pandemicblog

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Gun Control in the U.S. - Advertisement Analysis (Aleyna)

Written by Aleyna Akçay

In this image two toddlers are portrayed sitting in a library, one is holding a gun and the other is holding a book. 

The audience that this image refers to is all legal guardians in america. The author’s main aim is to inform and call the parents for action against gun violence in schools by attracting their emotions  (pathos) and also by criticizing the current gun laws in America with an ironic tone. However, he also raises awareness against racial differences by using juxtaposition. Additionally, to serve his purpose he uses visual features such as choice of colour, background and scale.

The author tries to open up the readers eyes (parents) to take action against the government and the current gun laws. He does this by using kids as figures to demonstrate the ideas. Since the audience is parents the author creates empathy and pathos by using toddlers, as he evokes a sense of responsibility in the parents. In addition, the kids lack of facial expressions suggests that they are not also content with current situations. By displaying kids in a numb facial expression which is not a likely behaviour for toddlers as most of them usually are demonstrated by extreme expressions in movies or social media, the author aims to inforce the idea that even if they don’t care they are in danger, they must take responsibility for their kids and their future condition. The use of background further serves the purpose of the author. The background is a library which represents the school environment. The author uses this environment to show the audience (parents) that their children are not safe even in a place that must be the safest. This also could be considered as a contextual information as gun violence in schools is a current problem that the US is facing right now. By referring to real life events the author shows the audience that the picture does not only represent what could happen, it also represents what is happening. By representing current issues the author highlights the emergency of the situation and need for immediate action.

The author uses scale to further highlight his main purpose. The gun in the kids arm is far too big in comparison to her body scale. By using a realistically sized gun rather than a toy gun for kids the author emposes the idea that guns must not be held by kids as it is dangerous and hostile. Thus, the author tries to inform the audience that gun ownership laws in America need to be reconsidered and changed. On the other hand, the author demonstrates a kid holding a book called “Red Riding Hood”. Which is considered a child's book and is banned in America. By representing a hostile weapon and an educational book in two different aspects the author creates irony. As the weapon is permitted in the US and the book is banned. By that the author criticizes and highlights the ridiculous laws and approaches that are currently being on the run.

The author uses scale to divide two different groups of people and represent juxtaposition between those groups. He does this by creating a contrast between the African american toddler and a white toddler.  In the picture, the two kids are perfectly aligned with the background, which sort of seperates them as they are not hugging and just sitting next to each other with no contact. The pale coloured kid on the right holds a gun suggesting that violence is mostly reinforced by white people in America. In contrast the African American kid holds a book which is not hostile but represented as hostile in America. This represents the idea that the moves of white people in America are supported even though it harms society as the kid is holding a gun which is not assaulted in the US.  However, the ideas that are represented by the black community are not supported as in the picture the educational and harmless book that the African American kid is holding is banned. Thus, the author represents racial discrimination in US by using contrast and juxtaposition between two kids, to inform the audience.

In conclusion, the author uses visual features such as scale, colour, facial expression and juxtaposition to represent the idea that gun control rules in the US must be reconciled. By using the parents as an audience, the author represents the ones who must take action against the current law rules as them and their family are the ones in great danger.

#guncontrol

[pandemicblog]

Creative Writing: If Capitalism was a Person

Written by Melis Kolat

In the company that I work at, there exists a known tradition: every new employee must meet the company CEO at the local coffee shop to get to know him, learn about his values, and hear his advice on “how to take over the world.” As a brand new employee, today was the day I was scheduled to meet the infamous CEO and listen to the life experiences that have led him to be listed as the single most influential business owner in the world. He was the type of businessman who everyone knew the name of, but despite his enormous popularity, no one knew much about him. Yet somehow, he still impacted everyone on an individual scale. One thing was known about him though, and it was his amazing ability to make profit out of everything. His name was Capitalism, and I was supposed to meet him in 5 minutes.

When I entered the coffee shop right on time, Capitalism was already sitting at the reserved table with a smart smile set on his face. Before I even had the chance to introduce myself, “You can never be too early for meetings!” he remarked, condescendingly. He was just over 50 years old, yet a sense of youthfulness dominated his face. It was surprising to me that he was able to look this young and lively when he worked all his lifetime draining the life out of his workers. The enigmatic expression on his face made it obvious that he hid a lot, but it also radiated the perfect amount of charm. Once you looked at Capitalism’s face, you were fixated and knew that he would become an unavoidable part of your life. The baristas in the coffee shop seemed to have been affected by him as well— as everyone was fully fixated on their jobs. I wasn’t surprised though; I was told his presence had this effect on workers.

Just as I attempted to introduce myself to him again, he cut me off: “Let me ask you something. Have you read my most recent book called ‘Increasing Productivity at Home: No Sleep Edition?” to which I responded, “Of course I did! It is the essential guidebook to survive in 2020.” He looked satisfied with my positive response, and told me he was eager to tell me everything he knew about how to thrive and make profit in modern society. His eyes glistened with joy and power as he prepared to tell me his biggest talents.

“One of my best assets is my ability to enter the subconscious minds of people and control them through thoughts they believe are their own. Have you ever felt your alarm clock leak into your dreams, waking you up with a terrible fear of being late for your job, your school, or your interviews? Have you ever punished yourself for not being productive enough within the day?” As Capitalism continued his monologue, his words eventually got more enthusiastic: “Most probably you did, because I have wired the brains of people to make them equate self-worth with productivity. This is how I maintain a sustainable working class to serve my many needs.”

The most effective way to control society is to impose beliefs that people eventually begin to internalize and act upon, I noted down in my little notebook. I could tell he was eager to continue. He added: “...and for those who are not productive enough, I make it very hard for them to have a good place within society.” “What do you mean?” I said. “Are you saying that you categorize unproductive people as odd and exclude them from society?”

“Yes!” said Capitalism. “How do you think mental conditions developed? How do you think, as a society, we decided on what was ‘normal’ or ‘abnormal’ in mental health? I classified people’s mental conditions according to their ability to function within my societal demands, instead of classifying them according to the distress they experience. Let me give you an example. In our culture, people who hear voices, or auditory hallucinations, are considered “psychotic.” However, in Indian or African cultures, these voices are considered playful, friendly, entertaining; and they are even interpreted as a message from positive spirits. I have made it so that only in my culture, those who experience intrusive thoughts are excluded from society and labeled as “abnormal” or “sick” — simply because of their inability to be productive.”

I was extremely intrigued. Capitalism had categorized mental conditions based on people’s ability to contribute to his insatiable desire for productivity. It fascinated me how people who are “psychotic” in our culture could be considered shamans who communicate with the spiritual world in other cultures. The most fascinating part was that Capitalism was not satisfied with excluding unproductive people from society — he also felt the need to profit off of them, which was why the mental health industry in the U.S. was as big as $19.6 billion. Eager to learn more, I asked: “What are other ways you make it hard for unproductive people to function properly within society?”

He replied: “Another example is disabled people. You see, these people are considered disabled only because I do not choose to provide enough accommodations for their needs. A person who uses a wheelchair is not disabled in a society with many well-placed ramps and elevators. By not providing such means for ‘disabled’ people to overcome physical or even mental barriers, I marginalize them, because they aren’t productive anyway.” He got closer to me and looked me directly in my eyes. Fervently, he added: “Only the productive people must thrive for me to achieve full power.”

