This website is or The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished American’s Inc. In 1947 the group was founded to ‘to dispel the mounting belief among the nation's youth that the American Dream was no longer attainable.’
The Horatio Alger Association is made up of people who have been given the Horatio Alger award, which is usually awarded to people who are ‘dedicated community leaders who demonstrate individual initiative and a commitment to excellence’. If an award winner has a partner then that partner is known as a Horatio Alger Life Partner.
The group is very much influenced by the book ‘Ragged Dick’ and aims to make the youth of America aware that ‘hard work, honesty and determination can conquer all obstacles’ and teaches them about America’s ‘free enterprise’. As with the character of Ragged Dick, the group encourages American youths to work hard in order to achieve their very best and better their selves.
Not only does The Horatio Alger Association teach children to live an honest lifestyle like Ragged Dick did, they also give out scholarships to them in order to help them actually progress with their education and careers they chose.
This is the Association’s ‘Mission’:
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To induct as lifetime Members of the Association contemporary role models whose experiences exemplify that opportunities for a successful life are available to all individuals who are dedicated to the principles of integrity, hard work, perseverance and compassion for others.
·To provide scholarship assistance to deserving young people who have demonstrated integrity and determination in overcoming adversity, academic potential, and the personal aspiration to make a unique contribution to society.
·To mentor scholarship recipients and educate all youth about the limitless possibilities that are available through the American free enterprise system, while underscoring the importance of service to others.
From this it is clear to see that the character of Ragged Dick is a complete role model to the association and has obviously shaped the direction of their ‘mission’.
This video is a commercial for the Chicago Tea Party. As you can see from the video the party tries to appeal to the general population by using unfamiliar faces and everyday people to help promote the party. The people used are all different as they introduce themselves by their jobs, from a Mom to a small business owner, which suggests that the party is there to help people from all walks of life rather than targeting a particular group.
There is quite a lot of focus on patriotism as they use phrases like "I am an American" and words like "liberty". They also speak of the constitution which is another thing highly associated with America and this constant significance of being an American citizen is trying to make you believe that the people who are a part of and vote for this particular party are all true, honest, hard-working Americans. The setting of the video is very neutral so that the backdrop cannot sway anyone's perception of the people.
Towards the end of the video as the actors say that they are "voting for liberty" there is music in the background which gets progressively louder and more emotional which sounds like it is trying to convey a sense of pride for the nation and the party. The final question which is directed straight at the spectator that is "are you?" in regards to "voting for liberty" suggests that if the viewer were to vote for any other party than their vote would not be one for liberty and is quite an aggressive tactic and potentially the most effective method used in the video.
The Brady campaign is a campaign in which the members want gun crime to be reduced by making laws for obtaining guns stricter and wants to create ‘an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities’. It uses facts and statistics to argue its case for gun control such as:
They also have heavy focus on gun crime that is committed and how it affects the people of America. As well as this it points out loopholes in the law which allows people to easily obtain guns such as the gun show loophole.
Women against Gun Control is exactly what it says. To show that the site is meant for women the majority of it is pink. On this website it makes out that women are highly likely to be victims of gun crime and says things like; “It's not surprising then, that more women than ever want to keep their rights to own and carry a gun. The reason is simple: Womenare concerned about becoming victims of crime. Guns give women a fighting chance against crime.” It also has propaganda against gun control like this; “Gun Control: The theory that a woman found dead in an alley,raped andstrangled with her panty hose, is somehow morallysuperior to a woman explaining to police how her attacker got that fatal bullet wound.” Quotes are used to try and justify their views such as “Women must not depend upon the protection ofman, but must be taught to protect herself. - Susan B. Anthony, July 1871” This suggests that they are saying that women need guns in order to be able to be dependant from men.
To me the Brady Campaign feels much more trust worthy. The website looks a great deal more professional than that of WAGC and the content seems a lot more reliable as it backs up their points with evidence which WAGC often fails to do.
