First day experience

First day of English class was definitely unanticipated. Being the first time that I ever attended a class in college, I really didn’t know what to expect. However, I really enjoy the way that Professor Maxwell teaches the curriculum. It’s not just pure boring English lecture, it’s more of a hands on learning experience. Especially the part when the whole class stands in the shadow, that totally caught me by surprise. Not only did I realize how diverse each individual one of us is in our political standpoints but also the fact that the majority of us are willing to stand by our ideas is quite amazing.

As for the class discussion, I was amazed at how much in-depth elements are under the surface. One of the first things we discussed was the propaganda of a man standing up in the middle of a group speaking out for what he believes in, and even though it was such a simple propaganda poster, there was so many elements such as using the defense of freedom of speech to motivate Americans to buy bonds, hidden under that propaganda that the average person would overlook. Tommy Hilfiger add, my first impression was that Professor Maxwell definitely over analyzed this subject. It was a simply Tommy Hilfiger add for a perfume brand, how can anything else be involved. However, as the class discussion continued I remembered that there was an urban rumor about Tommy Hilfiger getting kicked off Opera after he was accused of being racist. When Professor Maxwell pointed out the fact that the model in the ad was African American and the fact that she was free to do anything in a diner was a great Civil Right achievement. The fact that the American flag was in the background also added a bit of a patriotism flavor to the ad. What was even a more amazing discovery was that this ad was relased during a time of great racial controversy surrounding Hilfiger's products and it could probably of been made as a marketing boost. It's amazing how much indepth elements are built into a simple ad such as this.

Tommy Girl

In Response to your break down of the Tommy Girl perfume ad:

The Tommy Girl ad at first seemed innocent; a light skinned black girl in plain clothes, hot pants and a classic plaid/madras shirt. also she is at a diner sitting in on a bar stool in front of an American flag. pretty patriotic and American to me. But you say it's a subtle rape ad. her hands are covering her privates as she looks off somewhere behind us, probably at Tommy himself. and the perfume bottle is shaped in the likeness of a phallus. Is there really a reason her hands are in front of her crotch, while there is coincidentally a perfume bottle shaped like a penis? Is this really a scene of how female slaves where raped by there masters? Maybe.
Rumors had been going around a couple years back about Tommy Hilfiger being racist against those who are not white. whether this was true or false, im told his clothing became even more popular as it was controversial. Either way you put it, i think this ad was way over-interpreted. you can botch the meaning of anything whether it has good or bad intentions if you think about it TOO much.


my 2 cents

My Belief of Bliss

From reading Follow Your Bliss, I got the impression the following your Bliss is doing what you want to do do to achieve the most happiness available and i agree completely. However I will say that for many people it is sometimes very hard to follow their bliss because of circumstances that prevent you from doing so. I being one of these people will say that i do always wish that I pursue a different career that would be more fun for me, but i cant or choose not to because of circumstances that i cant control that drive to be doing the career that I am now following. With that being said, I believe that because happiness is what ever we want it to be and since it has no limits, we will never be satisfied with what we have. Unlimited happiness drives us to want more and more even though it may not be achievable, and thus we are left unsatisfied. The quote "I even have a superstition that has grown on me as the result of invisible hands coming all the time-namely, that if you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living." by Joseph Campbell, explains exactly his belief of what Bliss is; as great and wonderful as it sounds, I again repeat that this situation only applies to certain individuals because we live in a world where nothing is free.

MartinR

Following Your Bliss

Bliss. It's something more profound than happiness. It's the feeling of true contentment which roots from the heart. Wouldn't it be great to have that kind of feeling? Isn't it worth pursuing?

But which path should we take to get there? Is it the path that makes our parents happy, the one which most of our peers take, or the path that society compels us to walk on? Have we considered the path that is etched into our hearts but is suppressed to give way to others' expectations of what we should be?

I remember in my senior year, my teacher gave us an exercise to write down how we want to be remembered when we die. Most of us wrote, "...a perfect son/daughter", "..a great friend", "..a good citizen" etc. Most of us thought of living up to others' (family, friends, society) expectations.

Have we thought of what we really want to do, how we want to live or what we want to be? Don't we want to be remembered as someone brave enough to stand up for what he/she believes in, and live up the desires of his/her heart?

Are we anywhere near the path leading to "BLISS?"

I'm not invoking anything here. I just wanted to spill out my thoughts...

