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.  

Elle YSL

For the video, watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTWmUItM01c

When I first saw the commercial for this new perfume, I was extremely impressed by the power and fierceness that the model seemed to give off. I found myself wishing that I could give off the same aura as the model.

This ad campaign is different from previous perfume ads by YSL.  The women featured would wear beautiful dresses, their hair would be styled, and the overall ad would seem to describe people living an extravagant lifestyle.  In the picture above, instead of having curls, the model has her hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail.  She wears a simple and clean-cut business suit rather than a lacy dress. 

Elle embraces the modern woman, one who is strong, smart, bold, and fashionable.  The bright lighting allows the model to full of energy--ready to take on the world.  The background is abstract rather than old-fashioned, which emphasizes the fact that we are living in modern times. 

On the bottom are the words elle, le nouveau parfum.  In English this translates to Elle, the new perfume.  The word 'new' not only symbolizes a new product, but also a new image and a new kind of woman. 

Protests Powered by Twitter

How can you follow the riots of Cairo in real time?  Surprisingly, the answer is not necessarily a news website or a TV broadcast.  Amongst the chaos in Egypt, more and more young individuals are revealing their voice through Twitter.

Twitter, along with other social media, is a new way of delivering rhetoric that can have a significant impact on the future.  It is one of the reasons why the outcome of the current movement can be radically different from that of the ones before.  

One result of Twitter is that the total population is much less organized.  In movements before, a well-structured vertical hierarchy would exist.  The leaders would sit at the top, their close friends would be slightly below them, and the crowd would follow.  The organization in Cairo now is more horizontal, meaning that most people stand on the same level.  While some people have more authority than others, Twitter allows the voice of each individual to be heard.  Information does not come dominantly from propaganda, companies, and corporations; thus, the truth can spread faster than lies.  Each person has the opportunity now to develop and share his own ideas.   

One could argue that Twitter and other forms of social media are helping Egypt to move closer to a democracy.  Thanks to the Internet, "Ideas arise, are very quickly market-tested and then either take off, bubble under, insinuate themselves into mainstream culture or, if they are no good, disappear."  Democracy depends on openly sharing ideas, so that the best ones can stay and benefit the majority.  Twitter thus provides a way for the people to have open and free rhetoric. 

Private Conversation in the Digital Era

Charlie Brooker, a columnist for the Guardian, writes that "We shouldn't have to feel paranoid about snoops listening in to everything we say." 

In other words, he asserts that honest, open, and natural conversations are now in danger thanks to today's extensive use of technology. 

He first references Andy Coulson, who landed headlines after hacking the phones of celebrities like Sienna Miller and Steeve Coogan.  Brooker then moves on to the incident between two sports commentators Andy Gray and Richard Keys that led both of them to lose their jobs.  While off-air, they made sexist comments about a female linesman, claiming that females were incapable of understanding the rules of soccer.  Unfortunately, their public conversation was recorded secretly on tape and released to the public. 

Although Brooker does not condone their comments, he argues that it is a mistake Gray and Keys were fired for simply holding a private conversation, lamenting that "We've entered an era in which private conversation is impossible."  The two were smack talking others, but nothing they said was illegal, and everyone has said rude and objectional things in private. 

Although many will disagree with Brooker for defending sexist comments, he does raise an important concern.  Private conservation plays an important part of rhetoric.  Democracy depends on open conversations and voicing beliefs because "in a democracy, people must call into question the opinion of others, must bring them into the light for examination and negotiation. 

These days, people tend to be more afraid of holding private conversations because word can spread arround fast, but unfortuantely, restricting private conversations also restricts expression, creativity, and ultimately freedom.  

This I Believe Podcast

http://www.zshare.net/audio/860708022308b838/

La Fille du Rer

On Thursday I watched a film for my French class called La Fille du Rer. In English, it translates to The Girl on the Train. The story centers around a young woman named Jeanne Fabre and the public outrage she caused with her story, which she told using ethos and pathos.

Although Jeanne herself is not Jewish, she has close connections through her parents with a Jewish man named Samuel Bleinstein, the owner of a Jewish law firm. Jeanne spends one night watching a news program in which Bleinstein expresses his unhappiness towards the anti-semitic problems France is currently facing. From his speech, she begins to spin ideas in her head.

Jeanne goes through a series of unfortunate and traumatic events, which include failing to obtain a job at Bleinstein's firm, seeing her boyfriend get stabbed by a stranger, and finding out that he had secretly conducted drug deals. One night, she gets up from bed and carves scars on herself with a knife. She draws with a black marker three swastikas, the symbol of the Nazi party. Finally, she cuts off part of her hair.

The next morning she shows up at the police station and files a complaint. She claims that while she was on a train station, six young men cornered her. They searched a bag and found a business card with the name “Bleinstein” on it, causing them to assume that she was Jewish. They then began to beat her, and she shows the police the marks on her body and her hair as proof. Finally, she ends by adding that other passengers were standing nearby, but no one made an effort to save her. The news soon spreads, and Jeanne manages to win the support of the public, Jewish groups, and even the president.

By playing the victim, Jeanne is using ethos to make herself become likable and appealing to the public. She paints herself as an innocent girl and describes repeatedly how traumatized she felt. From this way, she easily draws sympathy from the public.

Jeanne also uses pathos to appeal to the French people's conscience and emotions, by taking advantage of the current anti-semitic situation. She reminds the public of how many young girls her age face similar persecution and discrimination. She expresses how wrong it is to see another person in trouble but not extend a helping hand.

Thus, Jeanne is able to gain huge media attention and public support by using ethos and pathos in telling her story. 

 

Friday, January 21, 2011

Islam extremists have received such a large amount of bad press that anti-Muslim feelings have become almost normal and accepted in society. According to the chairwoman of Britain's Conservative Party, Lady Warsi, this new trend had “crossed the threshold of middle-class respectability” in the UK, and it was commonplace to view Muslims as dangerous and suspicious.

In her speech against what she calls Islamophobia, given recently at Leicester University, Warsi stirs up emotions in her audience by describing the helpless and dejected feelings Muslims are currently experiencing due to “the patronizing , superficial way faith is discussed in certain quarters, including the media.” She continues to strengthen her argument with real, everyday examples. A boss who hires a Muslim worker may tell his other employees: “not to worry, he's only 'fairly' Muslim.” In another case, when speaking about their neighbors, a family might say: “they're Muslim, but they're not too bad.” A woman who wears a burqa in public are often described by others as either “oppressed” or “threatening.”

Her comments have sparked a debate across Great Britain between Muslim councils and anti-Muslim groups such as the English Defence League, which has a reputation for its violent protests.

Ibrahim Mogra, a prominent figure at the Muslim Council of Britain, agrees with Warsi and supports her main ideas with his own rhetoric. He logically connects the current situation to events of the past, such as the Holocaust. He relates the racism faced by Muslims to the persecution of Jews, reminding his audience about that time period when “the drip, drip of hatred and bigotry by the Nazis led to them being described as rates and murdered in a horrible way.” He then appeals to the audience's emotions and conscience. "This situation is nowhere near that but there is always a beginning for everything. I hope this is not the beginning of something that could be horrendous. We said 'never again' and we have to nip this in the bud."

The full article can be found at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/20/muslim-leaders-lady-warsi-islamophobia?INTCMP=SRCH