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.
Humor in Arguments March 29, 2008
Arguments can either be strengthened or weakened by the use of humor. This depends on the context and on the audience. That’s why it is very important to know the audience and realize what is relative to their lives and personalities; humor can sometimes be offensive or bring down the argument if the audience doesn’t get it. EA mentions two types of arguments, satire and parody. While satire uses humor to unmask an underlying problem, parody is taking something familiar and turning it into something new that is critical of the original work. Humor can also bring the author and the audience closer together, setting the foundation for the author to present his argument. In relation to food and body image, humor is used to present arguments that mostly criticize behavior, perceptions, or people. For example, it is easier to feel better about having a certain body shape if the opposite body shape is criticized. This is often used to sell people ideas and is mostly done through the media. What we have been getting into these past two weeks about body image does not have humorous arguments, but we have been getting into the effects of arguments that are made on tv, radio, newspapers, etc. One one hand, there’s the ‘obesity epidemic’, and on the other hand, there are eating disorders. Looking at the end of the film Thin and researching Pro Ana and Mia sites was a hard task to do because I felt like I was entering into people’s lives and minds. It is different than someone opening up a situation because I don’t know the people in the websites, and it kind of leaves me powerless to help after hearing what they are going through and not being able to respond in any way. I was able to see the rhetoric used in the websites, like Thinspo and Fatspo, image after image of ‘desirably thin’ people and ‘undersirably fat’ people. I found it interesting how this type of rhetoric works on anorexic people. It feeds the mind with pictures that it wants to see, with things that are not real. I am glad that I am more conscientious of the the rhetoric and thoughts that drive eating disorders.
Style and Presentation in Arguments March 23, 2008
This week we discussed arguments made about body image, specifically being thin. The chapter in EA about style and presentation in arguments has a lot to do with how the wording, punctuation, sentence structure, and the use of tropes in an argument affect the impact of the argument on the reader. Word choice is very important in making an arguments because it can distract or capture the reader. For example, the text we read this past week, Skinny Bitch, uses slang terms and has a demeaning tone. This type of language, may capture some readers, but according to commentaries about the book, it can also arouse discontent in others. Whatever the situation, though, the argument is made that people who want to be skinny need to use their heads more and turn vegan. Although the author’s don’t outright speak this point, through the use language encapsulate this message. The text also uses short sentences to make stronger points. One example is when the author’s say, “So drinking soda can make you fat, sick, and unhappy.” (14). The authors just throw blunt statements out to the reader; these shape the argument, giving it more definition. In terms of punctuation, one example in the text is the use of ‘=’ signs to make connections, such as ‘Healthy = Skinny. Unhealthy = Fat.” (11). Such sharp conclusions make the argument sharp as well. Tropes (such as metaphors, similes, and analogies) and schemes (such as parallelism and inverted word order) also style arguments. In the text, Skinny Bitch, the authors use a metaphor to show the evilness of soda to the body by saying, “Soda is liquid Satan.” (13). To some readers, like me, these types of metaphors can be too much, but for others this type of language is acceptable and the point that the authors are trying to make is understood. The target audience is important to consider when styling and presenting arguments.
Casual Arguments March 3, 2008
The ‘obesity epidemic’ topic that we have been getting into this past week is the perfect example of a casual argument. For the past couple of years, obesity has been on the spotlight more and more, as statistics report that a greater percentage of Americans are obese each year and many are dying of obesity-related diseases. Why so much focus on obesity? Some argue that there really is not much to worry about and that money is behind all of the attention that the word ‘obesity’ is getting. In chapter 10 of Everything’s an Argument, three types of casual arguments are explained. One is an argument that states a cause and then examines its effects. Another type of argument moves through a series of links, saying that A causes B, B causes C, C causes D, etc. The third type of argument is one that states the effect and then traces it back to its causes. The latter is the type of argument that we examined with the topic of obesity. Through measurements of body weight and size, which are just numbers, and deviation from a desired body image, people, mainly those influencing public opinion, have decided that ‘obesity’ is the effect of varying factors. While we cannot escape the effect, increasing BMI’s, where the blame should be placed and to what degree we should care about obesity are points of controversy that we looked at this past week. Causes that have been linked to obesity include increased consumption of high-calorie, high-fat foods, sedentary lifestyles (decreased physical activity), genetics, and environmental influences. One of the characteristics of casual arguments is that they are often definition based. This is something that we examined this week with the addition of the word ‘epidemic’ to the word ‘obesity’. Saying that our nation is facing an obesity epidemic seems like a long stretch of the word for many people. Because an epidemic is usually thought of as terrible, widespread, and contagious, placing obesity, which is a BMI> 30 pounds per squared inch, under this light argues that obesity, and, therefore, obese people can be terrible, widespread, and contagious. Any argument has to be supported by evidence. This past week we looked at an article in the Scientific American that commented on the inaccuracy of obesity research and the real intentions of people that provide shocking statistics about the ‘obesity epidemic’. The article was a good example of analyzing arguments by looking at the evidence provided. Arguments made about obesity, body image, and health are prevalent in our society and can be blown out of proportion or underrepresented. In either case, it is good to filter what we receive through careful analysis of the source and differentiating facts from opinions.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle – Argument of Definition February 16, 2008
