Preparation in progress...

Speech Topic: Pop art and artists including Andy Warhol

Purpose: The purpose of my speech is to inform my audience about contemporary art. I was to describe what pop art is and how unique it is. I want to include information about Andy Warhol and his work. He is my favorite pop artist. I want to describe some pieces of his work: what he is trying to accomplish and people’s reaction to him.

Research:
-Pop artists want to confront directly materialism, consumerism, militarism, nationalism
-frank naturalism
-mass media imagery
-"Pop artists did images that anybody walking down Broadway could recognize in a split second-comics, picnic tables, men's trousers, celebrities, shower curtains, refrigerators, coke bottles- all the great modern things that Abstract Impressionists tried so hard not to notice." - Andy Warhol
-subjects w/in the immediate enviornment through depersonalization
-stuff that isn't art that they turn into art after being blown up and reproduced
-ex: Andy Warhol's Campbells Soup Cans
-studios become same space where garbage form the street can be found
-looking at common culture and taking it seriously for visual form
-superficiality
-withdrawl of artist's insersion of themselves: taking the artist out of the art
-Interests of Warhol: repetition, superficiality, and surface: rachism, violence, leagalized violence, state authorized death, accidental death, celbrity death/suicide
loneliness

Mansfield, Elizabeth C. and H.H. Arnason. History of Modern Art. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2010.

This is just some of my research. I'm in the process of constructing my outlines.

Celebrity Slip Ups

Top 10 Dumbest Celebrity quotes

1. “It was God who made me so beautiful. If I weren't, then I'd be a school teacher.” - Linda Evangelista

2. "Fiction writing is great. You can make up almost anything." - Ivana Trump

3. "The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation's history. I mean in this century's history. But we all lived in this century. I didn't live in this century." - Dan Quayle

4. "I make Jessica Simpson look like a rock scientist." - Tara Reid

5. "I think gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman." - Arnold Schwarzenegger

6. "I think that the film 'Clueless' was very deep. I think it was deep in the way that it was very light. I think lightness has to come from a very deep place if it's true lightness.” - Alicia Silverstone

7. "So, where's the Cannes Film Festival being held this year?" - Christina Aguilera

8. "Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life." - Brooke Shields

9. "I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them." - George Bush

10. "I'm not anorexic. I'm from Texas. Are there people from Texas that are anorexic? I've never heard of one. And that includes me." - Jessica Simpson

"Top 10 Dumbest Celebrity Quotes." mrsockmonkey. 6 April 2010 .

Celebrities say a lot of dumb things. I decided it would be fun to Google the ten dumbest things that have come out of celebrities mouths. In a way these things could be very offensive!

IGNORANCE

I have always been a little inappropriate. Meaning, I don’t think before I speak. My bad habit has gotten me into a lot of trouble, but it has gotten better since my move to Utah. One specific inappropriate comment that I made to a friend stands out in my memory. I made this comment almost three years ago, but it was so bad that I can remember every detail to this day.

I was so excited to be an incoming freshman at the University of Nebraska. I went to college not knowing anyone; all my friends went to different schools. I wanted to make a good impression of course, and after the first few weeks of school I started settling into a secure group of friends. I joined a sorority and made tons of new friends.

I went out with some sisters one night to a fraternity party. I had a few drinks, and I started talking to a very cute boy (my best friend now). We were joking around and he said, “You can’t hold your beer very well.” My immediate response was, “Your mom can’t hold her beer very well,” thinking I was so funny. He immediately got silent. By the look on his face I already knew what he was about to say. He told me that his mom had died. The worst part was that she died only 8 months prior to that night. I felt awful and apologized a thousand times. I thought wow I’m off to a great start…NOT.

Ever since that night, I have never used a “your mom” joke ever again. That was probably one of the worst college experiences I have ever had. I was embarrassed and ashamed, and he was sad and hurt. How could I be so dumb? Luckily that boy forgave me and we are best friends to this day. The look on his face that night will be inculcated into my mind forever. I am somewhat more careful about thinking before I speak, because I never want to hurt a friend like that again. It was sheer ignorance and stupidity on my part that almost cost me a great friend.

Good vs Bad Advertising

This advertisement was very confusing to me. In my opinion the advertisement itself does not match the product it is advertising for. I do not get the connection between “breaking free,” being an “individual,” and smoking cigarettes. I am a smoker, so I am not being biased towards tobacco; I just think this ad is stupid. This is a type-dominate advertisement, but I do not like the hierarchy of scale of the words. “IS NOT a” appear to be the most important words. This ad has a less obvious structural scheme, but appears to be appropriately balanced. It makes me wonder why the designer chose the color blue. Yes, this blue is very bright and eye catching, but again I cannot make the connection to cigarettes. I would improve this by coming up with a completely new slogan. The image is fine, but the two do not match.

