Journal #7: Gender Identity and sexual orientation

I found Michael Lassell's poem kind of eye opening because, although there are many homophobic people in society that do even shun their family members when they found out they are homosexual, the fact that the brother that died in the poem had been neglected by his older brother for so long and that, once meeting the dying brother's lover he came to terms with the situation was something that seems rare.  I feel as though homophobes tend to normally stick to their views on the situation and do not take that time to realize that it is actually okay even if it makes them feel uncomfortable.  This poem defines homosexually as a love between people of the same sex that is even stronger than that between a man and a woman because of the ridicule they have to go through just for their choice of feelings, while heterosexuality is thought of as "normal", the love between a man and a woman that everyone accepts and respects.  I believe this poem is very similar to the idea presented in the Duets episode of Glee in the situation of Kurt and how he has to deal with his sexuality and what people would think if Sam sang a duet with him.  In both cases, it shows that homosexuality is something that many people disrespect and believe makes a man not as "manly."  In both cases, the idea that people that are homosexual actually have to be stronger and more comfortable with themselves than the average person does because they have to accept who they are and show others that it is okay to be different, shown by the quote from the poem given above as well as when Kurt goes up on stage and sings a duet by himself.  After viewing these clips, I have realized how many people are still incredibly homophobic despite the growing amount of homosexual people there are out there, as well as how much stronger and more confident homosexuals have to be to make it in this world.

Journal #6- Rhetorical Analysis: Silent Victims

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Xh-tZrzwk

  In this commercial, the humane society is making use of depressing music, highlighting heart-wrenching phrases, and displaying tragic images in order to tap in to the emotional appeal of the audience.

The use of depressing music subliminally places the audience in a mood that makes them feel sorry for the animals and want to help.  For instance, if someone is at home with the television on in the background, that music is going to catch their attention by putting them in to a saddened state and causes them to have the want to see what they can do to take that saddened state and make it a happier one.  Also, the fact that the music does not have specific lyrics, and later comes in with an actress speaking over the music adds to the idea that the animals do not have a means of speech and therefore cannot ask for our help themselves.  The use of the music is just the subconscious effect that begins to tap into the audience's emotions. Relating to the music, they add specific, written phrases to accompany the lyricless, depressing tone of the music.

By using highlighted, tragic phrases throughout the commercial, they bring the emotional connection to a more conscious, upfront state.  In the typed phrases, they highlight specific words in order to make the tragic situations the animals have been through more evident to the audience.  For instance, they use the phrases, "Why did they hurt me?", "Why did they abandon me?", and "Will I die today?" while highlighting the words hurt, abandon, and die to cause people to realize the extent of the situation and also feeling partially responsible for it because they are referring to humans that have abused and neglected them that way.  Also, while showing the phrases along with the pictures of the animals that we have already distinguished cannot communicate, the phrases are being used to show what the animals are saying with the look they provide in the respective image.

Lastly, the use of tragic images completes the emotional connection to the audience and overwhelms them to a point that they will want to help the animals.  For instance, they show animals that are missing eyes, cows being knocked over by trucks, and dogs that look like they are almost in tears with matted fur and barely any meat on there bones.  These images hit home with the audience because they can actually see the effects of the abuse and neglect of the animals as opposed to just hearing about it.  Combining the visual along with the audio and textual, emotional expressions uses the maximum possible emotional effects and uses them in one commercial to convince the audience to want to help out in whatever way they can.