Assessment 1 “God Made a Farmer.”

Assessment 1 “God Made a Farmer.”

1.         I believe the ethics of the presentation are virtue ethics. This advertisement attempts to instill in a person certain ethical principles by making several vale judgment claims. Such as, if you’re a farmer then you must believe in God. Further, it attempts to develop a sense of right and wrong. I.E. helping ones neighbor, going to church and of course buying a Dodge truck.  

2.         Some central and peripheral route attempts of the film are: A. Farmers therefore B. Religious therefore C. Hard working therefore D. Help others therefore E. Deserving of a Dodge truck.  Alternatively, A. Religious therefore B. Farmer therefore C. Caretaker therefore D. Hardworking therefore E. Deserving of a Dodge truck.

3.         Proofs:

a.         Pathos: Caretaker, nurturer, hardworking, religious, father, son wanting to be like father, honest, loving

b.         Logos: Hardworking, citing dozens of references to what farmers most likely do with respect to work routines, habits and practices.

c.         Ethos: Religious therefore trustworthy. Images throughout of farmers with Dodge therefore Dodge must be credible and the way to go. Narrator’s tone, voice, general demeanor and reputation.

4.         The epistemic perspective of the proofs I’ve identified are the notions of knowledge, belief, acceptance, verification, justification and perspective that can be found within ideas as farmers being hardworking, or being religious and therefore trustworthy or being natural care takers and therefore deserving of something in return.

5.         The narrative perspective of the proofs I’ve identified is the way in which Paul Harvey tells the story, almost as if spoken as the word of God and by him, himself. Using a third person narrative to tell the world the story of the Farmer and why he’s deserving of a Dodge truck.

6.         On of Reich’s cultural parables in the social and cultural context of the commercial is that of the triumphant individual. This hardworking farmer who is selfless, community oriented, family oriented, hard working and uncompromising in his morality is exactly the type of person deserving of a Dodge truck.

7.  Marwell and Schmitt’s Taxonomy of 16 Influences relates to the commercials objectives by: (a) Reward, if you work hard your entitled to an award; (b) Positive Experience, by purchasing a Dodge you will satisfy desires; (c) Positive Esteem of Others, your son will want to be even more like you if you reward yourself with a Dodge Truck; The objectives are to convince the viewer that if you are a farmer or like a farmer. I.E. hardworking, religious, community - family oriented, having high moral values, selfless, etc. basically every attribute that any one person might be able to identify within themselves, then you deserve a Dodge truck.

8.         The motivational process premise creates the appeals presented in the commercial by: (a) Needs, specifically, a sense of roots, worth and emotional security. If you purchase the truck, you will be well satisfied, your son will want to be even more like you, you will be further, well grounded in a community of farmers who also drive Dodge trucks. (b) Emotions, you will be even more happy and filled with joy if you purchase the Dodge, further, others will be proud of you. (c) Attitudes, peoples opinions of you will be positive if you purchase a Dodge and therefore, you will continue to be the “Farmer” that everyone knows you to be. (d) Consistency, if you want things to continue as they are, if you want to be like all the other farmers, if you want your son to continue to be proud of you and want to be like you then you should purchase the Dodge.

9.         From a needs premise the best one of Packards that relates to this commercial is probably Roots. That to be a farmer, and maintain your heritage, family and overall sense of identity being both accepted by and fitting in with the community, you need a Dodge truck.  Though, I’ll admit there are a few of them that are just as equally competitive within the commercial as well.

10.       From an attitudes premise, the values that are extorted visually to resonate within the attitudes, beliefs or opinions of the audience are religion, community, handwork, family oriented will not only bring you happiness but make you seemingly worthy of a Dodge truck.

Far Away

Far Away

Far away; distance, quantified throughout as time lost. A measure by which humanity governs its existence giving both purpose, structure and meaning to life. Yet nothing seems more far away than time lost between a father and daughter. Daddy, taught to be strong and stoic, perhaps a consequence of the millennia gone by so as to avoid the inevitable stigma of emotion or is it weakness? A Daddy could not, would not or should not feel. Yet, all the while lingering pains, sparks of anger, and more frequently sadness creeps into his life. For moments despair all but seems to be the meal of the day. Engulfing him entirely, wrapping him in a tight web of helplessness, pinning him up against a fortress of time; alas, known all too well to Daddy. Is this God’s will, nature’s evolutionary practice, a cruel fate awarded and dished out on the roll of dice; or, without any purpose and meaning simply a chapter being written by the epochal of dashed hopes in Daddy’s life, far away.

In the abyss Daddy lays, darkness around him, ruminating on the certainty of missed moments and memories lost to forever. Memories unredeemed, which remain silently entombed in the minds present for their awakening. Daddy never to embark on that adventure, never to partake in the painting of that history, never to be awarded the smile following the perfect joy of her accomplishments made, an endearment adrift in the waves of eternity.

Oh to be away from the little one you love so most, her innocence, perfect love and forgiveness giving a glimmer of hope to humanity, brightening an otherwise seemingly chaotic and ever darkening world. She who loves you more than anyone else in all of humanity; without Daddy stands more alone, vulnerable, afraid. Her armor weakened while she innocently explores the curiosities of the world, unknown and unaware of the ever-present and lurking dangers therein. How helpless Daddy must feel, far away.