For this task I have taken the obvious choice of the black population of the US. The site that I have found to use is http://blackusa.com/
The website feels quite unprofessional for a site that is giving the facts about the history of a race of people as it has a ‘Game Arcade’ featured on there and the overall presentation of the site is a little messy with loud colours.However, it does give a vast view of African-American history and holds information on struggles the black population have had as well as laws passed to do with them and key figures that have influenced their history. The website acts as a celebration of their culture and offers a ‘Recipes’ page in which you can find recipes for many different dishes, although it is a little mixed up and has not only traditional African and Caribbean dishes but also an assortment of other dishes from across the world.
On the homepage for the site it rotates on a weekly basis different parts of the history to encourage people to find out about things that they might not otherwise know. It also hosts articles of current news to do with the black community of the US.
In Crevecoeur’s ‘Letters from an American Farmer’ he describes the people’s feelings of America and questions what it is to be an American. The opening sentences of the third letter ‘What is an American?” tells us of the triumph and pridethe settlers should feel towards the development of the country and shows us the Crevecoeur himself is vastly proud of what has become of America at this time.
“I wish I could be acquainted with the feelings and thoughts which must agitate the heart and present themselves to the mind of an enlightened Englishman, when he first lands on this continent. He must greatly rejoice that he lived at a time to see this fair country discovered and settled. He must necessarily feel a share of national pride when he views the chain of settlements which embellish these extended shores.”
He compares this new America to Europe and says:
“Here are no aristocratical families, no courts, no kings, no bishops, no ecclesiastical dominion, no invisible power giving to a very few visible one, no great manufacturers employing thousands, no great refinements of luxury. The rich and the poor are not so far removed from each other as they are in Europe.”
These point he makes have become less and less applicable to America today as the country is capitalist and does have “great manufacturers employing thousands”. Also the situation between the rich and the poor is little different to other first world countries.
However, today many people still have the sense of the ‘American dream’ and will move to the US in order to better their life. Something that I feel shows this is the MTV programme ‘MADE’. In this programme people are given the chance to break away from their lives and live out their dream and often prove fairly successful.So although America today is very different it is often still thought of in the same romanticised way of the “American Dream”.
This christmas commercial for Coca Cola is infamous worldwide, and it seems to be a worldwide decision, that when the advert is shown , it is officially Christmas, hence the repetition of "Holidays are coming". It represents the family values that are so important in America, when the Coca Cola truck drives round it seems to light up both it's surroundings and the people's faces around the path. The clever link between Coca Cola and Christmas is the theme of enlightenment, the assumption that Christmas makes everything ok, and because Coca Cola is linked with that, Coca Cola therefore makes everything better too.
The commerical focuses on both children and adults, showing children with their sledges and a young boy with his father, Again this reflects the values of America, of the importance of family at Christmas. The image of Santa Claus that is on the side and back of the truck always reiterates the link between Christmas and Coca Cola, implying they both share the same values, hence Coca Cola must be good. The christmas lights all over the trucks also imply this link.
"Something magic in the night, can you see it shining bright?" The idea of magic is always around at Christmas, it is part of the Christmas spirit, and again the connotations of the Christmas Coca Cola advert are magic and family, all very positive things especially in America.
"The stars will always shine,
The birds will always sing
As long as there is trust,
There's always the real thing.
Coca Cola classic's always the one,
Whenever there is fun there's always Coca Cola"
I also found this advert which stood out, because Coca Cola, despite it actually being quite bad for you in excess, is described as this fantastic product, that's "fun" and "classic". There is a certain air of nostalgia around Coca Cola in general and in particular the Christmas commercial, as it is so well known, and these values are the same worldwide.
The tagline for this website struck me immediately -
"Our purpose: To further the philosophy of Horatio Alger, Jr, and to encourage the spirit of strive and succeed that for half a century guided Alger's undaunted heroes. Our members conduct research and provide scholarship on the life of Horatio Alger, Jr., his works and influence on the culture of America."
This reflect the values of Ragged Dick, of spirit and strive, as in the book, Dick doesn't let life get him down, and he goes on to succeed in the end. The story of Ragged Dick has become a sort of ideology for this website and for America.
Quotes such as "non profit organisation" also struck me, because Ragged Dick the book seems to be based quite a lot around the focus of money and profit, be it the money Dick spends or the money he aquires from various places. This sort of goes against the book and Alger's values.