In my opinion this advertisement is very weak. To start, the typology is all over the place. There is a mixture of lower case, uppercase, and caps. The words have different weights and different point sizes; there is too much going on. Secondly, there is too much negative space. Everything is aligned perfectly, but spaced apart weirdly. In my opinion this add is a little stiff and boring. There are no eye grabbing colors or clever phrases. The hierarchy of elements is a little odd also. Some words are larger than others, and the actually body of the advertisement and the visual element are tiny. I would improve this add by making the always box larger. This would add a little symmetry in the lower right corner to balance out the large 97% in the top left corner. I believe this would be an example of a Mondrain layout, because everything is geometric.

This advertisement is stronger than the previous two. The products look appealing and sophisticated. The colors used appear to be well thought out; the background color compliments the color of the products well, and there is a nice contrast between the white type and the red type. The products are arranged on the page well. The diagonal line of product counterbalances the OLAY at the top and REGENERIST at the bottom very well. This ad is different than the previous two because this is an image-dominant layout. The hierarchy of scale is accurate, the products are the most important and they are the largest.

This advertisement was my favorite. The model’s hair in this picture is amazing! The advertisement achieved exactly what it was supposed to. I want this hair, so I want this product. Her hair looks healthy, sexy, and full of volume. The most important thing in this hair product advertisement is her hair. It is clearly the main focus because of how large it is. She is beautiful, her hair is beautiful, and the viewer is automatically drawn in. The contrast between the white type and the blue type matches perfectly to the actual product. This is another example of an image-dominant layout. Everything is balanced well; asymmetrically. The type is in all uppercase with the same point size and weight. This was the perfect choice of type because it is simple. It complements the drama and crazyness of her hair well.

This advertisement is another strong one. The color pallet is very primary, which contrasts well with the white background. The ad uses type and image dominance. The proportion of the type matches the proportion of the image, though there is some hierarchy of scale in the type. This is an example of downstyle, only the first word in the title is capitalized. Everything is centrally aligned and balanced well. Allergies and dust make my nose dry and itchy. I want to use this product because the image looks soothing and moisturizing.

Practice Questions

1. my sons-in-laws’ homes
2. Arkansas’ rivers
3. Jim and Joan’s house
4. PhD’s research
5. McGraw-Hill, Inc.’s advertising
6. Fred the electrician’s estimate
7. anyone else’s’ idea
8. witnesses’ depositions
9. airport’s upper level
10. one of my friend’s daughter

1. The tree surgeon could not save the white spruce’s limb.
2. The user’s manual for the new software package was so confusing that most consumers returned it to the company.
3. Windows’ intuitive commands make it easy for users to move from one application to another.
4. I will be in Hawaii on Mother’s Day, in New Mexico on April Fools Day, and in California on Veterans Day.
5. Grover Cleveland was the peoples’ choice.
6. Each participant filled out the Reader’s Comment Form.
7. Now that he has his bachelor’s degree, he plans to get his master’s degree, and possibly his doctorate.
8. The National Secretaries’ Conference will be held in Houston this year.
9. For appearance’s sake, the feuding vice-presidents kept their differences to themselves during the monthly staff meeting.
10. My brothers-in-laws’ idea was to have the family reunion at a spa.
11. We have been invited to a holiday party at the Roths’.
12. The president of the telephone company’s idea was to offer discount rates to seniors.

Quoting and Sources

1. Introduction: Citing sources in a paper is a very important thing to do. It acknowledges previous reporters, it proves creditability, and shows trustworthiness. It allows the reader to go out and find it for themselves; it provides evidence. It is an obligation to every writer to sight sources out of fairness and generosity. There are two types of sources, primary and secondary. A primary source is one that doesn’t discuss or analyze the subject. The writer needs to interpret and demonstrate its significance themselves. A secondary source is one that does discuss the subject, and has prior assumptions and claims. A secondary source can be accepted or challenged.

2. 1.1: There are three basic principles of integrating sources into a paper. The first principle explains that sources should not be overly used in a paper. The voice of the writer is more important than the voices of the sources, and sometimes a paper can get crowded when overused. A writer should summarize the information and convey it in his or her own words. Paraphrasing is also important. The second principle is always making sure the reader is aware when the writer is speaking or when the writer is drawing from a source. The third principle is always making it clear to the readers how each source relates to the writers argument.

3. 1.2: There are general principles for quoting material as well. The writer should only directly quote a source if it is extremely vivid or striking. Quotes should be inserted strategically, smoothly, and thoughtfully into a paper. The reader should be casually led into a quote; the announcing word is the most important. Quotes should be kept short, but it is important for the writer to not be lazy when quoting.

