There are many texts/chapters that I found very interesting. One the most interesting was the chapter in the Omnivore Dilemma called the processing plant. In this chapter Pollan discusses how the humble corn plant came to dominate the American diet through a combination of biological, cultural, and political factors. There are some 45,000 items in the average American supermarket, and more than a quarter of them contain corn. What do burgers, fries and Coke have to do with corn? Everything, as Pollan discovers-thanks to the use of corn-based ingredients, a lab analysis shows that a McDonald’s cheeseburger is 52% corn; chicken nuggets are 56% corn, a milkshake is 78% corn, and a Coke, impressively, is 100% corn. “Your burger is really a thinly disguised pile of corn.” Food companies have an enormous challenge in order to grow and meet Wall Street expectations. The biggest problem for food companies was “fixed stomach.” To solve this problem food companies decided to expand each person appetites with the use of corn products that can be bought at cheap prices.
Another text that I found very important to me is Bordo and his idea of perfection. When did “perfection” become applicable to the human body?" (Bordo 151). As a teenager perfection is very important to me because I believe that it will help me fit in with society and help others to except me. Through this reading I came to realized what is perfect about us is not what we are but what can come through us at unlikely moments of creativity or divine inspiration. Teens can be some of the most interesting people on earth. They need to be comfortable in their own skin before trying to fit in with everyone else. However, fitting in should not include becoming a sheep and following what the majority are doing. For example when young girls see thin models, they can do anything to be like them. Diet commercials are constantly appearing on our television screens telling us that once we lose the weight, we will be happy. While you’re standing in the checkout line at the grocery store you are surrounded by magazines claiming to have the newest and best diet. We buy into the idea that we can attain the "ideal" body image. We allow ourselves to believe the lies being thrown at us constantly.
The third piece of text that I found the most important is the chapter on Organic. When I think of the word organic I think fresh. My mind also draws an image of a farm. Organic to me is fresh products from the farm that isn't contaminated The word "organic" has proved to be one of the most powerful words in the supermarket (137).This means that when a consumer goes to the supermarket and hears the word “organic”, he automatically buys it because the media has instilled in the minds of the public that organic means, "good for health." But according to Pollan everything that seems organic has a whole different story to it.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Blog 8
Pollan describes eating from various perspectives. He talks about the many steps that are taken before our food gets to our table. The ideas that I found the most profound when it comes to food is the chapter that talks about the process of turning an excess commodity called corn into beef. During this process we are jeopardizing the lives of 100s of millions of cows as well as humans. The streamlined process for dealing with excess corn and speeding along the process of fattening cows for slaughter has instead caused pollution, toxic waste, and deadly pathogens. Forcing a cow to live off of corn is not only unnatural it’s unhealthy. Many people may not care about the life of a cow but when the process of using excess antibiotics to speed the beef to your table at an affordable price causes you or someone in your family to get sick or die from a “antibiotic resistant superbug” many will start to pay attention. “Most antibiotics sold in America today end up in animal feed, a practice that, it is now generally acknowledged is leading directly to the evolution of new antibiotic-resistant superbugs.” ( Pollan 78) These antibiotics are only necessary because we insist on forcing cows to live off of corn because it’s cheap. If we let them live naturally off of grass they would be less prone to disease, they would be less able to pass that on to us and we would be healthier too.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Blog # 6
Organic is a way to produce food more naturally. Organic food is suppose to use little to no chemicals in any of their products, use traditional methods like crop rotation to keep the earth fresh and avoid overuse, foods should be free of genetically modified ingredients, their produce is healthier, and that organic livestock are treated more humanely and without the use of any medicines or steroids. Pollan says, The word "organic" has proved to be one of the most powerful words in the supermarket(137).This means that when a consumer goes to the supermarket and hears the word “organic”, he automatically buys it because the media has instilled in the minds of the public that organic means, "good for health." When Pollan took a visit to Petaluma to see a chicken that was being advertised as organic he discovered that there were many of these chickens, not just one special one, and they were not free-ranged as they were said to be. This showed that something that is said to be organic has a whole different story to it. Organic can be rhetorical because it really isn’t what it seems. Many farmers refer to their food production as organic as it can get, but the truth is something else. There ways of producing are very similar to conventional food methods. All these farmers and big food corporations really worry about is their profit whether they have to make it by harming or misleading the public.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
blog # 5
Pollan’s statement of “Men have become the tools of their tools” means that even though men have used tools in their everyday life right from the beginning of time, but today they rely on these tools more than ever. For example he means that people aren't able to function without there everyday tools like internet, cell phones or farmers with there new technology to plant crops. I mean if these things were to be taken away from people all the sudden, so many men wouldn’t know how to survive and adjust without these tools. Its like these tools take over our lives on how we do things.
