Write The Future

Since we nearly wrapped up speeches today in LA101H based on rhetorical analyses of advertisements, I still find myself in a commercial state of mind. Up until the point in which I realized there would be a 4-6 minute time limit on the speech (including the time of the advertisement!) I had one commercial in mind. Sadly, the ad is a marathon clocking in at 2 minutes 53 seconds. It is definitely a worthy 2:53 spent however, and it is the kind of video where you pick up something new with each view and are never entertained any less than the first watch. However, such an ad would not possibly restrict itself to the time limit of the speech, so I thought this would be a better arena to state my case.

The name of the commercial is “Write the Future” and it is under the Nike label. As my classmate Tessa Johnstone so eloquently put it, often times Nike is not trying to sell a product; rather, it attempts to offer consumers a lifestyle. Although in this ad Nike clearly hopes to generate interest in the world cup (personally, they had me at “Drogba”), it makes the World Cup out to be a grandiose cosmic force of destiny impacting the players, fans, and nations involved instead of just a sporting event.

This epic advertisement takes the viewer from a meager home in the Ivory Coast to the halls of the British monarchy and everywhere in between while highlighting soccer's impact. Meanwhile, it is combined with the perfect blend of comedy (the lackey getting his butt kicked at table tennis is Roger Federer, priceless!) and soccer action to make a believer out of any World Cup doubter.

You may not know who Wayne Rooney is, but the commercial makes you want to know who that bulldog-faced Brit is and why he has England’s fate on a string. Even if you don’t recognize the mastry of Ronaldinho, you still want to know where you can see moves worthy of the emulation of Brazilian dancers and Kobe Bryant. The ad may even have female viewers hoping to get better acquainted with the Portuguese stud with the perfectly coiffed hair (Cristiano Ronaldo).

Nike might not be trying to push a lifestyle this time around, but if they are trying to sell us anything it is the idea that these players are titans who shape the world from the ends of their cleats. If you don’t know their names, you better start catching up.

Here is the commercial itself...

…And here is the “Making Of”

Letter by a Rhetor, Pt. 2

I suggest you read my post from two weeks ago, “Letter by a Rhetor” in order to understand this situation in its entirety, but I will still summarize here.

My roommate owns a very odd pair of shoes; they are called Vibram Five-Fingered shoes and they are essentially a low-top shoe with individual compartments for the toes (like toe socks except they are sturdy like a shoe). The two of us were in the fitness center two weeks ago when, to my roommate’s dismay, he was approached by a member of the staff and was asked to leave the fitness center and change his shoes because the Five-Fingers were prohibited due to safety concerns which the staffer did not specifically explain to my roommate.

My roommate was naturally less than pleased with the situation because his shoes re designed for exercise. Therefore, he decided to write a letter to the head of the fitness building in order to have his shoes reinstated on the grounds that they are exercise shoes and offer no less protection to the feet when walking around a weight room than a pair of running shoes.

He naturally hoped for some sort of acknowledgement, yet he has received no reply in any form in the last two weeks. He was aware that by this point his letter would most likely go unanswered without further correspondence from his part. Therefore, he wrote out a follow-up letter in order to re-establish his aims.

It is important to note that my roommate began by establishing himself as a patron of the fitness program and the sender of the previous letter. He then appeals to the director by underlining the redeeming qualities of the fitness center as well as the improvement in the behavior of the employee who curtly excused him from the premises two weeks prior. He demonstrates his desire to continue working out at the same fitness center with his attention to the qualities of the fitness center. Then, however, he makes a claim that the fitness center has the potential for further self-enhancement, yet this effort is being held back by “restrictive footwear policies”. He goes on to build a strong logos argument by reflecting on his professor’s dismay over the policy and by underlining the purposes of the footwear found on the Vibram website. He also makes it clear that he understands the goal of marketing on the website yet the information should still be considered. Finally, his call to action personally confronts the director and implores him or her to try these shoes for themselves to truly understand their benefits (establishing his ethos as an owner himself).

It is still in the form of a first draft (POSTED BELOW), so let me know what you think about it. What can he do to help this letter yield a timely response from the management and possibly a change in policy?
To Whom It May Concern:

My name is (Name), and I am an active member of the (Fitness Program) and regular (Fitness Building) attendee.  Two weeks ago I wrote a letter to the Director of the (Fitness Building) about an ill-fated encounter with a white building employee and my distress at hearing that five-finger shoes were no longer permitted on the (Fitness Building) premises.  This is simply a follow-up letter to confirm that the first letter was received and inquire about any review of policies.

