Iyonna Griggs RAP blog

There are many troubles GLTBQ people go through, such as getting bullied, not only by people around them but by the government, entertainment, art, media, and much more. A lot of GLTBQ  are afraid of speaking out against bullies or even things that make them feel like their being treated unfair. There are also a lot of people who don’t agree with anti- gay bullying but won’t speak out against it. Over the years a lot has changed, more people are standing up for GLTBQ  people using many different techniques. There are campaigns, photos, commercials, paintings, news articles, films, advertisements, and much more. Each one of these techniques has a different effect on its audience. For example a commercial will probably get more views than maybe a painting. People watch TV more often than they visit art museums to view paintings. On the other end some people are very interested in paintings and may receive a clearer message from it than they would a commercial. Each style of text use different rhetorical techniques to get their audience to view GLTBQ  issues their way. Amazon best contributed to the GLTBQ  movement with their Kindel Paperwhite commercial, supporting gay marriage and having the courage to support such a cause while advertising a popular product.

 Amazon used many different rhetorical techniques to get their audience to focus on the support of gay marriage. Amazon uses a woman with a fit body, in a bathing suit, on a sunny beach as an authority figure. Yes, most men would be attracted to her sexual appeal but this man in the commercial wasn’t. He was more focused on the information about the kindle than he was her. In other words there was no sexual attraction between the two. This was confirmed when he asked her to celebrate with him, he asked not because of their new made friendship but because of him getting a kindle.  When she replied that her husband was bringing her a drink the man had no doubt in his reaction he just replied happily. Once the man replied “mines too”, a lot of the audience may have been in question. Is this man saying that his wife or husband is bringing him a drink?  The camera was then turned to the two men who played the husbands, which may have given the audience an emotional shock. It gives the audience time to realize what just happened and leaving the focus on the two husbands at the end confirm that the two men are married.

The commercial also proves some of the ridiculous stereotypes or reasoning’s for not legalizing gay marriage, wrong. The people on the commercial were clearly happily married. The fact that the two men were married did not affect this heterosexual couple marriage. The man wasn’t attracted to the woman because he was not only gay but happily married to his husband. The woman showed no attraction to the man because she was happily married to her husband. This commercial showed that homosexual marriage will in no way effect a heterosexual marriage. The fact that the two men were married did not affect this heterosexual couple marriage. The way amazon ended the commercial even gave its audience room to believe that they may have become friends. Amazon had great courage to support gay marriage. Some people who don’t agree on this subject may not buy their product. On the bright side many more people may buy their products. Many gays may just buy to return the favor of support, and not only gays but people who fully support gay marriage. The commercial was very effective in supporting gay marriage.

Another text I found was a picture on a blog from the It Gets Better Project online. The first and the third row have five fish all going to the right. In the second and fourth row it has four fish all swimming to the right. One of the five fish in the third row is swimming to the left and is also colored as a rainbow. The artist chose their coloring very well. The Colorful fish stands alone. An onlooker may think “Oh that’s the odd fish out”, but he picture has a bright orange back ground, with dull yellow fish on top, making the colored fish shine. The GLTBQ  flag is colored as a rainbow, and that was the concept with the fish. This was chosen to show the audience, that their not different. That being different actually makes you special. The artist also added “Just Be Yourself” at the bottom of the picture. Although this reassures the audience that it is okay to be different, but it doesn’t ensure that being yourself is always okay. In some cases it’s accepted to be openly gay, especially when you’re amongst friends but in other cases it can have a negative effect. Even with the legalization of gay marriages some people are still self-proclaimed homophobic and it’s not okay for you to just be yourself, according to them. This picture is very effective. This overall encourages gays that it’s okay to just be yourself.

I found another text which is not titled but has a young boy sitting in a corner. The boy looks as if he is sad and he is curled up in the corner as if he was afraid. With him being isolated into a corner, also represents loneliness. The text also includes a quote by Michael Jackson, “Before you judge me, try hard to love me, look within your heart then ask, have you seen my childhood. MJ.”  He may have been bullied by parents, siblings, or peers, but he has been bullied. The young boy represent any person who has been isolated, bullied, left alone, someone who clearly don’t fit in, and this is supported by the quote. The first part of the quote reads “Before you judge me, try hard to love me”, think about it isn’t that all people want. Basically saying don’t judge before you get the chance to get to know me to not like me. Also, try to love me I am not that bad of a person. The last part read, “Look within your heart then ask, have you seen my childhood”, think about it do you really know what the people that you judge go through? They may have been abused, raped, malnutrition plus more but you continue to judge and bully. I believe this is a message not only to people who have been bullied but to those who bully. For the ones who are bullied the message is that, yes you may have been bullied or you may be alone but the people who judge you are no better than you. The message to the bullies is that you have never walked a day in my shoes, you don’t know how I was raised, how I grew into the person I am, so don’t judge me. Also, that I just want to be loved and treated “normal”.

The artist made this picture in a front view to make the main focus the boy. He wanted to emphasize the boy because he is the main representative for the photo. The artist made the photo black and white, which makes it dull. It brings the sad and down effect to the young boy. The artist also uses the mirror effect, that could be any little boy or even grown man who has been bullied and judged. Although the audience could be anybody, its main audience is those who judge, bully, or belittle others. The boy shows the audience what they have done how they bullied them and made them curl into a corner like a young child.  The quote asks for understanding of who they are, for acceptance. 

Out of all the text I used I think the Amazon commercial if most effective, because first it will get viewed the most. I believe the artist used better rhetorical techniques, like appeal. For example they advertised a product that is very popular to not only get the audience attention but to keep their attention. Once the attention is grabbed by the product the audience finishes off the commercial which supports gay marriage. All of the text is very effective in supporting gays and bullying and are all supportive in different concepts.

The commercial supports gay marriage and proves stereotypes wrong. Many people may realize after watching this commercial that it is silly to believe the stereotypes. Some people may be upset that Amazon promoted gay marriage and stop buying their products. Overall the commercial will have a positive impact on its audience. The picture where the fish stands out promotes being yourself is okay, this may be the difference in someone committing suicide and deciding to not commit suicide. This picture may help someone realize that they do stand out but it’s okay because it’s in a good way. Overall it’s effective in the best way of all, support. The picture on the boy is a message to those who judge and bully. This picture is effective in getting the message across, from people who have been bullied, that they only want to be normal and fit in, but they are scared. The rhetorical views of each text are different but all speaks on the same issue. Bullying is a very common issue today, and to have text such as these to help speak out against it is very helpful in making a change.        

Works Cited

Amazon. “Kindle Paper White: Perfect at the Beach – Amazon TV Commercial” Web.   

Published on Feb 20 2013. Accessed on Feb 23, 2013. Web.  

Google Images. “Michael Jackson: Boy in the Corner” Np.Nd. Web. Feb 23 2013.  

It Gets Better Project: Blog. “Just Be Yourself” Web. Published March 18 2013.                                                 

             Accessed on March 18, 2013.