Defamiliarizing Young Female Actresses

There is a certain sense of truth that science provides the world. Of course, this is not the only truth that exists. There is another kind of truth, found in art. “Art provides access to a different kind of truth than is available to science, a truth that is immune to scientific investigation because it is accessible only through connotative language (allusion, metaphor, symbolism, etc.) and cannot be rendered in the direct, denotative, fact-naming language of the sciences” (3). Defamiliarization, or thinking outside the box of generally or commonly known knowledge is a form of art.

In the case of celebrities, such as Lindsay Lohan, society is used to accepting that her archetype, the young actress making films, is simply there and not effecting pop culture or culture in a negative way. Although, she is in fact creating fame for herself by acting as an inappropriate role model, especially to young girls. It is not until we step back and take a closer look by defamiliarizing ourselves from the situation that we see the harmful causes of young actresses setting poor examples in the media.

Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff and Mylie Cyrus are just a few young actresses that have been in and out of rehabilitation centers, have publically gone through eating disorder ordeals and barely wear enough clothes to amply cover themselves when they leave their homes. But, what does the average person notice about these girls? They notice that they are pretty, famous, and in the movies that our children are growing up watching. It is important to defamiliarize ourselves with these young actresses and celebrities on the greater scale so that we can fully understand how they are effecting our lives.

Work Cited
Ryan, Michael. Literary Theory: An Anthology. Ed. Julie Rivkin. Grand Rapids: Blackwell Limited, 2008.

Defamiliarizing a Photograph.

In this photograph I see three young people walking on railroad tracks. The railroad tracks seem normal, possibly out of use, and have gravel in between and all around besides them. The two youngsters closest to us appear to be wearing backpacks. They are all wearing one item of pinkish orange clothing. I cannot seem to make clear the sex of the individuals, except the last little girl because she has a blonde braid going down her back. The person closest to us is carrying a yellow balloon with a smiley face on it. On both sides of the railroad tracks there are small light green bushes. On the outer part of these bushes there are large trees with deep green leaves. Above the young people in the picture there are visible power lines that seem to be constructed forever. There are no other people around, but you can see buildings in the distance. It is also a sunny day with a fantastic baby-blue sky in the background.

The Rhetoric in Macintosh v. PC Advertisements

The art of rhetoric is communicating any given message in a fashion that is meant to persuade an audience. Rhetoric has been alive and flourishing since as far back as Greek antiquity. For my first major critical theories analysis I decided to evaluate a short Macintosh computer advertisement in order to interpret the greater meanings the commercial is broadcasting.

Upon closer dissection the advertisement is almost deceitful in its nature. Macs are displayed and being incredibly popular, therefore making PCs desperate for attention. The man representing the Mac computer is hip, young and quite fashionable. On the other hand, the man representing PC computers is short, plump, balding and very unattractive.

In Plato’s Ion Socrates explains to Ion that his “…art requires [him] to dress up in fine clothes and look as splendid as possible…” (Murray 1). Ion is a rhapsode, or a person who recites persuasive rhetoric. I believe that the Mac computer in this advertisement symbolizes a rhapsode because the audience is being persuaded, perhaps in a deceitful manner, to credit Macintosh computers as being in some way better than PCs. This assertion is amplified by the idea of Macs “dressing up in fine clothes,” much like rhapsodes. Macintoshes, according to this advertisement, are much more attractive than PCs. Macs are “dressed up,” so to speak. It makes one think that this is perchance all part of the greater “show” that is rhetoric itself.

Socrates unravels rhetoric further by making the assertion that “…you have to understand [a poet’s] thought, not only his words – an enviable lot indeed. For a rhapsode would never be any good if he didn’t understand what the poet says” (Murray 1). The creators of this Macintosh ad understand what their audience is going to absorb, which is why they know exactly what rhetoric to employ in the commercial, much like the way a rhapsode uses his creatively guileful rhetoric.

Conclusively, I believe the rhetoric in commercials today, much like this Mac advertisement are acting like rhapsodes in the mass media. The media knows exactly what to say to strike up the emotions of an audience and continue to capture their attention with their constant persuasive nature.

Works Cited
Murray, Penelope. Classical Literary Criticism. New York: Penguin Classics, 2000.
"YouTube - Apple "Get a Mac" ad: "Sales Pitch"" YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 05 Feb. 2009 .