Hi, I'm Xiaomeng

The design of Rhetoric is to remove those Prejudices that lie in the way of Truth, to Reduce the Passions to the Government of Reasons; to place our Subject in a Right Light, and excite our Hearers to a due consideration of it.

-- Mary Astell, English feminist writer and rhetorician

Welcome to my e-portfolio.

Like me, you use rhetoric in everyday situations, for even the most basic things. I know I often persuade my friends to try out a new restaurant, discuss a movie we all recently saw, or decide on what to do for the weekend.

On a more formal level, the way I present myself in my a cappella group, from the outfit I wear to the expression on my face to my hand motions, all work together to create a message to the audience.

When I'm an MC for a club event, I need to discuss with my co-MC our lines, the order of our announcements, and ways to engage the audience. We need to keep in mind the purpose of the meeting, each other's personalities, and the characteristics of our audience.

Of course, a good grasp of rhetorical strategies is needed to succeed in both the outside world and also in the classroom. Here you'll find a sample of my works that demonstrate how I use rhetoric to present my passions, analyze situations, and motivate the audience. Just scroll down for links. 

 

Visit my e-portfolio!

The Writer and the Dictator

Not many people knew Saddam Hussein had a writing career outside of his life as a crazy, power-driven dictator, but then again, life is full of surprises.  

He published his first book in 2000.  Zabiba and the King quickly became a best-seller in Iraq.

The original cover

The story goes back to the medieval years and tells of a romance between a girl of the common people, Zabiba, and a powerful king called Arab.  Each night Zabiba visits the troubled king and guides him with her words of wisdom.  She inspires in the once directionless king a sense of purpose and the key to a life of fulfillment.  The answer is "You need to become a living particle of the people, its conscience, thoughts and deed."  A tall task, but the king is ready to embrace it wholeheartedly.

Unfortunately, Zabiba is married to a cruel and heartless husband, who grows angry about her close relationship with the king.  One night as she comes home, he rapes her in a fit of jealously.  The king then declares war on the husband, and the ensuing battle is long and hard but ends in a victory for the king.

The purpose of the book goes beyond telling a story.  It is full of propoganda.  Saddam used the story of the heroic king and the evil husband as an extended metaphor of Iraq's relationship with the United States.  All the characters in the book serve as symbols for deeper political meanings.  Zabiba represents the Iraqi people, the king reflects Saddam, and the evil husband is of course, the United States.  Saddam paints himself as a loving king with genuine concern for his people, while he evokes emotions of hatred and disgust for the United States using the husband.  For instance, when Saddam agrees with Zabiba to "become a living particle of the people," he is countering accusations of him abusing human rights and restricting freedom of speech. 

The complete storyline of the book ultimately serves one purpose.  It is an appeal to the people, calling them to stay on his side.  Saddam promises in his book that even in troubling times, the people can always turn to him as a compassionate and loving father.

If you happen to be interested in checking out this book, there's an English, translated version selling on Amazon.

Why we marched

The March for the Alternative, held on March 26, was a planned event to protest the British government's proposal for dramatic cuts in public spending.
Up to half a million people gathered in London to proclaim their idea of a better alternative--one that would not leave a million unemployed and public services dysfunctional.
Several major publications, such as the Guardian, dedicated a page for participants to share and comment on their experiences for that day.  In addition, the website featured footage of the protests and interviews.  The choice to feature the public voice marks an important victory for democracy and rhetoric as it demonstrates that discourse is open and available to the public. 
Many of the marchers praised the "amazing atmosphere."  They applauded the march as "the start of a fightback against economic and social vandalism."
The new budget cut proposals affected each of the individuals there.  Yet although each person had their own personal reasons for protesting, everyone joined together as a group and marched for the common good.  One commentator proclaimed, "My middle-aged feet are killing me, but I will march again and again until they are bruised and bleeding – not for me, but for everyone else."  Another explained that he had many close friends who unfortunately were unfit to walk for miles, and thus he participated in this event so that he could be "marching for them."  The statements from these two people reflect the feelings of the majority of marchers, who came to fight for a common cause.    
Overall, the March for the Alternative turned out extremely well, and the participants can all be proud of their efforts.  Many enjoyed the experience, and it is exciting to see such a huge crowd of people excited about expressing themselves.

Rockstar Energy

Long nights studying often require an extra energy boost, and consequently, Penn State students can find a wide variety of energy drinks on all sides of campus, from the Hub, to the convenience stores, to the cafés. 

On the refrigerated shelves, these places sell rows and rows of Rockstar Energy Drink, which labels itself as the world's most powerful energy drink.  The Rockstar company markets to a specific personality.  The life of a Rockstar drinker is intense, bold, wild, and exciting. 

