Assignment 10

1. How does the image of the Running Woman in the MacIntosh ad portray the image of a revolution within the evolving domesticity of personal computing, or does it not?

2. Why or how has the attitude of technophobia changed over the period of time in which the MacIntosh was introduced during the Superbowl?

Summary

In Stein's "1984" MacIntosh Ad, it is a pivotal time during the Super Bowl where many companies have the privilege to have their ads displayed to the public. This commercial which advertises the MacIntosh as the proposed ideal to a revolution within the world of computing in the home. The MacIntosh ad, which aired only one time, portrayed the image of a world filled with brainwashed people who became subject to the control of the popular computer manufacturer at the time IBM. Apple portrays the idea that we will one day be saved from IBM and regain our freedom but is true freedom expressed by being able to do what we want  on the internet? In all actuality, our world is becoming more subject to requiring the internet in order to adapt to the development of new technology and therefore the fear of technology destroying our world arises. I feel that as new technology develops, we are becoming subjects of control as the need to adapt becomes more evident. I think that Stein wrote her essay in order to show how the MacIntosh ad was an instrument used to revolutionize the world of personal computing.

I think that Stein wanted to research this essay to show her readers how the portrayal of products in ads are constructed in such a way that changes the human discourse. This in turn allows the consumers of these products to construct a self identity based on the ideology of what is illustrated as life-changing or revolutionary. As consumers of technology, we sometimes are subject to believe that every new form of technology being produced is essential to our well being. As time passes by, I see that technology is slowly becoming the new source to find answers to anything about the world. This is why I think that the introduction of the MacIntosh has been so revolutionary in the "freedoms" given by use of personal computing. As new technology is being produced and more commonly used, consumers and also people who may not even use technology are being controlled or and forced to adapt to the lifestyle of using technology. Stein's purpose is to show how advertising is always made in a way that pushes consumers into creating a self-identity through the ideological perspectives illustrated in advertisements.

I think that Stein would have hoped that here readers were able to see how companies construct their ads in this ideal way in order for the consumers to develop a want and or need for whatever is being advertised. This is especially true when it comes to technology  such as personal computing in which Stein constructs her essay about. Almost everything that humans normally do and can do is slowly being replaced with the use of machines. As advertisements construct images that show what an ideal future can look like with the production of new technology brainwashes consumers into buying and always replacing old technology with new technology. Stein wants her readers to understand the fear of technology that consumers have as they are forced to adapt to the changing times and how it may affect the human perspective of society and how it is slowly becoming more mechanized.

I got this thought from various moments in the text where Stein provides many points and examples that shows how advertising during an essential time for the advertising market plays an essential role in persuading consumer discourse. "It turned the Super Bowl from a football game into advertising's Super Event of the year" (Stein 279). The fact that all of America got to see the McIntosh ad during the Super Bowl let alone the fact that it only aired one time says a lot. This gives the notion that it is especially important that in advertising through mass  media, one does so during a time where many viewers can see it. The ad aired one time but the image of the Running Woman portrayed the idea that a revolution would occur with the introduction of Apple into the world of personal computing. We, as consumers, would soon come to realize that the freedom that Apple promises to bring and release us from the brainwashing of IBM. I really feel that as a consumer, we are easily persuaded through the ideals portrayed that we always need something. Consumers are then creating a self-identity where they have can do anything with just the click of a mouse. "If the computer is an invention and extension of the human mind, the bodiless head floating on the screen is a reenactment of the human body becoming obsolete" (Stein 292). I really feel that as consumers of technology, we are becoming objects subject to the brainwashing techniques of advertising, therefore being forced to adapt to the constantly changing times. I am scared for the future that if we continue on like this, the computer will be the new human race and there will  be no need for humans to do anymore work.

Assignment 9

I feel that when I write, I am building relationships with those who have similar opinions to myself about certain issues such as that in my most recent paper "Lifelike". I initially took the stance that I thought "Taxidermy was a disgusting hobby to dabble into because one was dealing with dead things" and knowing the messy and gruesome details of the process it takes to do such work. After rereading the "Lifelike" essay, I found out that the essay was being told from the viewpoint of a reporter. Knowing this small but crucial detail helped me to understand the essays purpose and to think about not just my opinion but to submerge myself into the mindset of others in the hopes that my audience will see the other side of things. As I have written in "Lifelike," I took the time the to put myself in the shoes of the Taxidermists to understand from my perspective and see how the art of dealing with dead animals has transformed into recreating the most precious and rare moments in the nature of animal lives.

In my writing, I am building relations with people who are against mistreatment of animals with the hopes that they can see in some way how Taxidermy is a growing art made to show appreciation for animal lives and their contributions to the world. I did a little bit of research on Susan Orlean the author of "Lifelike" to help me understand that she was a journalist who wanted to shed light on the art of Taxidermy. I made connections with my audience by saying that "I was disgusted by the gruesome amount of dead deer that Taxidermists used." I also felt that I made a stronger connection with my audience as I gave descriptions of what was seen as well. “The deer came in herds, on carloads, and on pallets: dozens and dozens of whitetail and roe; half deer and whole deer and deer with deformities.” (Orleans 1). I felt like this description also led into the idea of Taxidermy as an art to acknowledge talent and also the beauty of dead things. "Deer were sneezing and glowering and nuzzling and yawning; chewing apples and bucks nibbling leaves” (Orlean 1)." Understanding and giving background on what the author does and has done is a key part in understanding me as a writer and my purpose for writing.

