Research Paper Topics

Google scholar might be one of the most frustrating and useless tools I've ever used while doing a research project. All of the articles it found either had nothing to do with what I was looking for, or if they were on the topic they were from 1976. I would rather search through the internet myself on sites I know are credible then sift through the garbage presented to me by Google scholar.

The topics that I did end up researching on my own are the effects of Lattimore being injured on South Carolina, how the American people feel about Obama's presidency thus far and specifically his decision to end the war Iraq, and finally the legalization of recreational and medicinal marijuana.

Overall the topics were not hard to come up with, but they were a little difficult to find credible sources on. The issue of Marcus' effect on South Carolina appears on plenty of sports websites but is mostly opinion based and bias. There is a similar story with the issue of Obama's ratings. How people feel about the President differs greatly from site to site and article to article. Sources which have a more conservative history tend to have a negative view of the President's progress. The easiest topic to research by far was the legalization of marijuana, this is because it is a topic which greatly interests me and has for quite some time now. I already know of a few sites and articles that I can use for the paper and because of that, research was a breeze. As a result, I will most likely choose this topic for my paper.

What Defines a Sport Response

1. In his article. Andriesen doesn't really take a stance on the definition of a sport, he simply reports on the many ways which he has heard it defined. He Mostly focuses on Rodney Fort's criteria in defining a sport. The reasons established by Mr. Fort is constantly contradicted by well known sports which don't meet the given criteria. Overall the closing of Andriesen's article is where we learn that his opinion is that as long as people are having fun doing something, it is a sport.
2. Personally I don't really see a need in declaring a sport official. I think the only thing that should be required for a sport is something that takes physical skill, takes practice and is competitive in nature.

Internet Article Response

The author's claim in "Factory Food" is that today's food and food of recent years is of poor quality and that now more and more people are becoming aware of that. His reasons for this claim are that the conditions in which animals are raised are unnatural and unhealthy for the animals. Cows are fed nearly poisonous feed and thousands of chickens are cooped up together at two massive plants. This causes the food we eat to contain less natural vitamins and proteins. Overall the recalls that have been happening due to this drop in quality has alerted the American public and turned people on to this problem. Overall the author does a solid job of supporting his points, however his argument is too general and elementary. He does not convince me to care about the issue more so then just being slightly concerned that what I am eating is bad for me.

Fear Factories Response

In the article, Scully attacks conservatives and their neglect for the rights of animals. He uses real world examples such as court cases and his own personal visits to these animal farms in conversations and analysis of conservative actions. He details his belief that conservatives use basic moralistic principles, mostly derived from biblical ideals, to establish laws for man kind. As a result Scully believes that these conservatives need to stop turning a blind eye to animal cruelty and make laws for the animals just as they would for humans. He believes that conservatives need to stop treating animal farming with a sense of obligation to kill the animals in as humane a way as possible, and start treating the animals in a humane way while they are still alive. Overall Scully seems to be disgusted with how little conservatives, and sometimes liberals, are doing about the animal farming business and other cruel businesses such as guaranteed hunting just to make a dollar. He calls them to action in order to take a stand for the rights of these animals because he believes that if we treat animals in such an inhumane manner, that we become animals ourself.

Advertisement Outline

Car Ad Outline

1)    The advertisements are aimed at different age groups

a)     The Lincoln advertisement appeals to an older audience of men most likely over the age of 35.

i)      In the picture the car is depicted as the center of the piece and has a strong look to it as if to resemble the strong look of a father

ii)    The car is said in the text to be a “luxury” oriented car, which mostly appeals to an older audience who wants to appreciate the finer things in life.

iii)   The brand Lincoln itself has it’s own appeal to middle aged men. Although it is not explicitly in the ad, Lincoln’s symbol has become synonymous with success and class.

b)    The Nissan advertisement is more aimed at the younger audience under the age of 35 who have rocketed into wealth early.

i)      The styling of the car both in the picture and in real life are aggressive, which represent young entrepreneurs who go out and attack their careers, not wait to let them develop over time.

ii)    There is a picture of the Nürburgring as well as the words “we went back to the track” on the ad. This appeals to many young mans dreams of materializing their childhood video game cars.

iii)   The branding is again important in the overall appeal of the car. Although Nissan and Infiniti are part of the same company, the decision to put a Nissan badge on the car instead of the Infiniti logo shows that the car was not designed to be luxurious, but aggressive for a younger generation.

