argue that commercials do not have a negative effect on our lives and it is merely our interpretation of these ads which is responsible. They will maintain that most advertisements must be taken with a grain of salt as they are meant to be off the wall and humorous. Brandi Nakamura contends that, “As human beings, we are influenced by the world that surrounds us. However, as adults, we are all able to make decisions independently.” Conversely, children are tremendously influenced and shaped by the world around them.  They follow by example and are extremely impressionable.   

Generally, the goal of advertising is to win over the consumer and persuade them to purchase a particular product or service. However, not every advertisement fits into this category. A few advertisements, known as public service announcements, are done by non-profit organizations hoping to enlighten viewers and make them aware of the problems and evils of society. Cheeren Pires offers an excellent example when she states, “It is easy to generalize all ads into one group but not all ads have the same content. There are currently print, radio and television ads that discuss the downfalls of crystal meth in Hawaii. These ads are very powerful because they share real life stories that are very emotional and touching many different audiences. The ads talk about not trying meth even once. Every day, I pass a store on my way to work with a huge poster of a young man with sores on his face. This is a memorable daily sign for me to think about the impact of drugs on people’s lives. These drug ads definitely don’t have a negative impact. I think we need to pick and choose before we categorize ads as having a negative impact.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-Vw2yt-Vn8&feature=related

These anti-drug advertisements are a perfect example of the slippery slope fallacy. The commercials presume that smoking meth “just once” will completely ruin your life and catapult you into a dark underworld of crime and corruption where you rob, steal, and sleep with complete strangers to get your “fix.” Furthermore, since the commercial offers no concrete evidence to support its argument, it functions solely as an ineffective scare tactic for the young adults that the advertisement targets.

While I fully support the message these anti-drug commercials attempt to convey to the viewer, I feel that the material comes off as elaborate and exaggerated. Although these advertisements are meant to target adolescents and teenagers, they seem too edgy and over the top to appeal to its intended audience. The advertisements offer no statistics or concrete evidence to back up its claims and worst of all, they feature actors smoking meth from glass pipes and shooting up the drug with syringes and needles. If our kids didn’t know how to smoke ice or shoot up heroin before, they certainly will after watching these so-called public service announcements. 

As adults, we are all able to make informed decisions in every facet of our own lives but as parents, we must make knowledgeable decisions that affect our family. Protecting our children is not limited to the food they consume or the company they keep. It is imperative that the images they see and the information they receive are both inoffensive and age-appropriate. Many of today’s ads and commercials teeter on the edge of good taste and are insensitive to our most impressionable age group. In a 1994 study by E. Donnerstein, it is estimated that the average child in the United States will have seen 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on television before he or she has started elementary school. It is up to each and every one of us to look after our most precious assets.

Works Cited

Donnerstein, E., Slaby R., & Eron, L. (1994). The mass media and youth aggression. In L. Eron, J. Gentry, & P. Schlegel (Eds.) A reason to hope: A psychosocial perspective on violence and youth (pp.219-250). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Nakamura, Brandi. “No, Ads Don’t Have a Negative Impact.” Online Posting. 11 February 2011. Laulima Discussion. 23 February 2011. [https://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/site/KAP.XLSENG215js.201130/page/dce5cccd-f9ac-4ad1-8c6b-6896281bf756]

Pires, Cheeren. “No, Ads Don’t Have a Negative Impact.” Online Posting. 8 February 2011. Laulima Discussion. 23 February 2011. [https://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/site/KAP.XLSENG215js.201130/page/dce5cccd-f9ac-4ad1-8c6b-6896281bf756]

Log of Completed Activities

_X__ Feb. 4- Intro to Paper #2. Read the Guidelines for Paper #2.
_X__ Feb. 7- Complete readings for paper #2.
_X__ Feb. 11- Laulima Discussion: Ad Pros and Cons
_X__ Feb. 18- Laulima Discussion: Logical Fallacies Exercise
_X__ Feb. 25- Submit RD2 [50 pts]. Review the guidelines.
_X__ Feb. 28- Submit three RD2 evaluations [50 pts]. Review the guidelines.
_X__ Mar. 2-7 – Submit FD2 [125 pts]. Review the guidelines.

