Evidence is very important when building an argument. There are different types of evidence including observation, interviews, personal experience, surveys, and experiments. Evidence can also be gathered in books and through online research. Evidence needs to be chosen carefully because employing the wrong type of evidence could weaken credibility. Sources and applicability of the information is good to keep in mind when choosing what evidence to build into an argument. Evidence should not stand alone; it should support the argument not make the argument. This is something that requires a lot of practice because we can be tempted to bombard our audience with logistics, facts, and opinions that we are sure will convince them. They will not be attracted, though, if the author’s voice is not heard. For the upcoming paper 3 on the unit, Eating as Entertainment, some type of evidence needs to be employed in the paper. If the paper is on competitive eating, there could be evidence on the different types of competitive eating. Quoting a physician on the medical problems associated with competitive eating and filling the stomach past its desired potential would be adequate. This could be used to support the claim that competitive eating is a dangerous sport. An argument of definition could also be built about competitive eating being considered a sport. Who considers it a sport? What are the parallels between an eating competition and a ’sports’ game like basketball? In building an argument, considering the audience is very important. This can determine how much and what type of evidence to include in the argument. For example, an argument about competitive eating being harmful to the body might be addressing people that practice competitive eating, in which case I will need to use specific language or find a way to make myself credible to that population. Otherwise, the reader will disregard my argument if I do not seem to know a whole lot about competitive eating.
Presenting Arguments April 13, 2008
This week’s reading of EA had to do with strategies and tips on presenting arguments, whether they be print, oral, multimedia, or web-based. In all cases, the audience that the message will be presented to needs to be considered. One example that jumped out of me from the text was about the Simpson’s. The authors were making the point that oral/multimedia presentations, should be written to be heard. The first example of the argument about the Simpson’s family was written to be read. The second sample was not different in context, but in style and presentation; I could really hear the argument. Even a blog is an argument being presented to the viewer. For example, I had to pick a picture and a name for this blog. It was a thought process for me because I realized that those two things would represent my person. As we were talking about celebrity chefs this past week, it was very clear that celebrity chefs sell more of their personality than they do their cooking skills or the food they prepare. The video clips we saw showed the use of poetic language, laughter, the physical body, the kitchen styles, and the use of props (the ninja) to make the arguments each chef formed in their shows effective. In the celebrity chef world, each detail is very well thought of because anything could win or lose an audience, and that’s what the price is and where the money is. Restaurants also make arguments to attract customers. The menu, for example, says a lot about a restaurant. Is it simply written on a chalkboard? How extensive is the menu? What colors and fonts are used? All of these questions are important to keep in mind. The last activity that the class did this past week was to come up with a theme, a name, and a sample menu for a restaurant. First we had to think whom we wanted to cater to: teenagers, college students, family’s, couples, the elderly. According to this decision, a theme was developed and the menu followed. Diction and word choice became very important when planning the names of our dishes. They needed to be attractive and catchy but not too far from the reality of the actual foods we would serve. Presenting arguments involves a lot of considerations and may need constant tweaking before and after presenting the argument.
Visual Arguments and Eating as Entertainment April 6, 2008
We all are bombarded with visual arguments everyday. We walk around campus and see posters inside and outside the buildings. I have had the experience of finding out about educational opportunities and organizations by simply approaching a door to open it, reading an advertisement posted on the door, and being attracted by it and encouraged to look into the activity. While driving, there are billboards everywhere, license plates, and visuals on people’s cars. Even I make arguments concerning my person when I write a letter, turn in assignments, or do a presentation. It’ amazing how much information we take in with our eyes. In EA, the authors mention that visual arguments can be used to establish credibility, to convey facts, and to appeal to emotions. Images are powerful because they reach a greater audience, depending on the source. One comment that I found interesting that was mentioned in EA and brought up in class was that each one of us has our way of seeing things. The book mentioned that this can be equated to how eyewitnesses to a crime scene, for example, give variations in their testimonies because they perceived things differently. I think this is true because sometimes we don’t see the message that a visual argument might be making until we hear commentary about it. We may have interpreted way differently than the author intended. Going into the unit of eating as entertainment, I can see how visual arguments are effective in this area. For example, an advertisement for pumpkin pie may associate this food with family gatherings during Thanksgiving; the warmth of family time accompanied with a warm slice of pumpkin pie. Oftentimes, emotions are associated with the food we eat, and the media can shape the connections that we make with food and emotions through visual arguments. I think that there should be some enjoyment in the food we eat; we have taste buds not only to keep ourselves away from toxic foods, but also to enjoy food. In reading Anthony Bourdain’s book and his attempt to find the perfect food, I have really seen the influence of culture on food choices and how an outsider, like Tony, receives from the culture through food aside from language and physical expressions.
