E-Portfolio

 Yio Kyung ("Joy") Lee: E-Portfolio

My name is Yio Kyung Lee. But please call me Joy! A student at Pennsylvania State University, I have a passion for learning and a curiosity about the world.
I am currently a Political Science and Chinese double major with a Spanish minor at Pennsylvania State University. As evident from my major/minor choices, I am very interested in languages. With my degrees Political Science, Chinese, and Spanish I hope to be able to work in foreign policy/international relations. What area foreign policy that I would like to work has not yet been determined. However, due to my enjoyment of the linguistic aspect of international relations, my career preferences are leaning towards that area. 

By the end of my college career, with my degrees in Chinese and Spanish, I hope to be quad-lingual. I plan on being fluent (to semi-fluent) in English, Korean, Chinese, and Spanish. With the multiple acquired languages, I know that I must take extra care to not misinterpret or miss rhetorical while working in my field. Because the agents in international relations can determine the fate of the world, I know that communication is imperative. The communications skills of identifying rhetorical patterns and techniques will be crucial to being successful in my career.
Not only will it be important to understand rhetorical concepts, but it will be especially important to be able to demonstrate the rhetorical concepts to the present my opinions, or rather the opinions of my nation or agency, in the most favorable light. Learning how to utilize kairos, ethos, logos, pathos, and other rhetorical techniques is crucial to being a successful delegate at any discussion table.
I hope to one day be able to demonstrate such rhetorical techniques to lead America into favorable agreements and out of wars. As one with strong rhetorical background, I am confident that I will excel as a candidate for the US Department of International Relations.

Today, I was scrolling through my subscriptions list and found a video that pertains to almost every single young adult today that either texts, chats through instant messages, or sends e-mails. Watch below:

 

After watching this video, I began to reflect back on my own usage of emoticons. I admit, I am quite the frequent user of emoticons. However, I didn't realize just how frequently I inserted emoticons into my messages until I checked the outgoing text messages in my phone...

I realize that about 90% of my texts have some sort of emoticons in them. And upon reflecting back on my uses of emoticons online, I realize that I probably use an emoticon every few instant messages... No e-mail goes out into the world wide web and into the screen of one of my friends without containing a few smileys here and there. (Also, if you keep up with my passion blog, you'll notice that every single post has some sort of emoticon in it.) 

My most frequently used are:

"The Smiley"               :)

"The Frowny"             :(

"The Smiley 2"            :]

"The Frowny 2"          :[

"The Happy"              ^^

"The Extra Happy"     ^-^

"The Super Excited!"  :D

"The Extra Happy Plus Peace Sign" ^-^v

"The UGH"               T_T

"The UGH 2"             -_-

"The UGH 3"            =_=

"The Extra UGH"      =_=;;  (The added semi-colons are kinda hard to explain. I assume if you're Asian, no further explanation is needed. If you're not. Uh... Ask me later?)

"The Scratching the Head in Confusion"      o_oa

(Okay, so the last one isn't one that I use all the time. But it's one of my favorites for being so darn creative and cute!)

The use of emoticons have been spreading like rapid fire. What could have been a "that sounds fine" can now be replaced with a simple ":)". Rhetorically, emoticons give written conversation a new medium through which we can convey our emotions. However, I believe that emotions go beyond that one simple purpose.

As I was observing the way in which I use my emoticons, I noticed that I inserted smileys and etc. in places that didn't necessarily need a visual aide in conveying the message. Upon this revelation, I discovered that in many instances I used a :) or ^^ to soften up the meaning of the message. In other words, with my emoticons, I managed to rhetorically alter the atmosphere in which my message was conveyed. For example: Yesterday a friend texted me saying that she had forgotten that she was supposed to meet with me at 2:30. She told me she thought I had told her a later time. This news arrived after I had reached her building.  Annoyed, I texted back "I told you I ended class at 2:15... I'm at your building already, but I guess I'll talk to you later. Don't worry about it :)"

I wanted to convey the message that I was upset. However, I didn't want to end the conversation on a bad note. So I inserted the smiley face at the end to soften up the tone of my message. 