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Barbara Kingsolver’s book. It has given me a new perspective on the unavailability of ‘real’ food to the general public. It has accented my thought that we, as a nation, have strayed so far away from nature and the thought of food being connected to the earth. There are certainly arguments of definition in the chapters that I have read so far. There are different kinds of definitions, according to Everything’s an Argument. These include formal definitions, operational definitions, definitions by example, and a combination of all. The first example that I can think of is when Kingsolver mentions that no fruit is available except for rhubarb, the connection between the fruits of winter and summer (p.38). Although not technically a fruit, as Kingsolver mentions, to her it fit into the definition as it was mentioned in a cookbook and the use of it (to make Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, for example) could classify it as a ‘fruit’ (operational definition). In the book, Kinsolver as well as Steven, talk about the use of the word ‘organic’ when they talk about the title of ‘certified organic’ for produce costing farmers a lot, and so they sometimes just prefer to sell their produce without the certification. The definition of ‘organic’ is arguable, especially with its current use in supermarkets, places so far away from the land in which they are produced. Kingsolver also uses a definition by example when she talks about rural versus urban in relation to the people that represent either. For example, she mentions farmers in representation of rural and business people who don’t have any interest in the source of their foods or who produces them as urban. She builds upon conflicts of interest between these two groups and how one is at disadvantage due to the actions/ignorance of the other. This is another way of looking at or defining rural and urban. Throughout the book, Kingsolver also uses arguments of definition about foods by thoroughly explaining what they are, how they’re made (i.e. cheese), or how they are beneficial/operational to allow the reader to come to the realization that society stands in a pool of ignorance in regards to what it’s consuming, that this is a problem, and that it is so much better to know about and participate in the production of what one is consuming.
King Corn – An Argument of Fact February 10, 2008
This past week I read and heard a lot about corn. From reading Michael Pollan’s works and watching King Corn to analyzing the foods that I ate daily for their corn-derived ingredients. Everything seemed to make sense – I am walking corn. No matter how much our society tries to get away from this very fact, as was brought up in discussion, corn has becoming too much a part of our culture, without us even realizing it. The film, King Corn, made its argument that corn production and distribution is detrimental both to consumers and producers through the use of many facts and documented experiences. Ch 7 of Everything’s an Argument on p. 178 reads, “Transmitting facts, it would seem, should be a dispassionate activity, free of the pressures and biases of argument. Yet facts become arguments when they’re controversial in themselves or when they’re used to educate people, challenging, or changing beliefs.” The film King Corn does just this. Although it is a fact that corn has dominated the food industry (this can be stated in other words), and we see this by simply reading about what we are eating, this fact becomes an argument when it challenges people’s values, the ethics and morals of eating. The fact cannot be changed (i.e. we consume this much corn a year in the form of_____), but the perceptions and actions towards the fact make it an argument. After making a claim, evidence is necessary to support the claim. In King Corn, evidence in the form of personal testimonies, laboratory values, and statistics from reliable sources was presented. The film was presented as a documentary, with the titles of speakers showing on the screen while they were interviewed. This adds ethos, credibility, to the film. The producers of King Corn also had to think about the way the evidence to strengthen their claim would be presented. They certainly used visuals when filming the mountains of corn and the hole on the cow’s stomach. Also, when drawing correlations between amount of corn produced and acres of land, for example, they used hand-made figures to illustrate the point. This draws the audiences attention, making the information easier to understand as well. The personalities and ethos of the Cheney and Ellis also added to the argument they were making. For example, the narrator said they had both recently graduated from Yale. Having Michael Pollan speak in the film also added to their credibility. It is interesting to note how an argument is made out of hard facts; something that you would think cannot be argued, can become an argument simply by making a claim, providing evidence, and presenting to the audience in a credible way.
Toulmin Argument – Ch 7 The Omnivore’s Dilemma February 4, 2008
Claim: The industrial eater is victim of the industrial food chain’s use of corn to “obscure the histories of the foods it produces by processing them to such an extent that they appear as pure products of culture rather than nature…” (p.115), thereby replacing a “real meal”.
Ground: Pollan’s personal experience – p.111 “I loved everything about fast food: the individual portions all wrapped up like presents (not having to share with my three sisters was a big part of the appeal; fast food was private property at its best); the familiar meaty perfume of the French fries filling the car; and the pleasingly sequenced bite into a burger – the soft, sweet roll, the crunchy pickle, the savory moistness of the meat.”
p.110 Convenience of eating in a car : “The car has cup holders, front seat and rear, and, except for the salad, all the food … can be readily eaten with one hand.”
p. 112 Distance from knowing real food: “When I asked Isaac if the new nuggets tasted more like chicken than the old ones, he seemed baffled by the question. ‘No, they taste like what they are, which is nuggets, ‘ and then dropped on his dad a withering two-syllable ‘duh’.”
