TOW #19 - Article: "Getting In" by Malcolm Gladwell

1. My writing and reading goals for this TOW are to successfully identify rhetorical strategies and devices that the author uses to achieve his purpose. Also, I want to choose a particularly challenging, possibly lengthy, piece of text to construct my TOW from.

The process of college applications and admissions looms over the shoulders of juniors in high school like a dark, stormy, stress-filled cloud. However, Malcolm Gladwell recalls a time when his young, Canadian self applied to college in ten minutes. By simply filling out a sheet, selecting his top three choices, and sending it off, his college admissions process was done. He got into the University of Toronto, his number one choice. Gladwell acknowledges the simplicity of the Ontario educational system.
However, the emphasis of this article is not the author's breezy transition to college, instead the selection process of Ivy-League schools in America. Gladwell states that sociologists have separated the selection process into two types: treatment and selection effects. He gives a real-life example of both to provide his audience with deeper understanding: "The Marine Corps, for instance, is largely a treatment-effect institution. It doesn’t have an enormous admissions office grading applicants along four separate dimensions of toughness and intelligence. It’s confident that the experience of undergoing Marine Corps basic training will turn you into a formidable soldier. A modeling agency, by contrast, is a selection-effect institution. You don’t become beautiful by signing up with an agency. You get signed up by an agency because you’re beautiful." Gladwell gives these examples to ensure that his audience is provided with certain background knowledge that will become essential to his argument later in the essay. By utilizing this information, the author will go on to create an analogy: "At the heart of the American obsession with the Ivy League is the belief that schools like Harvard provide the social and intellectual equivalent of Marine Corps basic training... The extraordinary emphasis the Ivy League places on admissions policies, though, makes it seem more like a modeling agency than like the Marine Corps." Gladwell, through extending his analogy of the admissions process, brings to light the proposal that Ivy League school may be more like a modeling agency in theory. Gladwell is arguing that one gets into an Ivy League school because he is already smart. The fact that one attended such school does not make him smarter than a person that did not attend an Ivy League, Gladwell argues.
Through his effective use of analogy, Gladwell conveys his strong discontent with the Ivy League schools admissions process and makes a call to action to society to create a system where schools provide the best education possible, not extract out high school prodigies.

TOW #18 - Article: "10 Ways Your Awkward Teenage Years Prepared You To Kick Ass In The Real World" by Amanda Scherker

The "10 Ways Your Awkward Teenage Years Prepared You To Kick Ass In The Real World" is an insightful, and humorous take on the positive consequences of the infamous "awkward stage" that everyone is bound to endure, most likely in their "tween" years. Accompanied by comical GIFs with each reason, one though ten, author, Amanda Scherker, connects to her audience, who are familiar with the clips presented in the GIFs; these include everything from Winnie the Pooh, to Spongebob, to RuPaul's drag race, to Napoleon Dynamite's notorious dance scene. 

Scherker uses enumeration of these reasons to provide a sense of order and concreteness to her argument. This strategy also allows the reader to move quickly enough through each point without getting bored. Enumeration lets Scherker present her argument in an orderly fashion, without wasting space, and keeping her audience interested. By putting the summary of the reason, an image, and then deeper analysis Scherker gives her audience the option of how much they wish to get out of her article. A reader may choose to watch only the GIFs, or read every word. This is an extremely important strategy for Scherker because she writes for The Huffington Post, an internet-based news site. Many people who use The Huffington Post use it for its convenience. Scherker makes her post attractive becuase it is fun and Interactive. The way she has organized it allows the audience to decide how much information they wish to take in. 

Although Scherker's article is extremely humorous and relatable, she backs up her reasons with solid evidence, provided through studies. Her reason #6: "Your geekiness might have helped you avoid juvenile delinquency," Is supported by stating: "A 2009 publication from Sweden's Orebro University found that the same shyness that made you a high school wallflower also made you less likely to to engage in risky behavior, like alcohol use and "one-night stands." Her material is not only valid, but hysterical. Not to mention this assertion is followed by a GIF of McLovin attempting to buy alcohol for Michael Cera and Jonah Hill. 

IRB Intro #3: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is an autobiographical tale of a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic revolution. This book is about her life from ages six to fourteen, while rebels were overthrowing the Iranian government. Satrapi incorporates strong black-and-white images to provide visuals on her life in Iran. Persepolis is a coming of age novel for Satrapi, but more importantly, the book provides insight on her life that became entwined with Iran's history.

TOW #17 - Visual Text: The Onion; "Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard"

In this investigative news story reported directly from The Onion. The Onion is a satire-based news source. In this particular video, The Onion satirizes the company Apple and their constant strand of new products.
The product introduced in this video is the "Macbook Wheel". Basically, this product is the same as a Macbook Pro. However, the Macbook wheel lacks something very essential to the laptop: a keyboard. This product pokes fun at the Apple's notorious obsession with touchscreen appliances; the iPod touch, the iPhone, and the iPad are all exclusively touch screen. The Onion over-exaggerates Apple's love for buttonless technology by removing the keyboard from a computer. In the video, a Macbook Wheel "expert" appears on screen and walks the audience through the "easy" steps to type something. It is obviously extremely tedious to use the wheel to type. However, the man instructing the audience on how to use the wheel insists that the process "couldn't be simpler." He then goes on to state "Everything is only a few hundred clicks away." The Onion has successfully satirized Apple's obsession with touchscreen technology. The expert insisting the wheel makes using a laptop easier is clearly delusional and adapts the persona of an apple-fanatic, willing to look past obvious flaws committed by Apple and insist everything they do is great and almighty.
This same persona is adapted by testimonial-givers. Specifically, one who states: "I'll buy almost anything if it's shiny and made by Apple." Apple has an extremely strong fan base and here, The Onion is satirizing the wide-eyed innocence and gullibility that these fanatics portray, by their willingness to buy anything made by Apple.
The Onion is not only mocking Apple for their touchscreen obsession, but also fans of Apple who buy their products without thinking about the functionality.