Machu Picchu

http://www.peru-machu-picchu.com/

I chose this image for my blog post because to me it combines both a documentary style photograph with personal associations. I have yet to make it to Peru, but it on my list of must-see countries, and I hope to go there next year to do the Machu Picchu trek.

I think this image is especially effective as a documentary image because the photograph is pulled out enough to show the majority of the preserved Inca village, while still showing its incredible location embedded in the mountains. The affect of the clouds wrapping around the mountain shows the sheer altitude and the fact that it is very much a part of the natural landscape. The bright blue sky peeking through at the top reminds the viewer that the Village is actually outside, whereas more close-up photographs can be misleading, looking more like a man made exhibition.

Machu Picchu is a World Heritage site, but there have been talks of shutting down the tourist trails, as they are becoming to hard on the landscape, thus making it difficult to protect the integrity of the pristine preservation. Photographs like the one above may be the only way to experience the beauty of Machu Picchu. In this sense, documentary style photographs become an integral part of history lessons as they come as close as possible to encapsulating the magnitude of the 'World Wonders'.

Exclusive Memes

Facebook user, from the group Type 1 Diabetic Memes

Facebook user, from group Type 1 Diabetic Memes

For those unfamiliar, 'memes' are an incredibly popular internet phenomenon that has grown in this past year. Generally they are comprised of a single image, with a caption at the top and another at the bottom. They are normally used to make fun of something specific, or just to get a laugh. The Type 1 Diabetic Memes Facebook group (pass along to any T1s you know!) was created in January this year, and hosts tons of these images. I couldn't pick a favourite, so the above are two that were close in the running.

For the life of me, I can't understand why these 'cartoons' of sorts have become so popular. Virtually anyone can make them with a basic program like paint, and the possibilities are endless as to what you can create. A trend I have notices are the more 'exclusive' memes, which target a specific group. Others that are not part of this group might not find the memes to be that funny, or miss the joke all together. For this particular T1 Diabetes group, the memes have taken on a rather therapeutic outlet, which I found interesting. While a very select group will understand the meaning, those that do can surely relate or have had a similar experience. For the first images, most non-diabetics do not experience recognizable symptoms of low blood sugar, and therefore do not understand the intense need to spike it up by eating something sweet. For a T1 diabetic though, this means frantically tearing through your cupboards in search of your favourite snacks. 

For this particular group, memes have essentially become illustrated inside jokes. While other groups or fan pages use memes as a light hearted joke, I think its kind of neat that these specific illustrations can be reassuring, letting the viewer know that other people experience this too.

Topic Proposal: McDonald's Takes Over

http://mineau.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/great-fun-in-macau-and-hong-kong-by-olivier/img_2337/

For the final assignment I would like to look at the McDonald's franchise, and what I will call "McDonalds culture". McDonalds culture includes their advertising and marketing, and the way their menus and style adapts to fit the demographic it is targeting. I always find it mind-boggling the way they are able to find a way to incorporate their restaurant in any city, with any architecture and it seems to fit seamlessly: I think they are incredibly marketing-savvy. 

Their ability to successfully advertise themselves serves as a way to distract the consumer from how terrible the food actually is. I would like to try to use some evidence from the documentary Supersize Me, either in my paper, the presentation, or both. I think the some of the strongest evidence for this case will also come from the nutritional information for some of the popular products, to show a contrast between the glamourized burger and its actual nutritional content. I'm definitely interested in putting a public health spin on the paper, but I'm a bit worried its sidetracking from the rhetorical analysis. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

I'd like to use both advertisements and photographs to support my case, and I think photographs will work really well here, because they function both as ads and as a contextual placement for the restaurant in its surroundings. Data and nutritional facts will also speak really strongly, especially alongside images to show what McDonalds culture contributes to society.

Sebastian Cosor's take on The Scream

http://youtu.be/UfO4WuI9IIo

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f4/The_Scream.jpg/220px-The_Scream.jpg

Edvard Munch's early 20th century painting the Scream is quite well known around the world, and is what I personally would classify as 'high art', for its detail, medium and talent. The above video is an interpreted animated version of the Scream, done by Sebastian Cosor. Not only is the piece accompanied by music in Cosor's video, but two other characters are also introduced, and the shift consequently focuses from the main subject of the original work to the two male characters. 

The video dramatically changes the original tone of the painting, in the sense that the audience no longer has to work hard to read the expression of the painting's subject, it is already interpreted for them through the music. I honestly don't really know what to make of it--the subject seems to be agonizing over death, and while this is definitely disturbing, I still don't know whether or not it's more or less effective than the original painting.

One thing i really admire is how Cosor really brought the background of the painting to life. The reds of the sky and blues of the valley are very vivid in comparison to the original painting, and the video allows for more play with shadows, adding to the overall sombre tone. The background goes from being very abstract to being much more concrete, with houses added. 

Overall, I admire the idea of adapting a painting to another art form, but I'm not entirely sure I like how the message of the painting is spelled out for the reader, eliminating any chance for the reader to connect with the painting on a more intellectual level.