2)    The advertisements are geared towards different financial audiences

a)     The Lincoln MKZ is a cheaper car which is still luxurious

i)      In the ad, Lincoln promotes their car as “reasonably priced” as if to suggest that it is inexpensive but not enough to skimp on quality.

ii)    The car is priced low in order for successful families who can afford luxury but are still careful with their money

iii)   The ad also suggests that Lincolns have a reputation of being expensive but this one is unlike the rest

b)    The GTR is for the entrepreneurs who are looking for a little excitement

i)      In the ad it lists the price of the car as being less then 90,000 dollars. Although that’s expensive, it is not nearly the cost of some other super cars

ii)    This price is set so that young people who have made a good bit of money but are not yet multi-millionaires can still purchase it

iii)   For that price, the car offers a performance, which is comparable to million dollar cars for a fraction of the cost. This is to appeal to a young audience who is financially competent and spends their money in an intelligent manner.

3)    Both car advertisements promote a specific aspect of their car’s performance

a)     The Lincoln advertises an efficient luxury car. 

i)      The ad states that the new MKZ is able to get 41 miles per gallon in the city

ii)    Although the Lincoln brand has been known for its luxury, it is now introducing the concept of fuel efficiency which will draw in the environmentally conscious customers

iii)   The Lincoln, while maintaining its classy style for which it’s known is now able to save customers money on gas because it gets such good gas millage.

b)    The GTR is faster even then its predecessors

i)      In the text of the ad is where the new GTR’s performance shines. The ad describes all the improvements made to the GTR, which make it even faster then the previous three models.

ii)    The time posted inside of the Nürburgring sketch is remarkable especially for a car with a price tag under 100,000. Although it would take previous knowledge of lap times to know this, for anyone who is familiar with the Nürburgring, this is impressive.

iii)   The ad also states that the GTR has been restyled to be more aerodynamic in order to increase the downforce generated while driving. Again this would require a previous knowledge of cars but small details like this matter to true car enthusiast.  

Visual Analysis

 

          The ads that I have chosen to analyze are both car ads, one being for the Lincoln MKZ and the other for the Nissan GTR. They are both found in the July 2011 edition of Automobile magazine. This magazine is intended mostly for men who are interested in cars. In the Lincoln ad, it is a picture of the front of the car in what seems to be a warehouse. The largest print says “NOBODY’S FOOL.” in thin letters across the top of the page above the car. Other text describes how normally the terms “luxury”, “41 city mpg” and “reasonably priced” normally are a contradiction when it comes to discussing cars. The Nissan ad has much more text then the Lincoln ad does. In summary, the text details the improvements made to the car’s engine, the improved performance on a track, and includes Nissan’s motto “Shift_the way you move”. There are also what appear to be sketches of Germany’s Nürburgring and performance charts. These sketches are a reference to the main text at the top, which reads, “We didn’t just go back to the drawing board, we went back to the track.” The reasons that I chose these ads are that I have a strong interest in cars, the Automobile magazine was sitting on my desk, and they were on the front page and back page of the magazine. Though the ads are both for cars, they could not be more different. The Lincoln ad is geared to an older audience that is concerned with style, luxury, efficiency, and reasonable affordability. The GTR ad is aimed at a younger generation of males who are looking for a thrilling car which performs at a high level and can compete with super cars such as Lamborghinis and Ferraris for a fraction of the price. Both ads are most likely aimed towards men, specifically men who are interested in cars enough to buy a magazine such as this. Therefore they are assuming that these men care enough about cars to invest upwards of almost 90,000 dollars in a car such as the GTR. 

American Ads

A) http://www.beercommunity.com/img/corona_ad.jpg 

-In this ad, Corona is claiming that if you consume their product anywhere that you will immediately be as relaxed as you would be on vacation at the beach. 

-The audience of this is anyone who drinks, legally 21 year olds and up but in reality that isn't the only audience. 

B) http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/commercials/2006/11/geico-caveman-airport.jpg

-In this ad, Geico is claiming that their services are so easy to sign up for and become a client of that even the simplest minded people could do it. 

-The audience of this ad is anyone looking for insurance but doesn't want to spend too much time shopping around and comparing prices. 

C) http://www.adamseal.com/Portfolio/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/mcdonalds_finals.jpg

-In this ad, McDonalds is claiming that everyone loves mcdonalds food and you will too. They draw in customers by including coupon offers on the ad. 

-The target audience for this ad, although it may seem to be everyone, is actually adults and teens. Kids cannot buy food because they have not money, they're directed at parents and teens who can purchase the food. 

D) http://style.popcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Kellan-Lutz-Calvin-Klein-Ad-Campaign.jpg

-In this ad, Calvin Klein is implying that if you wear their boxers that you will have a greater sex appeal and look better overall. 

-The target audience is men who want to look better in boxers, and women buying boxers for men.