Leave Black Actresses Alone for Good

It seems like no matter what they do, black actresses always receive some type of criticism for the roles they play in movies. Most recently, two of the lead actresses in The Help received harsh criticism for playing domestic roles. Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were both questioned on their decision to play such matronly roles, ones that reflected the black lifestyle during segregation times. While on the "Travis Smiley Show", Smiley admitted that he felt the roles Davis and Spencer played in the helped diminished their place in society. He was disappointed in their decision to take on such a role, one that was similar to Hattie McDaniel in her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind. Since Gone With the Wind was released 73 years ago, blacks have overcome boundaries they never expected to conquer. Yet even though today we are a segregation free country, two extremely successful actresses are still being questioned about their roles. Mark Anthony Neal ended his article by sharing his opinion on how it would be if McDaniel, Davis, and Spencer all met at the Oscars today. Neal shared that he though McDaniel would praise Davis and Spencer for their roles as housemaids and their success in Hollywood. McDaniel would probably be shocked to see that the Oscars are no longer segregated, as with the rest of the world, and she would be surprised to hear about all of the segregation problems of the 1960's. Neal ended his article by saying, It’s all relative and it’s about time we trust black artists to make choices for the sake of their art and not tired ideals about how “negro-folk” are supposed to act."


Neal appeared to be offended by the grief that Davis and Spencer received for their acting roles. When he is not writing, Neal is a professor of African and African American studies at Duke University. He is obviously educated on the topic. Neal used logos in his article when talking about the successes of Davis, Spencer, and McDaniel. He also mentioned President Obama and and many civil rights leaders. I think that Neal strongly supports Davis and Spencer for their acting decisions and thinks the world of them. He used ethos when describing what a possible meeting between Davis, Spencer, and McDaniel would have been like. He made it a very personal interaction and was able to persuade the reader that racism is wrong and although everyone is entitled to have their own opinion, it is important to always respect others. 


Stop Policing Black Actresses by Mark Anthony Neal
http://entertainment.salon.com/2012/02/25/stop_policing_black_actresses/

"Taste the Lin-Sanity"

Jeremy Lin is not only a star on the basketball court but he is becoming a popular ice cream flavor as well. Ben and Jerry's is in the process of releasing a limited edition ice cream flavor, "Taste the Lin-Sanity." The original flavor was vanilla frozen yogurt with honey swirls and pieces of fortune cookies mixed in. But as you probably guessed, the fortune cookie ingredient was met with some grief. Apparently, many people complained to Ben and Jerry's saying that it was racist to include fortune cookies in the ice cream because of Lin's Chinese heritage. Even though Lin himself has not commented about the ice cream flavor, the Asian American Journalist Association felt that they could speak for Lin's personal opinion. They said, Is there a compelling reason to draw a connection between Lin and fortune cookies, takeout boxes or similar imagery? In the majority of news coverage, the answer will be no." One of Ben and Jerry's general manager, Ryan Midden released a statement saying, "There seemed to be a bit of an initial backlash about it, but we obviously weren't looking to offend anybody and the majority of the feedback about it has been positive." Even though there was more praise than complaints, Ben and Jerry's was forced to change the fortune cookie ingredient, they are now using waffle bits instead. 

Author Chris Chase is definitely on Ben and Jerry's side of the controversy. He feels that it is ridiculous to be complaining about an ice cream flavor that is honoring an outstanding athlete. After describing the ice cream flavor and the change in ingredients, Chase included Ben and Jerry's reasoning for switching out the fortune cookies for waffle bits, The company says the main reason for removing the fortune cookies was because they got soggy inside the batch. If you believe that, I have a bridge made of Cherry Garcia to sell you." Chase used a lot of ethos in this article because he included his personal opinion multiple times. He ended his article by saying, There's a difference between being color/race blind and completely ignoring a person's heritage. The über-PC police got all worked up about the inclusion of fortune cookies but surely their anger was misplaced. Lin's family is of Chinese descent. Fortune cookies are associated with Chinese food. A liberal ice-cream company no one ever associates with racism, hate or unfairness decided to have some fun with the connection. That's all." I agree with Chase and Ben and Jerry's on this ridiculous case of ice cream controversy. I think that Ben and Jerry's truly did not mean any harm by making this ice cream flavor, they were just trying to have some fun.

