Thomas Pain once said “[a] long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.” Appearances are the first thing to catch one’s attention. Whether it be a supermodel, a famous photograph, or the unmistakable golden arches: we take notice. The essays written by Judith Ortiz Cofer, Eric Schlosser, and Nora Ephron demonstrate the effect appearances have on individuals and our society undividedly.
In Judith Ortiz Cofer's essay "The Story of My Body," she shares her struggle with appearance and self-esteem. Ms. Cofer admits her definitions of appearance changed when she relocated to the United States at age eight. She states "I was born a white girl in Puerto Rico, but became a brown girl when I came to live in the United States" (Cofer 323). For instance, Cofer is identified as a palm blanca in Puerto Rico and as a colored girl during her first encounter of color prejudice. In addition to her cultural dispute with appearance, Ms. Cofer displays an internal dispute with her appearance in size. At age twelve standing five-feet tall, Ms. Cofer was viewed by her family as a tall young woman in comparison to her mother who was no taller than four-foot-eleven. Her mother exemplified this by saying “”[s]ince you are so tall, this dress will look good on you”" (Cofer 326). Her classmates at her New Jersey public school viewed her appearance very differently. Ms. Cofer was perceived as the "4F, skinny, short, bespectacled" (Cofer 326) kid on the playground impervious to competition; whereas her true competition lay in the classroom. Appearance is what creates an initial attraction to one’s significant other; for example, Cofer describes her first crush, Ted, whom she describes as "pretty with yellow ...
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... photographic coverage of events must be published regardless of the subject, simply because the events took place. The author states " That's why photojournalism is often more powerful than written journalism" (Ephron 438), emphasizing that censorship harms the purity of death and that interpretation and judgment must be left to the reader. Ms. Ephron establishes, appearances are memorable and powerful. Society’s views always fluctuate, as they are allowed, and censorship is a major threat the right to form our own opinions.
An initial reaction can be everlasting. This is why it is believed that appearance and first impressions are most important. Although, understanding what we see versus what we get is vital. It is imperative to venture past first appearances and impressions; sometimes there lies honesty or deceit. Appearances are not always what they seem.
While Ephron argued that photos of death and war should be published just because it happened, but those photos do have some purpose. They are to preserve history, accurately record events, and be able to convey strong messages to readers. Photojournalism should be able to open minds of readers because the stories do not necessarily have to be told in a picture. Stories of war and death must be respected and honored, so these kinds of stories should not be unmentioned nor censored. They should be remembered. Also, photojournalism should not be abused in any sort to keep the integrity of the stories being captured. Ephron had said, “photojournalism is often more powerful than written journalism,” because it can cause a quicker response. Photojournalism is not only a piece of news, but it is also art. Works of art have the right to be expressed and shown to the
Americans sometimes have trouble making first impressions.Although many factors can affect someone's first impression, Statistic show that 55 percent of first impressions is actually about appearance and body language. Which means depending on how someones day is going can potentially affect their first impression.How people first present themselves the first time they meet can change they way someone may view their character.
According to Ephron, “…the day the Boston photographs appeared, The Washington Post received over seventy calls in protest” (319). For that many people to pick up the phone and call, it shows that there was a justifiable reason for that to happen. The Post’s Charles Seib, the ombudsman at the time, while he was being interviewed, stated about the photographs: “They dramatically conveyed something that had happened, and that is the business we’re in. They were news…” (319). And the question remains, then: What should be or needs to be censored, if anything, from the public, especially when it deals with news? By the end, Nora Ephron agrees with their publication and the reasons for why they were printed instead of being censored for the public. I agree with her and believe that we must find out about tragedy if it happens, and it does in the world. Though it is unnecessary to have every news story be something tragic, those that are tragic also have their place in the news, and ar...
An image has the explicit power of telling a story without saying any words, that’s the power behind a photo. A photo tends to comes with many sides to a story, it has the ability to manipulate and tell something differently. There is a tendency in America, where explicit photos of war or anything gruesome occurring in the world are censored for the public view. This censorship hides the reality of our world. In “The War Photo No One Would Publish” Torie DeGhett centers her argument on censorship, detailing the account of graphic Gulf War photo the American press refused to publish. (73) DeGhett argues that the American public shouldn’t be restrained from viewing graphic content of the war occurring around the world. She believes that incomplete
Throughout time, society has shaped our attitudes about appearances, making it perfectly normal and even encouraged, to be five feet ten inches and 95 pounds. People have felt trapped by this ideal. Society has made these beauty standards unattainable, therefore making it self defeating. This is evident in A Doll’s House, where the main character, Nora, feels trapped by Torvald and society’s standard of beauty. The ideal appearance that is prevalent in society is also apparent in the novel, The Samurai’s Garden, where Sachi is embarrassed of the condition of her skin due to leprosy and the stigmas associated with the disease.