In the lecture there was focus on Alger's relationships with children, and allegations were made against him, and he ended up fleeing, and another quote, "now embraces collectors and enthusiasts of all juvenile literature, including boys' and girls' series books, pulps and dime novels." It seems the aim of the society is based around juvenile literature, which, if the allegations were true, is quite fitting to Horatio Alger.
It seems the website in general is promoting the ideas of Ragged Dick to a wider audience, who perhaps would not have ordinarily read the book.
This is the video for Burger King's "Texas Double Whopper" Burger. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGLHlvb8skQ
Burger King is one of the biggest fast food retailers in the world, engrossing in excess of over $500 million per year, and have kkept tastebuds flowing since it was founded in the 1950's.
This advert targets itself very particularly at men, hinting at the fact that men are more likely to indulge themselves in their produce than women. However, this speaks rather controvertially and possibly could even be considered sexist to some, however I think that they have chosen to present themselves in this way to be seen as humorous rather than to offend.
Throughout the advert is throws up stereotypes of men doing what could be considered "manly" activities such as muscle pumping, fighting and pulling a truck. I think that this also represents a possible divide in the level of consumerism in the Burger King industry between men and women, and shows this through the "rebellion" of men turning up their noses at healthy food such as keish, that is even cast aside by a man leaving a table at 0:26.
The music and singing I think make the appeal greater as it creates a jingle that can get stcuk in your head and makes you want to sing along.
I also notice a use of combining ethnic backgrounds, such as a man of asian appearance in 0:23 and continuing to appear throught the video.
The end quote that I think stands out and proves that it is directed at men is: "The Texas double whopper, eat like a man, man."
iPad: "A magical and revolutionary product at an unbelievable price." "Introducing iPad. It's the best way to experience the web, email, photos and video. All on a big, beautiful Multi-Touch screen. With just the touch of a finger."
This video is one of the first commercials aired for the iPad by Apple.
From first viewing I find it to be clean and smooth and bright, much like the product itself. The narrator has no distinctive accent and is well spoken. It starts by immediately asking what the viewer wants to know..."What is iPad?" This grabs your attention, and you are then told that "iPad is thin. iPad is beautiful" followed by an onscreen map featuring L.A. Apple may have thought that this opening line would appeal to the American population because, who doesn't want something thin and beautiful? Media already puts pressure on certain people when it comes to this subject and Apple is using that. They are also trying to point out that the iPad is something glamorous and sought after by linking it to L.A. It may also be useful to note that the first ever iPad commercial was aired during the Academy Awards, again linking this product to the 'elite' of society.
The viewer is then shown fairly rapidly some of the things that this gadget can do. It tries to appeal to as many people as possible by showing a good range of apps from viewing films and photos, sending emails, reading books and playing musical instruments. "200,000 apps and counting." They tell you that you "already know how to use it" immplying that it is just an extension of your everyday life, even when it comes to reading Winnie the Pooh with your child. iPad can do all the things you usually do and enjoy and they are all in one place at the same time. Want to play the piano when you aren't at home? You can, because the iPad is lightweight and portable and has an app for that!
The advert makes you think of reasons you need it, that you didn't even know you could think of. Most people would think buying a paper would be a perfectly fine way to read the news, but after seeing this you then may question that decision and think that reading The New York Times on the iPad is much more convienient. People today are always looking for ways to make life easier or to save time and in this advert the answer is simple: buy an iPad.
When you watch it again and pay attention to the surroundings and not the product itself, it becomes apparent that despite showing the different range of apps for all different people, iPad is actually aimed at a target demographic. Presumably 'middle class' professionals, those who are possibly better educated and are again like the advert and the product, clean cut. You can tell this from the clothes that the iPad users are wearing, there isn't anyone who seems overally casual. Nobody wearing hoodies or typical teenage clothing, they are all wearing neat and tidy attire that you might associate with wealthier people if stereotyping.
It can also be seen through the environments: someone is in a cafe, others are in the workplace, one man is on the fire escape to a city apartment, and a woman is taking a break from shopping. Shopping that she was doing with a wicker type bag, not the normal/common plastic and paper bags. The homes featured are modern and chic, they are homes that look expensive and very tasteful. Like the iPad.