RD2

Chaz Hirata

24 February 2011

RD2

Advertising: The Social Ramifications of Making a Quick Dollar

While a good number of adults consider commercials to be a form of harmless entertainment, many children and teenagers are adversely affected by these advertisements and the messages that they send. Because the majority of these commercials are targeted towards the consumer, namely grown-ups who will expectantly buy the products or services from the advertising company, many of these ads are inappropriate for younger audiences. It is our responsibility to teach our children right from wrong and we need to remember that young adults are the most impressionable demographic. [THESIS] Hence all ads and commercials negatively affect and complicate our lives by misrepresenting and altering our children’s perception of reality [THESIS].

We are living in a time when broadcast television companies, radio stations, and magazines flood us with loads of worthless material that have no bearing on real life. While these advertisements may have little to no effect on you or I, it most certainly influences millions of young Americans every day. For example, it seemed like half of the commercials during this year’s Super Bowl featured different beer companies and their 30-second spiel pushing adult beverages. Every one of these commercials featured handsome men and attractive women laughing and carrying on with an ice-cold beer in hand.

By glorifying alcohol on television, we send the wrong message to our children and encourage underage drinking among America’s youth. While beer companies may claim that they are trying to appeal to the “mature” adults in the audience, the reality is that these ads target young adults and teenagers. The next time you watch a beer commercial, ask yourself what audience the material appeals to. Is it the 40-year-old businessmen or is it the 18-year-old college freshmen? Which key demographic would be the more profitable to the beer companies, the mature adult or the underage partygoer?

And it’s not just about the drinking. Beer commercials often step over the line of good taste in an attempt to conjure a cheap laugh. In the Bud Light commercial known as the “Swear Jar,” the ad begins with a young lady sitting behind an office desk featuring a glass jar filled with money.

A man approaches and inquires, “What’s that?”

She answers, “It’s a swear jar.  Every time someone swears, you put a quarter in it.”

“Who gets the money?” the man asks.

“I don’t know,” she replies. “We’ll use it to buy something for the office like a case of Bud Light or something.”

“F***in awesome!” he exclaims, dropping a quarter into the jar.

The commercial continues with co-workers yelling profanities at each other in order to fill up the swear jar more quickly. The cussing becomes imbedded in every office conversation as employees attempt to “earn” their Bud Light.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgSWILFXkSQ

Initially, I thought that this commercial was extremely amusing, incredibly tongue in cheek. Upon further review, I found myself wondering if it was appropriate for a young audience. If this commercial had run during the Super Bowl, would I want my children to see it? Had I seen the commercial for the first time while watching TV with my children, I probably would have laughed out loud. Upon seeing my reaction, my children might copy the same behavior they saw on the commercial thinking that others would consider it funny as well. In turn, they may wrongly assume that swearing is acceptable and humorous based on my initial response to the advertisement.

Some of my peers will argue that commercials do not have a negative effect on our lives and it is merely our interpretation of these ads which is responsible. They will maintain that most advertisements must be taken with a grain of salt as they are meant to be off the wall and humorous. Brandi Nakamura contends that, “As human beings, we are influenced by the world that surrounds us. However, as adults, we are all able to make decisions independently.” Conversely, children are tremendously influenced and shaped by the world around them. They follow by example and are extremely impressionable.   

Generally, the goal of advertising is to win over the consumer and persuade them to purchase a particular product or service. However, not every advertisement fits into this category. A few advertisements, known as public service announcements, are done by non-profit organizations hoping to enlighten viewers and make them aware of the problems and evils of society. Cheeren Pires offers an excellent example when she states, “It is easy to generalize all ads into one group but not all ads have the same content. There are currently print, radio and television ads that discuss the downfalls of crystal meth in Hawaii. These ads are very powerful because they share real life stories that are very emotional and touching many different audiences. The ads talk about not trying meth even once. Every day, I pass a store on my way to work with a huge poster of a young man with sores on his face. This is a memorable daily sign for me to think about the impact of drugs on people’s lives. These drug ads definitely don’t have a negative impact. I think we need to pick and choose before we categorize ads as having a negative impact.”

