Dolphin Courtship: Brutal, Cunning and Complex

Some scientists have proclaimed that dolphins are one of smartest creatures next to humans.  This piece gives justice to what scientists have discovered especially since the dolphin’s intelligence is seen throughout their courtship.

Aside from conducting their own form of communication and having the ability to understand and respond to humans, dolphins show intelligence throughout their brutal, cunning and complex courtship. Natalie Angier describes the lovable creatures as turn aggressive, even possessive once they are looking for their partners. Somehow these can be reflected to human behavior as both follow their instincts when it comes to love.

I am impressed on how the author attacked the piece. Usually information-filled essays have the tendency to become a bit draggy and boring. I give kudos to Angier since she was successful in keeping my attention and making me want to finish reading it. 

The Maker’s Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscripts by Donald Murray

This piece is particularly informative and helpful, especially to aspiring writers. It talks about the importance of writing drafts and revising, and how both are viewed differently by students and professional writers.

Donald Murray first clarifies to the readers that the student’s perceptions of a first draft is dissimilar to that of a professional writer’s. While students rejoice and see a complete draft as something that is done and final, professional writers regard this as just a start and something that needs a lot more revising. From this point, the author goes on to telling the readers that all good writers always revise their work and that they habitually do so, by not looking at the first one they made.

I really found this essay very insightful because I am one of those students who settle for having a paper done at once. Now that I have read this, I can safely say that I am one more step closer to having perfect my writing skills. 

Cinematypes by Susan Allen Toth

More often than not people watch movies that reflect his or her own preference, culture and background. Still though, there are times when these preferences change because we adapt to the liking of the people we immerse ourselves with. Take Susan Allen Toth’s essay for example. She describes her personal fondness for musicals or those redeemed by Thelma Ritter, and how all that changes when she starts seeing and dating three different men.

The author’s use of exemplification and comparison and contrast in this piece, in my opinion helped emphasize that there are, indeed, differences when one person watches alone and when one watches with another person. Also, these techniques helped build up the conclusion and emotions of the piece.

There is more to this piece than just how people are easily influenced by those around them. This essay can also be viewed in a very informative way. It discusses and differentiates the different cinematypes available to people.

The Filipino Woman: Cory & Leonor, Gabriela & Imelda by Carmen Guerrero Nakpil

Based from the title itself, readers would already get the idea what this narrative is all about. Carmen Guerrero Nakpil makes a brief comparison between these four prominent women with the Filipino women. The author goes on and narrates the lives of each one of them, making sure to point out how they have reflected the Filipino women of today.

This essay is very inspiring to women of all ages. It shows how women can defy society’s usual mental image of them by following the footsteps and foundation that Cory, Leonor, Gabriela and Imelda have laid out.

Doublespeak by William Lutz

According to this piece, Doublespeak is a language that deliberately reverses the meaning of words. It is a language that pretends to communicate and convey, while, in fact, it really doesn’t. With the help of euphemisms, jargons, gobbledygooks and inflated language, it only cleverly disguises the nature of the truth.

People, nowadays, resort to using doublespeak because it makes saying harsh truths and realities seem less unpleasant. It is like “sugar-coating” words so as not to sound as offensive as it really is.

In my effort to learn more about doublespeak and William Lutz, I have learned that Lutz is the third chairman of the Doublespeak Committee since 1975 to the present. This entails that this piece is very reliable and all the information stated are indeed true. Also, I learned that Lutz’ sole purpose in writing this is to enlighten the readers that “doublespeak is a form of language that defeats the purpose of inventing language because it does not communicate the truth but seeks to do the opposite and the doublespeak committee is tasked with correcting this problem that doublespeak has created in the world of language.”

Why We Crave Horror Movies? by Stephen King

Being an expert in contemporary horror and suspense, Stephen King enumerated a few causes why people can’t get enough of watching horror films. He identifies that people continuously seek a source for thrill, suspense and sometimes even, gore, so as to keep ourselves sane. Yes, you heard me correctly. There is, in truth, insanity in all of us, which in order to keep it in; it needs to be nourished by these movies. Had we stopped watching films like these all together, we might have the sudden urge to ‘experiment’ ourselves. 

Film + Humor

Propaganda Techniques in Today's Advertising: New Category

As we may know, in propaganda films, the director-marketer’s main goal is to try and convince the audience on a specific political point or influence the opinions or behavior of the viewers. Personally, I think that this propaganda technique is effective because most people are visual or spacial learners.  The populace learns best when ideas, concepts, data and other information are associated with images and techniques.

Humor is another different concept. It is when normal experiences are tinted to induce laughter and amusement. I think this would be an effective propaganda technique as well because people of all ages and cultures respond to humor. 

So, you may as well imagine the outcome if we combined documentary-style productions or fictional screenplays with a great dose of laughter.