What I was seeing here was that disabled people had been made disabled through Capitalism’s eagerness not to provide for unproductive people. How interesting was that Capitalism had altered our perception so deeply that we failed to consider societal barriers when defining what was normal. Capitalism did not even give me a chance to consolidate my thoughts, as he jumped in to explain yet another one of his talents:

“I also create insecurities, for the sole purpose of profit. If I can make people doubt themselves, I can get them to buy anything that they feel would overcompensate for this deep feeling of inadequacy. The beauty industry’s marketing approach is my biggest achievement in this manner. Had they never come up with specialized anti-age creams, no one would become so insecure about having wrinkles on their faces as they matured. No one would become so eager to purchase those creams. Had they never presented unrealistic women body types on magazine covers, no one would doubt their bodies and run to buy so-called “skinny detox tea.” There are many other examples, but the main message is that insecurity sells. So, it is in my best interest to impose insecurities on society to generate as much profit as I can.”

As I listened to Capitalism fervently and spitefully explain his most effective techniques, I realized that everything I had thought to be abnormal was simply an idea imposed on me by Capitalism and its values. Those who are considered severely mentally ill, disabled, insecure have been made that way by Capitalism himself. That was how he maintained his immense power; by reducing people to their productivity, excluding everyone that was not productive, and even making profit out of this cycle.

The time allocated for our coffee shop meeting was now over, and as we were preparing to leave, Capitalism told me one final thing, a “motto” he called it: “Man exploiting man is the basis for all power.” These were the words that I would never forget. I would also never forget how, even though he was the richest businessman in the world, he had left the bill for me to pay.

I left the coffee shop meeting with Capitalism as a transformed person, experiencing the uncomfortable consequence of becoming enlightened. What was I to do with this newfound information? Wasn’t I to become a college student who essentially aims to thrive in a society built on the values of Capitalism as well? From time to time, do I not define my self-worth based on my productivity, too? Which insecurities have I developed because of Capitalism’s ideas?

Posing these self-reflection questions was, perhaps, the only momentary escape from an all-consuming Capitalist society. In the end, as much as I disagreed with him, he was still my CEO, right?

#capitalism #creativewriting #capitalistcritique #shortstory

[pandemicblog]

Existentialism: Rick & Morty and Albert Camus (Melis)

Written by Melis Kolat

In this essay, I explore the question: “What are the complex ways in which Rick and Morty transforms and represents the Myth of Sisyphus to suit a different aesthetic?”

As with any area of knowledge, the study of philosophy is facing the emergence of mass media in a digital age.

 With media being considered a mediated culture, wherein the audience and the media networks have an interconnected relationship that accounts for the media’s reflection of reality and culture (1), the representation of philosophical viewpoints in outlets of media has become prevalent. This representation has become especially reccurent in video streaming entertainment services that allow the audience to view an array of TV shows and movies, and has synthesized an “intellectuall television niche” (2) that explores ideas of existential philosophers in a more modern context or aesthetic. Rick and Morty is an animated science fiction comedy series about the intergalactic adventures and mishaps of the genius yet cynical scientist and his well intended grandson with a seeming lack of intellectual ability. It is recognised for the all-knowing scientist Rick’s comments about the indifference of the universe, consisting of infinite dimensions and realities, towards the monotonous human life — a direct ideological parallelism to the works of French Algerian philosophist and author Albert Camus. Camus introduced Absurdism and the notion of “The Absurd” through his philosophical essay The Myth of Sisyphus which discusses individuals’ struggle against the lack of meaning in an essentially chaotic and indifferent universe. Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland’s Rick and Morty represents Albert Camus’ existentialist viewpoint in the Myth of Sisyphus in a comedic medium through transforming its context and purpose in order to adapt it to a modernized viewership.

The series Rick and Morty refers to The Myth of Sisyphus by the aesthetic tranforsmation enabled by the contextual similarities. Ancient greek philosophers like Platon and Aristotle believed in the presence of an “essence”. They argued that every object, including humans, had pre- determined core properties that they needed to adhere to in order to fulfill their purpose of existing. This led to a new school of idea, called essentialism, that become the primary way in which 19th century individuals viewed the universe. (Green, 2016) As time progressed, the dialectic nature of philosophy led thinkers like J.P Sartre and Friedrich Nietzsche to argue against this viewpoint and suggest that it was up to humans to determine their own essences, that God did not have a particular purpose in mind while creating the universe. This idea that humans live in a universe that is indifferent to their purpose of living gave existentialism its fundamental framework. Albert Camus, one of the representatives of existentialist thought, gave birth to a new doctrine within existentialism, called “Absurdism”. Absurdism holds that there is conflict between the human desire to search for meaning and the actual lack of meaning in an irrational, chaotic universe. In his philosophical essay, the Myth of Sisyphus, Camus suggests that one should both accept and rebel against the indifference of the universe by finding enjoyment in what life has to offer. (Miessler, 2019) Although one might say that it is reductionist to comment on a literary work based on the biographical context of its writer, the circumstances that provided basis for Camus to come up with this notion of “The Absurd” is worth consideration. Camus wrote the Myth of Sisyphus at the initial stages of World War II, during which he served in the French Resistance movement and battled against the Nazi’s occupation of France. At the time, the violent atrocities induced by the holocaust challanged people’s beliefs that there was a sense of order in life: human life seemed meaningless and meagre. To struggle against it was futile. This point of view gave Albert Camus the circumstance which enabled him to develop an absurdist viewpoint and prompt the popularity of Absurdism. In fact, the reflection of the horrifying historical context in which Camus birthed his Absurdist viewpoint can be seen in the preface of the Myth of Sisyphus. He summarizes his essay as a “lucid invitation to live and to create, in the very midst of the desert.” (Camus, Preface). Similarly, Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland’s Rick and Morty transform and represent this notion of “the desert” by utilising an intergalactic setting in the series. The omniscent, alcoholic, and indifferent scientist Rick travels through a multitude of universes through intergalactic travel. It is acknowledged many times that Rick and Morty exist simultaneously in every single reality, which allows the show to depict switches between a regular family household in Seattle, Washington and countless universes such as Dimension 35C, Cronenberg Universe, Doopidoo, or even a dimension where pizzas eat people. This wide array of intergalactic dimensions in the series provides a base for Rick to stimulate thoughts regarding how small and unimportant the intricacies of daily human life are in relation to a grand universe that is essentially disorderly and deprived of any pre-determined meaning. In this sense, the intergalactic, interdimensional setting of the series directly represents the context of Camus’ the Myth of Sisyphus: both the aftermath of World War II and the innumerable misadventures accross galaxies position mankind in an environment where questioning the meaning of life becomes unavoidable. On a more detailed scale, Camus’ “desert” refers to a universe that isolates mankind due to its utter indifference and lack of inherent meaning. The setting itself connotes lack of fertility, hope and deficiency yet the use of the verbs “to live” and “to create” within the same sentence produce a sharp contrast in what initially seems to be a hopeless tone. The paradoxical statement powerfully demonstrates Camus’ solution about what humans should do about the lack of meaning in life — one should rebelliously face the indifference of the natural world and live a rich life focusing on things he actually enjoys. This can be compared to the scene in Season 1 Episode 6 of Rick & Morty, when Morty is confronted with his own disturbingly bloody, dead body from an alternative reality. He enters a state of extreme shock and agony, yelling in absolute terror. Rick responds by saying “Listen to me. It’s fine. Everything is fine. There is an infinite number of realities.” (Rick Potion #9) The contradiction between Morty’s suffering tone and Rick’s soothingly composed tone is representative of Camus’ aforementioned conflict regarding the meaning of life. Thus, it can be concluded that the setting of Rick and Morty, a universe consisting of infinite, equally indifferent realities, allows for the representation of Camus’ thoughts since it gives the Absurdist hero a reason to ponder about the irrational and careless nature of the universe, and since it allows for the demonstration of Camus’ idea that the carelesness of the universe shall be contradicted with a search for personal happiness. By transforming the context and setting of the Myth of Sisyphus, Rick and Morty is essentially able to represent and transform Camus' Absurdist ideologies into a suitable aesthetic for modernized viewership in which aspects of modern science fiction is included.

