Fishing the Web: Ten Outstanding Resources for Creative Ideas and Argument

This week, I decided once again that it was time to scour the web in search of valued resources to add to my linkroll. It is evident that the focus of my blog has evolved to cover three main categories: argumentation, creativity, and the latest controversy present in the media. For that reason, the purpose of updating the linkroll seen on the elft is twofold, first to provide an opportunity to read elsewhere on complementary topics and second, to keep current the developing issues existing in my website. Each of the ten blogs and news sites were evaluated by applying specific criteria, the IMSA criteria for blogs and the Webby criteria for each news site. I encourage each reader to view the links independently, however, I will also examine each of them in this post.

My last post inspired me to search the web for alternate online resources on the topic of media related controversy. The first, a high quality and influential item titled The Moderate Voice focuses on news analysis both domestically and internationally. It is easily navigable, well structured, and emphasizes authority in the central location of its sponsors on the page, the most reputable being MSNBC. The left hand column features a list of the previous commentary where the reader can acknowledge the speed with which the author produces new posts, some occasions with as many as twelve in one day! But I wonder if it is too much information forced on the reader because there are so little comments underneath each post. A more comprehensive blog is the Huffington Post which includes practical links that engage categories ranging from business, to entertainment, and also living. This is a good place to get a complete view of all categories of news in one site. Its "The Room", link provides an up to date atmosphere where bloggers can state their opinions or reactions to the posts, however, the unique link does not compliment the home page which is unorganized and aesthetically unpleasant. A third blog, Discourse.net, unlike the other two sites, is a personal blogs that fails to inform the reader of the depths of content of its posts. Ultimately, the viewer will lose interest in the blog. However, the blog does have one striking quality that will stop readers at one glance, casualty count of the war in Iraq, and the numbers are rapidly increasing.

The second section of interest is creative blogs with topics comparable to my first couple posts. Those searching for new ideas from a wide range of sources should visit The Creative Generalist, a site by which the author not only provides his own input within the posts, but succeeds in displaying a category where he recognizes other blogger's creativity. While the author is creative in his broad ideas, the home page is ironically plain it its use of only light green and white. One step ahead, is ArtsBeat, a destination that fulfills and puts on show the heart of its subject matter, dance. From Ballet to Urban Dance, this blog has it all. The language is easy to read and clear, however, there isn't an archive section so it is difficult to find the previous posts. Today's Creative Blog ups the ante on visual appeal and creative ideas from decorating lampshades to building scrapbooks, conversely, it does not have as much influence as it fails to find the number of blogs that are linked to it. Creative Weblogging categorizes all creative blogs on the internet and is a good source for someone who wants to start their own website. The final three sites encompass the legal category of my blog. Show Me the Argument and The Winning Argument are just a few blogs that approach argumentation from differing perspectives; One lends information about how to present all angles of a given argument and the other is biased in that it only teaches one how to win an argument or tweak a closing sentence to persuade a listener. When combined, these sites are extremely influential. Show Me The Argument is written by graduate students in the department of Philosophy at Mizzou. The Winning Argument, on the other hand, does not reference the author, and as a result Show Me The Argument is a stronger resource. Scotus Blog takes the cake on the best law blog for authoritarian reasons; it is the Supreme Court of the United States Blog. It even has a section where the reader can review a list of petitions listed that same day. All in all, this blog has the greatest depth of content on law related information as well as the utmost credibility.

Advertising: Freedom of Expression or Invasion of Privacy?

Advertisements found throughout American media have been known to push the envelope in terms of obscenity laws, nudity, and sexually suggestive material. Whether we want to admit it or not, modern American culture has definitely experienced a broadening in sexualized marketing practices particularly with images found on billboards, lyrics on pop songs heard on the radio, and television commercials. Whereas only a decade ago, these images were directed towards teens, they now target a new market, pre-teens. A few weeks ago in the Abercrombie and Fitch store in Virginia Beach, angry parents of teen shoppers complained to two promotional photos, in particular, that were seen as inappropriate: One that depicted a topless woman (seen above) with her hand barely covering her nipple, and the second, depicting a group of boys (seen below) wearing pants exposing their buttocks (Also see MSN video for full new coverage broadcast). The use of sex for advertising purposes is not a new concept, however, what is new is the gradually younger target age group that those images are directed towards and the idea that marketers have gone to extremely low standards to achieve a profit.

