Sunday, February 22, 2015

Close Friendships

“Brian Griffin Is Back!!!”
Source: YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ6nxvadxqc&spfreload=10

In this short clip, Stewie and Brian are going outside to play a game. When Stewie forgets to bring something, he goes back inside the house to retrieve it. While Stewie was inside, Brian was setting up a net on the street. Suddenly, a speeding car came out of nowhere and was about to hit Brian. Luckily, Stewie from the future was there to rescue him because Stewie’s life would be completely different if that car “again” hit Brian. After this event, the clip changes to Christmas day. Brian gives Stewie a picture of both of them together because they are friends. Brian gave Stewie the picture because future Stewie had saved his life. Stewie claims that Brian is showing weird signs of homosexuality towards him.

            In this clip, the friendship between Brian and Stewie is ridiculed through the use of exaggeration. During the entire clip, we witness how much Brian and Stewie care about each other. Future Stewie traveled back in time to rescue his best friends because he could not imagine himself happy without Brian. However, at the end of the clip, when Brian is sharing his compassion for Stewie and their friendship, Stewie begins to think Brian is homosexual. Stewie wonders why Brian is acting weird and wants him to stop because Stewie does not want to be intimate with his dog. The use of satire is effective because it shows the importance of friendship and later ridicules it. This clip symbolized friendship, but because the clip did not want to bore viewers, the clip presented friendship and added homosexuality into it to entertain viewers.

Earth vs. HD 904790 b

“Astronomers Discover New Planet That Really Makes Earth Look Like Dung”
Source: The Onion
http://www.theonion.com/articles/astronomers-discover-new-planet-that-really-makes,37986/

NASA announced that it had discovered a new planet, named HD 904790 b, that has all of Earth’s resources, but the planet is much better compared to Earth due to its larger size, clean surface, verdant landforms, and abundance of natural resources. This new planet has a complex system of rings orbiting it, zero tectonic plate activity, fresher water, and an atmosphere free of methane and other toxic gases. HD 904790 b rotates on a perfect axis, which keeps the surface temperature at seventy-five degree Fahrenheit and allows for a constant five mile per hour breeze. NASA concluded that this new planet has more than Earth has to offer. NASA astronomers calculated that it would about 300,000 years to reach the new planet, but the journey is worth a chance.

            This article uses the satirical technique of exaggeration to ridicule the Earth. The article continues to ridicule the Earth claiming that it is worthless planet without any special qualities. The Earth is compared to an ideal planet, which is obviously better. However, this does not mean the Earth is a baron piece of rock with nothing special about it. In addition, NASA astronomers continue referring to Earth as “that.” This signifies that they believe the Earth is a useless planet people were forced to live on. The article uses strong language to put down the Earth claiming that people should consider living on the new planet or any other planet besides the one we are currently living on. The Earth is compared to a “piece of garbage” or it is considered “worthless” because it does not possess the same qualities as a planet many light years away.