See you all in class.

The Diner.

After looking at a couple other students' posts; I noted that there was also some concern about the black woman being in the diner. Here are my thoughts on that: that was like 40, 50 years ago! Come on. Clearly this setting was chose intentionally, not to offend potential buyers (weird concept, huh? Not offending the consumer...), but to show that this woman is well past the point of even thinking about what it was like when African-Americans couldn't go in such diners. She's confident, happy, and she isn't dwelling on the past.

As soon as someone sees someone so beautiful, not only physically, but in their state of mind as well, who can be who they are, and feel good enough about that to put themself on display, it has to be something negative.

"It's so degrading."
...or, "it's offensive to other women."

This woman is real. She is likely wearing those shorts to spite those people who look down on her only because they are jealous that they don't have her same level of confidence, or her same zest for life. The advertisers are trying to show her independence. Her confidence. Her comfort in being herself. And that, my friends, is beauty.

Though this perfume is obviously not going to do these things for anyone, that is what they are trying to express.
Much Love. <3

Counterpoint.

First of all, does anybody know what blog means? I really dislike that term. Shouldn't it be like, "e-log," or something?

Anyhow, onto Monday's discussion.

To me, the argument made about the Tommy Girl advertisement seemed just a bit overly assuming, and also underestimated the intelligence of whoever made it.

Saying, "Tommy is 'in there,'" really makes little sense. What, are they trying to sell a product for women to men? This ad is not going to appeal to men, A: because it is a woman's product, and B: because if they are trying convince men that buying this perfume for a girl will help them get to that location where the Tommy logo is placed, men are going to be insulted by the fact that the advertisers think they could make them buy the product that easily. I really don't believe they're out to insult their consumer's intelligence. I also doubt the advertisement is aimed at lesbians, and therefore believe that they are not using sex appeal to sell this product.

This woman is intended to look confident enough, and, as the ad says, independent enough to sit on a stool alone in a diner wearing whatever she feels ok wearing with a smile that grabs us by the throat and strangles us like the perfume she might be wearing and screams, "I am enjoying life thanks to Tommy Girl!" She looks friendly, charismatic, and confident, and that is the real advertising scheme in this particular ad, my friends.

After todays class (Day 2) i don't necessarily think the add is deliberately racist, but i do think that it is offensive to some people because of the content in the add about the declaration of independence, and an African American at the dinner... because after analyzing it deeply, everything on the refers back to the civil right movement and it shows that who ever created the add is mocking that time in history with or without knowing.

Since I was unable to create my yesterday, this is what i had to say...


When i first took a glance at the Tommy Girl ad i had no idea the Maxwell was going to take the conversation and tie the add with the civil rights movement and the oppression African Americans. I only thought the point of the add was to appeal to a larger audience and portray what you can have; sex appeal, if you buy the perfume. But after hearing what Maxwell had to say and analyzing the add peace by peace i say that i agree with Maxwell. The way i see the add now, and it is kind of an extremest view even though i do find it to be racist, is that tommy is saying that with out him she will not be able to follow the American dream (independence) and be safe from suffering what her predecessors had to go through... and i also say that the add is also portraying the fact that Tommy might think the girl at the dinner is easy and that he is only offering her the American dream to get in her pants... shown be her covering her crotch.

I found the exercise that we did outside to be very interesting because i fascinating to know the opinion of my generation on serious topics like the ones we went over today so that i can compare my opinion to the rest. the question that i found most interesting was whether we believed tv was bad for people or not, and what i say is that it can be both good and bad depending on what you watch because there are some shows that teach very insightful things about life, and some even educate to know what is around you and be able to take that knowledge to help you grow as a person.

A New Beginning

First off let me say I am not a blogger but agree this is a pretty cool way to get in touch with the opinions and ideas of our class. Not everyone is going to be talkative and let their voice be heard during lecture and discussion, but writing and posting will be easier and allow more voices to be heard. I am looking forward to a new source of daily reading.

Anyways, the Tommy Girl ad was an interesting way to introduce the class. At first glance it posses nothing really special. It’s just another advertisement, one we have seen many times and begin to ignore, something we seem to do often in our lives, just walking by without a concern of meaning.