Rick and Morty also transforms the Myth of Sisyphus’s purpose by portraying it in a modernized aesthetic. In the Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus argues that all humans are like Sisyphus, who is condemned by the by the gods for eternity to repeatedly roll a boulder up a hill only to have it roll down again once he got it to the top, as a metaphor for the individual’s persistent struggle against the essential absurdity of life. (3) The part which interests Camus is the exact moment where the rock falls back down right when it was about to reach the summit. He believes that this moment is Sisyphus’ “hour of consciousness” and an instance that “crowns his victory,” (Camus, 121) since the realisation that his job is futile is what sets him free. Now that Sisyphus is aware of the emptiness of roling the rock up the hill, he will choose to pronounce it well and find peace in the abundance of freedom by behaving as he chooses. Rick and Morty transforms Camus’ purpose of demonstrating this philosophical viewpoint to a modernised aesthetic in a way that allows the modern viewer to see direct representations of Camus’ philosophy in real life. This transformation is most visibly seen in Season 1, Episode 8 of Rick and Morty. In the episode, Morty’s older sister Summer learns that she was an unwanted pregnancy, causing her to break down and produce profound questions regarding whether there is meaning to her life. Summer finding out she is an unwanted pregnancy is a transformaiton of Sisyphus’ moment of viewing the rock falling back the hill, because both of them act as a stimulating force for questioning of the meaning of life. Yet, in Rick and Morty, this stimulating force is communicated to the audience using a modernized aesthetic that gives them the opportunity to relate Camus’ philosophy into mundane events like that of Summer’s. The representation and transformation of Absurdism develops further when Morty then shares his traumatising yet cathartic experience of burying his own body from a different reality. He concludes by saying “Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everybody’s gonna die.” (Rick and Morty, Rixty Minutes), a sentence that directly reiterates Camus’ point that the universe has been created without any inherent meaning. The transformation of Camus’ viewpoint reaches its climax when Morty adds “Come watch TV?”. This stark change of seriousness in the tone reflects that even if we grow conscious of the lack of meaning in the universe, focusing on the things that lets us enjoy life is far more important than irresolvable questions regarding the futility of life. The use of T.V. as a method of coping is evidence for how Rick and Morty transforms Camus’ work into a different aesthetic wherein a modern viewer will be able to comprehend better due to increased correlations to real life. In addition, the use of TV is especially signifcant in transforming Camus’ message, since the TV in the context of the show uses interdimensional cable, giving access to shows across infinite dimensions, which has become an outlet that enables the family to bond with each other. The fact that Morty suggests Summer put existentialist brooding aside and deviate towards what would give her a chance to bond with her family, once again represents Camus’ invitation to seek happiness in an utterly irrational world. To sum up, Rick and Morty represents the work of Albert Camus in the Myth of Sisyphus by transforming it into a modern aesthetic which works to articulate the Absurdist viewpoint to a newer audience.

To have a deeper understanding of how Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland transform the philosophical argument regarding the Absurd, one must look at Rick and Morty on a larger scale. It is significant that Rick and Morty, out of all genres, is crafted to be a comedy series. The comedic aspect of the show essentialy sums up how it transforms the ideological framework behind Absurdism to a different aesthetic: it gives the audience something to smile after instilling the consciousness that the intergalactic universe lacks purpose. Thus, with this core aesthetic transformation in mind, it can be concluded that Rick and Morty represents Albert Camus’ Myth of Sisyphus by transforming its aesthetic through context and purpose to better suit a modernised viewpoint.

Works Cited

(1) Dean, Gregory. “A Mediated Culture.” Marketography, 2010, https://marketography.com/ 2010/11/23/a-mediated-culture/

(2) Chaney, Jen. “Why Are So Many TV Comedies Pondering the Meaning of Life?” Vulture, Vulture, 10 Sept. 2018, www.vulture.com/2018/09/existential-comedies-on-tv.html.

(3) The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “The Myth of Sisyphus.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 22 Mar. 2016, www.britannica.com/topic/The-Myth-of- Sisyphus

Miessler, Daniel. “The Difference Between Existentialism, Nihilism, and Absurdism.” Daniel

Miessler, 19 Dec. 2019, danielmiessler.com/blog/difference-existentialism-nihilism-absurdism/

Green, John, director. Existentialism: Crash Course Philosophy #16. YouTube, YouTube, 2016,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaDvRdLMkHs.

Schoder, Will, director. Rick and Morty - Finding Meaning in Life. YouTube, YouTube, 2016,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez1rWBPznEc.

Studios, Marker, director. This Absurd Universe: Albert Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus. YouTube,

YouTube, 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=kINdkdNOKHo.

CAMUS, ALBERT. “Preface.” MYTH OF SISYPHUS, VINTAGE, 2018. CAMUS, ALBERT. MYTH OF SISYPHUS, VINTAGE, 2018.

“Rick Potion #9”, Rick and Morty, Season 1 Episode 6, Adult Swim, 27 Jan. 2014, Netflix “Rixty Minutes”, Rick and Morty, Season 1 Episode 8, Adult Swim, 17 Mar. 2014, Netflix

The youtube links to the cited sections from Rick and Morty if you want to see them: “Rixty Minutes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_qvy82U4RE “Rick Potion #9”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0jm6C22LC0

#rick and morty #albert camus #myth of sisyphus #existentialism #absurdism #sitcom #netflix #philosophy

[pandemicblog]

The Relationship Between Present and Past Knowledge (Selin)

Written by Selin Üçsel

“Present knowledge is wholly dependent on past knowledge.”  In this essay, I explore this claim through the lens of Natural and Human Sciences. 

“The only use of knowledge of the past is to equip us for the present,” said Alfred North Whitehead, British mathematician and philosopher. At first glance it is conspicuous that past knowledge, or knowledge which has already been produced by others, is instrumental in producing present knowledge, or that which tries to explain a previously unexplained phenomenon. Nonetheless, when one further investigates the issue, it becomes clear that there may be cases where the production of a new knowledge can be independent of any previous knowledge, either in terms of the methodology used in producing knowledge or in the sense of not benefiting from any past knowledge. That’s why, a more nuanced approach which takes into consideration the differing degrees and roles of past knowledge in the production of present knowledge may be necessary as the interaction between the two can have important impacts on the validity and accuracy of the knowledge produced. Moving from this point, the knowledge question of “To what extent new knowledge can break away from the past knowledge,” becomes an important one to answer as this could allow us to understand the intrinsic relation between past and present knowledge, especially when the multiplicity of differing relations is considered. In order to further analyze this question, this essay will examine the Areas of Knowledge of Human Sciences and Natural Sciences.