Since the incident, the offending employee has acted with grace and professionalism toward me and my gym partner.  I can most likely attribute this change to effective management, and I thank you for any action you may have taken.  In general, the (Fitness Building) is an enjoyable place to exercise, play sports, and meet socially with friends and teammates; however, restrictive footwear policies keep the fitness center from achieving its maximum potential.

Over the past two weeks I have had discussions with friends and faculty about restrictions on five-finger shoes at the White Building.  Just yesterday I spoke with (Professor Name), a (College Name) mathematics instructor who shares my love for five-finger shoes.  When he heard about the (Fitness Building)’s policies he was taken aback, and informed me about his new favorite pair of shoes, the Vibram Komodo Sport.  Vibram’s website (vibramfivefingers.com) describes the shoes with sporty phrases like “with today's athlete in mind,”  “aggressive multisport design,” and “functional improvements that appeal to the most active fitness enthusiast.”  As I read the description, I thought about the kind of activities I do at the (Fitness Building) and how the shoes could improve my performance.

Of course, a company website must always champion its products, sometimes even with inflated words.  I encourage you to visit the site, as well as research other companies, read about both the medical faults and benefits, and perhaps even discover the joy of owning your own pair.  I was skeptical until I put on my own five-fingers and felt the closeness with the ground, the control of my body, and the thrill of barefoot running that only five-finger shoes can provide. The largest downside to the new method of activity, as Vibram strongly indicates in its literature, is that the athlete must learn to use the shoes properly and slowly. However, as with all equipment provided at the (Fitness Building), patrons must exercise with care and control.

Sincerely,

(Name)

“If you only knew the power of the Dark Side”

Today I was personally introduced to the dark side of rhetoric and civic life. I received news from home that a former teacher of mine was removed from my former high school due to a blog she published. In this blog, she vented her frustrations and propagated her disdain toward her profession by insulting students, parents, and other teachers.

Let me be clear that my goal is not to cast disrepute upon my former teacher and in no way do I feel joy from this situation; her class was a positive experience for me and I hope she will learn from this unfortunate mistake. That being said, the content of her blog was offensive, distasteful, and had no place online.

I naturally looked into this matter online to get clarity on the situation and see how people were reacting to it. On the Doylestown-Buckingham-New Britain Patch’s website, I found many comments located on both the story and directly on the teachers blog via screenshots that were posted on the site. To my dismay, many of the comments were inappropriate or utterly repulsive. I have learned in my study of rhetoric that although we have the freedom to speak our minds, it is a privilege we must exercise responsibly. The worst way anyone can treat another’s irresponsible rhetoric is by sinking to that person’s level to personally debase him or her.

However, there were some comments that were constructive; one user who claimed to be a member of my graduating class engaged in what looked like the beginnings of an open-minded debate with another user. Below is another notable comment, written by an employee of the site:

“I am almost finished my studies in secondary education and teacher certification at Saint Joseph's University so this story really hits home.

I just want to get out of the way that everyone makes mistakes. So I think this teacher should be given a chance to redeem herself, though she did not give her students that very same opportunity.

Now with that being said, there is NO way she should have posted her feelings about her students on a blog! Yes there is free speech, but sometimes we have to be sensible! You have to know that a stunt like this will cost you your job especially if you post on an identifiable blog. How could one be so careless?

Secondly, if you feel this way, and trust me teacher's deal with a lot and do need an outlet, why not keep a PRIVATE journal where no one can view it? It seems to me that not only does this teacher need a lesson on how to properly use the internet, she also needs a lesson on teaching. It seems from many of the responses, she was a horrible teacher, so maybe the students behavior was a reflection of her lack of classroom management.

This teacher needs to lay low and seriously consider whether teaching is what she was meant to do in life. If it's she needs to 1. Apologize over and over again. 2. Take classes on classroom management and teachers strategy. 3. Maybe take some anger management classes. And finally 4. PRAY that someone sees her efforts to rectify her mistake and give her another chance.

I HOPE she's learned her lesson!”

It is a quality comment because the author holds the teacher responsible for her actions without condemning her; meanwhile she provides possible reasoning for her actions and constructive solutions with which to move on from the situation. It is well organized, insightful, and informative; it was a far cry from other comments which were riddled with profanity and served no purpose other than as vulgar regurgitations of negative emotion.

The lesson to be learned here is that rhetoric must be used responsibly and appropriately; it should not be used to disparage others to provide an emotional vent for the rhetor. The teacher and the commenters are perfect examples of the false sense of superiority with which we equip ourselves when others act in a manner we find deplorable. By doing so, we threaten our own sense of dignity when our language becomes more caustic than that of the opposition.



