One day, scrolling through my Facebook feed, I came across one of my friends using the term “clout” in their post. It was something along the lines of: “I’m just doin’ it for the clout” or “I’ll only f*ck with him if he has that clout”. To be frankly honest, I had no idea what the heck it meant. At that time, I didn’t really care what it meant either and scrolled past it anyway.

A few days later my family and I planned to go out to eat, so in fashion I did my makeup and hair for the dinner. I ended up posting a selfie to my snapchat story because I was feeling confident after beautifying myself. One of my friends replied back, “I see you. Getting that clout”. Thank God for high school English classes because I used what I learned about context clues to decipher that clout meant attention. I didn’t really want to admit to my friend that I didn’t know what it meant, so I ended up researching it myself. I don’t understand my own generation most of the time and admitting I didn’t understand a term they used would alienate me or make me sound ignorant.

After researching the term “clout”, I discovered the image above depicting the evolution of “hipster glasses” resulting in glasses called “clout goggles”. Now I was seriously confused because to my recently absorbed knowledge, clout was used like a noun. It seemed like a synonym for “attention”. I’ve discovered that clout could also be an adjective. After googling clout goggles, I observed that a lot of famous rappers wore these specific glasses in music videos such as Playboi Carti, Lil Pump, Lil Yachty, and Denzel Curry. But these glasses aren’t catered toward rappers only. Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, was photographed wearing clout goggles in the ’90’s before clout came to be a word. Now clout goggles are high in demand today, thanks to celebrity influence and advertisement within the rap scene. In this frame of reference, clout could be synonymous to attractiveness and coolness. They might make the wearer feel smooth and confident. They’re a major staple in today’s generation that may eventually fade away quietly like many fads do. 

Ty Dolla $ign is yet another rapper who popularized the term “clout” by using it to title one of his songs. You can check it out here. The song, featuring rapper 21 Savage, has a recurring theme about women wanting the fame associated with Ty Dolla $ign. Some of the lyrics include “Smash for the clout. Dash I’m out.” In this instance, “clout” is synonymous with fame, fortune, and power. The man is a successful rapper with money and influence over his fans through his lyrics. He’s rapping about a woman having sex with him for the fame and leaving after she gets what she wants. She isn’t necessarily having sex with him because shes likes him, but because she hopes to be publicized and made famous for sleeping with him. Basically so she can brag about it. This meaning is logical when compared to Urban Dictionary’s definition. According to the site notoriously known for slang meanings, “clout” is defined as being famous and having influence. It can also mean respect, power, money, and style.

I finally know what clout means, thanks to social media and Google search engine. However, I’ve only been exposed to this terminology being used by people aged 20-35. I decided to ask my 16 year old brother what “clout” meant to him. His response: “I think it has to do more with bragging mixed in with what influence you have on other people. It can mean a variety of things in every day culture because it doesn’t have a set definition.” I think he explained it as accurately as I would have.

After writing this blog post, I’ve come to fully understand what the term “clout” means. It can be used as an adjective to describe something you think is dope or popular. It can be used as a noun to translate into fame and power. It can also mean that you have/want money. Clout also describes a specific pair of goggles that indicate owners are famous, rich, or influential. However, there’s no set definition of what clout truly means. This means clout can be virtually anything, but it’s most often used in the previous contexts. If it weren’t for social media/the internet and replication through memes, music, and word of mouth, I don’t think any of us would know what clout ever was.

After reading “The Role of Perception in Communication”, I’m left with a better understanding of how humans perceive new and preexisting information. According to the article, perception by definition is the process in which we interpret sensory data. In layman’s terms, I can feel confident in my perception that the sky is blue because I see the color with my own eyes. In this situation, I’m using my sense of sight to frame my perception for this collected data.