To begin with, the production of present knowledge is based on the past knowledge of the individual. As humans gain experiences and learn new information, they strengthen the way we interpret a new input from the outer world. If prior knowledge and experiences weren’t present, there wouldn’t be any assurance of the reliability of present knowledge. Despite there are a few theories about this claim, psychology in Human Sciences is one of the best areas to explore the truth of this claim. In psychology, “schema theory” refers to a mental representation that organizes our knowledge, beliefs and expectations. It is believed that interpretation of new information is derived from our prior knowledge and experiences. “Schema is a generalized description or a conceptual system for understanding knowledge, how knowledge is represented and how it is used.” For instance,  the researchers Martin and Halverson aimed to investigate if gender schemas have an effect on recall in 5 and 6 year old children. Each child was shown 16 pictures. Half of them were a picture of a child performing gender consistent activities (boy playing with a truck) and the other half were a child performing gender inconsistent activities (a girl chopping wood). After one week, children were tested to see how many photos they do recall accurately. According to the results, children recalled the sex of the actor that was performing a gender consistent activity accurately but couldn’t remember the sex of the actor that was performing a gender inconsistent activity accurately and distorted the scene. As can be seen, the previously acquired gender roles and schemas, even at such a young age, influence the way children’s memories are shaped, having a dramatic impact on how a new knowledge is perceived and retained. That’s why, it can be said that under any circumstance the past knowledge will have an impact, positive or negative, on the production and retention of new knowledge.

However,  a new approach to knowledge production may allow the knowledge producer to break away from past knowledge and create authentic knowledge. New theories and movements could be produced uniquely, without getting affected by the previous theories and movements in the past. Specifically, this counterclaim can be explored once again in Human Sciences with examples from history. As we all know, Karl Marx is the pioneer of the ”marxism” movement. “Marxism is a social, political, and economic philosophy named after Karl Marx, which examines the effect of capitalism on labor, productivity, and economic development and argues for a worker revolution to overturn capitalism in favor of communism.”  Marx developed this ideology in contrast to capitalism, which is a past knowledge, by negating it and producing a totally new ideology. Therefore, marxism is not a production of the past knowledge; instead, a new approach to economy, politics and society. In this sense, it can be said that certain knowledge can adopt an entirely new approach to knowledge production and benefit from a different set of assumptions that define the process. As such, the knowledge produced breaks away from past knowledge and does not benefit in any way from the past knowledge while producing a new knowledge. In other words, by working against the past knowledge, Marx’s new knowledge alters the way knowledge is produced, causing an epistemological break from the past knowledge that increases the originality and applicability of the new knowledge. That’s why it can be said that it becomes possible to break away from past knowledge in Human Sciences when producing knowledge, especially when attempting to produce new knowledge by altering the underlying assumptions of the past knowledge; however, this does not necessarily cause the past knowledge to be completely eliminated.

On the other hand, when we investigate the relation between past knowledge and new knowledge in another AOK, such as Natural Sciences, it becomes possible to claim that a new knowledge can completely alter the way past knowledge is produced, making past knowledge invalid. A suitable example to demonstrate such cases could be the adoption of the Heliocentric model. Until then, people used to benefit from their faiths and Holy Scriptures to gain an understanding into the universe, and as such, the common belief was that the entire universe revolves around the Earth. In other words, the geocentric model, supported by the Church was the dominant theory, or knowledge, regarding the structure of the universe. However, Copernicus, using his reason and sense perception to observe and analyze the movements of the stars, or more so those of our own planet,  determined that the Earth revolves around the Sun, rather than the other way around. This new theory was widely criticized at that time, since it directly contradicted the past knowledge which was defended by one of the strongest institutions of that era: the Church. Nonetheless, despite significant resistance, the Heliocentric model which places the Sun at the center of the Solar System, gained popularity as it was further backed by calculations, observations, and evidences by other scholars such as Galileo Galilei, which eventually led the theory to be widely accepted by the general population. As seen in this case, the spread of the Heliocentric model, with all the mounting evidence to support the theory, eventually led to its success against the Geocentric model and erased it from our common understanding of the Cosmos. In short, the new knowledge produced based on reason and sense-perception gained prevalence over knowledge produced by faith, causing the latter, the past knowledge, to be dropped altogether in favor of the new knowledge.

On the contrary, since knowledge production in Natural Sciences is a cumulative process, new knowledge is either wholly or partially dependent on past knowledge. In order to develop and explore the present information on a particular area, a prior knowledge is required. Specifically, this counter claim can be revealed in Natural Sciences with examples from nowadays’ news. Currently, there is a pandemic going on all around the world due to the large spread of Covid-19.  For instance, Li Wenliang is the Chinese man who revealed the existence of the Coronavirus. In Wuhan, he investigated several samples, worked on the genetic of this virus and finally came up with the release of Coronavirus’ presence. Although Li Wenliang explored the truth and the genetics of this virus, he benefited from the previous foundations of viruses and prior research based on genetics of viruses such as another pandemic hit, Influenza in 1918. This example manifests that without any prior scientific researches and investigations of pandemic hits, Li Wenliang wouldn’t be able to study the genetic and the underlying knowledge about the virus. It further accentuates that the knowledge is an accretiveprocess that depends on the previous knowledge and foundations. In short, the past knowledge produced by other knowledge producers allows new knowledge to be produced much more easily as the producer of new knowledge can benefit from the proven knowledge of past producers while trying to uncover the mysteries of the new case at hand.

Consequently it can be said that the relation between past and new knowledge seems delicate. In certain cases, such as the schema theory, the past knowledge can influence our present knowledge, knowingly or unknowingly, whereas in other cases, such as in Marxism, the new knowledge can break away entirely from the past knowledge to gain legitimacy and acceptance while developing a critique of the former. Nonetheless, in other  cases, as seen in Natural Sciences, while this pattern of severance from past knowledge seems prevalent, in other cases, such as in the Covid-19 crisis, the past knowledge can create the foundation of present, or new knowledge, making its production impossible without benefiting from the past knowledge. Hence, it is more logical to evaluate the relation between past and present knowledge on a case to case basis in order to determine its impact more precisely, and this approach can be applied to Art where certain artists may benefit from past movements when producing new works, whereas others, such as Jackson Pollock, may break away from the past knowledge and tradition to create authentic knowledge.

#philosophy #philosophyofknowledge

[pandemicblog]

Milan Calls on You (Selin)

Written by Selin Üçsel

One of the pleasures of living in a new-fashioned, glorious Italy town is that it generally includes new-fashioned and glorious restaurants with its delicious food and flawless service. Ours is slightly different, but not that much, compared to Milan’s restaurants. The restaurants are staring, eyeful and sparkling but pretty humble in Milan. The design is not uncouth but quite attractive. They even smell delicious -apart from the food in there.  