There are so many ways in which we utilize emoticons--especially when mere words just won't do the trick. If you're one of those people who rarely use emoticons, then good for you. Maybe you're just extremely eloquent with your words and have no need for the rhetorical assistance that emoticons provide. However, if you're one of those people who say whatever they'd like and assume that a smiley face at the end makes it all okay, please think again. The usage of emoticons doesn't cancel out the need for common courtesy. =)

Gathering attention through new mediums!

I've posted up various videos from my favorite YouTubers in the past, but I think this one may be my favorite. Not only does it show how YouTube videos can serve as rhetorically powerful messages, but it garners attention and money towards an issue that's causing a lot of concern right now.
As most of you know, earlier this month, Japan suffered from a life-shattering combination of earthquakes and tsunamis. The country right now is in shambles, with more than 11,000 people confirmed to be dead, 17,000 people unaccounted for, and hundreds of thousands without homes. The issue becomes even more devastating as the country is in danger from nuclear plants causing much disturbance. This particular concern hits closer to home than we think--radioactive waste has been reported to be found in Californian rain. (Although the amounts are not yet large enough to pose any threat.)

In this video, Ryan Higa, the most subscribed YouTuber in YouTube history, creates a video to bring attention to this cause. He begins the video by putting out a little disclaimer about the video. He talks about how he acknowledges that this video is a drastic change from his regular comical rants and gags. While he may have put this up to respond to the potential hateful comments that may come his way, I think that the introduction is a powerful rhetorical technique!
Ryna Higa, as a funny comedian, really rarely puts up anything serious. However, when a funny guy suddenly becomes serious, the impact is enormous. I would compare this situation to the advertisemt for a jewelry store from this past Super Bowl. In the midst of all the chaotic hubbub, the jewelry store created an ad with no sound and no color. It was simply a white screen with lettering. The sudden hush immediately caught the attention of the whole room. Like the advertisement, Ryan Higa was able to catch the attention of all his viewers. "What's up with this guy? If he's being serious, that's gotta mean that something's up..."
As always, I'll emphasize again on how rhetorically influential I think vloggers can be. Yea, companies can pay millions of dollars to professional advertisement planners to create the "rhetorically perfect" message. But there's just something about a homemade video that captures our attentions and our hearts!

It's FRIDAY!

As many of you know, this week's viral video has been a music called "Friday" by Rebecca Black. No one knows who she is, where she came from, or why she decided to sing a disastrously horrible song and star in an equally horrible music video. If you haven't been blessed yet with the opportunity to watch this delightful video, here it is below:

If your reaction was anything like mine, you'll probably have laughed and stared at the video in awe of just how ridiculously stupid a main stream pop culture music video could be. In regards to this video, I think it would be more appropriate to discuss how this video came to be an epic rhetorical failure. Everything from the song's lyrics to the music video's cast with what seems like to be an average age of 12 just leads this video to be a rhetorical error.
The song's lyrics are incredibly... not complex. It boggles my mind to think that such a song has been written...

Seven a.m., waking up in the morning
Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs
Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal
Seein' everything, the time is goin'
Tickin' on and on, everybody's rushin'
Gotta get down to the bus stop
Gotta catch my bus, I see my friends (My friends)

Kickin' in the front seat
Sittin' in the back seat
Gotta make my mind up
Which seat can I take?

It's Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday
Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend, weekend
Friday, Friday
Gettin' down on Friday
Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend

Partyin', partyin' (Yeah)
Partyin', partyin' (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin' forward to the weekend

7:45, we're drivin' on the highway
Cruisin' so fast, I want time to fly
Fun, fun, think about fun
You know what it is
I got this, you got this
My friend is by my right, ay
I got this, you got this
Now you know it

Kickin' in the front seat
Sittin' in the back seat
Gotta make my mind up
Which seat can I take?

Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday
Today i-is Friday, Friday (Partyin')
We-we-we so excited
We so excited
We gonna have a ball today

Tomorrow is Saturday
And Sunday comes after ... wards
I don't want this weekend to end

[Start Some Random Rapper]
R-B, Rebecca Black
So chillin' in the front seat (In the front seat)
In the back seat (In the back seat)
I'm drivin', cruisin' (Yeah, yeah)
Fast lanes, switchin' lanes
Wit' a car up on my side (Woo!)
(C'mon) Passin' by is a school bus in front of me
Makes tick tock, tick tock, wanna scream
Check my time, it's Friday, it's a weekend
We gonna have fun, c'mon, c'mon, y'all
[End Some Random Rapper]

It's Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday
Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend, weekend
Friday, Friday
Gettin' down on Friday
Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend

Partyin', partyin' (Yeah)
Partyin', partyin' (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin' forward to the weekend

Rhetorically, these lyrics have no sense of wit, allure, charisma, or even humor. The closest attempt at humor would probably be the reaction of the listeners to the ridiculousness of the song. The song's verses are about her daily life, in which she runs to catch the bus, but then sees her friends and ponders "which seat can she take?" The chorus praises the fact that it's Friday. Then the bridge of the song proceeds to educate you on the days of the week, just in case you forgot what days come after Friday. The lyrics come close to the senseless nonsense I used to write as a freelance songwriter, when I was 7.
The actual melody is also a point of concern, as the song sounds like the result of when Justin Bieber meets Kids Bop. Sure it's catchy, but it has the stereotypical auto-tuned pop music feel that makes us cringe.
And finally the visual aspect of this rhetorically ungraceful video. Rebecca Black is currently 13. Her fellow "friends" in the video look like they're all 13 and under. This poses a problem when they're "kickin' in the front seat" and "sittin' in the backseat." And as she's walking past the cars and groups of twelve year olds getting ready to "party" it up, one pops into my head: what was going on in the head of the producers of this video?
And after an analysis of the rhetorical failures of this music video, one can't help but wonder if all of these mistakes were intentional. I mean, the girl has over 16 million views. Such an epic failure could have been an attempt to receive 15 minutes of fame. Rhetorical failures often attract audiences as we could all use another reason to laugh!
BUT! As I was looking for the lyrics to post on this blog, I came upon an article... http://www.popeater.com/2011/03/18/friday-singer-rebecca-black-speaks-out/ Yes, folks. She's dead serious and hoping to get a duet with Justin Bieber.

What the Flush?

This week's feature is a video done by WongFu Productions. A team of three Asian Americans out on a mission to bring more laughter into the world, WongFu Productions makes videos that often parody situations or poke fun at common stereotypes in a friendly manner. And by friendly, I mean kid-friendly too. The thing I like about WongFu is that their humor is very clean and simple. It's often very cheesy, but it still manages to produce a chuckle out of me and a good other 566,481 subscribers.
I decided to discuss this video, because rhetorically, it's a rather interesting subject. From the medium to the content, this video speaks louder than one would initially assume.
The video itself is very corny. Phil, Ted, and Wes are at their jokes again, and Wes amuses you with his witty phrase "When it's yellow, let it mellow. When it's brown, flush it down." The humor goes further as Ted and Wes try to decide whether Ted's "little present" is yellow or brown. Your reaction is probably that of amusement mixed in with mild disgust. But no worries--they put in the disclaimer that they don't actually put Wes's phrase into practice.
This video, while very funny, is actually intended to be a form of a public service announcement. WongFu Productions takes an active approach to General Electric's "Ecomagination" campaign and creates a video to promote water conservation. The rhetorical technique that WongFu uses in this video is to take an idea (water conservation) and exaggerate it to an extreme. No one in their right mind would think to conserve water by not flushing. However, by humorously exaggerating the idea, WongFu succeeds in conveying a powerful message to the viewer. They make the statement that conserving water is so important that desperate times could call for desperate measures, such as not flushing.
I love youtube videos! Every week as I observe the rhetoric involved in the videos of my favorite youtubers, it excites me to see how youtube has the potential to positively impact our world!
**Hopefully this video doesn't persuade anyone to leave their bodily excretions unflushed.