Rockstar carefully designs its can to promote this kind of image.  First, the words "Double Strength, Double Size" are printed in big bold letters, which emphasizes that the drink comes packed with power and gives the drinker an intense experience.  Second, the color choices for the font are carefully contrasted to the black or white background.  The words pop out and easily catch one's attention.  The boldness of the font then reflects the boldness in a Rockstar drinker's attitude.  Finally, the name of the brand itself helps it to express its personality.  People associate a rockstar as someone full of life and energy.  A rockstar has confidence and strength.  His life is full of parties and excitement.  Because the image of a rockstar is so well known in people's minds, people will easily think of excitement, boldness, and intensity whenever they buy Rockstar! 

aSmallWorld: A different social network

Welcome to aSmallWorld

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace have attracted hundreds of millions of users, and these companies continue to actively recruit new users each day.  These sites are open and easily accessible to the public, and members feel welcomed to join the community.

aSmallWorld, however, is a different kind of social network, the opposite of Facebook and Myspace.  This site is not well known to the public and has under 800,000 members.  It purposefully chooses not to advertise, as membership can only be obtained by invitations.

According to the founder of this community, Erik Wachtmeister, "members are people with large personal networks, frequent travel and highly active personality."  In other words, the average person can not become part of this community.  It is for society's elite, such as supermodel Naomi Campbell and professional golfer Tiger Woods.

Naomi Campbell is an active member on aSmallWorld

aSmallWorld's website clearly expresses its exclusitivity through its web layout and content.  When one visits Facebook, for instance, he immediately sees a form that allows him to join immediately for free.  Clearly, Facebook is a very welcoming website.  aSmallWorld has a very different welcome page.  Instead of offering a registration form, it writes in large font, "We are a private community of internationally minded people from around the world."  Because it emphasizes the world private and does not offer an easy way for membership, aSmallWorld is able to express its desire to allow only certain people to come in.

aSmallWorld's content also emphasizes its preference for people from society's upper class.  By scrolling down, one sees features about socialites, exotic travel locations, and exclusive designer brands.  It also offers reviews on five-star hotels, restaurants, bars, and night clubs.  The average person has very little access to these kinds of topics, and thus, aSmallWorld easily turns them away.

Due to its philosophy, aSmallWorld has earned nicknames such as "Snobster" or "Friendster for the jet set."  Although these names were meant as criticisms, the members of this community are likely to be proud of being known as an exclusive and elite circle.

See for yourself!  

Banned Chinese Professor Commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTSQozWP-rM

This Citizens Against Government Wasted recently put together a commercial that warned Americans about the dangers of waste and inefficiency in the government.  To communicate its message, this organization used fear tactics to scare Americans into taking action.

The commercial takes place in Beijing, China, 2030, and a Chinese professor walks into a dark and gloomy lecture hall.  The commercial is purposefully gray to emphasize the dark and gloomy future.  He then begins to explain why great nations fall.  In his lecture, he mentions the United States as a nation that has fallen.  This line is the first warning that the United States is heading down the wrong path. 

The professor continues to explain why the United States has fallen.  He blames it on stimulus spending, changes to health care, and government takeover of private industries.  These reasons serve as more warning bells to Americans because they are fully aware that the government is currently following all of these steps.

Finally, the end of the commercial, we see the Chinese flag waving boldly, the professor gives an evil smile, and the audience laughs in delight.  The commercial attempts to scare people into thinking that due to the government's current plan, the country will one day be owned by China.

This commercial, however, was banned by many major TV networks because it paints Chinese people as the enemy, promoting xenophobia and racism.   

C'est jaune, c'est moche...

My French teacher told me that French people never admit that they work out at the gym.  Instead, they will claim to be "naturally this thin."  It's socially unacceptable for French girls to go to the bathroom.  They tell others that they're only going "to powder their nose."  The French have a reputation of being slightly more self-conscious than the rest of us.  Image is everything.
Recently, France passed new road safety laws requiring everyone to keep bright yellow life vests in their cars at all times.  Yet, presentation is so important in France that many people would rather break the law than wear a neon-colored jacket.
Thus, considering French culture, the government needed the help of Karl Lagerfeld to enforce this law.  Karl Lagerfeld is known to practically everyone in France, even males, and he reigns as its most important fashion icon.  As the designer of Chanel for many years, he sets the trends in France, and people listen to him.
Only in France will you see this kind of ad.  Lagerfeld is dressed in his standard suit, gloves, and sunglasses, but instead of at a fancy party or a fashion show, he looks out of place standing in the middle of random road.  The location is somewhat far from an urban city, where people are used to seeing him.  Most noticeable is the bright yellow vest he is wearing over his fashionable clothes. 

The statement in the ad, when translated, reads "It's yellow, it's ugly, it goes with nothing, but it can save your life."  The ad tries to communicate to the audience an ethos appeal.  It argues that even Karl Lagerfeld, the leader of fashion, is willing to sacrifice his image in order to stay safe; therefore, there is no shame in wearing this unfashionable vest.