The waiters are constantly vivacious, respectful, sympathetic and into you ,as a customer. They are to help you to decide what to have as food or wine when you are indecisive or have no idea what to choose from the menu. The eye contact is very essential and a must with the customer from their perspective. You almost perceptibly see the sincerity and tell their care for you from their eyes. Those sheenful eyes are not taken off you even for a second when you are having a conversation. The respectful intimacy and the eye contact make you feel special in that restaurant, at that moment. You receive a satisfiable and a fulfilling service for the whole time you stay there by chatty waiters who enjoy nothing so much as good as a customer satisfaction. Compared to Milan’s waiters, in here most of the waiters are not that concerned with your satisfaction with the atmosphere, food or the service that you receive from them. To be honest, the eye contact is a rarely seen concept in here. Waiters visit your table only once or twice for the whole time you are present in there. Don’t you think it is pretty annoying to not to feel like you’re treated well enough? I believe it is pretty reasonable why the customer satisfaction is much higher in Italy than in Turkey. That’s why I feel delighted to go out for all the meals in Milan and suggest every single person on the world to travel just for the service you receive in the restaurants.

Best of all, apart from the satisfiable, pleased and amusing service that you receive the design of the restaurants are sparkling, spectacular and brilliant without much ado. In my first trip to Milan which was 4 years ago in a cold, chilly and showery winter season. My flight was around 4 pm which makes my arrival to Milan around 7 pm. If you wonder, I was famished and feeling peckish. My close Italian friend named Carlotta picked me up from the Milan Malpensa Airport and took me to her one and only favorite restaurant: La Briciola. It was in a auspicious, gloomy and a bleak Street which made me think I will go hungry through the whole night. However, I realized it was a great prejudice of mine at the very first moment I took my very first step into the place. I couldn’t take my eyes off the restaurant’s glittering, aglow and adularescent decoration. The yellow sparkling decor on the ceiling was creating a romantic and a passionate atmosphere in the place. The same yellow sparkling decor was also set in the trees’ ,that are placed in indoors, branches which further attracted me. The perfect combination of both waiters’ cheerful manner and exceedingly impressive decoration along with the Italy’s unique tastes made my first night in Milan amazing, wonderful and unforgettable. If I had to drop a footnote here ,hopingly she would read this piece of writing of mine, I would give a bottomless credits to my friend Carlotta for introducing this unique and effective culture.

If I look back at my own country’s decorations, it feels quiet disappointing and unprideful to view them after having an experience in Milan and an Italian perspective; don’t you think I embraced the Italian vision and taste in record time, haha. I mean, that’s me; I couldn’t lie about what I think. It’s all about being outspoken and perfectionist.

Moreover, if you are curious about my opinion of the Italian food- I suggest you to pay regard to my opinions and comments on it since it is one of the best cuisine cultures on the earth, honestly again without much ado. The delicious pasta, incredible risottos, impressive pizzas, delightful appetizers such as Mozzarella cheese, prosciuttos or bresaola. I still can’t forget their tastes, the flavor of them literally still lingers. Despite my country’s cuisine culture is also very rich, delicious and fulfilling I can never ever underestimate the Italian cuisine culture. I’m always between a rock and a hard place when it is about choosing between these two cuisine cultures. Therefore, I’m really thankful to have the opportunity to have both Italian and Turkish cuisines in my life.

So here I’m, being in love with Milan’s food culture and its people, especially the kindest and sweetest waiters on earth; while holing to my own country’s culture also.

Now if you will excuse me I have to plan my next trip to Milan and get ready to be mesmerized by new restaurants in the  heart of the Italy.

#milan #italy #travel

[pandemicblog]

How Netflix Makes Use of Psychology (Melis)

Written by Melis Kolat

Netflix is one of the rare companies that has gained an immense amount of profit during the COVID-19 lockdown. With everyone being stuck in their houses, addictive activites as a coping mechanism has become increasingly prevalent. Undoubtedly, Netflix is among the major sources of addiction, especially for the youth. 

In fact, Netflix has “more than doubled the number of new subscribers it expected the last three months.”[1] Additionally, new studies have found that 15% of the web trafic in the world goes to Netflix.[2]

Perhaps one reason for this rapidly growing obsession is their seamless customer experience. Netflix identifies themselves as a “customer-obsessed” company, always working on providing a very personalized experience for all their users. This implies that they have a very clear undertsanding of their customers’ perceptions, desires and aesthetic needs. To some extent, they consciously apply psychological techniques to reach out to and sustain their modern audience. This article will discuss three psychological theories Netflix applies to perfect their customer experience:

1. Idleness Aversion

The idleness aversion theory suggests that people feel happier when they are busier and engaged in activities. Although sometimes idleness (doing nothing) can be fantacisized, long-term idleness can become agonizing.

Netflix makes use of idleness aversion, people’s desire to be kept busy all the time, by constantly giving their customers something to engage with. Specifically, Netflix’s site auto-plays trailers of TV shows once the mouse hovers over the title.

Although sometimes this auto-play feature may become frustrating, it still fulfills the customers’ desire to avoid the idleness they might sense while browsing thousands of TV shows. The self-playing clips give a feel of the context and genre in the most striking ways, making it irresistible for the customer to stop watching.

2. Cocktail Party Effect

The cocktail party effect states that people are more likely to focus on information that is relevant to them.[1]

It refers to the brain’s ability to focus on one particular stimulus out of a wide range of stimulus, just like when someone talks to a singular person in a cocktail party in a noisy room.

We tend to filter out information and focus on things that are about ourselves, and Netflix makes use of this phenomena by providing more personalized content to their users. One example for this is the “Top Picks for (insert name)” section on the homepage. Using the name of the customer in this category makes the user believe that Netflix is catering to their individual needs; thus, they take a closer look at the recommended sections and find even more engaging shows. Recommendation and personalized content are one of the prime drivers for any user.[2]

3. Font Psychology

“Design plays a big role in how we perceive the value of a product.”[1]

One of Netflix’s most significant features is their unique graphic design elements, especially their choice of fonts. By employing a very wide range of fonts, Netflix is able to capture and control the specific feel of the shows before the customer even sees the show itself. The picture above breaks these ‘font feelings’ into 4 distinct categories: Decorative (quirky, fun), Headline (bold, dramatic), Modern (forward-thinking, efficient) and Handwritten (personal, playful).

The way in which these fonts invoke different emotions or feelings can be linked to the schema theory. The schema theory suggests that our brains use schemas, which are mental representations that allow us to organize all our knowledge into units. These fonts activate different schemas in our brain that our prior-knowledge of the world has taught us to associate with certain feelings. Hence, we get a specific feel that is consistent with the series’ tone.

For example, the TV show ‘Crown’ uses a very simplistic and traditional font. Our schemas help associate these feelings of respectability and simplicity given in the font with a sense of royalty. Since the show is about the Royal Family, the font accurately reflects the nature of the genre and makes the poster more attractive to the customers that would enjoy this show, according to Netflix’s algorithm.

By reaching out to their customers’ cognitive mechanisms to cause different emotions and alter their perceptions of shows, Netflix is able to provide a more customized experience, making their website even more addicting.

Quarantine Tip!

Download the “Netflix Party” Google Chrome Extension to view a Netflix show at the same time with your friends, while chatting too!

Socialise from a distance!

Next time you’re on the Netflix homepage browsing what show to watch, remember these 3 theories. Maybe knowing the underlying psychological mechanisms Netflix utilises will help you will find a perfect TV show tailored for your taste!

