Visual Rhetoric

I was having trouble finding a good image for this visual rhetoric project until I was scrolling through tumbler and stumbled upon this one. At first this image just made me laugh, for one reason being the inscriptions on these particular candy hearts are not what is typically expected. Instead of reading "Call me" or "QT" or "I love you" on these hearts, I was reading "It's not you, it's me". Since I ended up taking an unusual liking to this photo, I decided to web search similar images. I found pictures of candy hearts inscripted with even more unusual sayings. For example, "unblock me" and "swipe right". I then began to take a closer look into the real meanings behind these images. Obviously the creator of the image above has a problem with love, and when I read the little words a few more times, the imaged stopped being so funny. It then started to make me realize that several people, including myself, take the idea of love in a while different way than they did years ago. I have come to conclude a few different responses in analyzing all three images. One, that modern day individuals, again myself included, allow technology and social media to control what we think love is or how one is supposed to express love. Specifically, if one individual gave another a candy heart with the words "unblock me" or "swipe right" on it, he or she could be saying "I want you back" or "you're cute". (Assuming swipe right means "liking" an individual's picture on a dating application). It is unsettling to imagine these candy hearts would be appropriate in modern times to give to one another, yet they are. Couples DO block each other when they fight or break up, and singles DO swipe right on mobile applications such as "hot or not" and "tinder". I could do more research on the topic, however I know this is at least somewhat true from direct experience myself. I actually have been in both situations, therefor, those hearts are sadly appropriate. My second analytical response includes the possibility that either gender has become less infatuated with the idea of love, or even less familiar with what it really is. From the words above "not tonight", "like you as a friend", and "platonic 4-ever" I get the feeling that love is not as cherished as it used to be, or that the way one gender is expressing their love actually repels the opposite sex. I can agree with the top image for those reasons, especially since I believe modern attempts to pick up dates can be disgusting and result in a not-so-interested man or woman.

Rant Reflection

     My article did shift my thinking. In my mind, I was against the conception stating genetically modified organisms and aspartame spiked blood sugar, promoted weight gain, and consumption of such organisms led to obesity. I was moderately familiar that there was no direct correlation between the two that has been scientifically proven. Also, I knew there was not enough scientific evidence to prove GMOs and aspartame are unhealthy and/or harmful. On the contrary, the article I stumbled upon mentioned that both sides of the public opinion, those for GMOs and those against them, are guilty of lack of knowledge. The article illustrated this claim by explaining that although GMOs have a notorious bad reputation, the scientific understanding of GMOs is still limited and unable to fully prove either side. Indeed, the right to question the of risks and/or benefits of consuming GMOs is rational, however, it is irrational to believe that something can emerge 100% risk free. Therefor, the public opinion for or against are both incorrect. This is true due to the lack of evidence science possesses. I added "#BeatThePublicOpinion" in my tweet for the reason that, as the article explains, there is none. The public opinion is what you believe to be untrue. My point is to rise question, not to pick a side. Ultimately, I am attempting to encourage individuals to overcome the public opinions like taking a stance and simply to question the problem as a whole.
     Furthermore, this article influenced my decision as to where and how I posted my thoughts. Throughout the article, the general public is consistently referenced. I thought, what better way to get the attention of the pubic than Twitter? Twitter is fast, simple, and effective. As the article did, I enforced questions through my tweet. I aimed to provoke uncertainty and question in the public regarding the true that there is no definite right and wrong. We can learn as much information about GMOs as far as science takes us. We should not classify GMOs as "good" or "bad", but rather what we generally do not know about them.
     Relating to my initial rant, the article walks hand in hand in the refute against false advertisement regarding the promotion of GMOs to be healthy or unhealthy. Enforcing thought of either side is ignorant since there is a lack of knowledge present in both parties. Advertising as such in the food industry can lead individuals to think in the wrong directions. In other words, it is enforcing them to chose pro or con. This was and remains to be a strategy I do not agree with as I consider it manipulation of the general public.
     In the end, us as individuals have a choice every time we sit down to a meal. We can question genetically modified organisms, or even chose to or not to consume them. However, the promotion of one idea that has yet to be fully evaluated is an inefficient and ignorant approach to understanding what GMOs really are.

Public Rant

     I chose this particular venue because I believe that in today's modern age, Twitter is one of the fastest ways to shove an idea into the public's eye. Twitter has over 200 million users, many of which are constantly refreshing to see what's happening next. In my eyes, twitter is quickest and most efficient way to spread word. There are several benefits to using twitter as a source of public communication. Since a tweet is short and sweet, it is easily read and understood by the average tweeter. This creates the perfect environment to embed thought provoking ideas. However, drawbacks may include the fact that there are some individuals who are active in modern social network. On the contrary, twitter is quite widely known and popular. Therefor, I believe it makes an excellent tool to use when one is attempting to communicate and spread a problematic concept.

