“Be Good to Your Body” January 28, 2008

With words such as ”organic,” “conventional,” and “local” emblazoned across every available surface, signs prodding customers to sample the fresh produce stacked in neat, colorful rows, and tantalizing aromas wafting from the prepared ”gourmet world cuisine,” it seems hardly a miracle that Whole Foods Market has successfully delivered its argument to the legions of consumers crowding the decadently adorned aisles.  The health-obsessed and environmentalist’s purported dream alternative to the traditional grocery store, Whole Foods aims at convincing its shoppers that it sells high-quality, good-for-the-earth food, as well as eco-friendly clothing and cosmetics.  At least, that’s the obvious message they want the consumer to pick up on.  Hidden among their advertising, decor, and “wholegrain stamp(s) of approval” are the franchise’s other messages: We cater to upper-middle class, predominantly white families, sell hyped-up, expensive food, and make you feel a slight twinge of guilt for your previous inclination to shop at the more pocketbook-friendly HEB. 

Employing all three argument techniques of pathos, ethos, and logos, along with an atmosphere suggesting that of sophistication, casual elegance, and sustainability, Whole Foods is able to achieve its point.  They are currently appealing to shopper’s emotions through the use of signs posted throughout the store advocating new years resolutions, i.e. “Resolutions start here.  Reenergize your life.  Control your weight.”  Also, signs accompanying produce tell sob stories about university students in foreign countries raising fruits and vegetables to support poor communities while fostering  entrepreneurship.  Ethical appeals are promoted through the store’s established credibility, their “official” stamps of approval on a variety of products, knowledgeable employees who promptly offer suggestions or answer questions, etc.  As for logical appeals, Whole Foods makes it apparent that organic, natural food is better not only for you but for the environment as well, for it typically does not contain potentially harmful pesticides, added artificial ingredients, and so forth, so logically one is decreasing their risk to any adverse effects. 

Aside from any advertising or propaganda techniques employed, the general atmosphere of the store makes an argument as well-wood panelling, bamboo light fixtures, and potted plants allocated throughout the store hint at the tie to nature; an array of gourmet world cuisines, from “Bowie’s BBQ” to the sushi bar, touch on the diverse, culturally-attuned base; and the extravagant prices suggest that only upper-middle citizens can afford to shop there. 

 For being such a “down-to-earth,” friendly business, Whole Foods certainly takes a fanciful, somewhat elitist stance…

Everything’s an Argument??? January 23, 2008

Upon reading the title of our course’s main book, Everything’s An Argument by Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz, I was a tad more than skeptical at the meaning behind such a bold claim.  Everything’s an argument, really?  It seemed a bit cynical to me, and for a statement that encompassed such a vast array of possibilities, it seemed hardly feasible as well.  But every allegation deserves to be heard out, so I resolved to reserve judement until class when we discussed the first few chapters and I would have the input of others to take into account. 

As it turns out, my interpretation of the word “argument” is completely different from what Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz define the word as.  Whereas ”argument” to me holds negative connotations, bringing to mind images of disagreements, bickering, opposing viewpoints, etc., the book’s two authors see it not only as a means of dispute, but a way of simply informing another of facts.  This extends out in numerous ways, from arguments that are meant to explore and make decisions, to ones that are meant for meditation/praying or convincing another of some point.  Instead of our gut reaction to what we typically consider “arguments,” Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz offer the concept of “persuasion” where we take action on our convictions, or what we know to be true.

In looking at arguments in this sense, I am now totally aware of how everything could be considered such…everything in some way is informing another individual of something.  Such day-to-day conversations we hold or observe to signs posted, in one way or another, are conveying some form of a message to their audience.  I was shocked in fact by how frequently arguments surround us after our class discussion of food labels and the comedy routine about Hot Pockets, all of which employ stylistic methods such as pathos, ethos, and logos that we learned back in middle school. 

However, despite the book’s persistance that everything is indeed an argument, I still hold a few doubts about certain situations.  After seeing the “hurricane shelter ahead” sign in the text and marvelling at the reach this symbol seemed to be making at being deemed an “argument,” I began to question other forms of messages as well.  In particular I focused on visual representations, for the lack of dialogue directly correlates to our initial assumption as to what an argument is, and thus lends to our confusion.  For example, are photographs truly arguments? If I take a snapshot of my friend sitting on a bench, are we really going to go as far as to state that this is intentionally informing of us something? Perhaps that her smiling face is depicting her happiness, her posture indicates her relaxed nature, the bench relates her location? In a way, it all seems a tad over analytical for such a simple concept.  Maybe there is indeed more than meets the eye to this whole idea that “everything’s an argument…”

Hello world! January 16, 2008