[1] “Netflix Doubles Expected Tally of New Subscribers amid Covid-19 Lockdown.”The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 21 Apr. 2020, www.theguardian.com/media/2020/apr/21/netflix-new-subscribers-covid-19-lockdown

[2] Morris, Chris. “Netflix Consumes 15% of the World's Internet Bandwidth.” Fortune, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2018, fortune.com/2018/10/02/netflix-consumes-15-percent-of-global-internet-bandwidth/

[3] Clinehens, Jennifer. “How Netflix Uses Psychology to Perfect Their Customer Experience.” Medium, Choice Hacking, 28 May 2020, medium.com/choice-hacking/how-netflix-uses-psychology-to-perfect-their-customer-experience-c65ba414abe3.

[4] “How Is Netflix Becoming a Carousel of Experimentation for Customer Experience (CX)?” DemandTalk, 15 Jan. 2020, www.demandtalk.com/insights/sales-and-marketing/customer-relationship-management/how-is-netflix-becoming-a-carousel-of-experimentation-for-customer-experience-cx/.

[5] “How Netflix Taps Into Font Psychology to Tell a Story and Find Its Audience.” Mental Floss, 5 Apr. 2018, www.mentalfloss.com/article/538750/how-netflix-taps-font-psychology-tell-story-and-find-its-audience.

#netflix #psychology #marketing #neuromarketing

[pandemicblog]

Gender Roles: A Closer Look at a Vintage Car Ad (Iris)

Written by Iris Çağlayan

The print ad is a car advertisement published by “Morris Motors LTD” in the 1950s. The target audience of the advertisement is the family men from high socioeconomic class. The utilization of diction,ethos, and logos create a persuasive tone which appealed to the audience's both intellect and emotions. Hence, the audience is ensured that buying this car would be the investment that they would never regret, they would gain money while feeling comfortable.

Utilization of diction attracts the male of the family of the audience in question on differences that are attributed to gender . The first aspect that catches the attention is the chart located at the top. A dashed line divides the ad into 2 sections “Ladies Dept” and “Mainly for Men”. Although the space provided for each gender is equal, the “mainly” explicitly shows that the target audience is men. Furthermore, referring to women as “ladies” and “men” as “men” rather than gentlemen locate men to a superior position by highlighting that the primary audience is men. In a similar manner, right below the headline, the sub-headlines “What she looks for” and “ What he insists on”  are written. Accordingly, while “Insists on” connotes the features that the car must have , “looks for” connotes the good features that can be in the car. This strengthens that the target audience is men and this car has all the qualities he “insists on”. Hence, by positioning men superior to the women, the advertisement  primarily glorifies the male audience in order to make them feel a sense of strength and pride. Thus,  this sense of strength and pride - false superiority- is implicitly given to the male audience to persuade them to buy the car.  Through various elements of diction, the men portrayed superior to the women to persuade the main audience, men, for buying the car.

By utilizing pathos the editor aims to enhance masculinity of dominant male target audience.. The use of personal pronouns “your and “your Morris” create a sense of belonging to the audience. And,thus this sense of belonging is strengthened by depiction of family figures in the advertisement. As an example, the faces of the families are not visible to make the audience internalize the people in the advertisement.  Additionally , the headline “Together you will choose a”, together is in a larger font than the other words, emphasizing the sense of unity and thus, portrays the car as a family car, appealing to parental identity.Locating the brand’s name after this headline creates a sense of familiarity and entices customers into thinking that this car is associated with family unity by creating the feeling on the audience that if they buy the car their family will come “together”. By appealing to the emotions of the audience, the author aimed to create a sense of family unity and togetherness.

In addition to phatos,The  information with small puntos use logos by going into further detail in financial and legal aspects to create trust to the brand . The first suggestive sentence “Remember, too , your Morris is always worth more in resale value”. The words “worth more”  are written in an italicized font to emphasize the financial quality that contributes to the positive portrayal of the car by showing that this car would be a great investment that would be satisfactory in the long run which in the context of the time male’s main responsibility. More financial details are given in the chart under the men’s section stating like “up to 36 m.p.g.”, “0-70 m.p.h. in 45sec”. These statistical information appeal to logos by adding credibility for their claim regarding the car being a great investment. This contributes to the persuasive tone of the advertisement by creating trust to the brand. Furthermore, The “Twelve Months Warranty- and back up by B.M.C. service, the most comprehensive in Europe ” ensures that the warranty of the company offers is safe and unique. The usage of “the most” shows that by comparison to the other companies, Morris Motors offers the “most” useful and trustful warranty. By benefitting from a superlative , This comparison again appeals to the logic of the audience, increasing the credibility and trustworthiness of the facts that the ad states in return. All in all, utilization of logos by stating the financial and legal aspects persuaded the male audience that this car is a trustworthy economical option.

This advertisement published by Morris Motors Ltd focuses on selling their car by both addressing the emotions and logic of the audience with the use of diction, ethos and logos. The persuasive tone is created by enforcing the idea that the car is a great investment ,both financially and legally ,which will satisfy the whole family.

#morrismotors #vintage #ad #advertising #marketing

[pandemicblog]

Pulp Fiction - An Analysis of the Audience & Perspectives (Kamer)

Written by Ayşe Kamer Yiğit

How do the contexts of reception (2019 female audience) shape different perspectives of the film? Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction

Over the past century, men have been mostly depicted as a strong and dominant gender compared to women. Many movies have especially demonstrated the physical strength of the male characters and violence was usually associated with men. Some movies, however, have depicted the female character as physically strong and capable of engaging in violence as men, in a male-dominated world. Quentin Tarantino’s “cult classic” (Farr, 2018), Pulp Fiction, which was released in the theaters in America on October 14, 1994, was a big success and among the movies that illustrated both strong and weak female characters. The film is an allegorical narrative where the lives of two hit-men, a boxer, a gang boss and his wife, and a bandit couple ravel in four narratives of violence and redemption. It is important to consider how the idea that men have been abusing power in Hollywood for years has been indicated in the movie. Hence, the film should be put into the context of the world in 2019, particularly through the eyes of a 2019 female audience. The strong image of the female characters in the movie is extremely appealing to the 2019 female audience. However, cases where the women characters solely exist as a plot device for the male characters can also be observed throughout the movie, which depicts that the movie presents both conventional gender norms and unconventional gender norms. Furthermore, the puzzle-like structure, violence and action in the movie appeal to the female audience. In fact, the movie was refered to as ‘a shot of adrenaline to Hollywood’. With the use of cinematography, screen writing and soundtrack, the film maker Tarantino,“one of the most sought-after directors of the early-to- mid 1990s Hollywood”(Pulp Fiction Study Guide) , is able to depict the female characters’ resilience and have an adrenaline effect on the audience.