As Tim presented his argument on why this ad was so bad I couldn’t help but think he was going too far, that it was only an ad. What effect does can only one have? Well once he showed how everything was carefully planned, from the flag to the setting in a diner, her hands and even the shape as well as placement of the perfume it began to make some sense. It was provocative and inappropriate, but we weren’t ready to admit that because this type of thinking was something new. Even if everything in it was random and purely chance placement, there were new possibilities and this idea was in the back of my mind. What if Tim was right?

While one ad is certainly not going to be what this class is about, I am excited for what it will bring. Looking at everything with detail and trying to extract the true meaning is going to change the way many of us look at the world. Well even if it doesn’t, any time I see a Tommy Hilfiger ad I will remember the first day of class.

Tommy Girl Advertisement

In Monday’s class Professor Tim's argued that the Tommy Girl Perfume advertisement depicts racism and is offensive to not only to the African race but to Americans in general. I had heard of Tommy Hilfiger being a racist, so the fact that the young woman was African American stood out to me. The more we analyzed the advertisement the more I found it offensive. The beautiful black girl is sitting on a stool in a dinner; a place where Africans were not aloud centuries ago. Just below her crotch the Tommy emblem is placed, and reads; The Declaration of Independence. Outside the window of the diner is the American Flag. Just like Tim said, “Nothing was accidentally placed” With that said, this ad was undeniably offensive and racist!

Tommy Girl

Professor Tim's argument regarding the Tommy Girl Ad: "The particular Ad depicts racism and indecency and is deeply offensive an African American Females"
When I first saw that ad, I already felt that something was wrong in it. I just can't specifically tell which. So, I just waived the thought off my mind since we weren't talking about that picture yet that particular time.
But after the discussion, and hearing everyone comment, I couldn't help but tell myself, "that's what's wrong!" The ad is undeniably indecent and racist. I'd say it was intentionally made that way for there could be no other way that the ad would have turned the same way since every ad that's being brought to public was carefully planned and scrutinized. Therefore, there's no way the maker of the ad could have missed the message the perfume ad was conveying.

Oprah Urban Legend

One thing I neglected to mention in class will be surprising to many of you: the "Hilfiger is a racist" thing is an urban legend, a false rumor that circulates as the truth. Please check out the urban legend-debunking website that describes the history of this one:

http://www.snopes.com/racial/business/hilfiger.asp

Anthropologists and folklorists, such as Alan Dundes of U.C. Berkeley, have concluded that such stories and certain types of jokes go around when a population is experiencing a common anxiety about something. What is the something you think this particular urban legend might reveal we are feeling anxiety about? Why is it that it is Oprah, of all the talk show hosts, who throws him off her show?

Also, for those who are really eager to get into this debate, read (in advance) John Berger's important essay from Ways of Seeing, which explores how advertising works on us. This essay might explain why this ad could work on us. Recognize that, while we may not be conscious of how these ads manipulate us into buying stuff, the advertiser gets paid to make these decisions consciously. They do what works. Advertisers are propagandists whose success in a highly competitive industry is to separate as many people as possible from their dollars. And, as with the Nazi Minister of Propaganda quoted on the homepage, the ends justify the means; nothing that is effective is too low.

Why not exploit our deepest insecurities if it sells pants and perfumes?

Day One

I would never have interpreted the Tommy Girl ad as a piece of suggestive propaganda oozing subtle messages involving U.S. history, racism and rape (but then again I don’t often analyze advertisements). After hearing Tim’s arguments, however, the messages seem quite plausible. What I don’t understand is why the ad designers would choose images and placement that could be interpreted in a way that could damage their reputation and reduce their sales. I’d think their goal is to sell “Eau de Tommy,” not to mock or incense potential customers. Perhaps the designers are appealing to people’s sense of guilt over America’s history of racism as well. By buying the perfume, one is also buying a piece of the “new and improved” America where African American models are placed in expensive brand-name advertisements, sitting comfortably in diners with a flags in the background and no sign of racism either in the process of making the ad or in the ad itself.

If a perfume advertisement can contain such meticulous and calculated messages, then what about lipstick, cell phone, and ipods? Or toothbrushes, laundry detergent, and refrigerators? If the eternal debate over whether or not a piece of work is over-analyzed can be fueled by a single magazine advertisement, I wonder what would happen if we were to pick apart the superbowl commercials.

During the shadow exercise, staying on one side or moving to the other was kind of a mental tug-of-war when everyone else was staying or moving. It was interesting to watch others do what I must have been doing as well - the chewing of the bottom lip, the not-so-casual shifting from walking back to standing again, and the eyes darting from one side to another. Whoever says they don’t care about what others think about them is…a hairy marshmallow.