It's no longer just a tutorial video...

I know I stated previously that I may get into the theme of observing State of the Union Addresses, but lately a lot of Youtube videos have been catching my attention. Today's video comes from the famous Youtube make-up guru, Michelle Phan. With over a million subscribers and 61 million channel views, this girl is a pretty influential Youtuber. While I do acknowledge that she is a reputable Youtube makeup guru, I'm not really an avid follower of hers. In fact, the reason that I first ventured onto her channel was because Ryan Higa, aka "nigahiga" (the most subscribed channel in youtube history!), did a parody of her videos. You can find the hilarious parody here.
But this morning, I had a bit of spare time and clicked on my subscriptions page to find that Michelle had posted a new video. Curious, I clicked on it.
The video is entitled, "Perfect Red Lips." While indeed, the video is about finding your perfect shade of red lipstick, my attention was drawn away from the actual main content of the video.
As the video starts, we see three faces: a Caucasian, an African-American, and an Asian. It's no coincidence that the video starts off with a "politically correct" scenario. Along with the overly ostentatious "candid" laughing moments and awkward voice recording, the contents of the video succeeds in helping the viewer not only pick her "perfect shade of red" but also see how youtubers have changed over the past years.
If you look at Michelle Phan's earlier videos, you'll notice that while they lack the sense of professionalism her videos have today, they are very user-friendly and inviting. The not-so-subtle Lancome endorsements are not thrown at the viewer. Instead of having to present her videos in a politically acceptable light (probably due to her Lancome endorsements), Michelle's videos used to be exactly what the title of her videos claimed to be.
However, as the Youtube community has progressed and developed, Youtubers have been gradually forced to change the way they create their videos. While I'm all for those on Youtube who are making money off of their vlogging skills, the changing trends of the "Youtube Era" are starting to make me question the legitimacy of "creative content"....

Oh.. and don't get me wrong. I'm all for political correctness. =] It just amuses me when being politically correct overshadows creative thinking...
Here's the video:

We love to smoke...

Today's post will deviate from the previous weeks' posts and discuss an interesting video I saw on my Facebook newsfeed...

This video "We Love to Smoke" was posted on my friend's wall to poke fun at his naturally gravelly voice. At first, I had a good laugh, proceeded to think to myself what a vulgar show "The Simpsons" was, and then rambled on in my head about how I now realize why my mom never let me watch it as a kid. While I now watch it with amusement and laughter at the many horrible stereotypes and vulgar humor, I as sure as heck would not want my 10 year old child to have access to this show through cable tv.**
But watching the video made me think twice about the show. While, by all means, "The Simpsons" is not exactly the best show to teach kids their morals, this video has the potential to exert a rhetorically powerful message into the minds of those who watch it.
This video takes the stereotype of a "smoker" and hilariously exaggerates it to highlight the disgusting aspects of smoking.
The song itself is very short. But strong. After about 2 listens, you'll be able to sing along with the lovely Patty and Selma. Here are the lyrics sans the delightful coughing and spitting sound effects:
We love to smoke, till our lungs turn gray. We love to smoke, 17 packs a day!
We love to smoke, like a chim-chimney. Although we'll croak, before 2003!
The lyrics emphasize the bold meaning behind the video: you smoke, you'll end up like us.
The most rhetorically characteristic aspect about this video is that doesn't end in a grand finish. It ends with the two coughing up their lungs. While we may all laugh and be amused by this lovely performance, it leaves imprinted in our minds the message that their voices are not something we want for ourselves, which ultimately, equals the message that smoking is not something we want for ourselves.
I'm sure this "public service announcement"-like message was not the first thought in the heads of the writers behind the iconic tv show. I would have never imagined to find such "moral goodness" within the Simpsons. However, rhetorical techniques happen both intentionally and by accident, no?

**Not an attack on "The Simpsons," I promise. I know it also happens to often be rhetorically ingenious. If you enjoy the show, by all means, continue to enjoy it. :]