Ben & Jerry’s replaces fortune cookies in ‘Lin-Sanity’ flavor after controversy by Chris Chase
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/ben-jerry-replaces-fortune-cookies-lin-sanity-flavor-162728739.html

Stars at Mass General

Over the past ten years, medical treatment had advanced in such a way that has never been expected. Although there are still many doctors are still searching for many cures, treatments have gone so far as to save someones voice. Dr. Zeitels of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston has performed multiple Laryngeal surgeries. Most recently, Dr. Zeitels operated on Adele, helping to protect her from losing her vocal chords. It is very important to have this operation done, "“There is a saying that the show must go on... just because they have some sniffles, which might have a big impact on swelling in vocal chords, they will proceed with the performance" (Zeitel 1). Aside from Adele, Dr. Zeitels has also operated on Steven Tyler, Roger Daltry, Lionel Ritchie, and Cher. Zeitel also noted that the technology for Laryngeal surgeries has improved greatly over the past 15 years. They are now able to complete operations that have never been done before. For instance, Julie Andrews struggled with the same voice problems as Adele but ten years ago when Andrews needed her surgery, the technology wasn't there. However, Zeitel has been able to perform four operations on Andrews and they are working together to restore her singing voice. Zeitel stresses the importance of these surgeries especially for singers because they can save careers and lifestyles. 


KC Downey, the author of this article used very little rhetorical devices when writing it. It would be a stretch to say there was logos because the only facts included were about how many years this surgery has been going on for. There was also very little pathos as well because there weren't any important quotes or emotions about Dr. Zeitel or Adele. I guess the strongest rhetorical device used was ethos, Downey did stress how importnat this surgery has become and that it is being done for all the right reasons. Thanks to Dr. Zeitel many world famous stars have recovered their singing voices and hopefully he will be able to continue his success. 

Adele's MGH Doctor Describes 'State-Of-The-Art' Voice Surgery by KC Downey

http://beta.local.yahoo.com/news-adele-mgh-doctor-describes-state-art-voice-surgery

RIP Whitney

This past Saturday evening, Whitney Houston sadly passed away at the age of 48. While to some, this was no surprise but the majority of the world was shocked to hear such news. Everyone knew of Whitney's struggles with alcohol and drugs but she has been out of the spot light for so long that her problem almost seemed to disappear. Since Whitney first became popular, she build a fan base like no other. Similar to Michael Jackson, her followers stayed with her every step of the way and never betrayed her even when she was at her darkest times. Whitney had a voice like no other and she was not afraid to show it off, "She could have bludgeoned listeners over the head with just the sheer power of her voice — but instead, Houston approached her songs like an actress inhabiting a character, squeezing emotion from every lyric with sincerity, grace and elegance" (Zaleski 1). Although her autopsy results have not been released yet, it is suspected that she died of either an overdose or alcohol poisoning. It is sad that such an amazing icon had to die of such a horrendous cause. 


Annie Zaleski, the author of this article wrote about Whitney with such passion it was obvious she was a major fan. She did not let Whitney's personal struggles over come her success. When she spoke of Whitney's drug abuse, she never let them hold her back. For example, Zaleski included parts of an interview Whitney had where she talked about crack, We don’t do crack, we don’t do that. Crack is wack.” Zaleski followed up that quote by saying, "the latter catchphrase caused an uproar and did irreparable damage to her reputation. But Houston persevered — and eventually came clean about her private turmoil" (Zaleski 1). Zaleski did include logos in this article when talking about Whitney's successes as well as struggles but she relied mainly on pathos. She wrote about what a good person Whitney was and how much she had to offer to the world. Zaleski had a way of making Whitney's death seem more like a passing, rather than a permanent occurrence. 