Warrant: Corn is a cheap and convenient substitute/addititive for food; it is part of every food item on a fast food menu.
Backing: p.112 “Of the thirty-eight ingredients it takes to make a McNugget, I counted thirteen that can be derived from corn…”
p. 117 “In order of diminishing corniness, this is how the laboratory measured our meal: soda (100 percent), milk shake (78 percent), salad dressing (65 percent), chicken nuggets ( 56 percent), cheeseburger ( 52 percent), and French fries (23 percent).
Qualifier: For those of us who have ever eaten a fast food meal, …
Rebuttal: p. 117 “So what? Why should it matter that we have become a race of corn eaters such as the world has never seen? Is this necessarily a bad thing? The answer all depends on where you stand.”
Agribusiness – great accomplishment; efficient use of corn
Lower rung of economic ladder - “cheap calories in a variety of attractive forms”
Corn farmer – eventual destruction of economy and soil
Corn plant – success
Whole Foods Market January 28, 2008
My rhetorical analysis of Whole Foods Market on Lamar started right as I got into the the parking lot. The parking lot organization was very inviting, with a sign that said “More Parking” for those who cannot find a parking space. Immediately, I felt the attraction of the bright lights and the clear windows. As I walked through the main entrance, an array of colorful fruits hit my eyes. To a customer, this is very inviting. It leads to the customer into the store, and the customer can’t wait to see more. The first section encountered as one walks in is the fruit and vegetable section. As I walked through the area, I saw a “Buyer’s Guide” sign that gave definitions for the terms “organic”, “conventional”, and “local”. This is an example of ethos because facts add to a source’s credibility. Facts and information are throughout the entire store. For example, in the fruit section there is a sign for the name of each fruit along with a description of it and a picture. The format of the signs are quite attractive and modern. At this food store, the appearance of the products and how information is presented are the main attractions. Price is not very much promoted. The prices of all items are visible, but the customer’s attention is drawn to the presentation of the foods and all of the ‘arguments’ made throughout the store. One thing that caught my attention at first was the music that was playing. This draws upon pathos by appealing to the customers as modern and hip. There was also the use of chalkboards and chalk to interest customers because you don’t normally see this in any food stores. Written on the chalkboards were statements like “Fresh Juices Everyday”. The vegetables, such as green beans, were presented as if just picked. This is an appeal to customers because it adds on more to the fact that the vegetables are organically grown. There was also a “Mushroom Buyer’s Guide” that listed sixteen different types of mushrooms and their descriptions, including pictures. This reminded me of ethos. The store is building its credibility by giving its customer’s facts. There were also signs hanging from the ceiling with information about particular farmers. One was from Carrizo Springs, Tx and said, “We do what we can to protect the environment. We don’t use any chemicals. Children can come and role around the dirt if they want to”. This connects the customer with the supplier; it ‘allows’ people to know where their produce is coming from. Another food that caught my attention was the granola. There were like six different types and they were in barrels. This relates again to pathos because it gives the customer a way to look at Whole Foods as an ‘earthly’ store by presented granola as it would be in a storehouse in a farm. I went throughout the entire store, and what always caught my attention was the organization of all the food products, the lighting, and the huge amount of information available to customers, from a sign of “Seafood Nutrition” to descriptions of the different cheeses. This again adds to the credibility of the store. A walk through the store almost makes the customer feel like he/she is walking through a food museum. It relates very much to pathos, appealing to what people want to be – fresh, fit, and modern. Another way that I observed the store was as a small town, with its different areas. For example, there was a sign that said Dairy and then had an arrow. Then, the signs in the dairy department reminded me of street signs. The cheese area had big-sized cheeses. It is almost as if you are going to a small town and getting cheese because you can pretty much order anything, in any size, and packaging does not matter. The bread department appealed to pathos because it had a big oven with a fire burning. It reminded me of homemade bread or a fireplace – nostalgia. The signs that describe the different foods and terms also appeal to logos because facts are being used which are very logical for people to consider. There are also areas for world music, body care, and clothing. This promotes a holistic approach to health. It was like a one-stop shopping for your health. The atmosphere made it seems as if you become healthier just by visiting the store. There was a sign for clothing that said they were made “from the best natural fibers available”. This is an argument that can persuade people to buy the clothes. The atmosphere and the exploration involved in shopping really makes a customer want to stay longer than at a regular food store. Just as in a town, there are also small eating places and seats, where people can just hang out. The prices were high, but to just hang out and not buy anything, I would be persuaded to stay.