4. 1.3: If a quote is longer than 5 lines, it should be indented as a block. Quotation blocks do not need to be in quotations, it is already suggested by the indentation that it is a quote. When using quotation blocks, the reader should be aware who and why the person is speaking and being quoted. Like any quotation, the sentences and words leading up to it are very important. After the block quotation it is important to reflect and remind the readers why it was chosen.

5. 1.4: Footnotes or endnotes are a good tool to use when the writer wants to tell the reader additional information. Footnotes or endnotes can be used to, direct the reader to other sources, and explain more the meaning of or reason for choosing words or phrases.

6. 2.1: A writer should cite a source when using factual information, when quoting a source precisely, and when paraphrasing or summarizing other peoples words, ideas, opinions, or conclusions.

7. 2.2: A writer should not cite a source if it has already been cited earlier in the paragraph, when writing about “common knowledge”, every day speech, or information that has risen out of conversation with a friend or classmate.

8. 2.3: Sequential notes are one method used to cite sources. A number is inserted into a sentence wherever a source is being cited; this directs the reader to the footnotes and keeps them in number order. In-text citing is when a writer includes the author and page number of the cited material directly in the paper. Coding is the last method used to cite sources, and is when the writer uses symbols or markers to identify each source.

9. 2.4: If the writer drew any beneficial influence form a source not listed in the references, it should still be acknowledged. These sources are typically less formal, and can be acknowledged in a footnote or endnote of acknowledgement. An example is a conversation with a friend or family member.

10. 3.1: Plagiarism is when a writer uses another sources words and concepts and neglects to recognize that source. Plagiarism is untruthful, unfair, and ungenerous. It is stealing someone else’s work, and then lying about it. It is frowned upon, but it happens all the time.

11. 3.2: Misinterpreting evidence is another way of misusing sources. Time constraints are the main reasons why people fabricate evidence so it fits their interpretation. Improper collaboration is when two or more students submit identical work because of an assignment where they were allowed to work together. Overlapping submission is when a student submits an assignment to one class, then uses it again for another class.

12. 3.3: Online sources can be potentially risky. There is so much information out there, that it is so easy to just copy and paste information. It is important for the writer to pay attention to, analyze, and take good notes from each online document carefully. Untrustworthy material should not be used ever. If there is even a doubt that it is unreliable, the writer should not use it.
13. 3.4: The consequences for academic dishonesty are strict, brutal, and permanent.

14. 3.5: There are many ways to avoid high risk situations. Procrastination is definitely something a writer should avoid. Secondary sources should rarely be used, and advice from a professor should always be used. The writer should distinguish his or her words from the outside sources used. Actively taking notes is the best way to record reactions, hunches, and questions. It is important for a writer to write at a level he or she is comfortable with, trying to sound more sophisticated can sometimes ruin a paper. Borrowing of any kind without citing is extremely frowned upon.

15. 4.1: When citing an artwork or illustration it is important to include the artist, title, and date. If a source has two authors, the writer must use all the authors’ names each time the source is cited.

16. 4.2: Endnotes or references should be listed on separate pages. An entire footnote should fit all on one page. All lists should be titled.

Annie Dillard Discussion Questions

1. I do not have any pre-writing rituals. The only thing I make sure is that I am in a quiet place by myself. I cannot concentrate when there are people around me. I also like to read my stuff out loud but I do not like people to listen. If I am sick, my writing suffers. If I am healthy, my writing is good. If I am uninterested in the topic, my writing is boring. If I am sad, my writing is sad. However my mind and body are feeling that day is going to show up in my writing.
2. I enjoy writing about topics I pick myself. That does not happen very often when I am writing assignments for classes. I consider not being able to write freely a bearing wall set up by my professors. When I do write, I rewrite all the time. Sometimes it takes me an hour just to write an intro. I write my papers in stages, coming up with new material each stage. I think bearing walls are created by both me and by society (professors). I reread and edit my papers so they are just right, to prevent criticism of my professors.

3. I never use metaphors in my writing. That does not mean I do not think they are a useful tool, I enjoyed Dillard’s use of them. She is good at what she does, so her metaphors work. If I tried to use metaphors, they would not make sense.

4. I enjoy reading writing that is mysticism, but I am better at writing more concrete stuff.

5. I agree that Dillard’s thick prose, mystical descriptions, and constant use of metaphors is very interesting. I think that is why she does it; she knows how to entertain her audience. That is something that I hope to get good at. I want to be able to grow in my writing, to be able to recognize different discourse communities and write up to each of their standards.