Letter by a Rhetor

In class this week, we learned how to recognize and analyze rhetorical situations when they arise. I found it a valuable lesson since I had been having difficulty up until this point being able to find rhetoric when it is seemingly all around me. Indicative of my ignorance was that as soon as the class period ended I had a realization that some serious rhetoric was going on in my own dorm room.

It all started when I went to the gym with my roommate. He was very fond of his unorthodox shoes which encapsulated each of his toes which I could only describe as “toe socks but in the form of a sturdy, rugged low-top”. At one point in our workout I watched from afar as one of the employees approached my roommate and it turned out he had to change shoes since they would not permit him to wear his “Vibram Five-Fingered Shoes” in the gym, citing safety concerns as the reason. The dissatisfaction lingered on and he decided he would write a letter to the gym in an attempt to lift the restriction on his brand of shoe.

As I look back on the situation, it is a perfect example of exigence; the issue at hand that compels the rhetor (or sender) to attempt to make a change in order to rectify the situation. The exigence is clearly the prohibition of Five-Fingered Shoes, and my roommate plays the role of sender. Naturally his argument begins with his personal account of the incident in question. Also, he understands that his audience (the receiver) will most likely be some sort of manager presiding over the facilities or staff. Therefore he utilizes pathos to invoke outrage by explaining the behavior of the employee; he uses some of his strongest language to express his strife to a nearly hyperbolic level. He has an understanding that he cannot rely solely on pathos, however; he must use logic and commonsense to go from a complaining customer to an informed patron. Therefore, he launches into a logos-based argument through his past experiences backed by statistics he researched. Also, he makes an attempt at building his credibility through ethos by explaining his background with wearing the shoes and his experiences with accepting their benefits. As the sender, it is my roommate’s job to understand his receiver so that he can properly convey his message and settle the exigence to his benefit.

Here is the letter in its entirety:

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is (Name), and I am an active member of the (Fitness Program) and regular (Gym) attendee.  On Tuesday of this week, a gym employee approached me and asked me if I “had another pair of shoes.”  When I replied that I did not, he asked me to leave the primacies.  His objection stemmed from my Vibram Five-Finger shoes, which he claimed were against gym policy.  As I continued to inquire as to why my shoes were objectionable, unsafe, or hazardous, the employee became increasingly belligerent.  He appeared to have no basis for his request, and when I sought to understand his reasoning, he grew angry, began insulting me, and proceeded to belittle me with derogatory language.  Understandably, I sought to avoid a long cold walk back to my dorm, but eventually conceded and went in search of alternative footwear.

Upon return, I showed proof of my new shoes as to avoid future conflict.  As I walked away, I heard the employee converse with a coworker, audibly calling me a “Jackass.”  The ordeal was disappointing, not only because of his lack of professionalism, but because his request marks an end to wearing my five-finger shoes at the White Building.  As a member of the Penn State fitness program, I have worn my five-finger shoes to exercise in the past without conflict, injury, or incident.  The shoes are designed for running and lifting exercises and naturally strengthen calve and ankle muscles.  I use them for sport training and, because of stronger lower legs, reap the benefit of added agility, speed, and balance.

Appropriately, the advent of five-finger shoes has shocked the fitness world.  My home gym in Lindenhurst, Illinois is a satellite of Northwestern University’s research hospital, and the gym struggled with permitting five-finger shoes.  Eventually, the shoes became popular among the gym staff (it was a staff member who first brought the shoes to my attention). Unlike other minimalist footwear (such as water shoes or sandals), five-finger shoes are closed toed, form fitting, hardy footwear that provide adequate protection both on the foot’s sole and upper skin.  Some trainers express unease about the danger of dropping free weights on five-finger shoes; however, the thin mesh or durable upper on running and athletic shoes provides no more protection to falling weight.  A study by the University of Arkansas found that only 14.6% of fitness related injuries were foot related, and of those 17.8% occurred at the local gym.  Many of these are stress fractures and contusions found in long distance runners who simply work their feet too hard.  I have never experienced an injury from wearing five-fingered shoes; the light, heel-less strikes of running in five-fingers have improved my running style and reduced stress on my knees.

After my embarrassing encounter with gym staff this week, I felt compelled to recount my experience, if not to encourage professionalism in customer service, then to suggest a review of the gym’s footwear policies.  Five-finger shoes are not a “hippy” trend or fashion statement, they are a legitimate tool for fitness improvement and sports training.  Those individuals who wear five-finger shoes are knowledgeable of the ideals of a healthy lifestyle and dedicated to personal fitness.  I strongly encourage the (fitness program) to evaluate the benefits of all types of footwear and teach employees proper protocol in handling difficult interpersonal situations.

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