Ted Talk

http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html

The “Ted Talk” I watched was about a man who wanted to try something new for 30 days. He took the challenge and shared how it ultimately changed his life. Also, he encouraged the viewers to give it a shot, because it just might change our lives too.  An area of his speech that I thought the speaker did a good job at was his tone and volume. He kept me interested in the speech by altering his tone, especially when he talked about how bad the novel he wrote was. Another part of his speech that I found effective was that he took short pauses after certain pieces of information. This really emphasized the important parts of the speech for the viewer. Another area that was a strong point of Matt Cutt’s speech was his body language. He used many hand gestures and walked back and forth to keep the audience interested. This gave the speech a more relaxed tone, as if he was having a typical conversation with you instead of standing in front of a large audience. One area that I felt was ineffective in Matt’s speech was his introduction. He immediately started in on his topic, when I felt like he should have addressed the audience to start off the speech. However, he did have a very effective conclusion as he summed everything up and challenged the audience to take a 30 day challenge. After watching this “Ted Talk”, I now know the importance of body language, tone, volume, and an effective introduction. These can all be used in my upcoming speech.

Detroit vs. Everybody

In “Detroit vs. Everybody”, Rembert Browne, the article’s author, attempts to portray Detroit for what it really is. He acknowledged that he, along with most other Americans, associate Detroit with negative connotations. However, as the article went on he did his best to shed a positive light on the city. One part of the article that I really connected with was when he first arrived at the city and described it as looking like a third-world country. He placed images of overturned cars and empty streets in the article. This is representative of what many Americans truly do think of Detroit and I am no different. In recent years, whenever Detroit was on the news, it was usually about something very negative like bankruptcy, unemployment, or homelessness. As a result, I often associate the city with those things and I could actually envision the city looking like the images he included. It is later revealed that downtown Detroit was being used as a set for an action movie.           

            Throughout the article, Browne attempts to present an accurate view of the city for the reader. However, I do not believe he did a very good job. Instead of giving an accurate description of what he saw or experienced, he tried to turn things that seemed blatantly negative into something positive. An example of this is when he visited Belle Isle Park. It is a massive park, yet when Browne visited it, there was practically no one there. I believe that most people would view this as a negative and that they would want the park to be bustling with people of all ages. This is not the case with Browne, as he says, “The freedom to roam at your own pace, at your own volume, in as much space as you desired is something those in densely populated areas can only dream about.”

            In his article, Brown attempted to provide the reader with an account of what he experienced in his short trip to the city. However, I believe his own viewpoints distributed the reality of his experience due to his repeated attempt to portray Detroit in a positive manner.

            

My Bodies of the Year

“My Bodies of the Year: Kim Kardashian’s Instagram Moment and 12 Unsexy Months” was a very thought-provoking article for me. In it, Wesley Morris discusses the role that our bodies play in today’s culture and society. The main question that arises from this piece is if bodies matter more today than they did in the past? I believe that the answer to this question is that yes, they do. Today’s society values physical appearance and beauty above almost everything else. Whether it is a celebrity or just the average person, being healthy and looking good is praised, while those who are not are looked down upon. In the past, I believe there was a greater emphasize on someone’s personality and character, rather than solely on appearance. In Morris’ article, he brings up that one of the few films this year that didn’t focus on someone’s body was Her. Rather, Scarlett Johansson portrayed the main character’s dream woman, even though she was artificial intelligence. Joaquin Phoenix’s character finds true love because he wants someone with an excellent personality, instead of someone who is just physically appealing.

            The film industry was not alone in emphasizing the importance of bodies in today’s culture. The music industry also plays a huge role. When looking back on this year, one person automatically pops into my mind when thinking of drastic changes to their body and appearance, Miley Cyrus. Miley Cyrus went from being a childhood superstar to a typical pop singer, and then suddenly completely altered her look. She dyed her hair blonde, cut it very short, and began to twerk on stage. She also began to release risqué music videos, including “Wrecking Ball” where she swings on a wrecking ball completely nude. In return, she received massive media attention and her music career prospered even more. It wasn’t necessarily the music that she released that people were captivated by, rather it was the way she began to portray her body.

            In conclusion, our bodies and appearance matter more now than they ever have. Bodies are a vital part of today’s culture and I believe they will only go on to play an even greater role.