I think that the ethical dimension of communication to me means the beliefs and values that I regard as essential to the world or what I believe to be write and/or wrong. I think that my work engages in the ethical dimension of communication because I let my readers know how I feel about t what I believed Taxidermy to be as an improper form of using dead animals and seeing how this has transformed into an admirable art form. I allowed myself to visualize and understand that not all people share similar beliefs of Taxidermy and being able to explore this through writing has shown me this to be true. I always thought badly about Taxidermy because of all the stories that I hear of animal poaching, cruelty, and etc. . “It was precise and lovely, almost haunting, since the more you looked at it the more certain you were that the birds would just stop building their nest, spread their wings, and fly away” (Orlean 6). This quote especially has shown me the other side of this art. What I initially saw as creepy and sometimes revolting, I then saw the beauty within this form of the restoration of animal life within time. 

Revising My Paper
- Be more specific and focus on the main idea and writerly choices that support
- Being concise
- Pick good writerly choices and establish the connection that they have in relation to my purpose
- Arranging my text in a way that makes sense and helps the readers understand me as a writer

Assignment 8

What stood out to me is how some of the other student's picked up on the idea that Orlean had subtly through her own opinion about Taxidermy in her essay rather than just making it seem that as a writer and a reporter that she is just a one-sided person. She says "there were animal-mannequins blank faced and brooding, earless and eyeless and utterly bald, ghostly gray duikers and spectral pine martens and black-bellied tree ducks from some other world" (Orlean 1). I get the subtle hint of her opinion that taxidermy pieces are weird and creepy as she uses words such as "blank faced," "ghostly," and "utterly." On the other hand, my attention is still drawn in because I feel like Orlean is presenting interesting details which create mental images of the ducks, deer heads, and many other animals that the Taxidermists at this convention are making. At first I had not noticed that Orlean often played on people's feelings about Taxidermy throughout her text. For example she says "an entire exhibit hall was filled with equipment, all the gear required to bring something dead back to life" (Orlean 1). I think that this quote gives off a feeling of surprise that people who dislike mistreatment of animals could relate to but as a reader they could appreciate reliving or seeing the beauty in dead animals again. I think that other readers may have picked up on this sooner than be myself because they didn't necessarily read the entire text with the opinion that Taxidermy is horrible and nothing can ever change my opinion about that. This shows that reading with an open mind will allow one as a writer to be more credible and to grow and develop good writing skills. I often found myself reading with a one-tracked mind and not necessarily seeing or understanding both sides. In my Assignment 5, I was so hung onto the idea that Taxidermy was disgusting and how against it I was that I didn't really understand the text until I sat back and just thought about it from the point of view of a person who does enjoy Taxidermy not as a sport  but as an admiration for animals. I said that "Not all people of every culture adopt the same or similar values so it is possible to expect that such a controversial act would be seen as an act of great artistry." Knowing this, I reread the text and Orlean's purpose was then becoming clear to me and also some of her writerly choices.I will go about writing my next essay by keeping an open mind to allow me to understand and make clear writerly choices to help the reader understand Orlean's text but to gauge who I am as a writer.


In my first essay, I thought about my audience as people coming into a different environment that they are new to and therefore just want to explore and get to know it. Sometimes. as human beings, when we are exploring new people, situations and environments we often do not hear what we are really saying or doing. One movement of a body part can say a lot about who one truly is when they are taken out of their comfort zone. In my Lifelike essay, I will think about my audience as students who are learning about Taxidermy and it's purpose for being around. I want my audience to feel an appreciation and respect for animals, not because they are dead, but because they are great pieces of art that can express feelings of love and admiration for them. I would describe my tone as surprised but also curious. I myself didn't know much about Taxidermy and I felt like reading Lifelike gave me a knew perspective and understanding of what it really was and the purpose that it served. I think that what sets my essay apart from other people's essay is the different ideas that I may have then other people. It may bring interest to my readers about who I am as I writer and will lead them to read more.

Assignment 7

Choices

Taxidermy Developed Into an Art
1. Why does Orlean choose to play  on her reader's emotion over the controversial art of Taxidermy?