Although considering the price and the fact that it is made by Apple, it is not surprising that they wouldn't be marketing their products at the average American. Especially as the first word to describe iPad when you look it up is, "magical." Something that is magical, isn't going to come cheaply.
Another way it would seem that they are not targeting everybody, is by the particular apps they have chosen. It would seem at first to be a wide variety, something to everyone but in fact it seems aimed at possibly more educated people. Those who would want access to "more books than you can read in a lifetime" and those using it for presentations and business purposes, as well as highlighting many apps of a scientific nature.
The commercials for any Apple product always end with their logo, a logo that people have come to trust because of the success of the Mac, iPod and the iPhone. Throughout the advert the camera switches to the logo so that you cannot forget who is responsible for this new and innovative gadget. Apple.
If you want to see the history of Apple, it can be found here: http://www.apple-history.com/
This is an advert for a Starbucks product. Starbucks started off as a small time business with one store in Seattle which opened in 1971. However after Howard Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982 it grew both nationally and then globally. In a sense the Starbucks company itself embodies the American dream: achieving national/global success from almost out of nowhere.
This advert sees a young professional drink a can of Starbucks coffee and consequently followed by the band Survivor on his way to work singing about him to the tune of 'Eye of the Tiger'. This advert is clearly trying to appeal to young people working in the city (Yuppies) and it portrays that certain ideology. The fact that it says how he has ambitions and is working his way to the top appeals to the value of the American Dream; by the end of the advert Glen looks empowered therefore it connotes that drinking this product will allow you to fulfil your dream. The music also evokes the idea of the American Dream: the song everyone associates with Rocky and in this film Rocky's only chance to make life better for himself is by boxing and through hard work and training he manages to hold his own in the ring against Apollo Creed who was already set to win. The fact that the band then start singing to another guy implies that Starbucks will treat everybody special this shows the idea of individualism.
The advert also shows the idea of eating/drinking whilst doing and this way of life is quickly replacing eat at home. The product that it is advertising is a can of coffee; therefore not only do you not have to make your own coffee but you don't have to go to a Starbucks store either. This appeals to its target demographic of young urban professionals because they have a busy life anyway and need to have energy for work and for their outgoing lifestyle. The tagline of 'Bring on the Day' suggests this. It also appeals to them because of the idea of succeeding and working your way up in business.
This organisation was established in 1947 to 'dispel the mounting belief among the nation's youth that the American Dream was no longer attainable'. This implies that popular opinion at that time was that Alger's stories of boys, such as Richard Hunter, who start the story poor but thanks to their good morals and hard workl end up in a respectable position is a myth. Indeed, Alger's idea of the American Dream was discredited during the Great Depression and World War II.
However this organisation does give youth opportunities to follow their dreams through its scholarship programme. This is aimed to 'deserving young people who have demonstrated integrity and determination in overcoming adversity, academic potential, and the personal aspiration to make a unique contribution to society'. Therefore it is aimed at those who possess the same qualities as the heroes of Alger's stories: Dick, despite being a poor bootblack, shows academic potential (his street smart and quick wit) and this potential is fulfilled through studying every night, this shows his determination to become respectable.
As well as this, it aims to 'educate all youth about the limitless possibilities that are available through the American free enterprise system, while underscoring the importance of service to others'.This reinforces the ideas Alger puts across to his audience in Ragged Dick. To the young: grab opportunities offered by the Capitalist society of America; just like Ragged Dick and Henry Fosdick does in the story. To the adults: disadvantaged children (homeless and poor children in the case of Ragged Dick) need your help; just like Mr Greyson and Mr Whitney help the boys in Ragged Dick. This idea of adults helping disadvantaged children is further demonstarted in the association in the form of the Horatio Alger Award; this is given to those who show 'a strong commitment to assisting those less fortunate than themselves and be willing to contribute to the mission of providing scholarships for younger generations'.
Overall the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans rewards those who worked hard and are deserving of achieving their dream, while also rewarding those who give charity and help those previously mentioned to acheive the American Dream. This reinforces Alger's idea that in order for Capitalism and the American Dream to work it needs to be moral and there needs to be charity; therefore I feel that the organisation is very accurate in relation Ragged Dick.