Throughout the movie, although there aren’t many female characters, the filmmaker is able to show the dominant and strong image of females which appeals to the empowered female audience of 2019, through the language used by women, the screenplay, soundtrack, and visual effects. The most prominent female character in the movie is Mia Wallace, the wife of Marsellus Wallace, a drug dealer and gang boss who is feared by everyone. Throughout the movie, Mia Wallace is portrayed as strong, powerful woman. She is first introduced during a conversation the two hitmen Jules and Vincent have. Jules says to Vincent that, allegedly, Tony was caught massaging Mia Wallace’s feet and Marsellus reacted to this by tossing Tony out a window, leaving him with permanent nerve damage and speech impairment. This incident leads the audience into thinking of Mia Wallace as merely the wife of a jealous gang boss. However, as Mia Wallace makes her first appearance, the audience is able to get a more intelligible picture of her personality and it becomes clear that she is a strong female character in the movie. In this scene, Vincent, who was told by Marcellus to “take care of her” while he is out of town, comes to Mia’s house to take her out. Mia wears a long white shirt, black pants and has short black hair, which is a similar look to the suits worn by the strong male characters in the movie such as Vincent and Jules. This shows that Mia sees herself as their equal and has the power to stand up to them. Furthermore, the only pop of color in her appearance is her bold, bright red lips. When Vincent first enters the house, Mia is seen watching him through the security cameras, which shows that she is the one in control. Then, there is a close-up shot of her red lips. The color red connotes violence and power, which yet again shows that Mia is a dangerous, and confident woman. When Vincent finally gets the nerve to ask

her about the ‘foot massage’, she denies the incident and says: “A man being protective of his wife is one thing. A husband almost killing another man for touching his wife’s feet is something else.” The calm tone in her voice indicates that she isn’t easily scared or affected by violence. In addition, she also uses a degrading tone when she asks Vincent how he found the incident to be reasonable. Vincent’s job is to make Mia happy, hence, he does what he is told from taking her to her favorite burger joint to dancing the twist with her. Mia says: “Now, I want to dance. I want to win. I want that trophy.” The use of simple, short sentences once again shows her confidence and control over Vincent. After they go back to the house, Mia endangers herself by snorting heroin. However, she is revived when Vincent successfully plunges a syringe full of adrenaline into her heart. This scene is particularly significant due to the graphic violence and sound effects. Women were not usually associated with such graphic violence, which shocks and creates excitement in the women audience. The tension of the scene is broken off by Lance’s wife, Jody, who utters: “That was trippy”, which is most likely exactly what the audience thinks. Overall, Mia Wallace being a strong female character and a feminist role model is perceived as empowering from a 2019 female audience perspective.

The film also includes other female characters, whose roles may not be as significant as Mia Wallace’s, but still have a notable influence on the audience. Unlike Mia, the other female characters conform to traditional or stereotypical gender norms. Yolanda, also known as “Honey Bunny” is the counterpart of a dynamic duo of bandits. The film opens and ends with Pumpkin and Honey Bunny in a diner. In the opening scene, they are eating at a diner, discussing their next robbery. As they decide to rob the diner, Pumpkin announces that this is a robbery, and Honey Bunny screams: “Any of you fucking pricks move, and I’ll execute every motherfucking last one of ya!” Honey bunny’s use of swear words and aggressive language connotes violence and control which are not qualities that are often associated with women. This suggests that Honey Bunny shows equally violent and controlling qualities as her partner. This duo somewhat resembles the iconic criminal couple, Bonnie and Clyde. However, when looked more closely, unlike Bonnie and Clyde, who were depicted as being equally violent and equally in control, it is clear that Honey Bunny is portrayed as being somewhat more submissive and obtuse than Pumpkin. In the final scene of the film, Jules holds a gun up to Pumpkin’s head. Honey bunny instantly freaks out, waving her gun in Jules' direction and shouting: “Let him go! Let him go! I'll blow your fuckin' head off! I'll kill ya! I'll kill ya! You're gonna die, you're gonna fuckin' die bad!” Here, repetition is used to emphasize Honey bunny’s inability to take charge or stay calm in a compromising situation. Rather than replying to Honey bunny, Jules tells Pumpkin to “Tell that bitch to be cool!”, which suggests that he doesn’t see her as someone significant. Through the eyes of a 2019 female perspective, this scene might be seen as degrading for women. Another minor female character in the movie is Fabienne, Butch’s innocent and adorable girlfriend. The most significant role ofFabienne’s character is to add complexity to Butch’s character since Fabienne isn’t the type of person that would be expected to be with a violent boxer like Butch. Hence, on her own, she doesn’t have much of an important role in the plot. In addition, she mostly serves as a “verbal punching bag” for Butch, as he violently yells at her when she forgets his father's watch. Furthermore, anytime Butch gets angry at her she begins to cry. Her being portrayed as overly emotional and following Butch no matter what, are examples of stereotypes associated with women. Today’s audience would find the way Fabienne is portrayed as offensive and stereotypical. However, even though she has little dialogue when having a conversation with Butch about wanting a ‘pot-belly’, she says: “I don’t give a damn what men find attractive. It’s unfortunate

what we find pleasing to the touch and pleasing to the eye is seldom the same.”, which shows that she doesn’t need the approval of men. Hearing such an empowered statement from Fabienne, who is mostly portrayed as childish, shocks the audience.

In conclusion, today’s female audience may have different perspectives on Pulp Fiction, since the move both convey the perception that females are as strong and competent as men, and the perception of traditional gender roles. While some scenes may be empowering, other scenes may be discomforting from the eyes of a 2019 female audience. In addition, the movie was said to be ‘a shot of adrenaline to Hollywood’ in the early 1990s. Likewise, it is ‘a shot of adrenaline’ to thewomen of today.

Works Cited: “Pulp Fiction.” IMDb, IMDb.com, www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/plotsummary. “Menu.” Hypermasculinity and Racism in Film, rampages.us/hypermasculinityinfilms/tarantinos- esotericarticles.com/Pulp_Fiction_Mia_W allace_Analysis.html.

Kolb, Leigh, et al. “The Gender Situation in 'Pulp Fiction'.” Bitch Flicks, http://www.btchflcks.com/2012/12/the-gender-situation-in-pulp-fiction.html#.Xft28mZ7FR0. women/. “Pulp Fiction Mia Wallace Analysis.” Esoteric Articles,http://www.esotericarticles.com/Pulp_Fiction_Mia_Wallace_Analysis.html.

Kolb, Leigh, et al. “The Gender Situation in 'Pulp Fiction'.” Bitch Flicks, http://www.btchflcks.com/2012/12/the-gender-situation-in-pulp-fiction.html#.Xft28mZ7FR0.

#pulp fiction #quentin tarantino #movies #movie analysis

[pandemicblog]

Portrayal of Black Lives in Tate Taylor’s Film “The Help” (Aslı)

Written by Aslı Müsellimoğlu

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality, and hate crimes, America sits on the apex of change. It can be difficult to imagine how much race relations have improved since the 1960's and even harder to imagine cooperation among blacks and whites given the present circumstances. 

The 2012 film The Help, directed by Tate Taylor, depicts the physiological violence and brutality towards black people in the 1960’s in America through the characters Eugenia and Aibileen. He displays a young white female, Eugenia, innovatively using her privileged position to spread black maids' stories of discrimination and mistreatment. Aibileen, a black maid working for a white family agrees to help Eugine to rebel against the injustice towards the colored people. Their perspectives help the viewers understand the phsycological violence and the racism during the 1960’s in America. The hate towards the black people is portrayed with the use of cinematography and screen-write. Taylor uses these two racially distinct perspectives and cinematography in order to help the audience gain a deeper understanding of black life in America. Two perspectives to the same events ultimately guide the audience to perceive the inhumane treatments of the black people.