Men do face concerns about there bodies for example they are suppose to be these strong muscular guys that have cuts. But they don’t make it into an obsession like women. Many people consider physical appearance to be related to human characteristics like if a person is muscular they would be consider strong because of how their body is built up. If they are not muscular and it is a a lot of fat on their body, they will be considered weak and slow. Because this one reason many men start to take their bodies in concern .
Men do face concerns about there bodies for example they are suppose to be these strong muscular guys that have cuts. But they don’t make it into an obsession like women. Many people consider physical appearance to be related to human characteristics like if a person is muscular they would be consider strong because of how their body is built up. If they are not muscular and it is a a lot of fat on their body, they will be considered weak and slow. Because this one reason many men start to take their bodies in concern .
Monday, September 14, 2009
blog # 4
The similarity between Asimov and Sedaris is that they both trying to say that no one person can be good at everything. Both are intimated by others because they lack a certain skill or talent that others posses. They also similar because they both believe that if you know more languages you can better fit in with society. Asimov speaks about how he was always good at certain test because he is able to understand the language of the people making the test. Sedar knows that taking French will be difficult but in order to do it he has to learn from someone who is better at French then he is. Asimov wasn't able to understand a joke that was told to him by a friend. This is because he didn't really understand the kind of language he was using by telling the joke.This show that people are able to do better in life if they are able to understand different languages.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Blog # 3
“Women more then men, it seems, are pictured engaged in involvements which remove them psychologically from the social situation at large, leaving them un oriented in it and to it., and presumably, therefore dependent on the protectiveness and goodwill of others who are present.” (Goffman 57)
I believe this is a very true quote for if not all but almost many women. Women get distracted very fast which leads them to actually forget what they doing and concentrate on something else. When they may realize what they have done, instead of starting the task again they going to rely on others to do it for them. For example if a women comes to a store for milk for her baby and sees a makeup sale, she will automatically forget that she needs to buy milk but instead start looking for makeup that she might need. She might even come home without the milk and not want to go back so she call up her husband and tell him to bring it.
“Perfect. When did “perfection” become applicable to the human body?" (Bordo 151).
This quotes stands out to me because there are many people in this world that believe that they are perfect especially women. I think there is no perfection no matter where you look in the world. I do not believe in a perfect being because a perfect world is not possible. The reason I know that this is an imperfect world is because I can imagine a perfect one. Many people especially teenagers look at celebrities and think they are perfect with flawless bodies. Teenagers would end up doing things they shouldn’t be doing just to become perfect. Even though no one is perfect, utopian thinking remains with us because it provides a basic means by which we seek to give shape and substance to our hopes and desires for human progress.
In the world today Goffman and Bordo’s analysis would hole up pretty well. Many people may not like many of Goffman ideas because he looks down upon women. There was a time when women stayed home and were house wives but in today’s modern world, women can do anything a man can. Women have built there way up and made progress. Bordo’s idea of how people want to be perfect and how the media puts an idea of how everyone can achieve perfection is still in effect today.
I believe this is a very true quote for if not all but almost many women. Women get distracted very fast which leads them to actually forget what they doing and concentrate on something else. When they may realize what they have done, instead of starting the task again they going to rely on others to do it for them. For example if a women comes to a store for milk for her baby and sees a makeup sale, she will automatically forget that she needs to buy milk but instead start looking for makeup that she might need. She might even come home without the milk and not want to go back so she call up her husband and tell him to bring it.