   I personally was confused as Orlean was going back and forth between loving and hating Taxidermy.
"The deer came in heards, in carloads, and on pallets" and "There were millions of eyes, boxes, and bowls; of them some as small as a lentil, and some as big as a poached egg" (Orlean 1). Orlean's tone as she describes what she saw felt like disgust and repulsiveness especially through the discription of those details. She uses words like "carloads" and "pallets" to describe the excessive amount of dead animal carcases and hides that she had witnessed coming into the Taxidermy Convention (Orlean 1). She also uses comparative words like "as small as" and "as big as" in order for her readers to make a connection between the size and details of the body parts that these Taxidermist's used. Also thoroughout the text, Orlean includes a part that showed the growing popularity of Taxidermy as an art and  not for sport. "In 1971, the National Taxidermy Association was formed" (Orlean 2). This quote illustraes Taxidermy as an art and its growing popularity within the common culture. Orlean, throughout this texts also describes the beauty for such winderful pieces of art including two- tree sparrows that were going to stop building their nest and fly away" (6). It is almost inevitable that an individual will assume an art such as Taxidermy as a dark art because of how they percieve it based on what they learned before. Not every person or the same culture oercieves Taxidermy in this way.  Orlean, in her text, has immersed herself in an environment full of Taxidermy to explore  the side of Taxidermy as agrowing art in the popular culure by exploring the different elements and amount of work it takes to create such a lifelike work of art.  I think that Orlean is pulling the attention of the readers who share feelings of disgust for making models with dead animals in order to pull the readers interest back in by persuading them that Taxidermy is an art of admiration for nature.


2. How does Orlean's choice to play on her reader's emotions contributes to her purpose?
   Orlean's choice to play on her reader's emotions is a conscious decision made in order to keep puling their attention back to the text so that they want to know and read more about it. She shared similar feelings of disgust and admiration as she analyzed what she saw while and the conversations she had with some of the Taxidermists at the convention. Taxidermy as an art takes a steady hand and tteious work to produce great pieces of art. It also takes an individual who is willing to get their hands dirty and possibly mess with dead animals that some individuals who dislike the idea of Taxidermy constitute that as a taboo and therefore has a negative implication towards it. "To be good at Taxidermy, you have to be good at sewing, sculpting, painting, and hairdressing and mostly you have to be a little bit of a zoology nerd" (Orlean 2). This quote describes the kind of work that it takes when taking part in an art such as Taxidermy. Orlean is giving the idea, in this quote, that Taxidermy does not necessarily have to be something that you have to like. It shows the similarities, skills, and growing admiartion for what they love to do. Orlean also explains this while using the term nerd. Using the term nerd allows the readers to make that connection they have something that they are really good at and enjoy doing similar to those who love and enjoy taking part in Taxidermy.

3. Why do you think that Orlean includes eccentricity about Taxidermy in the text?
    After reading the first two paragraphs of Orlean's essay "Lifelike," I automatically envisioned the mental image of dead animals killed and carelessly thrown into a pile to make sport with them. "The deer came in heards, in carloads, and on pallets" (Orlean 1). I personally do not agree with killing or even messing with the dead but as I read "Lifelike", my perception of Taxidermy as a taboo began to change. I think that Orlean was trying to persuade her readers that Taxidermy is considered to be an art shown by Taxidermist's love of animals. A quote that I found to be interesting was a woman that said, "I love deer. They're my babies" (Orlean 2). This quote made me think that this woman was crazy and out of her mind. When I read it again, I began to understand the connection that Taxidermists have with animals and creating them into works of art that would be around for a long time. This quote showed the eccentricity that this woman had for animals which I can see develop in many Taxidermists to some degree. One becomes so invested and makes a connection with their pets and other animals that they want something that will constantly give them that memory.

History of Taxidermy

1. How does the history of Taxidermy allow the reader to understand Orlean's essay?
    Being given the context of Taxidermy, it allows the reader to understand how it has grown into an art and perhaps why people have chosen to do it. "Taxidermy has been around and has grown in popoularity sincethe Victorian times"(Orlean 1). "There was a Soiety of American Taxidermists which hekd annual meetings and published scholarly reports" (Orlean 2). This quote alone shows the growth of Taxidermy as it was introduced to the culture at the time. It also shows that the members of that culture began to show a litle bit more acceptance of such a messy and unclean art of Taxidermy. "In 1971, the National Taxidermy Association was formed" (Orlean 2). This quote caught my attention because I think that Orlean is showing her readers how fast the interest pf Taxidermy took root and the amount of attention it has brought to this new and still growing popular form of art. Being given the history of Taxidermy and the growing admiration of what is now considered as an art allows the reader to understand why people do it and also why it has slowly grown away from the negative notions that people who are for animal rights may have.

2. Given the background for the history of Taxidermy, does it allow the reader to better understand Orlean's purpose?
   Given the history of Taxidermy it does allow me, as the reader to understand, Orlean's purpose. Orlean is trying to persuade her readers that Taxidermy is a form of artistry that is essentially reconstructing animals in the image of the Taxidermists in such a lifelike way. I think that Orlean did accomplish her purpose because she gives the context of Taxidermy and makes connections between the Taxidermists and those who detest it. A quote that I believe shows a connection that Orlean was making between the reader and the Taxidermists says "To be good at Taxidermy, you have to be good at sewing, sculpting, painting, and hairdressing and mostly you have to be a little bit of a zoology nerd" (Orlean 2). This quote shows a connection of the similarities between Taxidermists and people who are skilled at different things which most people consider nerds to be. Orleans includes this quote to make the connection that each person are all skilled at one thing or another and it does not have to necessarily be the same thing. Taxidermy takes just as much interest and skill just like any other hobby or subject that one takes pride in and are really good at.