To begin, the first event that Taylor uses to display the police brutality and the dominance of the whites is where Yule May is harassed and taken away by the police as a result of her employer Hilly Hoolbrooks’ accusation of being a thief. Although Yule May steals the ring as a result of being desperate to afford her sons’ education, she is portrayed as a thief by her cruel employer. The facial expressions of Aibileen who witnesses the arrest of Yule May demonstrate the helplessness and acceptance of the blacks of the racism in the 1960’s in America. The look of despair in her eyes and her words “Don’t struggle!” to Yule May enable the audience to empathize with the protagonist and feel her agony. Furthermore, her low voice during the scene indicates how timid and submissive she feels towards the authority of white people. While the arrest is arguably justifiable, the officer’s jerking around Yule May clearly strike the viewer as excessive force. Given this topic’s relevance to the modern Black Lives Matter movement, the issue of excessive force strikes

the viewer who will better understand both historical and modern abuse on the part of police officers in America. Furthermore, as Aibileen watches Yule May be carried away by two police officers, they forcefully extend her arms outward, reminiscent of Jesus on the cross. Throughout the film, blacks are portrayed as better Christians than whites, upholding the true altruistic tenets of Christianity as opposed to being hypocritical as the whites are. By extending Yule May’s arms in a clear reference to the crucifiction, her mistreatment at the hands of the police officers further serves to elevate viewers’ respect for her as a mother who sacrificed herself to send her sons to college and simultaneously demonizes the officers who unrighteously persecute her as Jesus was persecuted. Essentially, Yule May’s goodness is contrasted with the white officers’ disgraceful treatment of her, uplifting blacks as the genuinely good Christians compared to whites who only claim to be good Christians and good people. Overall, having a look into Abilene’s daily life surrounded by violence and mistreatment introduces a white audience to the hardships faced by blacks, which forces them to confront their own prejudices and misconceptions.

Moreover, Euginia’s perspective to the case of the stolen ring is similar to that of Aibileen’s. In the scene, where Eugenia overhears Hilly laughing, exclaiming, “I knew she was a thief from the day she started. A negro walks into a pawn shop with a ring the wrong size. It took them all of 10 minutes to find out where she worked”. (Taylor). These words imply that Hilly began Yule May’s employment with bias and discrimination. It raises the question of why she would hire someone she finds untrustworthy, with the only logical answer being she will only hire blacks as maids because she believes it to be their proper place, although she does not trust ay of them. Essentially, this quote exposes the hypocritical nature of Hilly’s belief system: blacks are trustworthy enough to cook her food and raise her children but not trustworthy enough to treat equally or assist with a small loan. Eugien’s reaction of disappointment is evident in her tone of voice and facial expressions. Aditionally, Euginia’s presence in the scene is undeniable as she is in the focus while Hilly is simply in the background. Because the viewer sees Euginia’s face in focus, they are able to see her visible disgust at Hilly’s flamboyant racism and sympathize

with Eugine’s dislike for racism. It is also notable that Euginia is fairly far away but can still overhear Hilly which shows how loudly Hilly was proclaiming her racist ideology in a public space. This reaction is unimaginable to most viewers nowadays. Eugien’s desire to protect the rights of the blacks increases as she witnesses similar events. The incidents of injustice and inhumane behavior displayed by the white people makes her want to rebell by writing a book about the cruel treatment of the black people. Altogether this scene highlights a few major points: the racism in the 1960’s was intentionally malicious, hypocritical and unhidden.

Another event displayed from two perspectives is the bathroom law which would require blacks to use a separate toilet outside white’s homes. Blacks are referred to as people “having different diseases”. They are percieved as filthy creatures and many white people refuse to use the toilets that the blacks use. In fact, Hilly Hilbrook fires her maid for using their guest bathroom in the house. The audience sees Aibileen using one such bathroom. As it is simply a wooden box, she is sweating inside, showing how physically uncomfortable the bathroom is. In the scene the camera focuses on Aibileen’s sweaty face, making the audience realize the extremely difficult conditions of using a separate bathroom outside the house. In this way, similar to the stealing incident, audiences see the harshness of black life in America physically and can imagine Aibileen’s discomfort inside that sweat box. The construction of the bathroom is also notable. While the outside is painted a clean white to match the house, the inside is simply unfinished wood. The contrast strikes the audience at once, revealing how Elizabeth (Aibileen’s employer) put much effort into having a nice appearance on the outside but does not actually care about what is on the inside. This proves the great lengths whites will go to in order to maintain a clean appearance, but their inner personalities and moral compasses are severely lacking. Additionally, when the laws of the bathroom bill are being read, it is Aibileen’s voice the audience hears. As she reads through all of laws, the audience sees how widespread racism was in every aspect of life. Whites were dictating black’s schooling, finances, and even where they could use the toilet. The extensiveness of this alone persuades the audience of how difficult life was for blacks.

Moreover, because Aibileen is the one who reads the bill as a voiceover, the audience is confronted with the uncomfortable feeling of watching someone’s life worsen. Effectively, Aibileen’s role in exposing the bathroom bill gives the audience a closer look at the physical and emotional discomfort of the bathrooms as well as white’s complete indifference to their suffering. Eugine’s idea of the bathroom law where black people are treated like animals rather than human beings is very similar to Aibileen and her maid friends. She despises the fact that the blacks have to go through so much suffering. Her intentions to persuade Aibileen and the other maids is demonstrated through her persistence in writing the book about the cruel behavior of the white people toward ‘the help’ in their houses. The rise in the level of her voice and furious look in her eyes when the black people talk about the bathroom law shows the audience her anger towards the phycological violence.

Ultimately, both Eugiene’s and Aibileen’s courage as a result of their willingness to react against the horrid actions toward the blacks becomes more conspicuous towards the end of the movie. At the beginning of the movie, it is evident to the audience that both characters avoid eye contact. Thus, the audience is able the fear and timidness which Aibileen and Eugina feel. They prefer not to speak out loud and display a submissive behavior. Although Euginia feels hostility towards her white friends, she uses polite language to communicate with them because she does not feel strong enough to go against them. However, towards the end she does not hesitate to shout and express her anger to them. Similarly, Abilene is portrayed as a scared and helpless character who does not raise her voice and answer back. Nevertheless, as her courage builds up, the audience sees Aibileen as a rebellious character who stands up to white people by raising her voice. As a result, both characters’ increasing courage is demonstrated through their gestures and level of voice. While at the beginning both Aibileen and Eugenia speak in a low voice and are usually placed in the background, towards the end of the movie they raise their voices and speak in a much more confident tone indicating the increase in their courage. In fact, Eugina’s mother who is dying of cancer says “Courage skips a generation. Thank you for bringing it back to our family.” Euginia’s mother is extremely proud of her daughter standing up to the injustice towards the blacks. Likewise, Abilene is praised for her courage to rebel against the violence towards the blacks by the church members at the end of the movie.

In conclusion, Tate Taylor effectively deployed two racially distinct characters in order to give viewers a look into the world of both whites and blacks in America during the 1960s. With this work, he aimed to reveal how extensive the racism of that time was. Hopefully, as modern viewers see the horrific treatment of blacks at that time, they will be galvanized to take action against modern day racism and work towards greater equality.

#tatetaylor #blacklivesmatter #thehelp

[pandemicblog]

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."

Albert Einstein