“Perfect. When did “perfection” become applicable to the human body?" (Bordo 151).
This quotes stands out to me because there are many people in this world that believe that they are perfect especially women. I think there is no perfection no matter where you look in the world. I do not believe in a perfect being because a perfect world is not possible. The reason I know that this is an imperfect world is because I can imagine a perfect one. Many people especially teenagers look at celebrities and think they are perfect with flawless bodies. Teenagers would end up doing things they shouldn’t be doing just to become perfect. Even though no one is perfect, utopian thinking remains with us because it provides a basic means by which we seek to give shape and substance to our hopes and desires for human progress.
In the world today Goffman and Bordo’s analysis would hole up pretty well. Many people may not like many of Goffman ideas because he looks down upon women. There was a time when women stayed home and were house wives but in today’s modern world, women can do anything a man can. Women have built there way up and made progress. Bordo’s idea of how people want to be perfect and how the media puts an idea of how everyone can achieve perfection is still in effect today.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Blog# 1 - Foss
A.
Rhetoric can have different meanings. One of the definitions for rhetoric is empty, a bombastic language that has no substance. Rhetoric can also mean something flowery with metaphors and other figures of speech. In rhetorical criticism, rhetoric means something that portrays a symbol to show an action taking place. Rhetoric insists of symbols that were created my humans. The use of rhetoric symbols just make life easier because now there are shorter ways to get your thought across to someone. For example a tree in a forest may symbolize nothing but it symbolize Jesus death when cut down for Christmas. (Foss 5). Foss also said "Smoke is a sign that fire is present which means there is a direct relationship between the fire and the smoke." (Foss 2) Rhetoric also helps people make connections. For example if you hear the doorbell ring you just automatically know there is someone outside. I remember when once in the middle of the night my dad’s car alarm went on, my dad ran outside because he knew there must be a thief trying to break into his car.
Rhetorical appeals are also a very important tool to influence one toward another’s perspective. This idea is widely used by the advertising world and mass media. Promoters try to persuade others to buy what they are selling and they can go to any limit to get their idea threw to people. I remember when once I went to best buy to buy movies and this sales person stopped me and explained to me about a new phone that had all the functions I always wanted and guess what, I ended up buying the phone. The main reason for this was because her figure of speech was so effective and persuasive that I bought something that I wasn’t thinking of buying.
B.
rhetoric:
1. the art of making persuasive speeches; oratory.
2.the ability to use language effectively.
Rhetoric can have different meanings. One of the definitions for rhetoric is empty, a bombastic language that has no substance. Rhetoric can also mean something flowery with metaphors and other figures of speech. In rhetorical criticism, rhetoric means something that portrays a symbol to show an action taking place. Rhetoric insists of symbols that were created my humans. The use of rhetoric symbols just make life easier because now there are shorter ways to get your thought across to someone. For example a tree in a forest may symbolize nothing but it symbolize Jesus death when cut down for Christmas. (Foss 5). Foss also said "Smoke is a sign that fire is present which means there is a direct relationship between the fire and the smoke." (Foss 2) Rhetoric also helps people make connections. For example if you hear the doorbell ring you just automatically know there is someone outside. I remember when once in the middle of the night my dad’s car alarm went on, my dad ran outside because he knew there must be a thief trying to break into his car.
Rhetorical appeals are also a very important tool to influence one toward another’s perspective. This idea is widely used by the advertising world and mass media. Promoters try to persuade others to buy what they are selling and they can go to any limit to get their idea threw to people. I remember when once I went to best buy to buy movies and this sales person stopped me and explained to me about a new phone that had all the functions I always wanted and guess what, I ended up buying the phone. The main reason for this was because her figure of speech was so effective and persuasive that I bought something that I wasn’t thinking of buying.
B.
rhetoric:
1. the art of making persuasive speeches; oratory.
2.the ability to use language effectively.
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