In the reading, the author explains that selective perception leads to mixed interpretation when decoding the same message. According to the author, a communicator cannot assume their message will be received as intended. The author also implores that perception is largely framed by experience. For example, a sexual education expert may lecture two groups of people. His statement is: “Unprotected sex can lead to pregnancy”. Let’s say the first group consists of high school aged students and the second being young couples in a fertility clinic. The first group might decode this message and interpret it as a warning. They might think “Unprotected sex= baby. Baby= responsibility, costly, life changing”. From my observations and experience, many high school adolescents also live naively. They might be wearing a cloak of invincibility and think it could never happen to them. For those who don’t see it as a warning/causation, they might brush it off as “whatever”. The second group might decode this message as being obvious, but misguiding. Due to their experiences in reproduction, their attempts weren’t as successful in fulfilling the expert’s statement. Maybe some of the couples cannot get pregnant due to a medical reason, so this statement wouldn’t necessarily be applicable to them. Maybe to couples who are losing hope on becoming pregnant after failed attempts, this statement could be triggering. Often times, selective perception can occur due to environmental/social experiences.

In the reading, the author provides a real life example where mood affected perception in hypnotherapy. He refers to an experiment performed by hypnotists where they analyzed the subjects’ reaction to images when influenced by different moods. From those findings, we can concur that a happy mood results in a much more “positive” perception compared to a critical mood resulting in a “negative” one. The study of mental illness has proven the validity of these results. In the case of bipolar disorder, sufferers go through rapid mood changes such as mania and depression. It’s safe to say that as their mood fluctuates, so does their perception. It’s very probable that someone experiencing a manic episode may feel happy, even elated. They might feel “on top of the world” and take on many tasks at one time, jumping from one thing to the next. Their perception might be heightened, as many report their senses being sensitized. Therefore resulting in more sensory information processing through the brain. In contrast, someone experiencing a depressive episode may feel “down in the dumps”. They might lack the motivation to perform daily tasks and feel extreme sadness. Many report feeling disconnected from the world around them with lower degrees of sensory processing. Thus resulting in a more dulled perception to existence.

Subliminal advertising is another way perception can be altered on a mass scale.

It’s hard to go through your years without hearing the infamous “sex sells.” line. Unless you’ve went complete hermit mode, in which case I couldn’t blame you for it anyway, then you’re familiar with the phrase. Companies use subliminal perception to their advantage by giving the audience something to react to before they are consciously aware of what their brain is processing. In the above advertisement by Burger King, a sexual innuendo is obviously illustrated for “shock value”. We can even argue that the company is targeting men specifically, due to a societal perception (and often misconception) that men are driven by lust and carnal desires. At this point, we can say it’s a cultural expectation. By appealing to their vice, the company hopes to draw in business for their burger joint. Even if the image is distasteful in one’s perception, if they use it for a class assignment (like I am now), or show a friend, then the company succeeded in generating a wider audience. This further affects perception subliminally.

At the end of the day, we can argue that perception stems from all sorts of sources based on: assumptions, socioeconomic status, cultural expectations, needs, moods, attitudes, experiences, etc. In my personal opinion, I believe subliminal messages, mood, and life experiences are the driving forces in forming our perception. The government controls what we see and what we hear in the media, so they can subliminally mold our collective perception and create docile sheep. If our mood is unwell, then our thoughts will be a result of it. Our thoughts largely dictate our perception. Life experiences have conditioned us into believing what we know and often makes us weary of what we don’t know. This can make it hard for us to integrate contradicting perceptions into our own, much like cognitive dissonance.

The white, powdery sliver of chalk danced across the dark green ballroom. With every curve in every letter, the chalk left a trail of dust across my palms, marking it’s territory. Branding me, as if it finally found its way home after a long departure. To my elation, I welcomed its arrival. At least in this carnation.

