Summer Assignment

Mans Man


Surface Meaning
A masculine man is standing in a shower. It shows him walking out of the shower and onto a boat, and on the boat he does very many things.

Inferred Meaning
The advertiser is trying to say that by using Old Spice, a man can become manlier.

Cultural Meaning
Our culture today is based a lot on a man’s “manhood”. By showing a very buff guy that is obviously attractive, the ad is trying to tell us that if we use their product we will be “manlier”.

Mans Woman


Surface Meaning
Kate Upton is eating a Hardees burger. The burger becomes so spicy that she begins to undress.

Inferred Meaning
The advertiser is simply just to trying to make men remember this commercial and think of Hardees.

Cultural Meaning
Our culture today is based on sex. Kate Upton is a very sexy woman, and men also like woman that like what they like. Men like Hamburgers. Men like Kate Upton undressing. Therefore; men will like this Hardees Commercial.


Womans Woman

Surface Meaning
A very smooth woman’s legs are and other various body parts are shown kicking and waving around. At the end it cuts to the woman’s beautiful face.

Inferred Meaning
The woman has very clear and smooth legs and they want women to think that St. Ives makes them have that beautiful skin.

Cultural Meaning
Today’s woman want to be comfortable in their bodies. The woman in this commercial is comfortable in her underwear and is not scared to show off her beautiful body. The woman that watch this commercial strive to be like her. Therefore; they buy St. Ives lotion.


Womans Man

Surface Meaning
A man with a ripped body and rough face is shown swimming, and there are many close shots of his abs with water running down them.

Inferred Meaning
The advertiser was trying to get women to buy their fragrance for their men, because if they smell good apparently they look good also.

Cultural Meaning
The commercial is focused towards women who want their men to smell good.

American Born Chinese by Gene Yang

When I picked this book off the shelf the first thing I noticed was that it had an award. The book was a finalist for the Young People's Literature Award. I also noticed that the book was a comic book. I don't know exactly what it's about but I believe it is a about a Chinese American boy that is trying to fit in. It may be a little below my reading level but it's supposed to be funny, and I believe no matter what reading level a book is, a good book is a good book.

Holes by Lois Sacher

I read this book when I was in like 4th grade. So, obviously I have forgotten the whole book. I recently watched the movie on T.V. and I really loved it. The story is about a kid that gets in trouble and is sent to a camp where he is forced to work. I really like the fact that the book is written by a teenager. I think that it deserves to be read because it's amazing that a teenager could write an award winning book.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

I have seen the movie and heard everybody talk about this book. I'm not that into romances or vampires, but I just want to be able to talk about it when the book comes up in conversation. The book is about an average girl who falls in love with a vampire. The movie had a lot of action so hopefully the book brings the same amount of action to the table. I also heard that the writing style of Stephanie Meyers is very colorful.

Payback Time by Carl Deuker

I love a good sports read and I also love a good mystery. This book seems to offer the best of both worlds. Mitch is a sports reporter at his high school. He notices that a kid names Angel is the best athlete at his entire school, but the coach never plays him. The story seems to lead to a big scandal. I enjoy following sports scandals. This summer I couldn't pull my eyes away from the TV when reports of the Penn State scandal came on. Hopefully this book will have the same effect on me.

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

The title of this book jumped out to me. The word "psycho" always makes for something interesting. The book is written in first person. Patrick Bateman tells his story about brutally murdering and raping his many victims. The reviews said that the book was "disturbing". I am not a crazy person or anything, but that just makes me very curious. It's hard for me to stay focused on a book, but it seems like this book will keep me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I have read and and watched the movie, The Hunger Games. I really like how the book created a whole different complex world that readers and viewers can understand easily. It reminds me a lot of Star Wars in that way. Catching Fire is obviously the sequel to The Hunger Games. Katniss and Peeta are forced to go on a Victory Tour by the capital. If they cannot keep making people believe that they are two teenage star-crossed lovers, then bad things will happen. I can't wait to dive back into the world of the Hunger Games. Hopefully I get to this book before the next blockbuster movie comes out!