A Voice That Touched Us All by Annie Zaleski
http://www.salon.com/2012/02/12/a_voice_that_touched_us_all/

Greg is Taking Matters into his Own Hands-Literally

Greg Damerow was just 18 years old when he was diagnosed with AS, or ankylosing spondylitis. The pain began in most of his large joints especially in the hip and shoulder bones. Because of AS, he was bed ridden for almost two whole years. Although he never played any sports, before he was diagnosed with AS, Greg had developed a love for bike riding. After he regained his ability to walk, he took up bike riding again however this time in in a new way. Because Greg could not feel his hips, he was only able to walk using his knees and legs displaying a very "awkward gait." So Greg took it upon himself to learn how to use a hand cycle, where he could get around faster. Greg remained very positive during his struggles with AS and he looked to God for help, "God has not promised us perfection in this life and he has not promised it will be easy. Rather than question why me, the question was: What is God trying to teach me? What am I supposed to do with the life that I have?" Because Greg had experience in the engineering field, he was able to design his own hand cycle. The typical ones sold for $2,000, something Greg could not afford. So, instead of giving up he designed his own bike, and built it. Since he built his own bike, he opened a company making hand cycles and hopes to compete in the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. 


John Johnston, the author of Disabled Cyclist Takes Matters into His Own Hands wrote the article very professionally with logos, ethos, and pathos. He used logos when describing AS and I think he gave the perfect amount of information about the disease because it was obvious from the beginning that he was writing about Greg's successes not setbacks. He used ethos when talking about Greg's strong intentions to start a company, he wanted to help others who were unable to help themselves. Greg felt very fortunate to be able to recover some of his losses from AS and felt he should give back. The whole article contained pathos especially when Greg was talking about his faith and everyday struggles with AS. It was amazing to read about how successful Greg has been when he had every reason in the book not to be. 

Disabled Cyclist Takes Matters into His Own Hands by John Johnston

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/story/2012-02-04/Disabled-cyclist-takes-matters-into-his-own-hands/52966416/1

The Fight Against Alzheimers

Alzheimers research is finally getting the attention it deserves. After a law was passed in 2010 by the Obama administration in support of Alzheimers research, scientists are finally getting closer to possible tests and treatments. If all goes as planned, the Obama administration has proposed a campaign that would help to prevent and treat Alzheimers by 2025. Alzheimers research is a priority in the medical field because so many people are affected by it and the numbers jump each year. As of right now, over 5 million Americans are currently affected by Alzheimers and scientists predict that number could triple by 2050. Substantial process in the research field could be made if the foundation is given more federal funds, which is extremely difficult to do in the harsh economic circumstances. Foundations for cancer, AIDS, and cardiovascular diseases all received much more financial funding than Alzheimers did, but it could be because they have strong support groups. The Alzheimers campaign groups are trying to change that and are hoping to receive more money because unfortunately the research can not be conducted without it. 

This article was featured in the editorial section of the New York Times. The author used only logos in the article as he/she stated many facts about the financial situation of the Alzheimers campaign. I think it was beneficial that the author included statistics about how many people in America were affected by Alzheimers because it proved to the audience that it truly is a problem. I think the article would have been stronger if the author included more facts about Alzheimers itself. I think in an article where the author is looking to gain more funds for their campaign, it is important to affect the author emotionally because it might sway opinions. The author could have included a paragraph about what it is like to have Alzheimers and maybe include some of the struggles people with the disease face everyday. 

The Campaign to Defeat Alzheimers 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/opinion/the-campaign-to-defeat-alzheimers.html?ref=opinion

Congrats Eli!

