I believe that the reading on the Periodic Table focused on the importance of how the structure of images can influence how the reader might better understand the image, or even the patterns associated with the image (the Periodic Table in this case). However, the current Periodic Table itself is not perfect (in structure) and yet we still use it. There have been many proposals to implement a new model/image of the Periodic Table, yet we stick with the same one due to habit and simplicity. I found myself scratching my head looking at Janet's helicoidal model as opposed to the more simpler blocks that are in rows and columns. Also, I felt that the criticisms regarding the Periodic Table were flimsy at best, because the Periodic Table does a pretty good job at indicating element trends and the symmetry argument seems nit picky.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Sami A.
The "Political Culture Jamming" article brings up a great point about the role of an open rational conversation on the foundations of democracy itself. Yet despite the importance of discussion and critical thinking amongst a democratic-republic nation, the political elites end up filtering the "noise" of conversation to promote their political agenda. This hinders the very foundation of our democracy as it can lead to basing political beliefs on loyalty to a particular party as opposed to using critical thinking and analysis to recognize the faults and benefits of proposed policy. Politicians use emotional and repetitive techniques to "brand" their policies so that citizens don't have to take the time to compare and contrast the problems associated with said policies. This very problem can explain the success of some satirical shows such as Last Week Tonight, The Daily Show, or even The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. All of these shows exhibit some form of "political culture jamming" where they turn around the intended message of a news story (such as a politician's new policy proposal) on its head by mimicking a news medium/show. I found it interesting that I related to some people that use these comedic shows as one of their sources of news. These shows found a way to implement their comedy and use it to voice their opinion and point out contradictions in stories. They even exaggerate the person or organization making the contradiction for comedy sake and making a point of how ridiculous it sounds. In my opinion, these shows do a great job of pointing out flaws of certain topics and give the opportunity for people watching to question the legitimacy of a policy or statement.
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Many contemporary politicians have started embracing commercial branding techniques in order to create an emotional message; this message is designed, specifically, to cultivate trust in their political “brand.” I feel as though this statement from Warner’s article captures the overall goal of culture jamming. Politicians in today’s society have access to various forms of media which allows them to be a part of mass communication. When looking specifically at the politicians, we expect to see advertising that bashes other politicians (because that’s just how politics work). I think your statement about political culture jamming hindering the foundation of our democracy is important. As you stated, the bashing does not always allow for individuals to develop their own perspective, rather they base their beliefs off of others. I feel as though this form of bashing is inevitable due to we live in an increasingly democratic and wired world. Overall I think culture jamming should be viewed as something that aims to reverse, subvert, and reclaim American identities as brand trusting pawns of consumer capitalism because quite honestly that is all that it is. It was interesting reading these articles simply due to the fact we watch shows such as these without thinking about what the comedians are actually doing. Prior to reading these articles, I did not know what “political culture jamming” was, however, now I feel as though I will be more aware.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking in regards to the periodic table article, I feel as though it is a stretch to say the least. I feel as though, as you mentioned, there are no current issues with the periodic table. It is not perfect by any means, however due to the fact it has been around for numerous years I do not foresee it changing anytime soon.
Political culture jamming and the use of satirical news show is, I believe, a very important part of American culture and media. I myself, especially in the recent time of political turmoil and the constant stream of misinformation, find myself consuming a majority of my televised information from platforms like The Daily Show and Late Night. With the situation the way it is and the heavy atmosphere that surrounds all the topics, I find it is much easier for me to consume information if it is formatted in a joke or given in a manner that makes it seem ridiculous instead of serious and potentially threatening to the livelihood and well-being of thousands. Along with the element of humor, the satirical shows, especially in the case of Last Week Tonight, does meticulous research as there is less pressure put on them to report immediately. They also have more motivation to explain in simpler terms large political ideas and movements/laws. Political culture jamming is very important as it challenges things that we may dismiss as just a part of our everyday lives but could have major implications if not addressed or entirely understood.
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