Scene Depiction : Cinderella Man

http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=RYKpdO_HEOQ&feature=mv_sr

As I’ve said before, The Notebook isn’t my favorite movie but it has some of my favorite movie scenes. As I was looking for the one I wanted to use for this blog I was dismayed to find that it wasn’t on YouTube. Since I love the time period that it’s set in, I had to go back a little earlier in the scheme of things to the 1930s and found myself looking at scenes from Cinderella Man a Depression Era boxing movie.

Although I was unable to find this scene on YouTube either I ended up watching the entire movie today and was struck by one scene. In that scene Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger and their daughter are in a dimly lit, messy apartment where the view can see that they have hit hard times. Zellweger serves the little girl a piece of fried bologna and she eats it hungrily and then she places another piece out for Crowe. Before Crowe sits to eat his breakfast the daughter asks for a little more. Zellweger replies that she can’t have anymore because she has to save some for her brothers. After Crowe sees the look on his hungry daughter’s face he goes on to tell her about a dream he had the night before. In his dream he talks about all the fancy food he got to eat. Once the little girl’s eyes couldn’t get any bigger from the desire for that food, Crowe goes on to tell her that he is so full from the food he ate during his dream that he won’t be able to eat breakfast. With that he asks his daughter if she will help him by eating his piece of bologna and she thankfully accepts. With that the scene is over ending with the mother briefly shaking her head and smiling at the kindness that her starving husband showed to his hungry daughter.   

                                                                       (http://www.listal.com/viewimage/2078416h)

What Club Should I... Investigate?

     After looking through the multitude of clubs that The University Of Kentucky has to offer I had to look for ones I would be interested it. After seeing that there is not a "fashion club" of one sort or another on campus I had to look different clubs I could do my paper on.
     I looked through a number of sororities and fraternities, the occasional gem would appear such as Wreckless Inc. -- a dance crew that aims to "express all emotions through the manipulation of space, time and force. The root of our passion comes from the naturalistic rhythms within ourselves and will be conveyed in a narrative form through artistic dance (http://getinvolved.uky.edu/register/Search/Details.aspx?Id=6072a685-ab82-4076-bb53-ab7b489d324e)." I think that a small club like this would be interesting to look at.
     Another club I think would be interesting to explore is what goes on behind the doors of CSF, one of the most prominent religious groups on campus.
     A third group I think would be interesting in exploring is the Forensic Team which "aims to compete in the intercollegiate community, give members opportunities to develop poise and confidence, become excellent communicators, enhance skills in the areas of research, logic, emotional expression, etc (http://getinvolved.uky.edu/register/Search/Details.aspx?Id=c1aa831f-91dc-47bf-b1b4-c04de14f87b0)."
     Unfortunately I have been very very sick this weekend so I have been unable to make any process in getting in contact with the leaders of these clubs.

Critical Speech Analysis

When I gave my speech I thought that I did pretty well. I thought that I projected my voice, made eye contact, and wasn’t as stiff as the speech I gave in WRD 110. I was hyper aware however of the pauses I took and hoped they weren’t too terribly awkward.

 After watching my speech I will have to say that I changed my mind and I noticed that all the things I thought I did okay or well were actually mildly horrible. One of the major problems I noticed was my lack of projection. My performance would have been greatly improved if I had spoken louder. I also thing my speech would’ve been improved if I had been less nervous. Because of my nerves I frequently lost my place with what I was saying despite all the practice and preparation I had done. Another thing I could’ve improved was my eye contact. I should have made it more deliberate.

Had I had more time I would have not only rehearsed more in front of others. I think that it could have improved my extreme awkwardness and stiffness. I also think that by practicing in front of others, they could have given me other advice and tips that I wouldn’t be able to see by practicing alone. If I had more time to prepare I would have worked more on my tone and speed. After watching the video I noticed that I talked really quickly.

One thing I think I did well was not having too many nervous ticks. I also think that I dressed in a way that was appropriate. I don’t think I came across stuck up for my topic or too laid back.

