TOW #13: The First Silence Dogood Letter- Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin, an extremely influencial figure in American history, contributed in a multitude of ways to the American society and country in ways many of its citizens are now familiar with.  However, many are not familiar with a series of letters the same Benjamin Franklin wrote to a popular newspaper where he worked, the New-England Courant, under another name: Silence Dogood.  Familiar with the people in control of this paper, his brothers, Franklin fashioned his first letter to both impress and drive them to publish his letters with the use of formal tone and allusion to his past.

            Franklin’s use of a formal tone was purposeful as it made his alternate identity, Dogood, sound like an educated person. Within the letter he writes, “ that the reader may not be at loss to judge whether or no my lubrications are worth his reading” (Dogood, 1). If Franklin were to be published as intended, he would need to seem intelligent for no publisher would publish a non-credible source. By writing with such a formal tone and diction, he displays that he is indeed educated and thus is credible. Additionally in this sentence, he displays that he wants people to “know” who he is, and would like to respectfully inform them. By formally addressing his letter “sir,” Franklin displays that Dogood is indeed a respectable person and acknowledges his respect to the publishers of the New-England Courant. Addressing his audience with such respect and flattery draws them to Dogood, and thus the formal tone increases the chance of Dogood getting published.

            Franklin is keenly aware that before publish; his brothers may be interested in learning something about Dogood. To address this, he proceeds to inform them about his “past” and establish credibility.  Franklin tells the publishers, and the people whom would read the letter in the paper that he, or she, spent most of his time,” with the best of company, books”(Dogood, 1). By implying the vast knowledge education had brought to Dogood, Franklin is able to create a persona as Dogood, establish credibility with his “past”, and draw the audience interest as to whom he is and what Dogood has to say.

            Through the first Silence Dogood letter, Franklin is successfully able to accomplish his getting published in the New-England Courant and impress all those who either published or read it. 

The First Silence Dogood Letter

The New England Courant
http://teachhistory.com/2010/01/13/young-ben-franklin-and-the-silence-dogood-letters/

TOW #12- Blue Fin Restaurant Review

Arguably one of the best Sushi restaurants in the suburban area, Blue Fin is the topic of Craig LaBan’s review.  LaBan, a restaurant critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, has ventured to many restaurants and gained much experience by doing so.  In order to communicate what he found to be a surprisingly decent restaurant, LaBan compared Blue Fin to other restaurants and described his personal experiences.

            LaBan begins with review by describing his visual first impression as he entered the restaurant. Noting the bland appearance on both the outside and inside, the audience gets the feeling of a bland unimpressed mood. Describing the constant social scene as a surprise, a sense of confusion is gathered. By describing his first impressions, LaBan foreshadows the fact that although this restaurant may seem unimpressive, the reality may be much different. Transitioning into the food itself, LaBan describes his own opinion of each dish on the menu in order to give his audience a sense of the variety of both quality and type of food available. For example, LaBan describes the Marlee role as, “named for two customers, is a superb combination of tobiko-topped tuna around a core of spicy yellowtail and crunchy tempura flakes.” Here, he describes the quality and origin in one dish to an audience that will be somewhat knowledgeable about sushi so that they are amply able to understand all of the descriptions of dishes.

            The audience will have likely visited a multitude of Sushi restaurants. Taking this into account, LaBan draws comparisons to other popular and high-quality sushi restaurants to give readers a sense of where Blue Fin stands. He acknowledges the slight similarities to one of the most well renowned Sushi restaurants in Philadelphia as he says, “If Morimoto ever does come to mind (and Zagat's blurb invokes the connection), that's probably because many of Bluefin's best items were inspired almost directly, Kim says, by cookbook recipes from Nobu, where Morimoto once worked.” By using this comparison, LaBan points out that while Blue Fin is better then expected, it does not deserve elite status.

            Through his review, LaBan successfully conveys his surprisingly favorable opinion of the suburban Blue Fin, yet does acknowledge the lower then elite position in comparison to other restaurants. 

Original Blue Fin Review

Blue Fin Restaurant
http://articles.philly.com/2012-03-08/food/31136025_1_chef-craft-beers-le-bec-fin

TOW #11- Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Label

Ben and Jerry’s is one of the most popular brands of Ice Cream in the United States. Facing fierce competition, much of which is foreign, it is forced to grab the attention of consumers both nationally and internationally. Consequently, the brand must not only advertise through the common advertisement, but on it’s own label. On the label of one of Ben and Jerry’s most popular flavors, Half Baked, this type of promotion has been extremely successful.

            In an isle crammed with massive amounts of ice cream brands, why would someone choose Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked? Ben and Jerry’s brand attempts to answer this question on their bright label, which draws the consumer in. Rather then illustrate their ice cream as rich and elegant, Ben and Jerry’s uses an essentially animated style seemingly geared towards a more youthful audience. The various fonts and colors implemented on the label blend together to create a lively tone, while drawing the eyes of young people to their brand. The animated chocolate and cookie dough on the Half Baked label appeals to the preexisting tendency of young people to enjoy these treats, and thus attract them to a mixture of the two.

            Ben and Jerry’s, after succeeding in drawing their audience's eyes to their product, subsequently list of the main components of their ice cream in the front of their label in order to create a need for their product in the minds of the consumer. Rather then an extensive series of items, this list does not account for specific products that fuse into their ice cream. Instead, the label lists general components of the product. The list describes, “Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Fudge Brownies”. This vivid description acts as a remedy for the lack of an elegant image of the product.

            Through the use of the bright and fun presentation of the label itself, and the description on the front of the label, Ben and Jerry’s brand is able to attract the consumer to their Half Baked Ice Cream, and all of their flavors. With their unique approach, Ben and Jerry’s successfully attracts people to their product, rather than give up customers to their competition. 

        Ben & Jerry's Half Baked
    http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ben-Jerry-s-Half-Baked-Ice-Cream-1-pt/10309255

TOW #10- "JFK, Obama: Redskins need to change" by Thomas Smith

The Washington Redskins football team has been high on the radar of both football fans and the general alike for quite some time. Public statements regarding the infamous team name and it’s racist connotation have started to become more frequent and a part of an increasingly popular debate. Thomas G. Smith, a professor and part of CNN News, attempts to put fourth his own perspective on this issue in his article “JFK, Obama: Redskins need to change”. By alluding to events of the past and asking rhetorical question, Smith is able to convey the mounting need to the Redskins to change their racial policy. Smith points out in his essay that many current events concerning the redskins, from presidential action to the racial situation itself, have happened before. Coincidentally, it all revolved around the same Washington Redskins football team. By showing the recurrence of events, Smith is able to convince people that the Redskins’ racial insensitivity and resistance to change is common practice. He then continues his allusion to the past with big names like Jackie Robinson and JFK. These big names resonate in the hearts of most sports fans, and convey the importance of racial inequality in a level that this audience can connect with.  Consequently, the audience realizes that this racial insensitive practice is not just, and should be terminated. Smith also implements rhetorical questions into his work in order to refute counter arguments. For example, he asks, “Some fans ask why focus on the Redskins in particular?” By then going on to answer this question, he is able to illustrate a level of illegitimacy in a popular counter argument. While Smith does not fully close the case for many readers that the Redskins’ name should be changed, he does successfully enlighten them on a need for change in racial policy.

The Redskins
http://www.catholicleague.org/roger-goodell-and-the-redskins/

The Article Source:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/14/opinion/smith-jfk-redskins/index.html?hpt=op_bn9