RANT

Nothing annoys me more than when people blame their overweight bodies on anything else but themselves. I can't stand it when overweight or obese people try to point fingers at genetically modified organisms and/or artificial sweeteners in an attempt to justify how unhealthy they have become.  In high school, my senior year physics teacher, Mr. Sean Richards, felt the same way about this topic.  In fact, he took up an entire class period and dedicated it to presenting various slideshows and  videos that proved two very controversial assumptions. 1.) There is no concrete evidence that shows maintaing an organic diet has any affect on weight apposed to the typical one. Ever been to Trader Joe's? Whole foods? Both organic grocery store, correct? They still sell candy, chocolate, ice cream, brownies, cookies, so on and so fourth.  Just because these items are organic it does not mean they do not contain FAT and SUGAR, the real causes of obesity.  2.) There is no logical, concrete evidence that directly proves the correlation between the consumption or GMOs or aspartame and weight.   The body is not conscious of either, in fact, it does not recognize them to be anything beyond waste.  In order for the body to soak in nutrients, carbohydrates, proteins, ect. must have a chemical reaction it.  Neither GMOs or aspartame do such thing.  In other words, they go in, and they go out.  That's it.  So if you're buying the more expensive milk because it says "organic" or "GMO free", then congrats, you have been tricked by a well played advertisement technique.  These items are no healthier than the original ones.  There is absolutely no concrete evidence of the correlation between artificial ingredients and obesity.  Unconsciously, however, we continue to believe what we want.  Yes, if you google this topic several talk shows and interviews will show up bashing GMOs and aspartame.  But think, how many of these people are doctors? In fact, Mr. Richards showed us a talk show where their sign spelled aspartame incorrectly.   This leads to to question, do these people really know what the Hell they're talking about anyways? Where are the statistics?  The lab results?  The studies?  But no, we see this crappy talk show and then mark another tally in our brains as evidence of why we think we are fat.  This absolutely outrages me.

High and Low

After reflecting on Blackfish, I began to analyze how the director organized the best and worst parts of the film.  In other words, I created what I thought were the highest and the lowest point of the film and where they meet.  As the film lead into its highest point, Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the director, displayed Dawn Brancheau as one of Sea World's top trainers.  The film described Dawn with several great qualities through interviews with those who had worked with her.  She was a hard working, talented, and bright employee who loved her career.  It was described that Dawn had fulfilled her life purpose.  The film's lowest point was then fused with its highest.  Dawn passed away in a horrific, violent attack from the orca she trained, Tilikum.  This tragedy was the lowest point of the film as it was sorrowful beyond belief.  Sea World's best trainer, Dawn, had passed away in such an appalling accident.  The inspiring Dawn has left a mark on the world and there are events today that take place in her memory.

Reflection Questions to Think About

1. What did you learn from the movie?

I obtained facts about serious problems that I was ignorant to prior to viewing Blackfish. Feeling shocked and horrified, every problematic concept portrayed in the film stayed with me after I closed my laptop. My mind raced over possible solutions to decrease the horrific events that were occurring in Sea World facilities.

By the year this film was produced, 2010, there has already been over 70 orca-trainer attacks. These were attacks, not accidents. Many Sea World representatives were shown several times in court justifying the actions of the orcas behind their vicious attacks. While the representatives claims that the whales were harmless and unaggressive, the film contradicted their claims with video evidence of attacks where no trainer error was present. Although it is not incorrect that trainer error was the cause of a few deadly endings, most of the incidents were solely whale initiated (Blackfish). Taking a closer look at Tilikum's collapsed dorsal fin, I learned that little to no wild orca whales develop one. I also learned that orca males can live up to approximately 60 years in the wild while females can live to almost 100, maybe more. In addition, I was informed that in captivity orcas typically live to about 25-30 years old. All facts ultimately proving the point that these massive, intelligent creatures do not belong in a large bathtub (Blackfish).

Ultimately, the main concept I learned was that orca whales living in captivity is demented. When the well being of the animal and trainer are both sacrificed, is a show worth it? Do we really want children growing up learning that these huge animals can and should be locked up in a swimming pool with a ridiculously small amount of living space anyways? I learned how inhumane Sea World really is and its effects on the marine life that lives within it.