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-Vw2yt-Vn8&feature=related

While I fully support the message that these anti-drug commercials attempt to convey to the viewer, I feel that the material comes off as elaborate and exaggerated. Although these advertisements are meant to target adolescents and teenagers, they seem too edgy and over the top to appeal to its intended audience. Essentially, it appears that the goal of this ad campaign is to frighten children in hopes that they will associate meth use with scary images. The advertisements offer no statistics or concrete evidence to back up its claims and worst of all, they feature actors smoking meth from glass pipes and shooting up the drug with syringes and needles. If our kids didn’t know how to smoke ice or shoot up heroin before, they certainly will after watching these so-called public service announcements.

As adults, we are all able to make informed decisions in every facet of our own lives but as parents, we must make knowledgeable decisions that affect our family. Protecting our children is not limited to the food they consume or the company they keep. It is imperative that the images they see and the information they receive are both inoffensive and age-appropriate. Many of today’s ads and commercials teeter on the edge of good taste and are insensitive to our most impressionable age group. In a 1994 study by E. Donnerstein, it is estimated that the average child in the United States will have seen 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on television before he or she has started elementary school. It is up to each and every one of us to look after our most precious assets.

Works Cited

Donnerstein, E., Slaby R., & Eron, L. (1994). The mass media and youth aggression. In L. Eron, J. Gentry, & P. Schlegel (Eds.) A reason to hope: A psychosocial perspective on violence and youth (pp.219-250). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
 

Nakamura, Brandi. “No, Ads Don’t Have a Negative Impact.” Online Posting. 11 February 2011. Laulima Discussion. 23 February 2011. [https://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/site/KAP.XLSENG215js.201130/page/dce5cccd-f9ac-4ad1-8c6b-6896281bf756]
 

Pires, Cheeren. “No, Ads Don’t Have a Negative Impact.” Online Posting. 8 February 2011. Laulima Discussion. 23 February 2011. [https://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/site/KAP.XLSENG215js.201130/page/dce5cccd-f9ac-4ad1-8c6b-6896281bf756]

FD 1

Chaz Hirata

28 January 2011

FD1

Ophelia Revived

We are fortunate to live in a country that has undergone immense changes in civil liberties.  The gender equality fought for by our predecessors has afforded women the ability to pursue their dreams without the constraints that hindered past generations.  [THESIS] While many women may experience some form of trauma between adolescence and menopause, there is no proof that this is a result of adjusting to their “gender roles” as all human beings, both male and female, encounter various obstacles during their respective lifetimes. [THESIS]  While it can be acknowledged that some of these problems may vary based on gender, it is merely one of the many factors that influence our lives.

To say that gender roles handicap the women of today is inaccurate because it must be accessed on a case-by-case basis.  I believe that many women relish the opportunity to breakdown the longstanding stereotype that every man should be the breadwinner and every woman should be a homemaker.  The women of today are independent, often exuding poise and confidence far greater than their male counterparts.

For example, my cousin Alyssa was a prototypical “girly-girl” throughout her adolescence.  She was a social butterfly, attending every party and social event with no interest in sports or extra-curricular activities.  During her junior year in high school, the Interscholastic League of Hawaii (ILH) started a girls wrestling program and she decided to sign up.  Suddenly my petite little cousin was participating in one of the most physical and grueling sports in the world. 

When I first asked why she signed up for wrestling Alyssa admitted, “[Mostly] because all of my friends were doing it.”  While I was initially concerned by her choice of sport, I was not surprised that she excelled.  Wrestling gave her an added satisfaction and pride that shown through in other facets of her life.  To cap it off, she won the ILH 121-pound girls’ wresting title in her first year of competition.    

In her book Reviving Ophelia, author Mary Pipher describes adolescent girls as “saplings in a hurricane.”  As any parent learns, it is not just adolescent girls that have problems during puberty.  Young boys are faced with the same problems as they struggle to be accepted by their peers.  As a psychiatrist, Pipher has encountered scores of young women who she deems “moody and distant, elusive and slow to trust adults.”  Her portrayal matches just about every teenager in America, boy or girl.  By failing to account for the teenage boys who are prone to the same apprehension and unease that affects all adolescents, she embellishes the struggle of teenage girls to adjust to adulthood while ignoring their male counterparts.  