The Human Species and The individual/ First Day Of Class

In regards to the previous posts. I agree in full swing with the concept of advertising, especially to the younger demographic as being a ( standard of looks) setting point. We see slim bodies and perfectly formed atoms telling us what shampoo to buy or what way is the correct way to use cell phones and all of their feature's. Ads perfectly formed to trigger subconscious activity in our brian's.

I think we need to look at our society as a species. Were did we go wrong, where we use a concept of advertising to sell to the masses. Where did we go wrong when we enslaved people of different color. If you were to look at the blood of a white man or woman and a black man or woman you would see no fucking difference. The bones, the flesh underneath the skin, is all scientifically classified as human. We are the same species yet, we and when I say we I am talking about the sector of the population that believed and still believes these crimes were correct back then and still now in certain parts of the world. I come to a partial conclusion in regards to space and time that there has been a stupidity gene bred since the dawn of time. We know from history that there has been violence and that we all seem to accept that violence is just a part of our design. 4 million years ago our body's were covered in hair. ( for those that believe in evolution) If we take a look at ourselves our evolution has made us ready for the current pass of the century. Yet you would think that our species would have developed and corrected the gene of violence. There are hundreds of books on evolutionary psychology, that describe in great detail our ancestral footsteps. This may be going out on a limb but I do think it ties in to the initial concept of what we have learned to accept as POPULAR or IN. Look at MTV and how trends flow in and out. If you are too look at any recent rap or hip hop video you will see booty shaking I guess now known as BUTT CLAPPING. Whats even better is its shown in slow motion so everyone gets to see the detail of each butt check moving as a tidal wave towards the other.
Now the so called armatures of the night clubs and at party's are BUTT CLAPPING away!

In other terms I do think that if you want to seek a physique much like what we see on TV, or in advertising you should. There is nothing wrong with being in shape or taking care of your body.
Its known medically that having less fat on your body prevents many bad disease's. The people we see on TV never turn a switch and then kaboom they are these great looking people. It takes a hard work and a level of consistency to maintain a physic like that. I guess what I am trying to say is that I applaud them for their efforts in a health sense.

Although if you want to take a ride on alternative advertising try looking at some plus size women catalogs. We are so convinced and almost programed to know that a plus size woman may not sell many i pods. But a plus size woman can sell plus size clothes. I also think that our professor Mr. Maxwell did us a favor by dissecting the advertisement shown in class today. Some of us have never looked close enough to care but as soon as we do we will have a better understanding of how, sadly our advertising works. It was a pleasure... Thanks!


Happy Butt Clapping


SteveK

The Tommy Girl Ad

The two main arguments made were 1: The diner location, as a part of an Americana setting, is an historically offensive place to suddenly have a smiling, happy, Black American be welcome. And 2: The provocative split-leg positioning of the girl, juxtaposed with the Tommy logo & bottle placement was so suggestive that it even suggested the price she paid to be in the restaurant was of a non consensual sexual nature.

The first place my mind went with this ad, likely because I'm a chubby female, was condescension. It was as if the ad were saying, "I'm such a free-spirited, hottie! And I'm declaring my independence to sit in a diner and not order a damn thing, that's how I've got the thighs for these incredibly short shorts! Also, I smell GREAT!"

Then that made me think of how the diner setting was a historically insulting place to see a black person "declaring their independence" to "sit in the same place where white people were likely being served- and she's not even being hosed down or anything!" And then I remembered - "Wasn't Tommy Hilfiger the guy who was accused of being racist? Well, I guess that explains it."

I don't really suppose any of the ad execs who made this had any of these intentions in mind when they made it. It's just the reasonable place a lot of critical minds might go to as a result. Analyzing stuff like this can certainly lead to over analyzing, and I agree that the rape notion is a bit out there.
...

The shadow exercise was cool. I really liked feeling comfortable going to whichever side I felt I belonged on. Back in high school or something, I might have been swayed by the majority, but I couldn't care less. Some of the claims were hard to know where to go, only because some of them were sort of ambiguous. For example- I think watching TV has more than enough positive qualities to stand on the side for TV, but I don't think there's anything good about vegging out in front of the boob tube for hours on end every day... especially children.

That's all I got for now. Sorry for the abrupt conclusion!

-Kayte