Monthly Archives: October 2016

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Political Ads: Motherhood

  By Kai Stephenson • October 25, 2016

This ad is clearly targeted towards women, a group that Trump has been having trouble identifying with throughout the election. It focuses on women and their roles in 21st century America. In some ways, this can be taken negatively. For example, the title of the ad is literally “Motherhood” which may turn off some women by suggesting that their only legitimate purpose is to be a loving mother. But in the ad itself, the advertisers use Ivanka Trump the self-proclaimed “mother, wife, and entrepreneur” to represent that women can and should be more than that. Throughout the ad there is a focus on Trump’s reforms that support women in the workforce and in the family.

This is also one of the few Trump ads that isn’t directly attacking Hilary Clinton. In those that do, ominous music, dim lighting, and horror film-esque effects are used to portray her as a terrible person whose sole purpose is to run the country into the ground. In “Motherhood” however, the advertisers employ bright lighting, beaming faces of women and children, and uplifting music to convey a happy and bright new world for women under Trump’s leadership.

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Election 2016

  By Kai Stephenson • October 18, 2016

Using ballotpedia.com, I found out what elections I can participate in in the upcoming election. First I will obviously be voting in the general presidential election between Trump and Clinton. Gary Johnson’s also on there but ehhhhhh no. I can vote for the Georiga representatives in the Senate this year between Jim Barksdale, Jonny Isakson, and Allen Buckley. For the House of Representatives, I can vote for the candidates from District 6 of the 14 Georgia districts. At the state level, I can vote for the Georgia Senate District 48 (even though there is only one candidate), and Georgia House of Representatives District 50 (also with a candidate running unopposed).

 

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Centennial Olympic Park: Path Engravings (BED2)

  By Kai Stephenson • October 16, 2016 ,

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Many of these images of athletes are engraved into the intersections of the paths. They emphasize the culture of sportsmanship and achievement in the park. They are gender and race neutral, showing how anyone can be whatever they choose to. Some other examples of engravings were swimmers, basketball players, and runners.

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Centennial Olympic Park: Olympic Statue (BED2)

  By Kai Stephenson • October 16, 2016 ,

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This statue features Pierre de Coubertin walking up towards the Olympic rings. Pierre de Coubertin is the founder of the Olympic committee and is considered to be the founder of the Olympic Games. On the bronze patch between the center columns, a placard commemorates the “Freinds Who Believe In Atlanta’s Olympic Dream”.

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Centennial Olympic Park: Music (BED2)

  By Kai Stephenson • October 16, 2016 ,

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One example of the various tunes I heard at the park, this reggae song was playing at a hotdog stand near the playground. You can also hear the children playing in the playground in the northeast corner of the park. When I was there the playground was packed, with dozens of families taking advantage of the beautiful Saturday evening.

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Gender Roles and Advertising: The Gender Advertising Remixer

  By Kai Stephenson • October 12, 2016

The Gender Advertising Remixer made me realize how staunchly different ads directed to boys and girls are. They are both at completely opposite ends of the gender stereotype spectrum. Either the advertisers went all in making the toys directed at boys feel more violent and action oriented, or they made the toys directed at girls feel hyper-cheerful and fun. The ads targeting boys used more dark colors and intense music. The ads targeting girls featured more bright pinks and happy music and singing. Merging two of these ads together made for a pretty weird advertisement that just felt wrong. This is probably a lingering effect of the gender roles ingrained in me from such a young age where boys were supposed to play with “action figures” and girls were supposed to play with “dolls”.  Looking at these ads now it’s easy to see how gender is so easily seen in black and white. From youth, we are bombarded with media and advertisements basically telling us that we have to be one or the other. And as we talked about in Dr. Fernandez’s class today, that simply isn’t the case.

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Built Environment Description: Centennial Olympic Park (BED2)

  By Kai Stephenson • October 12, 2016

Located near the center of downtown Atlanta, Centennial Olympic Park is an expansive and flat green area surrounded by the towering skyscrapers of Atlanta. In this regard, the park stands out amongst the usual landscape of the city. Being in the park gave me a sense of peace and isolation while still being in the middle of the city, almost as if the enclosure of buildings were a sort of protection over the area. It’s a strange and satisfying feeling. The park area is also home to some of Atlanta’s most famous cultural tourist attractions such as the Human Rights Museum and the CNN Center.

The park emphasizes diversity and an overall acceptance of all cultures. The reason for its inception was the Olympic Games, an event meant to bring cultures of the world together. The park continues this through providing a space for people of all cultures to come together. The vast green area the park provides is wonderful for people to get away from the stress of daily life and relax with friends and family. I saw dozens of families of all shapes and sizes having fun. The park emphasizes diversity and togetherness. Intercutting these green areas are long walkways, some with names of contributors etched into the bricks. There are many works of art and statues around the park, one of the most iconic being the statue of Pierre de Coubertin walking up to the Olympic rings which stand at the center of a greenway.

At the time I went, there weren’t any major events going on in the park. But concerts and festivals are held there on a regular basis.  However, there is always music playing somewhere in the park. I visited one vendor playing reggae, and another playing pop-rock. Music is a huge part of the environment, and the various genres show how diverse the park is. The Olympic fountain is probably the most entertaining attraction for kids, who jump through the fountain laughing and screaming with joy. The park is a great place for families, friends, and tourists to spend time in Atlanta.