Eli Manning has done it again. He led the Giants to a Super Bowl win over the New Englad Patriots for the second time. Now that he has two Super Bowl rings under his belt, maybe everyone will stop harassing him about being Peyton's younger brother. There is not doubt in everyone's mind, including Eli's that Peyton has more experience and has established more of a fan base but after last night Eli is more confident than ever. The younger brother finally came out on top! After the game when interviewed, Eli remained humble and did not boast about his success or about his MVP award, “I’m excited to win a championship,’’ said Manning. “I’m excited for my teammates. There are a number of guys, this is their first one. There are some other ones who are getting their second and more, but I’m just excited for them. I’m excited for Coach Coughlin, all of the coaches and the Giants organization." Author Julian Benbow said that Eli typically didn't let his older brother's success bother him; he knew that he had big shoes to fill but did not stress over it. I think that by playing with that attitude, Eli was able to be successful and prove the the football world that he is not just Peyton's little brother.

I really liked how Benbow wrote his article. It was full of pathos especially because he included many quotes from Eli's teammates. Even his coach Tom Coughlin had kind words for Manning, “He deserves all the credit in the world because he really has put the team on his shoulders all year and performed very, very well,’’ I think that Benbow did a very professional job writing this article especially when talking about the audience. Benbow's article was featured in the Boston Globe on February 6, (today), the day after the Patriots lost the Super Bowl. However, I think that Benbow did not obsess over the the Giants win, I think secretly he was an Eli fan all along. Either that or he wrote the article from an un-biased opinion and really does not care about football. I admire Benbow for writing such an article about Eli and commending him about his success. Being a Giants fan I really enjoyed this article and completely agree with Benbow but if the article was about Tom Brady, I would have respected it and commended Benbow on his strong writing ability.

Among the Elite, Manning States Case by Juilan Benbow

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2012/02/06/among_the_elite_manning_states_case/?page=full

No More "Pink Slime" in McDonald's Burgers

Well good news for all the McDonald's lovers out there. McDonald's has confirmed that they have stopped using ammonium hydroxide in their burgers. Aside from being used to produce hamburgers at McDonalds, ammonium hydroxide is used in fertilizers, household cleaners, and even some homemade explosives. After using ammonium hydroxide for many years, McDonald's senior director of quality systems Todd Bacon said, ""At the beginning of 2011, we made a decision to discontinue the use of ammonia-treated beef in our hamburgers. This product has been out of our supply chain since August of last year. This decision was a result of our efforts to align our global standards for how we source beef around the world." By using ammonium hydroxide, McDonald's was able to use what would be considered inedible meat. Eric Pfeiffer listed many other questionable chemicals found in food today. I was sad to find out that some ice creams contain Propylene Gycol, which helps prevent the ice cream from becoming too solid (works similar as to how an anti-freeze would). Shellac, more commonly known for it's wood finishing work is sometimes found in hard candies. Lanolin is an oily product from sheeps' wool that is used in gum to make it chewy. I was shocked to read some of these facts but I was more disturbed to think that I could have eaten something that contains a product that is used on floors...

Author Eric Pfeiffer used all logos when writing this article. Although he included a quote from a McDonald's spokesperson, the quote was all about facts. I like how he expanded the article into more than McDonald's. He included more un-safe chemicals used in food that should not be and I love how he tied it all together under the one topic of McDonald's. He knew his audience was part of the fast-food generation so by making the focus of his article about McDonald's, he was able to draw people in. Although it was gross, one of the best features to the article was the picture included. When you first see it, you might think it is a pink powder base used for strawberry milkshakes, but as you look closer you will notice it is too slimy to be a milkshake. It is, in fact, a big chain of meat used at McDonald's that has ammonium hydroxide in it. If that doesn't turn you away from a Big Mac then I don't know what will!

McDonald's Confirms That it's no Longer Using "Pink Slime" in Chemical in Hamburgers by Eric Pfeiffer

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/mcdonald-confirms-no-longer-using-pink-slime-chemicals-171209662.html

Memoir #2: Angela's Ashes

For my second memoir reading assignment I will be reading Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. I am looking forward to starting it especially because it has a simliar story line to my last memoir, The Glass Castle. Both of the memoirs are about the authors deprived childhood due to their parents decisions. One of  The Glass Castle's reviews compared Jeannette Walls to Frank McCourt so I'm hoping that is a sign the books will be equally good.