Reader Response #5

Commercialism has become a common practice in the United States and other countries in the world. Gary Ruskin and Juliet Schor speak of the growing nature and effects that commercialism has brought upon society in their essay “Every Nook and Cranny: The Dangerous Spread of Commercialized Culture.” The essay provides numerous statistics on how commercialism affected schools, the internet, television shows and movies, the government, and children. Some cities have even signed marketing deals with companies as a mean to gain some revenue for the city. Schools have also done the same in an effort to gain revenue or other electronics like television sets or computers. According to the essay, companies pay television shows and movies to place their product in a few scenes of the television show or movie. It also comments on how commercials are now aimed towards children and that the “average child was exposed to 40,000 TV ads annually” by the mid-1990s.

The surprising statistics that the authors provided in their essay kept the reader enticed. Though some of the words and acronyms were hard to decipher, the essay was overall interesting. It is surprising to know that cities have signed contracts with companies so that the city can get some income from the profit that the company is gaining. One of the most surprising facts that the author provided was that Greece has banned toy advertising between the hours of 7am to 11pm.

I feel like the issues that the essay covered is very important in today’s times. The fact that financial success is more important than the “life goal to ‘develop a meaningful philosophy of life’” is a bit troubling. People should wish to find happiness and peace in their lives. Financial stability and success, in my opinion, is not worth much in the long run. It will provide someone with the money he or she needs to live his or her life, but in the end, it will not mean much. Teachings and lessons are much more valuable than money. Although money pays for things, lifelong lessons will prove to be useful in difficult situations.

In conclusion, Gary Ruskin and Juliet Schor’s essay was very entertaining to read.

Reader Response #4

            In Steven Johnson’s essay, “Social Connections,” Johnson rebuttals some of the arguments that Thomas Friedman made in his column in The New York Times about how technology brings people closer to those who are far but farther to those who are close. Johnson says that fifteen years before the iPod was created, his rides on the subway were just about the same as they are today. He states that the subway from before the iPod was introduced to people’s daily lives was “not exactly a hotbed of civic discourse” (414). He said that people would engage themselves in other activities like reading, so they would not engage in much conversation with the other passengers on the bus. Finally, Johnson addresses the question about where technology is leading us. He says that the web connects people to others, but it is not just a “matter of bringing disparate parts if the planet into closer contact,” it also “greatly enchance[s] and amplifie[s] the kinds of conversations that happen in real-world neighborhoods” (414-5).

            I agree with Johnson’s point about how the invention of the iPod gives us an excuse to not talk to people. Many people on the San Jose State University campus stop people who pass them and ask those people to sign a petition or donate money to an organization. Whenever I see these people, I try to avoid them, but avoiding them hardly ever works. For the last year, I have developed techniques in an attempt to avoid these people; however, these techniques sometimes fail. The only technique that hardly ever fails me is listening to music while passing by. When the petitioners or organization sees me with my earphones in, they almost never stop me. Listening to music on an MP3 player does provide an excuse to avoid those people we do not want to speak to. It helps people not feel guilty for purposely ignoring those around them; it is like an act to justify ignoring someone even though it is the same as purposely avoiding someone.

            Another strong point that Johnson made was how the Web creates more conversation between strangers about large projects happening in the real world. I like how Johnson asks the question about how important face-to-face conversation is. In my opinion, face-to-face conversation is just as important as having an online conversation. Of course, online there is no awkward silence or anything, but face-to-face conversations are more spontaneous; they are more random and can reveal more about someone’s personality than an online conversation can. Plus, one of the beauties of face-to-face is that you get to see someone’s reactions to things you say and the tone of his/her voice when he/she is talking. Although Johnson may not believe these subtleties are important, they are because they are another way to show someone’s values. It is easy to notice when someone is trying to hide his/her displeasure when there is a face-to-face encounter compared to an online encounter.

            Overall, Steven Johnson’s essay was enjoyable to read and easy to relate to.

Reader response #3

In Peter Singer’s essay, “The Singer Solution to World Poverty,” the issue of donating to charities is discussed. Singer states that even though people have money to donate to children in need, they do not because they spend their extra money on  luxuries that are not necessary for their survival. He also points out that people are looked down upon if they do not help a child who is in front of them and is in need of dire help. To reinforce his statement, he uses a paraphrased version of an example that Peter Ulgner used in his book, Living High and Letting Die. In the example, Bob, who is near retirement, owns an expensive and rare car, a Bugatti, which is not insured. At the end of the example, Bob is walking on some train tracks and sees that there is a runaway train on the tracks. He sees that there is a child on the tracks, but the child is too far for Bob to warn him/her. He then notices a switch, which will change the train’s path and move it into his Bugatti. Bob chooses to save his car rather than the child since his car provides him with financial security. Singer then connects Bob’s story to everyone, saying that people all face this situation every time they decide to buy something for their own personal gain.