More to the point, it appears that Pipher rarely comes into contact with male clients.  Our society expects their men to be independent and strong-willed.  The thought of a young man going to therapy to talk out his problems would be ridiculed and laughed at.  As men, we are taught that true strength is taking care of problems alone and not asking for help.  We internalize our deepest feelings and emotions because of our fear of being labeled a “sissy” or a “panty.” For example, when parents see their daughter struggling to fit in, depressed, or despondent, they send her to a doctor or a psychiatrist to find out what’s wrong.  When they see their son in that same situation, do they send him to a psychiatrist as well?  Furthermore, Pipher’s data is flawed because as a psychiatrist, she is only dealing with troubled individuals in need of therapy.  Rarely would a happy, well-adjusted child be sent in for any type of counseling. 

As the time period between adolescence and menopause can be upwards of 30 years or more, it would be difficult to pinpoint gender role as a primary cause of trauma to women.  Gender role trauma represents the pressure we feel to conform to society in order to be socially accepted.  Those of us that fail to conform at a young age may open themselves up to ridicule and derision by their peers.  As we mature and become comfortable in our own skin, we realize that what makes us different is also what defines us as individuals. 

Whatever trauma we endure is experienced as human beings, not as men or women.  To say that females experience trauma adjusting to their gender roles makes light of the many other factors that could affect women today.  Sengchanh Luanglaj explains, “Gender role trauma is caused when an individual experiences a struggle between the stereotypical expectations of what is acceptable in a certain society and culture.  The conflicting views between these two [could] cause the individual emotional and psychological trauma.”  The gender roles of men and women are constantly changing over time. The bigger problem is, and always will be, the pressure to conform to these changes. 

Works Cited

Kojima (cousin). Personal interview. 26 January 2011.

Luanglaj, Sengchanh. Online posting. 24 January 2011. Laulima Discussion. https://laulima.hawaii.edu/portal/site/KAP.XLSENG215js.201130/page/dce5cccd-f9ac-4ad1-8c6b-6896281bf756

 

Pipher, Mary. Saplings in the Storm Dialogues: An Argument Rhetoric and Reader. 6th Edition. Gary Goshgarian and Kathleen Krueger. New York: Pearson-Longman, 2009. 424-432.

Log of Completed Activities

X Jan. 10- First Day of Instruction. Read the welcome message, which includes instructions on how to navigate our class blog. Next, log in to our Laulima discussion forum and your hawaii.edu mailbox. Become familiar with these instructional media. Carefully review the information in our class blog, especially the schedule and syllabus (click on the tab at the top of the page). 
X Jan. 11- Intro to Paper #1. Read the “Guidelines for Paper #1” by midnight.
X Jan. 11- Laulima Discussion: Who Am I? Post your response by midnight. Possible topics: your academic and career goals; your favorite pastime; favorite book, movie, song; favorite physical activity or sport; favorite quote; personal philosophy on the purpose of life; your personal thoughts on why it’s important to become an excellent writer; favorite food or restaurant; favorite vacation destination; etc.
X Jan. 12- Begin setting up your personal blog for all class papers. Click here for instructions. Alternately, see the “Blogger” links in the right sidebar in our class blog. To begin, complete the initial setup. You’ll be able to add finishing touches as the RD1 due date approaches. If you need help, post a request in the “Q&A About My Blog” forum in Laulima.
X Jan. 18- Complete readings for Paper #1 by midnight.
X Jan. 21- Laulima Discussion: What Is “Trauma”? One definition or many different definitions? Post your response by midnight.
X Jan. 26- Laulima Discussion: Causes & Solutions: What causes gender role trauma? What’s the solution? Assume that there is more than one cause or solution. Post your response by midnight. [10 pts]
X Jan. 28- Submit RD1 (Review Draft #1) [50 pts] Review the guidelines.
X Jan. 31- Submit three RD1 evaluations in Laulima. [50 pts] Review the guidelines and the Guidelines for Our First RD Evaluation Session.
X Feb. 3- Submit FD1 (Final Draft #1) [100 pts] Review the guidelines.