La femme au boa noir

I chose to adress this particular painting because I like the colors used in it and also the lady in it looks kind of evil. She has a wild glint in her eye. She looks like she's up to something, like she just got away with murder or something, and she plans to do it again. This is probably not at all what the artist was going for, but it's what I like to think. Also, she looks dressed up like she's going to a ball or something. I am sure there is a deeper purpose to this piece, but not having known the artist, and not being an art critic, I can't really say what it is beyond showing a woman all dressed up for a party. The intended audience for this would probably be more upper class people, as they could relate to this kind of dress and lifestyle. Obviously the genre is a painting, and this one doesn't look particularly happy or sad or dark or emotional. As for the stance, the woman herself seems to have a stance of her own, and that is that she is in charge and no one had better get in her way. The design of this painting uses mostly cool colors, like greens and blues and purples. It was not meant to be lively and flamboyant, but judging by the woman's stance and expression, it was also not meant to be subdued and sluggish. The lack of background allows for the viewers to create their own scenarios about what is really going on here. Also, the woman kind of looks like Michelle Pfeiffer.

No TV

If all the TVs in America were unplugged, I think that kids would be better off. Don't get me wrong, I like to watch a little bit of TV, like the Simpsons, and I love to watch movies. But some people just take it too far. Many people I know do absolutely nothing but play videogames in their free time, often times for six or more hours a day. Some people I know just sit and watch TV shows they don't even like, because there's nothing else on and they can't seem to find anything else to do. I think people would definately be healthier without TV, both mentally and physically. There would certainly be lower obesity rates, and people might just start to think for themselves. Some TV can be good though. Some shows can actually educate and enlighten us, like on the history channel, and some shows are just quality entertainment, like Tom and Jerry or the Simpsons. But many shows, like reality shows or Family Guy, are just plain crap and rot peoples' minds and should never be watched by anyone for any reason. Ever. Actually, most TV is crap. Movies are the way to go. Or the Simpsons.

The Power of Ads

Advertisements have tremendous power over the millions of people who are exposed to them daily. Many people do not realize that the catchy theme songs, hot supermodels, and memorable slogans really do influence their decision to buy a product. It is easy enough to tune these ads out as you walk down the street or turn down the volume and ignore the commercials, but you can never totally get away from them. Even if you just glance at an ad, or read one and think, "Wow, this ad is stupid," you still gave the ad half a moment's notice, and that's what the advertisers want. That's all it takes to get an ad stuck in your head, and once it's there, there's no getting rid of it. Be it through sex appeal, sleek logos, or just big words and bright colors, advertisers are constantly coming up with new ways to make their ads more memorable. One interesting advertising method is humor. Have no doubt that people will always remember a commercial that made them laugh, and by default they will remember what the commercial was advertising, and be more inclined to buy it. Needless to say, there is no power like the power of advertising.