The year is 2004 and I’m instructing my eager pupil on the language that is cursive writing. I painted loops across my very first chalkboard, demonstrating the curves and waves that came with cursive. Much like the sea, kissing the shore briefly before leaving again, only to come back for more. At the age of 7, I hardly knew cursive myself, but I was thrilled to teach my new pupil. My pupil who was barely graduating from drooling in his diapers. The simplicity of this time is what made this moment one of my fondest childhood memories. We often played “school”. I remember being eager to run home from elementary and share all of my lessons with my baby brother. Simplicity. Innocent curiosity. Naivety. The days before I would learn what the real world included: violence, loss, betrayal, hardship.

During my early years of life, I expressed myself in every way I could imagine. I finger painted, drew with crayons on the wall, danced, and sang. Subsequently,  I would learn how to paiper mache, apply acrylic to canvas, and twirl to ballet. During those years, I discovered my love for writing.

I won my first literary award in kindergarten. I vaguely remember my teacher reading Aesop’s fables to the class. For those that may not know, Aesop was a storyteller and slave that existed during the ancient Greek era. He often utilized animals in his stories to spread a message, often covering religious, political, and social themes. As a child, I was unaware of the perspectives he subtly informed upon. I just knew I thoroughly enjoyed his use of animal characters to spread morality and righteousness. This adoration spawned my own creative writing, where I also conjured up themes and characters of my own. I shared them with my teacher at the time, who started entering my pieces in the Hartford Country Fair, a fair held in my small countryside. To this day, my mom kept every work I had written and every ribbon I had won.

Fast forward a couple years, I found myself wallowing in a deep depression. I sat across from her, antsy on the stereotypical couch, soothing the ripples across my jean clad thigh. Usually I’d zone out, only to zone back in to gaze at the analog clock menacing me from the wall behind…. 3:45. She encouraged me to write, said it would help sort out the trauma I had been through. Little did she know, I was once in love with just that. But these days, I was stuck like a train stalling in its tracks. Every self scrutinizing doubt told me I was imperfectly flawed. My writing would be meaningless. What would I even write about? Years of academia stifled the creative child in me, grades determined my worth, and it was the only thing I could control. Especially after being out of control. 105% was perfect, a 90% far from it.

I developed an unhealthy obsession striving for perfection, falling short every time.

Taking my therapist’s recommendation into consideration, I decided to write one night. The funny thing is, it worked. I’m not going to lie and say it was easy. It actually took an extremely conscious effort to kill the doubts. I had been in a terrible accident and fear mongered my soul. But I just brushed myself off, and taught myself how to ride a bike again. Specifically, how to write again. I discovered a passion for poetry; a free form where my metaphors weren’t easily understood. I could be illusive, yet painfully raw with my emotions and my story. Through writing, I could read into my own subconscious. The dark parts and the light. I could finally do the soul work I needed to get to where I am today.

Today, I am a college student majoring in psychology, ironically. But that’s not all that I am anymore. Grades still stress me out, but they no longer define

me. My past doesn’t control me, because I’m rewriting MY story. I might be imperfect, but I know that perfection is unattainable and nonexistent. I was no longer drowning. I swam myself to shore and kissed the sand between my toes, grateful for every pit stop that life let me off. The dark parts and the light. Writing has helped me express what it was like living with and hiding my post traumatic stress disorder for years. I write every moment that I get. I actually carry at least one notebook on me at all times, jotting down every thought that strikes. My stories might not be about talking animals anymore, but they express the realities of this world people often turn a blind eye to. The beaten, the damned. The cherished, and the living. However, I’ll always learn the most through the minds and scriptures of others.

If you’re ever having a hard time writing, know that we’ve all been there. It won’t be perfect, quite the opposite, it’s rather messy. Throw out your ego and live only in Self. Presently. Don’t let the fear of failure keep you from experiencing nirvana. All you have to do is touch pen to paper and make your first mark.

“The best advice I’ve ever received is, ‘No one else knows what they’re doing either.” – Ricky Gervais

Do I only know what I see because I know? Is my perception a preconceived notion, or a result of spontaneous visual processing? What do you think?