In our society, appearance and its importance might not look like a problem because of how much it is present in our lives and how it has been presented to us but it is important because we face problems like bullying at every level from child to adult and lower self-esteem that are highly correlated to suicide. The problems that we face today related to appearances are important so this topic deserve attention. Because it affects children, parents, models, teenagers and everybody, we s...
Nowadays, the media uses bias, distortion, and censorship as a way to manipulate public opinion. Censorship alone is becoming a huge issue due to technological advances. What would have been censored ten years ago, may not be censored today and if it were still censored there would be a way to find it on the internet. In a blog post by University of Central Florida student Diara Cornish titled Media Censorship, Now and Then discusses censorship within media and the effect that media has on children of this technological era. As time goes on censorship along with media has evolved, however; we still come across issues with what should be censored and what should not be. In the source titled “The War Photo No One Would Publish”, by Tori Rose DeGhett we come to understand that censorship guidelines may actually be hiding valuable information from the public. Censorship came about as a way to shield those who are vulnerable from something that may cause them trauma, but this in turn only dulls and hinders the development of an emotional understanding. Guidelines
In the essay “What Meets the Eye”, Daniel Akst explains scientific facts about the beauty of men and women matters to people. He argues that attractive individuals receive attention, great social status, marries, and gets paid more on a job. One can disagree with Akst’s argument because anyone with the skills and knowledge, despite the appearance, can gain a decent relationship and can get paid well. Akst looks at beauty as if it can lead individuals to an amazing and successful life, but he is wrong. Nancy Mairs’ and Alice Walker’s views on beauty are explained internally and through self-confidence. Both women’s and Akst’s arguments on beauty share some similarities and differences in many ways, and an
Newton, Julianne H. The Burden of Visual Truth: The Role of Photojournalism in Mediating Reality. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001. Print.
First impressions are created by a composite of signals given off by a new experience (Flora, 2004). The judgment of these impressions depends on the observer and the person being observed (Flora, 2004). When you meet someone for the first time it takes about three seconds to be evaluated by the observer (Mind Tools, 1996-2011,). During this time the person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanor, and how you dress (Mind Tools, 2996-2011,). Impressions are important to us because they are impossible to be reserved and the set the tone for all the relationships that follow (Mind Tools, 1996-2011).
To begin, how people view one's appearance can determine where they are ranked in the world. Trends start and end every season, and as soon as one person can no longer keep up with the trends, people start judging and unaccepting them. In the story “The Doll’s House” by Katherine Mansfield, it
It is heard throughout all of the elementary school classrooms, recited by teachers and parents alike. “Don’t judge a book by its cover” they say. However, most people chanting off that age-old saying fail to admit that they do, “judge a book by its cover” more than they recognize. And for the most part, first impressions can scream volumes about a person’s character and values. Some people choose not to conform to societal standards of appearance, and like to express themselves through physical means like tattoos, piercings, and crazy hair colors. Others choose to conform to society’s standards, relying on other modes of self-expression to stay true to themselves.
I’ve always heard you never get a second chance to make first impression and, beauty is only skin deep. I will review and explore two literary stories, the authors and the times they were written in, to unravel their perversion of vanity; and how obsessive vanity can cause a person to have a distorted view on priorities. And finally, a comparison of how the viewpoints are similar. Briefly, I will state what most people over look, and that is, appearances are not the most important thing. You can appear well off, and not have much substance at all.
People pay too much attention to appearance, it is important in some situations and the general population seems to put more of their focus on how good someone looks or what the newest trends are, instead of concentrating on greater issues at hand, which are often not discussed. For instance, there are problems with our health care system but many people have a greater knowledge of what is going on with the death of Michael Jackson. In our society where image and presentation is everything, it is impossible not to care about our appearance. We find ways to beautify ourselves, such as not eating properly which leads to anor...
Finally, as you can see, first impressions do have a great affect on people who meet you. They are the base of all relationships. First impressions are very important socially, educationally, and employment wise. Impressions on people usually last forever. Although people have second impressions, the first ones are very important.