Speech Outline

Ethos:

I will dress well but relaxed. One of my big weaknesses as a public speaker is stiffness. If I dressed well but relaxed I will also be relaxed instead of uptight and nervous. I also plan to combat my awkwardness by moving my arms, making eye contact with my audience, and shifting my weight. My credibility should be fairly high because I am speaking about my own life and I have no reason to not be honest.

Pathos:

I plan to show assertiveness in my speech because my speech is about being persuasive. Inappropriate emotions to show would include solemnity or sadness.

Logos:

I. Introduction

          - Hook: Good luck wait listing me.

          -Thesis: The most important lesson my parents taught me was "the worst anyone can say is no" which throughout my life has turned into "don't take 'no' for an answer."

II. Body Points

          -"Sales woman of the family" -- through negotiation and compromise I manage to get about anything I want (I'm not an only child and my parents are definitely not pushovers)

          - John Black -- convinced him to let me be the Senior Model for his photography business 

          - Explain the hook & Food Science Internship -- Resume/tracking down HR/countless follow up III. Summary

         - Summary of key points

         - Closer: I am indefatigable.

    

What Do You Want -- The Notebook.

Yes. I know this is the most cliche romantic movie of all time. No. It is not my favorite movie. But, I do think that Noah's speech about fighting for love uses a significant amount of rhetoric. 

Ethos: Noah's audience is specifically Allie. He is trying to persuade the only woman he ever loved to stay with him after being forcefully separated and reconnected after several years. He has to work against a lot of obstacles that he has no control over including her parents that separated them the first time and still do not approve of him, her wealthy fiancé, and the chance that Allie may still leave him again. He has to convince her that even though they fight that they are perfect for each other and that she should stay with him despite all the negative outside forces.

Pathos: He uses body language, eye contact, strong language, and different tones (first a powerful tone, and later a pleading tone) with her to let her know how passionate he is about her. 

Logos: Although the best arguement that he uses was given before the speech (the 365 letters in her hand), he still has several points he makes. He contrasts money with happiness. He tells her that he may not have as much money as her current fiancé but they would be happy together. She counters with the fact that they argue all the time and he basically tells her that they fight because they love each other and they are adults and they can work things out. 

I think that this speech was extremely successful because it forced Allie to think about what she wanted. Although the clip ended with her wanting to leave, she ended up reading all 365 letters, breaking up with her fiancé, and coming back to be with Noah. I think that Noah's speech to Allie is the reason she read all his letters and ended up coming back to be with him. Although in the moment Noah thought he lost her again, everything worked in his favor through his use of ethos, pathos, and logos. 

NBA Nerd or Stefan Urkle?

I really enjoyed this article for several reasons. Besides being a basketball fan and a fan of all things 90s including Carlton Banks and Steve Urkle, I have a real interest and connection with fashion. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I understand exactly why these professional athletes are dressing like “nerds” but I have a few ideas.

First I think that there is a part of them that desires to be something they are not. Just as nerds’ are portrayed as wishing they were “popular” perhaps this is the “popular” kids’ wish to be a nerd. Be something different than what they are.

            I think that a better explanation for their dress code is that they are trying to take something as “uncool” as being a nerd and make it cool again. They (the fashion world) suggests that everything comes back into style. Examples of that include mini skirts, high- waisted shorts, ripped jeans, and platform shoes. If things come and go and come back again in the fashion world, why shouldn’t social roles also change.

            Perhaps none of these ideas are correct. Perhaps it’s just the athlete’s attempt at over correcting for all the injustices done to nerds by jocks throughout the decades. Just like Lady Gaga is trying to bring back the shoulder pads, maybe the jocks are trying to bring back the nerds.

            I liked this article because it not only discussed the athletes but it also did a good job of making connections with their 90s counterparts as well as giving examples of their 2000s interpretations.

(http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/tv-annoying/6/)

(http://kottke.org/11/12/the-rise-of-the-nba-nerd)