Being duped...

I don't know about your shopping history, but I like to think of myself as a sensible person, who mainly buys what she needs rather than falling for impulse shopping. I do have one or two purchases which I could do without, and I am not very proud of them. My worst buy ever is something that I bought through the home shopping channel tvins.com. It was an......Abtronic. Yes, it is one of those gadgets that help you workout at home, in front of the telly. As if it works! It might, if you wear it 24/7, which I obviously did not... But the commercial made it look so easy and attractive, and I fell for the machine also being able to give you a relaxing massage on your neck/shoulders/back.. I actually blame my youngest daughter; due to my pregnancy with her I had gained 20 kilos, and I was looking for the easy solution. Obviously, I know that this doesn't work but I was duped.. In the end, I tried it twice but it mostly hurt and was quite uncomfortable. I stowed it in the back of my wardrobe for half a year, until I finally managed to throw it out! What about you? Do you have a similar experience, or have you a more pleasant experience to write about?? =)

Going Too Far For Gold?

It is interesting (and sometimes frightening) to think about and discuss the way different companies choose to advert their products, and just how cynical they can be. In today's society it is important to be critical to both the images as well as the rhetorical texts/speeches we meet, since different senders have different goals with their pictures/texts. This week, though, I want you to describe an advertisement or commercial that you personally appreciate. Describe, motivate & post on your blog! Feel free to add pictures/links to video clips. (Before our lesson on Wednesday 27th, please.) Here is one example of what I think is a funny commercial; I am not convinced that you are the target age group, but hopefully you'll enjoy it. ;)

Images!

So, our next project is about images from different angles: doctored images, tricks in films, product placement and advertisements. The development of creating images is amazing and a lot has happened since 1826, when the first image by Joseph Niepce (France) was taken. It is important to keep a critical eye on the images we are exposed to daily but some of the work is done for our amusement and for us to react on. This is the case with for instance the movie Avatar and the photographs by Erik Johansson. This week your homework is to read this blog before the lesson on October 13th, and to rewrite your essay on the novel. That text is to be handed in on Friday, October 15th, at the latest. When I come back I wish you to create your own blog, but let's save that for the week I come back! =)
/Åsa