Daddy’s trust and hope balances on the scales of justice, teetering to and fro. Scales of justice… scales by which natural, intrinsic and universal relations of nature itself are forever altered. Each sway of the scale, causing ripples across fundamental axioms of Anglo-American culture; presupposed by all social, political and legal institutions. Scales that when tipped alter the very fabric by which society and modern civilizations are founded upon; far away.      

Daddy, far away from the good mornings and good nights. Her giggles let out by the bedtime tickles or the impending doom of Daddy the Lion, roaring as he slowly approaches from under the blanket. Far away from the hugs, kisses, slobber, and messes. Far away from the happiness and sadness, unable to embrace either. Far away from the laughter, she races around carefree; loving, living and breathing energy into life itself. Far away from the victories and defeats, lessons learned and opportunities lost. Far away from her moments of exploration, puzzling questions of the day, conflicts encountered, friends made and lost. Far away from her struggles and dangers confronted with, unable to help yet willingly and without question, standing ready to his last breath and willing to give such, to keep her safe and happy.  

Daddy, far away.

Post 1: Confederate Flag and Episcopal Church Shooting

1.         The persuasive artifact and analysis of its use of persuasion theory using BJ Fogg’s Behavioral Change Model that I have selected to analyze is that of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (“NAACP”) President and CEO speech in Charleston, South Carolina.  His speech is on the shooting that recently took place in a historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (“EAMEC”) where sum nine (9) people were shot and killed and, how it relates to a bigger problem regarding both racial hatred across the country and even more specifically, the flying of a Confederate flag over the state capital in South Carolina and how that is indicative of this widespread, systemic problem. 

a.         The video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHNY0sysJcc

2.         It’s well established that according to BJ Foggs and the Foggs Behavior Model (“FBM”) three (3) elements must converge or come together at one moment for a behavior to occur. These elements are Motivation, Ability and Trigger. Further, within these elements are sub elements or components.

a.         Motivation:

The artifact occurs and results from motivation inspired by the shooting that took place in the EAMEC, how the shooting was found to be racially motivated and therefore a hate crime. In that the NAACP mission statement is to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination, it’s not unreasonable to conclude that this was the governing motivation, which moved them to action. Therefore under FBM, specific factors that contributed to the motivation for giving the speech would be pain and fear.

i.          Within the actual artifact itself, they use the EAMEC as motivation to stir up the listeners and create public discourse around the issue as found within or racial hatred and the flying of the confederate flag over the state capital. Again, using pain and fear as sub elements of motivation. 

b.         Abilities:

The simplicity factors or abilities that contributed to the artifact under the FBM are time, money, physical effort, and brain cycles. All of these working together and in play, formed a trigger.

i.          Further, these abilities can be manifested throughout the artifact calling upon both its members, community and nation who have the time, money, physical effort, brain cycles, etc. to action and bring down the confederate flag.

c.         Triggers:

The trigger being the shooting that took place in the EAMEC together with having the confederate flag flying over the state capital. Consequently, the President and CEO of the NAACP giving his speech, condemning racial hatred and advocating for the confederate flag to be taken down over the state capital.

i.          These same triggers were also used throughout his speech to persuade the listeners to action.

3.         Having the right amount of motivation as listed above, together with the abilities as listed above, a trigger is set off as listed above, creating an affective consequence or behavior influenced by or resulting from the emotions created therein.

Process Premises

4.         The artifact attempts to construct as a basis of persuasion needs; emotions, attitudes and consistency for process premises. The premise succeeds in that it (a) establishes a need, I.E. to eliminate racial hatred and the bringing down of the confederate flag over the state capital; (b) using emotions created within its listeners in whole or in part by the EAMEC shooting, it very effectively persuades its audience that because “A” (shooting) is equal to “B” (flying of flag) we must “C,” (take flag down). Further, the artifact uses the attitudes of both its members and followers as a means by which they are more readily able to persuade them to their cause given their already formed biases. Finally, the artifact argues for consistency in that absent the flag being taken down, racial hatred and discrimination will continue and not be in conformity with other areas.

Fallacious Reasoning

5.         I believe the speaker very articulately and persuasively makes his point and therefore is successful overall. However, I believe his points are only successful to the extent absent which an analysis of fallacious reasoning is conducted. I believe the speaker uses fallacious reasoning throughout his speech. Specifically:

a.         Non-Sequitir, he makes jumps in logic. Speaker states shooter was indoctrinated by those who support one's heritage for or resulting from the confederacy or confederate flag. Further, because the confederate flag is flying over the state capital the shooting occurred resultant of it being an indoctrination factor which contributed to the killer’s actions.

i.          Further, those who support their heritage of the confederate flag are persons of the “White Nationalists Movement” or “purveyors of hate.”

b.         Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc, or identifying a false cause and effect. Because the confederate flag is flying over the state capital, the flag represents oppression, the shooter had other flags of oppression on his clothing, therefore the flag must have been motivation for the shooter and therefore should be taken down.

c.          Hasty generalization, that unless the flag is taken down, it will be the cause of more hate and more shootings.