In the past, Abercrombie and Fitch has gotten away with the photography found on the walls of each store, on billboards, and in the pages of their catalogue and they have been successful using those images to promote their clothing lines. Thus far, the clothing line takes the stance that their imagery and the pictures under scrutiny "show less skin than you see any summer day at the beach. And certainly less than the plumber working on your kitchen sink." They also argue that the representations are meant to be cute and playful. However, parents of teen shoppers make an equally valid point: either the company must modify the advertising image and fully cover all the models or, the target audience must be raised to target men and women who are old enough to shop on their own, without parental guidance.

When the issue was brought to the attention of Mark Stiles, the Deputy City Attorney handling the case, he recommended that the obscenity charges against the manager of the store in Virginia Beach be dropped. Stiles confirmed that the case was a tough one to judge because Abercrombie's advertising is "designed to go right up to the line," but nevertheless still seems to remain within legal boundaries. The advertisement abides by the city law that specifically forbids the viewing of "obscene material in a business that is open to juveniles." The posters also abide by the United States Supreme Courts Miller test for determining obscenity that outlaws any illustration that, "appealed to prurient interests, were patently offensive to the prevailing standard of the adult community and had no artistic value." According to Thomas Lennox, a spokesman for the retailer, "these photos are tame."It would be easy to disregard the photos if it were just one or two that were troubling, however, it seems as though the public is not focusing on the website, clothing tags, and catalogue which all routinely feature teenage models in the nude and sexually suggestive material. Even in 2002, Abercrombie kids, a line for children ages seven to fourteen marketed rear-less underwear with phrases such as "kiss me," "wink wink," and "eye candy," on the shelves earlier this year. Taking into account Abercrombie's provocative past, outrage from parents who believe the company sells inappropriate sexual depictions to the teenage target audience is an incredibly strong case that stricter governmental regulation needs to be enforced, especially considering the thoughts from Lennox, the spokesperson, who openly stated, "The Abercrombie & Fitch brand is provocative and undeniably sexy." If further governmental action is taken, the precautions installed need to ensure the public that if standards are raised, Abercrombie & Fitch can no longer just receive a slap on the wrist if the rules are broken. While Abercrombie & Fitch has had a successful history of pushing the envelope and continuing to remain within legal boundaries, the company must protect children from their sexualized advertisements. Whereas other companies in its category have forfeited the extra profit brought in by controversial advertisements, Abercrombie has continually taken the risk that could potentially ruin the company name.

The purpose of advertising is to catch the eye of the consumer so it is no surprise that a clothing company such as Abercrombie will stoop to incredibly low levels to reach their goal. However, the issue is where the lines must be drawn between what exactly is appropriate for youths versus adults. Another problem related to this issue is who embraces the power in distinguishing the categories, does the store have the upper hand or should the authority be determined by the simple equation of supply and demand? Ultimately, consumer capitalism plays a role in this issue because a successful commercial infrastructure requires persistent growth and the potential for increasing market. In order for the marketplace to continue to bring in capital, new target audiences and revenues must be discovered and indeed the teen target group has proven to be a perfect niche. However, undoubtedly retailers also must take credit and regulate their image. The direct effect of erotica as part of mainstream culture is that pre-teens feel the need to look older and sexier while mothers strive to look younger and the ultimate outcome is a broadening in the acceptance of sexualized marketing techniques which reinforce those ideals. There will always be something in media stirring up controversy, but if the teen target audience did not actually sell, companies would not risk pushing the envelope. Perhaps advertising must actually hit rock bottom before the moral lines can begin to be drawn.