                Something interesting that Singer did in his essay was the way he only used one main example. The hypothetical story of Bob was prominent throughout the whole essay and how Singer connects this example was interesting. It is as if Singer is trying to say that we are all Bobs even if we do not a valuable and rare car. When Singer establishes a connection between the reader and the fictional character, Bob, he makes it easier for the reader to enjoy his essay since texts are more fun to read if the reader can put their shoes in a character’s, from the story, shoes. This enjoyment that the reader experiences from reading the text may help Singer get his point across about helping children in need.

                Singer makes a good argument and one thing I like is how he does not generalize the essay by saying that everyone should donate to help children in need. Singer says that those who can donate should donate. He tells the reader that if he/she did not dine out, then he/she would save money to donate. Another thing that was interesting was how Singer uses the second person point of view in the fourteenth paragraph. When he uses this point of view, the reader feels as if Singer is singling him/her out. The reader will feel as if Singer is speaking directly to them and not making a generalized statement.

                Overall, Peter Singer’s essay was very enjoyable to read.

Reader response #2

The essay, “Grade Inflation: It’s Time to Face the Facts,” Professor Harvey C. Mansfield explains the pitfalls of grade inflation in Harvard and any other university. Grade inflation is the act of giving a higher grade to students whether or not the student deserves it. According to Mansfield, about half of the students in a class are guaranteed an A in the course to “conform with Harvard’s inflated distribution” (59).  Mansfield says that the grades given at elite American colleges are unfair and, to an extent, scandalous. Mansfield also believes that inflating grades is just a way to flatter students, reveals the downward trend of faculty spirit, and the loss of the idea of the average student.

Mansfield had many detailed explanations that helped clarify some of the ideas he spoke of. One of my favorite examples he used was the comparison of prospective students to new car models. Another good thing that Mansfield did was acknowledging the opposing view and telling the reader why universities wanted to have grade inflation. One more good point that Mansfield had in his argumentative essay was asserting his credibility. At the end of the essay, there is a line that says that Mansfield works as a professor of government at Harvard which means that Mansfield at least has his Masters Degree, but most likely has his Doctorates Degree. Another way he asserts his credibility is by saying that The Boston Globe interviewed him about his “two-grade policy” (61).  The Boston Globe sounds like it is a credible source and to be interviewed by it makes anyone sound very important.

Reading this essay was quite shocking since I did not expect universities to practice grade inflation. In fact, before reading this article, I had no idea what grade inflation was! Grade inflation is a confusing matter, and I agree with Mansfield. It should not be practiced at all. Professors need to remember why they wanted to teach so they can gain their moral back. The idea of an average student needs to be reiterated into universities nationwide. Professors and universities also need to remember that grades should not be a way to flatter a student. Grades should reflect how a student is doing in the class and nothing else. It should reflect how much effort a student has put into a course.

All in all, Harvey Mansfield wrote a very interesting essay and though it was confusing at times, people should take note of what he is saying and try to change the universities into giving true and fair grades to all of their students.

Reader response #1

In the essay, “Violent Media is Good For Kids,” the author, Gerard Jones, strongly believes that violent media is good for young children because it allows children to become more creative and to release or feel emotions that could affect them positively. Jones uses an example from when he was a young child. He tells the reader that his parents “built a wall between [him] and the crudest elements of American pop culture”; however, his mother gave him Marvel Comics once because she thought they would be “good” for him since someone told her they were “devoted to lofty messages of pacifism and tolerance.” He finishes the story by saying that they were indeed good for him, but in a different way than his mother wanted them to be. He said that through the Marvel Comics, namely The Incredible Hulk, he was able to fantasize about a different person that was himself and he was also able to make new friends because of The Incredible Hulk. Jones gives more examples from his life about how violent media has helped children he knows get through school and express themselves through creative stories or works of art.

                The structure of Jones’ essay is formatted nicely, going from personal experiences to observations, professional and personal opinion to popular opinions, and finally acknowledging the other side of the argument and rebutting it. Not only that, but Jones makes a very valid argument. When taking something in, one should always have a balance. Too much can always be bad, and too little can deprive oneself from achieving greatness. The use of Melanie Moore’s quote also helped further prove his idea that violence is not bad for children. It showed that he and professionals both agree that violence is good for children if, again, it is given in moderation. He also establishes his credibility by saying that he developed Power Play and then going on to explain what the program is and how it uses violent, or heroic, storytelling to improve children’s knowledge of themselves and make them feel strong. Jones also appeals to the reader’s emotions too by telling stories, like the story of pretending to be a Power Ranger to “muscle through a social competition in kindergarten,” that most readers can relate to. Another way Jones appeals to emotion is by telling stories about helping different children embrace their violent fantasies by allowing the child to write stories and/or draw pictures. The reader cannot help but feel a sense of warmth when he tells the two stories about the girls he helped.

                Overall, Gerard Jones makes a valid argument and his use of details, word choices, and the use of the three rhetorical appeals helped make his argument stronger.