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Teaching Aids (1 pg List)

Author
- Vita & Reviews
- Orwell awards
- Doublespeak awards
Site Map

Brief Notes (Summary & 2006 Updates for these essays:
"The Teacher-Heal-Thyself Myth" (11 pp.)
"Watergate and the Language" (6 pp.)
"Liars in Public Places"
(3 pp.)
"Mr. Orwell, Mr. Schelesinger, and the Language." (6 pp.)
"Red Tape" (4 pp.)
"KIDVID: Child Molesters and Seducers" (2 pp.)
"Channel One, Misconceptions Three"
(6 pp.)"Asking the Wrong Questions"
(about Channel One)
(6 pp.)
"Lies & Deceptions"
(24 pp.)
"Thinking About Thinking"
(4 pp.)
"Rent-a-Rhetorician"
(5 pp.)
Revisionists, Relativists, Ranke, and Rank

Intensify/Downplay
Schema
Introduction
Background (of the schema)
The comprehensive taxonomy
Qualifications
(caveats about limits

Advertising

The Pitch
An easy 1-2-3-4-5
"fingertip formula"
to analyze the basic structure of all ads.

1. HI: Attention-Getting
External Attention-Getters
-Television
--Early News
--Soap Operas
--Cartoons
--SundayMorning Talk Shows
--Sit-Coms
--Sports
--Award shows
--Ethnic programs
--Late Night Talk Shows
--Music Videos
-- Movies
--Game shows
-- Channel One
--Radio
--Online
--Print
--Outdoor
--Other
Internal Attention-Getters
Physical
Emotional
Cognitive
-Humor
-News
-Lists & Displays
-Advice (How to...)
-Lead-ins
-Questions
-Stories
-Demonstrations
-Breaking Rules
2. TRUST ME: Confidence-Building
-Expert
-Sincere
-Benevolent

-Presenters
-Words
-Nonverbals
-Brand Names
-Online Credibility
-Corporate Image

3. YOU NEED: Desire-Stimulating
-Product Centered
12 categories: Quality, Quantity, Beauty. Efficiency, Scarcity, Novelty,
Stability, Reliability, Simplicity, Utility, Rapidity, Safety,
-Audience-Centered
24 categories:
Food, Activity, Surroundings, Sex, Health, Security, Economy, Religion, Science. Best People. Most People, Average People, Neighborhood, Nation, Nature, Intimacy, Family, Friends, Groups, Esteem, Play, Generosity, Curiosity, Creativity, Success.

4. HURRY: Urgency-Stressing
-Urgency words
-Urgency nonverbals
-Hard Sell & Soft Sell
-Command and Conditioning propaganda

5. BUY: Response-Seeking
-Triggering words
-Telemarketing
-Direct Mail
-Online Response

The ABCs of TV Ads:
Ads are "units of persuasion"
Benefit-seeking by all
Claims are predictable
Disclosures are the "small print"
Emotional appeals are dominant
Feel Good ads are common
Getting attention is first job
Harmful effects can be indirect
Ignorance is dangerous
Jingles & Slogans repeated often
--top icons
--top jingles
--top slogans
Kids are a special target audience
--disposable income
--easily grouped
--gullible
--greedy
Lures (esp. TV) deliver audiences
Market Research has a major role
Negative ads common in politics
Omission of disadvantages
Patterns of ads are predictable
Questioning ads is best way
Response is the goal of ads
Scare and sell ads stimulate fears
Trust is important
Urgency is common
Visuals imply, implicitly suggest
Web ads are like TV ads
X-rated ads not on Channel One
--Disclaimer re: Channel One
Your ... limits, priorities, values
Zipping and zapping won't work
-- New Techniques & Venues

Summary / Review

10 Rhetorical Concepts useful
to analyze persuasion of TV ads;
to compose your own writings:
Purpose
-Writer's purpose
-Ad's purpose
-Audience's purpose
-Hidden purpose
Audience
-Target audience
-Audience knowledge
-Audience feelings
-Feedback
Limits
-Space limits
-Time limits
-Technical limits
-Legal limits
Structure
-Overall structure
-Parts
-Emphasis
-Coherence
Attention
-Context
-Strategies
-Physical
-Emotional
Confidence
-Image
-Words & nonverbals
-Authorities
-Credentials
Explicit
-Explicit claims
-Key words
-Intensifiers
-Qualifiers
Implicit
-Suggestions
-Connotations
-Figures of speech
-Nonverbals
Urgency & Response
-Urgency, use
-Urgency, appropriateness
-Specific response
-Delayed response
Omissions
-Assumptions
-Relevant omissions
-Downplay techniques
-Disclosures

Political Rhetoric
Introduction

Election Rhetoric

Images & Issues
and a Checklist
Questions you can ask, 200+
Why analyze political language?

Common Complaints
About Political Language
-Always arguing -Same old stuff -Boring -Lies -Negative ads -Promises -Regulations
-Red Tape

Overview (1pg)
Generalizations
George Lakoff's
"Moral Politics"
Model Citizens & Demons
Rank's 1 pg Adaptation of Lakoff's Family Models

Current Examples of Political Language:
War Words 2003-2006:
Politics & War
"War" on Terrorism?
Terrorism & Violence
The Seven Deadly Spins
Bush Bashing?
Plausible Deniability
Presidential Campaign Stories
God-on-Our-Side
Moral Superiority, "Values"
Self-Righteousness
Whistleblowers
Euphemisms:
Civilian Contractors Atrocity Pictures: Abu Ghraib. Iraq Prison,2004
(nonverbals, images)
Revisionists, Relativism, Ranke, and Rank
DefinitionsTerri Schiavo Case
Jimmy Carter, (2005)
"This isn't the real America"

3. Cause
Self-image benefits
Conflicts
God-on-Our Side
Moral superiority
Ethical issues

4. Response
Specific actions
Triggering words

Summary (1 page)