McCloud and Berger

Before You Read (McCloud) :

Some Children use stick figures when drawing pictures of themselves because stick they are very simple. They are also very easy to draw and don't involve detail. I think that drawing of stick figures show development of children to his own self awareness because children are very innocent and don't know much. They don't go into much detail, just like a stick figure. A stick figure is very plain and simple just like children are. They get more into detail with their drawings when they grow up and learn more.

Summary:

In McCloud's "Vocabulary of Comics" he explains that humans like comics because they help us focus on the main idea. Also, McCloud talks about how humans are able to convert shapes into faces because  we are a self-centered race. Masks also play a role in our lives because we al have one. We tell our mask how we want to appear to others. McCloud's audience would be students or anyone reading about visuals.


QD
2.  McCloud uses the comic book format to convey his ideas to the reader because it made the reading more interesting and it made the reader focus on the message, not the messenger. Using a cartoon lets the readers be able to relate to what they are reading and actually become it. It engages the readers and lets the readers connect to the message the author is trying to convey.

AE 
1. I believe that more teaching strategies should contain visual imagery. Visual imagery can help people who comprehend what they are reading by looking at images. Images can help the reader to interpret the main idea and focus of the reading. The lesson I think you can benefit from it is a science because sometimes science lessons can be very confusing, but if you draw a diagram or picture with the lesson students would better understand and remember what they were taught.

4. McCloud’s concept of the mask affects your perception of yourself and your perception of others because your mask lets other people see who you are as a person and show emotions. You can also tell what another person is like by looking at their mask.

Synthesis of McCloud and Berger:
McCloud's article on "Vocabulary of Comics" is similar to Berger's "Ways of Reading" because they both relate to how visual imagery can help explain the main focus of something. Using visual images makes reading more interesting and engages the readers. Berger's article focuses more on the image of women, but they both deal with how people perceive others. The audience of these two readings are people who have ever engaged in a conversation or who have ever looked at another person before. Their audience can also be students learning about visuals.



Before You Read (Berger) :

 kim-kardashian.jpg

The male in the picture is a famous actor, Channing Tatum. He is depicted as being strong, muscular, and good looking. He has nice clothes and many women think that he is very attractive. Kim Kardashian is depicted as being vert pretty, having a nice body, flawless skin and hair. Many people want to be like the celebrities they see in magazines and the media. People want to feel as beautiful and handsome as these celebrities.

Summary: 

In Berger's article "Ways of Seeing", he explains how women are seen by men and how men have always dominated women. The image of women has always been seen as sexual objects and it is still like that today.

QD 2:

Images of posed women in advertising or other pop culture are seen in magazines and advertisement. The images in advertising of girls are usually not nude like the images discussed by Berger. The women in advertising are skinner than the nude girls in the paintings and usually just show off some parts of their body. The portrayals of women in visual media has definitely changed. Women are seen more for their bodies and not for who they really are. Women are more sexualized and need to look a certain way to be accepted by society.

QD 3:

These assumptions about culture are not any different than when the article was published. Women are still seen for their manners, attire, and surroundings. Men are seen as powerful still. However, this is changing and men and women are starting to have equal power, especially in the work field.

AE 3:

How a woman is position greatly affects the way people view her. Modern day images of women are usually in sexual positions to draw attention to the person looking at the picture. They make it appealing to women to want to be like the girl in the photo and they draw sexual attention to men who are looking at the photo.

MM:
It is important to read articles on nudity and self image because it is constantly in the media and part of our culture. People are always trying to change their image to fit in with society and don't want to be seen as an outcast.

Thoughts:

I enjoyed both of these reading assignment. This has been one of my favorites so far because I am a visual learner and the pictures in the comics made it easier for me to comprehend the reading. Also, I liked learning about how important visuals are and how they can make a big impact and statement on an issue.