Blog Entry #1: "Real" Beauty

For my first entry, I will analyze an example from the popular advertising campaign called "The Campaign For Real Beauty" by Dove. These advertisements were hugely popular because they went against the idea that models need to be stick thin and flawless. Dove's campaign targeted women of all shapes, sizes, colours, and ages in order to send a message that we are all beautiful in our own ways.
The example below is the format used in some of the ads where a picture of a woman would appear and there would be two boxes to check. One box was the stereotype that would normally be placed on the image, and the other box was how Dove wants us to start viewing each other.

In this example, there is an elderly dark-skinned woman with a head wrap. She has a soft smile and warm eyes. Dove is sending the message that we should stop viewing her for whats on the surface, in this case wrinkles, and start seeing her for whats on the inside. These ads sparked some controversy because many people felt it was ironic that a beauty product company is selling "real" beauty when their products contradict that very message that beauty is real or natural. Regardless, in my opinion the campaign was very effective and definitely got the attention of viewers because it did something different. I think the two boxes are very effective because they give the audience the illusion that they have a choice in how they should view this woman. However, in reality, they are suggesting how they want us to see her with the tagline below which reads, "Will society ever accept that 'old' can be beautiful? Join the debate."

I think the minimalist white background works very well to highlight the large image of the woman. The white theme acts as a unifier because most Dove products are in a white bottle and I think it draws associations with the brand which in turn will allow consumers to identify better with the product. The font choice is simple and clean. These small details work well to promote the entire ad as a simple, clear cut message.

This ad makes use of pathos. It is drawing an emotional response from the viewer by showing us someone older. This image might function to remind viewers of their own grandparents and how they view them. Surely, someone who respects and loves their grandparents wouldn't only see them as someone old with wrinkles. The ad is trying to get viewers to feel sentimental towards this woman, arguably using her age to their advantage. This ad is also ignoring the actual product, in fact, it isn't even selling a single product but the entire Dove brand. 

Topic Proposal #1: Personal Narrative Essay

For my personal narrative essay I will be constructing my essay based on option 2 using images of myself. I originally thought I would find images online from various photo sharing websites to construct my argument but I looked through my own personal collection of photos on my computer and discovered that there is much I can say about myself through my own pictures.

I have found 5 photographs that I believe can work well together to construct a visual description of who I am. The photos are as follows:

I haven't yet decided if this is the order I will display the photos but broadly, all of these photographs describe the key factors that give me the confidence and motivation to move forward in my life and go after my goals. These factors are: family, personal growth, travel, happiness, and confidence.

The first photo is a picture of some of my family members: my grandmother and my cousins. Family has always been a huge part of my life and I am lucky to have many supportive and loving family members. I chose this photo because of the joy that is present on my grandmother and cousins faces. The second photo is of the group of teenagers and staff that I traveled with this summer on a trip called "The Adventurer" for the company Westcoast Connection. I was a counselor and being part of a group and in a position of responsibility taught me many valuable lessons. The next photo is a picture I took while on a trip in LA. I find this photo so beautiful and feel that it describes my love for travel and relaxation. Going on trips makes me appreciate the beauty of other places and motivates me to do what I can so I can continue to travel throughout my life. The next photo is of my friends and I laughing. I love this picture because it reminds me to have a positive outlook on life and not take everything too seriously. I think my cheery disposition is something that can be infectious to others. The last image was taken this summer while I was surfing for the first time in San Diego. It was one of my favourite days of the trip as I accomplished something completely new and challenging. 

Looking at the order of the photographs, I can almost see them as telling a story, with the ending of me accomplishing a major challenge and feeling confident about myself. Again, my argument is that these photos represent family, personal growth, travel, happiness, and confidence, all factors that motivate me to move forward in my life and accomplish goals.

Thanks for reading, I am looking forward to getting some feedback about this idea. 

Introductory Entry

Hi Everyone,
I'm Jackie and I'm a fourth year Honors MIT student going for a certificate in writing. I'm really excited to start a blog. I've never made one before and am curious to see how it will turn out. The purpose of this blog is to look deeper into the images we are exposed to everyday and find the hidden meaning or argument behind them.

http://pinterest.com/pin/113997434287553093

I found this image on a photo sharing website called pinterest.com. What drew me initially to this image was the quirky piano-like staircase. I loved how a seemingly regular setting could be transformed into something more meaningful and representative. What I thought about when I saw this image is a story of a young girl who walks through this staircase everyday to remind herself to fill her life with happiness. This is similar to the person I am. I have been known to have a very positive outlook on life. I am constantly smiling and I think that this quality tends to rub off on others. 

Music is a huge part of my life; I was fortunate to have a grandfather who was a famous jazz musician.

I am always listening to music and love how a simple song can completely change your mood and make you feel happy, sad, or perhaps nostalgic. I love the connection that can be made between images and music. I think this image stresses the idea that we all have a creative side within us and it is important to awaken that aspect of ourselves. I want to have a very open mind and be very creative throughout this course. Looking back at this photograph each time I work on the blog will remind me of this goal.

I think the staircase in this image is symbolic of the journey I will take through this class. Each assignment or class I partake in will be another step up towards learning more about myself and how the representations around me shape the way I see and understand the world.

This image helped me to find a name for my blog. I believe that a beautiful image can function as music for the eyes, as it allows our minds to see things in different ways and make discoveries about the world around us. Not only that, but images can allow us to feel something. 

I look forward to this semester. Thank you for reading!