2. What surprised you?

I had no idea these problems even existed. I was beyond surprised, I was taken aback, startled, and overall disgusted. The most surprising aspect of the film, however, was that after Sea World would have an accident with one of their trainers, they would only close their doors for a few days. In fact, After a trainer died, Dawn, the park opened back up on the day of her funeral (Blackfish). Sea World gave no sympathy and was quick to justify every accident with trainer error or accidental drowning. I was shocked they would simply open back up a few days later and have a show the day of her funeral. After every incident, Sea World would open back up like nothing ever happened. I could not believe people would let money dictate decisions in time of sorrow for every other employee and the victim's family and friends. Sea World should have paid more respect to the ones who were lost and improve their trainer-orca interactions every time to increase safety and reduce accidents.

6. Was there a specific scene or segment that stayed with you and caused you to be curious? Delighted? Angry? Motivated?

There were several scenes that left me with strong emotions; The film as a whole left me with feelings of shock, grief, and depression. However, this is my favorite question because I would like to further reflect on the scene explaining Alexis Martinez and his accident. Seeing his love in tears, Estefania Rodriguez, made me cry back. Her words made me feel as if I was going through the same thing. She explained that when Alex's boss called her to tell her about the accident, he said that Alex was alright, "It seemed as though his chest had burst...I couldn't understand why they told me he was fine" (Blackfish). I was left with intense feelings of sorrow and sympathy for Estefania, however, I also was curious. Alexis was the best trainer at a Sea World affiliated park off the west coast of Africa in Spain, Loro Parque. The orcas had come straight from Sea World although in court respresentiatives had denied affiliation.

My curiosity leads me to question why it was acceptable to bring these animals to a facility with less experienced trainers and lower quality pools than even the mediocre Sea World. As the film explained, the necessary renovations were never made to save money which resulted in sick orcas. Alexis, the park's best trainer, was the one who lost his life in the end. Former Loro Parque video supervisor, Suzanne Allee, explained how she knew the incident was bound to occur, "Everyone knew it was a tragedy waiting to happen, but nobody ever did anything about it" (Blackfish). Why wouldn't the park make the necessary improvements to ensure trainer safety and fit the needs of the incoming animals? How could such risky actions, or inaction, be acceptable? I was left curious about how one could be so cruel to let an accident happen to a man like Alexis when it could have been prevented.

Works Cited

Blackfish. Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite. Perf. John Hargrove, Samantha Berg, Mark Simmons, Kim 
     Ashdown, Dean Gomersall. Magnolia Pictures, 2013.

Looking Deeper into Blackfish

Blackfish is a horrifying, informing, and overall saddening documentary. The film was amazingly educational and emotional, however, my favorite parts of the film were the opening scenes. The first few minutes of the film included positive interviews with retired trainers. Each trainer expressed his or her deep emotions towards the orca whales they had trained by going into detail about their personal connections and relationships with their animal. They had chosen their careers for a reason, and their honest, genuine love towards their animals was heartwarming. I really enjoyed listening to how they came to be a trainers and how passionate they are about their chosen career.

Considering the problems presented in the film, orca attacks to trainers are terrifying. Considering the way the trainers talked about the orcas they trained, I would never imagine attacks so brutal taking place. However, the film focused on the source of the animal's aggression. The inhuman facilities orca whales withstand during their short, depressing lifetime in Sea World parks explain their actions expressing frustration and unhappiness towards their trainers. This shocking problem continues to be ignored today.

 If I could sit down with one person from the film, I would definitely choose the significant other of Alexis Martinez, Estefania Rodriguez. Alexis, or Alex, Martinez was the top trainer at his Sea World affiliated facility and was a victim of an orca attack by a whale named Keto. The way she spoke about him, both about their life together or his accident, was heartbreaking; It brought me to tears. The way she described his body after the accident was gruesome and devastating. It was so difficult to watch her talk about the one she loved having to die in such a tragic event. I would ask her how she was living her life now without Alex. I would also ask her how she feels about the current problems regarding trainers and their whales. Although these attacks are brutal, one example, Estefania described Alex's corpse appearing "crushed", these whales are crying out for help as they swim in Hell.

The film mentioned a condition regarding a collapsed dorsal fin on male orcas. As evidence was recorded featuring Sea World employees, lies were surfaced as they explained 25% of male orcas experience this condition. Going on, the employees bluff that orcas live 25-30 years, that being longer in captivity than in the wild due to the available veterinary care. The film proves both of these claims by Sea World employees to be lies, as orcas can live 60-100 years in the wild and the amount of male orcas in the wild with a collapsed dorsal fin are little to none. The picture below is a recent image of Tilikum preforming and the Sea World in Orlando, Florida with a collapsed dorsal fin, a product of captivity life.

Works Cited

Blackfish. Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite. Perf. John Hargrove, Samantha Berg, Mark Simmons, Kim 

     Ashdown, Dean Gomersall. Magnolia Pictures, 2013.

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