Scoping the Web: Exploring Reputable Sources of Information

This week I decided to stray from my personal reflections regarding argumentation and creative manifestations of expression and, instead, take up the task of probing the web to find a few reputable sites related to my area of exploration. In scanning the thousands of scholarly websites related to my topic, I was also surprised to see there was an equal amount of jargon. Because the internet is a mass medium of communication, new ideas are constantly replacing older ones and, as a result, web critique is an ever-changing phenomena. Keeping that in mind, however, there are six criteria that the Webby Awards have classified as critical aspects to examine when evaluating any website on the web. While most websites may not score a perfect ten across the table, the criteria serves its importance in creating categories that can help one determine particular features of a site that may or may not be as strong. The six criteria, as seen on the Webby Awards website are as follows: content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity, and overall experience. For blogs, specifically, another reputable standard of evaluation is recommended, the IMSA criteria. The ten websites that I have researched met the Webby Awards criteria and have proven to be reputable recourses for my topic. The first website, 50mm Los Angeles is a comprehensive graffiti art website that is successful in affirming the content, interactive, and navigational characteristics of the Webby awards criteria. This website spotlights on murals, graffiti art, guerrilla art, street art and lifestyle photography in Los Angeles. The content is multi dimensional and uses both text, music, as well as the inclusion of video highlights that serve to strengthen the author's view of graffiti as a form of art. The inclusion of a public forum where visitors can post and respond to others establishes the website as interactive and in a sense it can be viewed as a quiet conversation between regular visitors. The site is also credible wherein the author, Too Tall Jahmal, has been established as a veteran Los Angeles graffiti writer. Clearly, the author has experience and authority and can be trusted to construct a knowledgeable site.While researching similar sites on art in Los Angeles I came across another intriguing recourse. Neckcns is a website that delivers the most recent graffiti art and is most successful in the website structure and navigation. Although the website has many links, it is well organized, easy to navigate and functional. The major drawback, however, lays within aesthetics- the colors are not very inviting and do not match the creativity of the topic. An example of one website that is aesthetically pleasing and well designed is Great Dance. The color scheme is basic, it does not take away or override the content. Instead, it draws the reader towards its three main columns: the articles, the recent comments, and the recent video posts. Its greatest success is in its balance. There were no major drawbacks. Another great recourse is Video Art, which seeks to create an online community that assists artists in navigating the technical aspects of production and connects artists to curators, producers, and the public. The greatest aspect of success is in its content, the website is an easily searchable online archive. The videos are navigationally sound and they load quickly. Additionally, a site named Wooster Collective was particularly knowledgeable. The site is dedicated to showcasing street art around the world. The content was particularly engaging, a site where young artists can publish their art as a group or collectively often times focusing on similar topics or messages. The only drawback to this site was the dense amount of information placed on one single page. It would be easier to navigate if the author placed more links on the side instead of loading all the videos on one page. The website Voice of Dance was a great website that has many features and links, related to all types of dance. It was well designed, functional, and easy to navigate. It was especially interesting to see a website that was able to be extremely informative and maintain a clean structure. In scoping the web for websites having to do with different forms of persuasion I encountered two websites having to do with both law and communication, both of which I hope to persuasively argue in further blogs. Both the website Find Law and National Communication Association were a two fairly straightforward academic sites. The Find Law website was by far the easiest site to navigate and it was also structured well.Throughout the search I came across some very interesting blogs. A fantastic blog is Art.Blogging.La, a site that is useful in informing visitors about the recent art exhibits in the Los Angeles area. The site gives personal reflections and advice on the exhibits. Although the site is easy to navigate it is not very multifaceted. One of the best sites I encountered was Communication Nation, a site produced by the founder of XPlane, the visual thinking company. This site was structured well and visually pleasing-the material was also astounding because it links visuality to many areas of life, exactly what I hope to achieve in this blog.