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The Big Bang Theory's Identification and the "Autonomous"

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The Big Bang Theory's Identification and the "Autonomous"

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A Kenneth Burke quote from the Field Guide to Rhetorical Animals: The Zine states, "The shepherd, qua shepherd, acts for the good of the sheep, to protect them from discomfiture and harm. But he may be 'identified' with a project that is raising the sheep for market."

While Howard and Leonard (the two scientists in the scene; and Sheldon who's not in this scene) are developing a new guidance system for personal gain (money, scientific standing) and for the progress of science, their "autonomous" actions are inseparable from the broader systems of war.

It's crucial to consider how our seemingly individual and autonomous actions function within broader systems of human action. As Raven explains, "understanding how ... seemingly distinct roles are embedded in these larger systems helps us judge whether actions are just or unjust." In other words, continuously critiquing our individual actions and how they may play out in larger systems of action appears to be a really important strategy that we all need to practice.

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Big Bang Theory's Identification and the "Autonomous"

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Artown: A Gathering of Symbol-Using Humans

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Artown: A Gathering of Symbol-Using Humans

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I saw a youth theatre production today, and one monologue really spoke to me: “I wish I were a star. Stars have meaning. If I were part of a constellation, I wouldn’t be so alone.”

In their field guide, Hunter and Dannies remind us that we can better understand human motivations if we observe how they use symbols. Today I watched meaning-making in action, and I saw how people use symbols to connect with one another. Perhaps one antidote to these times is honoring our collective desire to belong. What small opportunities can we create for someone to join our constellation?

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Much like the trout becomes flustered when faced with unfamiliar food, Grampa here is struggling to adjust his orientation to an ever evolving culture that he feels is leaving him behind. Many of us, I suspect, are seeing a similar crisis of orientation occurring for the adults in our lives.

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Tragic and Comic Frames in Love Island USA Season 8

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Tragic and Comic Frames in Love Island USA Season 8

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While there are many rhetorical things happening in this show, the thing that sticks out most to me is the tragic and comic frames from the story with the Goat and Fox.

The discourse on the way certain islanders "play the game" is either villainized or not depending on how they conduct themselves on this reality dating show and how viewers react to it. While arguably all are playing the game, the viewers, and other islanders, have their own view of how things should happen and how others are perceived due to their actions within this small social bubble of the show.

The editing and production of the show itself, the clips that might be taken out of context, for example, also play a role in how we frame and perceive these people.

Some are villainized, others are pitied, and drama ensues, but how will the public react to these people now that the show is over and real life enters the chat again. (Example: OG contestant Sincere being nicknamed "Sinister" on the internet during his time on the show)

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Fruits Basket (/Literature) as Equipment for Living

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Fruits Basket (/Literature) as Equipment for Living

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In his essay, "Literature as Equipment for Living," Kenneth Burke proposes that works of art provide "strategies" or "attitudes" for "dealing with situations." In other words, when we read or watch media, we're presented with a variety of different strategies for handling (or attitudes toward) the common situations we encounter in our daily lives. What Burke's asking us to do is to analyze patterns among the strategies represented in media to choose the best strategy for a given situation (and to better understand why some strategies are so common in social life).

In this clip from the anime series Fruits Basket, Shigure plays a comic relief character whose role is to lighten a dark situation. In other words, Shigure uses the strategy/attitude of humor to address the serious situation the characters are currently dealing with. This presents the audience with a potential strategy to use when dealing with similar situations in daily life: Joking to lighten the mood. However, the clip takes this a step further with the character Hatori critiquing Shigure's strategy by asking him to consider the "situation and audience." This responds directly to Burke's invitation to develop a strategy for selecting the best strategy for a particular situation. In other words, Hatori's critique invites us to consider whether humor is an appropriate strategy for dealing with any serious situation (while also inviting us to consider the rhetorical situation when we're choosing a strategy!).

So, how do we use this? Media provides us with a variety of strategies for dealing with a variety of situations, and some of these strategies are better than others. For example, responding to an insult with violence vs. a more cooperative strategy. In other words, media can inspire us to be our best selves and to better navigate the world around us, we just need to accumulate a range of strategies and develop a strategy for choosing which one is best for a given situation (while being prepared to address critiques when people disagrees with our choices).

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The Five Dogs of Meaning (maybe) participate in the Norwegian Row. 

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The Five Dogs of Meaning (maybe) participate in the Norwegian Row. 

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How should we interpret what matters when it comes to the Norwegian Row? Can it still be a nod to the country's history and culture even if it is not historically accurate? Is the row capturing something accurate about history that has nothing to do with trans-Atlantic transportation?

I'm pulling the Tautological and Lexical dogs of meaning off of the bench to think these questions through. I see our viral fan as looking at the row through the lens of the lexical dog. He is focused on the "dictionary definition" of how Norwegians crossed the Atlantic. Meanwhile, Norway fans are adopting the row under the influence of the tautological dog, capturing the Viking spirit of Norway through the symbolic "Norway-ness" of the Viking Longship.

It seems like both sides of this feel connected to their history but are using that connection to express their identity through different means.

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What to Post?

Please use this space to post notes, quotes, memes, images, etc. that offer examples of the rhetorical concepts in your copy of the "Field Guide to Rhetorical Animals" or other rhetorical concepts that you observe in action at the Rhetoric in a Precarious World. Moving Forward with and from Kenneth Burke conference and beyond. Also, please briefly explain your post to help others identify similar phenomena and discover their own.

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