Chelsea DiValerio

In the article “Political Culture Jamming,” we learn that culture jammers are media activists who rebel against the hegemony of the messages promoting global capitalism.  Politicians target consumers and rely on brand loyalty.  The author writes, “Citizens, like consumers, are busy people, and cultivating trust in the ‘Republican’ or ‘Democratic’ brand works to save the citizen/consumer time, in the form of information costs, while providing the politician or party a solid base of support” (Warner 147).  Culture jammers use a tactic called rhetorical sabotage to oppose capitalist institutions.  The epitome of culture jamming is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The show uses a news casting set to bring humor to different news and media, and it allows the viewers to form their own opinions about different topics.

We also read the article “The Periodic Table” by Elkins.  He discusses how the periodic table has become the standard even though it has many drawbacks.  For example, it could contain much more information about each element.  He also explains how chemists and physicists use the same information form the table, but use it so differently.  To the physicist, the periodic table is just an approximation.  Even before scientists understood chemistry and physics, affinity tables were created using logic and acids to categorize substances. Since then, many tables and diagrams have been created to help understand the sciences, but nothing has been proven to be the fixed truth.

“Ways of Seeing: The Contemporary Photo Essay” discusses how photography has stayed relevant in the ever-changing landscape of media.  Photographers have to capture the perfect photo in order to tell their story.  However, the speed of their publication results in viewers not getting the full story behind them.  Consequently, photos have been added to articles so readers can understand the context and still get the impact of the photos.  Photographers are also becoming more creative in the ways that they capture the readers’ attention.  For example, they use still life, documentary, portraiture, writing, and drawing.  Some photographers even have their subjects contribute their own art to the photos.

The article, “Puppies Behind Bars,” explains a program in prisons designed to have inmates train puppies who will go to veterans.  The inmates teach the dogs 80 commands over the course of the program, and they help the dogs stay focus on their tasks.  It gives inmates a responsibility for something other than themselves.  It teaches them patience and a strong work ethic. The author of this piece of media utilized black and white phots and short explanations under each picture.