John Berger elicits these burning questions in “Ways of Seeing”, a testimony to perception and how image replications translate into meaning (or lack thereof).

A quick recap for those unfamiliar with the BBC television series:

John Berger touches upon the idea that human perception is based upon one’s preexisting knowledge and beliefs. He uses the Middle Age era as an example of biblical influence, where humans associated flames with Hell. Today, this meaning has translated across decades, due to this metaphor having been replicated in movies, paintings, photographs, and other forms of various media. Berger points out that dialogue translates perception as well, since dialogue is revealing how we see to discover how someone else sees. Berger’s neutrality is replaced when his stance takes a turn and indicates his belief that an image’s uniqueness is destroyed upon replication.

My take: The replication of images can breed a multitude of perceptions, without always translating meaning. An image alone cannot always tell the full story, despite the famous saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” So in my opinion, I do agree to an extent with what Berger imposes. Meaning is lost in translation.

The photograph on the right depicts beauty mogul Marilyn Monroe in a burlap potato sack.

Why is she in a potato sack anyway?

Could it be a comedic stunt imposed by her agent to promote a new clothing line? Maybe it’s branding for her next rising romcom. Having not been from that era, maybe that’s just what fashion was back then and this photo is totally “normal”.

As you can see, without a story, this image makes no sense.

This photo was actually taken after Monroe was criticized by a female newspaper columnist for wearing a low-cut red dress to a Beverly Hills party. The columnist’s perception of Monroe was that she looked “vulgar” and “cheap”, stating Monroe would “look better” in a potato sack.

Rather than spreading female empowerment, the columnist chose to tear down her fellow sex in a passion of jealousy. Without this story, Monroe’s voice would be washed down and forgotten. Although this photo was publicized to prove the beauty mogul is beautiful in any ‘fit, it actually represents a pivotal moment in the divine feminine; a woman is beautiful in her grace, and not just in her appearance. Many might have brushed off this image, not giving a second thought to meaning, since Monroe was notoriously known as a “sex symbol”. But this photo represents so much more than sexuality. It was just the beginning of the Feminist Movement.

In “Ways of Seeing”, Berger makes a reference to artists’ perceptions:

                Artists represent their way of seeing, and we interpret it into ours.

The photographer for the above image of Monroe, was an artist representing multiple perceptions. We can argue that maybe she is sexualizing a mundane, every day household food item for publicity. Knowing the back story, we can also argue that the photo was taken to ostracize and publicly humiliate the columnist. Or the photo merely represents a woman stepping into her femininity by taking a stride away from conventional beliefs of beauty.

Ultimately, we interpret the image into our own scope of perception.

“They Say, I Say” is a book written by authors Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein that is utilized by high school and college students alike for academic writing. However, this is a good read for new and established writers alike, as it highlights the importance of integrating external sources into one’s own writing.

Part one of the book is titled, “They Say”, and is split up into three sub-chapters, focusing on summarizing and quoting the ideas of others.

PART 1. “THEY SAY”

“They Say”: Starting with What Others Are Saying

Graff and Birkenstein open this section by implementing an anecdote, a real life amusing experience, to demonstrate to readers the importance of providing external sources to SUPPORT one’s thesis. The authors explain that it’s not enough just to cite sources, one must provide the “SO WHAT” factor. Why is the information shared pertinent to an argument/speech? More importantly, Graff and Birkenstein point out that by introducing oppositional perspectives to one’s claim, persuasion can be strengthened toward the audience. If the audience is unaware of counterclaims to an argument, they might not understand the reasoning behind the argument in the first place. The authors elaborate on this point by using the readers’ common knowledge of cause and effect. Because of one thing, another follows… so on and so forth. The authors’ goal is to demonstrate an argument is formed and defended only after criticism is received on the subject. Graff and Birkenstein proceed with templates illustrating the ways a writer may integrate what “they say”(critics), to establish the writer’s own counterclaims akin to debates. Overall, the authors encourage writers to keep reminding the audience how their own response contrasts in accordance to opposing claims.

