The Galaxy S5 vs. iPhone 6 Debate Rages On... (Despite the Galaxy's obvious superiority in every aspect, I mean just look at the S5's 5.1 inch 1920x1080 AMOLED display, 16 MP camera, internal and microSD storage up to 160 GB total, Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, quad-core 2.5GHz cpu, 2GB RAM... but I digress)

As we all know, the debate between the Samsung Galaxy and the Apple iPhone has been a prominent conflict over the past few years (although it is obvious that there is no contest; the Galaxy line takes the cake, so to speak. Also, I promise I am not biased). The advertisement linked below was originally posted on YouTube by Samsung, and has been used in commercials as an attempt to persuade its audience into siding against the iPhone.

Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSDAjwKI8Wo

Publisher: Samsung
Date of Publication (on YouTube): July 21st, 2014
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The Little (just like the Apple iPhone) Picture...
The video opens to a scene where two male friends are seated in a small coffee shop. Both of the men are looking at their cell phones. The man on the left is using the Samsung Galaxy S5 whereas the man on the right is using some version of the Apple iPhone (no one really cares which one).

The man on the right begins a conversation with a smirk on his face, casually stating:

"Aw dude... iPhone might be getting a bigger screen.",

to which the man on the left tersely responds by saying:

"That hasn't happened yet?".

Immediately after the second man's statement, the scene freezes and a sarcastic narrator interjects with a short monologue that initially seems to be praising the iPhone 6 (haha praise the iPhone? yeah right), but then abruptly transfers that praise towards the (more deserving) Galaxy S5. The narrator's monologue was as follows:

"You know that thing you've been waiting on for like two years? How it's supposed to be awesome and how it's going to blow your mind? Well it's been here this whole time."

The video resumes, showing the two men comparing their phones, particularly noting the difference in size between the tiny (and insignificant) iPhone and the larger Samsung Galaxy S5.

The narrator finishes his speech with a final parting jab at the iPhone:

"But maybe you just like waiting."

The man on the left then resumes the conversation by stating:

"(chuckles) You must be happy."

To which the man on the right answers:

"(chuckles with a perplexed look on his face) Yeah"

To end the scene, the man on the left receives a phone call and leaves the table to answer it. The video then fades to black and the narrator briefly discusses the Galaxy S5 before the video ends.
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The Big (unlike the Apple iPhone) Picture...
While it is more or less clear throughout the video for whom the advertisement is advocating, there are numerous subtleties that, in my opinion, enhance the effectiveness of the advertisement. The most important of these is the use of one of the strongest of the seven deadly sins: envy. As the video progresses, it is clear that the man with the iPhone changes his opinion of his own possessions when he notices that his friend has something that is clearly (and indisputably) better. This use of envy seems to accomplish two tasks:

1. Inspiring jealousy in iPhone users, in hopes of prompting them to make the switch to a Galaxy phone
2. Inducing pride in Galaxy users, in hopes of increasing sales among their loyal customers

Samsung's thoughtful placement of envious undertones throughout the video greatly increased the advertisements effectiveness in its goals.

(Also, it seems to me that the occurrence of the phone call at the end of the scene that prompts the man to leave his iPhone-using friend hints to the idea of Samsung leaving Apple behind in terms of technological development (which is entirely true (and again, this cannot be disputed (I am not biased (the iPhone is dead, long live the Galaxy S5)))).
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The Intended Audience

Based on the main characters in the video, as well as its setting, I believe that the advertisement was intended have the greatest influence on adult males. Typically, young children and the elderly do not have smartphones (although this seems to be changing in our society today). Also, there are none of the typical feminine appeals that are often seen in advertisements directed towards women. The video seems to be directed towards the average American male, in hopes of influencing their smartphone (well, not so smart in terms of the iPhone) preference.

FREEBIE 10/5/2014

I can't remember how to use a freebie...

I, Justin Irene, hereby declare and predicate that I am expending my first-semester freebie.

Hi! My name is... (what?) My name is... (who?)

     My name is Justin Irene. My family is Italian on my father's side (and German on my mother's side, which is why I don't look Italian at all), and the name Irene has been our surname for as many generations as we have been able to retain records of (about 5).

IRENE

- From Greek Ειρηνη (Eirene), derived from a word meaning "peace".

- GENDER: Feminine

     Although the name Irene is fairly common as a first name in the United States today, it is much more rare as a last name. According to data taken from the 2000 Census, "Irene ranks #51809 in terms of the most common surnames in America". The census reports that Irene had only 377 occurrences as a surname in the entire country. That's pretty cool to me! (Feel free to check out your own surname: http://names.mongabay.com/data/1000.html)

     Along with its rarity, my last name has put me in a few somewhat-comical situations. In elementary school, my friends and I joked about my last name being a "girl's name" and things like that. We all got a kick out of it, and some of my friends started calling me "Irene" rather than Justin. In middle school, a few of my teachers started calling me Irene (I'm not sure how that started) and it began to stick. When Hurricane Irene passed through North Carolina, my nickname changed from "Irene" to "Hurricane" for a while, which I didn't mind at all.

     My parents have received numerous letters in the mail addressed to women named "Irene Thomas", since my dad's name is Thomas Irene. Also, callers on the phone often ask my dad if they can speak to my mother, whom they believe is named "Irene Thomas". Sometimes these occurrences can be irritating, but overall my family and I think they are pretty funny.

     My name has never really had an ill effect on my life, at least as far back as I can remember, and I don't ever plan on changing it.

     In my opinion, names are part of what makes us unique. However, I characterize myself by my personality more than by my name. I rarely think of myself as Justin Irene, but rather as "me". I think that the name itself is more or less irrelevant; It can be anything. What is important is the person behind the name. I wouldn't have thought any differently about Beowulf had his name been Skagi Brynjolfson.

     Like Anna Quindlen, I believe that "there are two me's, the me who is the individual and the me who is a part of a family of four...". I act a certain way when I am around my family, not necessarily who I really am. I don't think that this is a bad thing, as it allows me to be an individual inside while still being a part of my family.

"Othering" and Other Things

Author:
Wing Young Huie

Date:
2007

Published:
Inside the Springs
http://know.wingyounghuie.com/

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Summary:

     At first glance, this photo may seem boring or dull. Especially so if the viewer's eyes are immediately drawn to the bare walls, the limited decorations in the room, and the modest appearance of the three male subjects of the photo. These traits may immediately give the viewer a sense of unexceptionality (that's not a word, but it should be) and disinterest.

     However, if the viewer takes a moment to look deeper into the photo, they will begin to notice that every object in the room has a purpose in telling the story.

     The main attention grabbers in this photo, at least to me, are the pictures held by two of the men seated in the photo. As soon as I saw them, combined with the appearance of the men and the state of their residence, I immediately guessed that they were migrant workers of some form. They hold what keeps them going each day: pictures of their loved ones who are still in their native country. The lamp sitting on the cheap folding chair lacks a lamp shade and the beds in the room are unadorned, showing either severe poverty or a poor taste in interior design (I would presume the former, not the latter). I noticed the book with the word "Larousse" on it and presumed (correctly) that it was some sort of language dictionary. The only thing in the picture that I did not immediately recognize its importance was the Disney-themed poster hanging on the wall behind a ceremonious lit candle. I initially thought it was just some cheap thing that the men found to spice up the décor in the room. Upon further examination, I found that it was in fact the their dream to one day visit Disney Land. "Only then would they know they had truly arrived". This was very powerful to me. It connotes the hope that the men possess, despite their hardships.

"Othering"

     Margaret Atwood, like Wing Young Huie, uses "othering" to convey ideas. While Huie uses his character's visual appearance and symbolic objects to represent greater meaning, Atwood uses her character's thoughts and actions. For example, the main character and narrator, Offred, is rebellious and defiant to the Gileadean regime through her thoughts. She constantly remembers her life from the past and how happy she was with her husband, Luke, and their young daughter. She is always contemplating the possibility of salvation, either through escape, or more likely, death. Although Offred no longer has any pictures of her family to hold and cherish, she keeps them alive in her mind through flashbacks. She always holds on to a thin shred of hope that she will one day see her family again.