What I learned: I learned that using different perspectives can help me address questions my audience might have in regards to my arguments. Previously, I didn’t recognize how useful this tool would be in persuasive writing. If I can persuade my audience away from THOSE perspectives, I have better chance of persuading them to see MY own.

“Her Point Is”: The Art of Summarizing

Graff and Birkenstein introduce their next topic on summaries by explaining how summarizing too little and too much can both affect a writer’s work. When summarizing too much, the reader may be left wondering where the writer’s standpoint is and why the summary was given in the first place. Where is the writer’s voice? When summarizing too little, the reader may be lacking basic knowledge that may help them with inference and picking a stand. Why should the reader care and listen? The authors urge writers to strike a balance when summarizing, enough to give perspective, but not so much that their voice gets lost among the masses. Although stream of consciousness is especially helpful in independent writing, the authors urge writers to “put yourself in the shoes of someone else”. Graff and Birkenstein advise writers to link specific summaries to support one’s argument. The key is to integrate the summary in a way that helps the reader shape the basis of one’s argument, and then transition to the catharsis (AHA!) moment of the writer’s concerns. This is where the authors link “They say” to “I say”, as the title suggests.

What I learned: Summaries aren’t necessarily BAD to use in our academic writing, as some of us have been conditioned to believe. This section is extremely useful in breaking that stigma and teaching me that I CAN use summaries to help justify my argument or bring up my view on opposing claims. Which can be just as persuasive, if not more than not using a summary at all.

“As He Himself Puts It”: The Art of Quoting

Graff and Birkenstein follow their closing on summaries by introducing the art of “quoting”. This is the last section of “They Say”. Previously, the authors emphasize the importance of summaries to justify an argument; quoting is another resourceful tool that helps further validate the writer’s juxtaposition. Again, the authors provide examples of the extremities of quoting too little and quoting too much. Quote too little – the original author’s ideas can be lost in the reconstruction process. Quote too much – the original ideas overpower the writer’s own thesis. Graff and Birkenstein implore writers to find another balance, while connecting again what “They say” to “I say”. Quotes cannot stand alone, for authenticity is lost on the reader. It [the quote] needs to be explained and its relevance revealed. Just as the reader understands this, the authors reveal that sometimes the usefulness of a quote dissipates as the revision process of writing begins. Graff and Birkenstein impose rearrangement and reassigning of quotes to fit the natural progression of academic writing. They also proceed to provide templates for framing quotations and making them blend into writing seamlessly. In the authors’ opinion, quotations can serve a valuable purpose in reemphasizing writer’s view.

What I learned: Quotations and summarization go hand in hand. Properly cited, framed, and explained quotes can strengthen my arguments and emphasize the points behind my summaries. Rather than adding random external information, it’s important to explain WHY the quote is being used. However, this can be masterfully done in a subtle way, without treating the reader as an inferior.

Hey!!

A short introduction to who I am: I’m Shania! Nice to “meet” you within this cyberspace.  I’ll start off with why I’m taking this course in the first place.

I’m taking English 101 at CSN as part of my course plan delving into the study of psychology. With my education, I aim to become a licensed psychologist, with specialties in trauma, abuse, and addiction. I’ve chosen this path, as its very close to home for me and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.

Buuuttt most college kids need a job NOW, so if you shop around a lot, I’m sure you’ll see me outside of Eng. 101. Don’t be afraid to say hi! I love writing poetry, (you’ll probably never read any on here), playing with my puppy, attending drum circles waaay out in the desert, and creating spiritual connections with others. I study herbalism and aromatherapy in my free time, as I enjoy holistic methods of healing most. When I’m finally able to quiet the hyperactive perfectionist in me, I thoroughly enjoy manifesting paintings and reading books.

I look forward to meeting you and excelling at our course together! I wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors.