So you wanna lock me in boxes now, do you?

Purpose: To get the attention of women, parents, and the higher up. To try to change how women are raised and treated, increasing their statuses.

Audience: Women, parents, Japanese government, everyone.

Claim: Women need education and need to learn responsibility. Also the way parents raise their children needs to be changed.

Pathos: Ms Kishida used a lot of pathos in her speech. Through her words she showed her frustration but to me in a calmly manner. She probably wasn't fired up and screaming, given the background of Japanese people to be of the quiet nature. But I could feel the passion she had for the topic as I read it. When she uses the line “The parents of the daughter in this box treat her not with affection; rather, they bring her only harm.” That would get any parent riled up and angry. They are raising their daughter in the way they were taught and believed, yet this person is saying they are harming them. They would probably be appalled too because they believe they are shielding them and protecting them not harming them.

Ethos: I thought she had ethos in her speech but very little. I know that she grew up in Kyoto so she had to have seen or been in a box before. She is also a woman fighting for her freedom so that gave her ethos right there because she is woman and goes through what they woman back then went through. When she talks about the reading that are passed down to be read that gave her some ethos also because she was able to show that she knows what she’s talking about.

Logos: there was no Logos at all so then the speech wasn't as well supported as it could have been if it had, had numbers.

Effectiveness: Very effective if I were in Japan at that time I would want to follow her because the way she spoke was brilliant her examples were perfect.

Pamphlet thy name is Size Discrimination

For my topic I will be handing out pamphlets with Gena at Trumbull mall in front of Abercrombie and Fitch. Whether the people are passing by or coming in we will hand them the packet. We thought this plan was appropriate because a video and essay seemed unrealistic. No one will really watch a video on size discrimination unless they care or know about it and some people don’t know or care about it. So the best idea seemed like taking imitative and handing people packets so we know they are receiving it and they can skim or quickly read through it and still learn something.

I want everyone to know about size discrimination and I want to address the people who have had it happen to them. I want the people who have had experience to know they are not alone and this is an actual problem. I want them to know that they do not have to tolerate this and that they should stand up for themselves and take action. When I address everyone else I want to inform them of this problem if they don’t know about it really. I want them to know this is serious and that companies really do this to people and this is no better than segregation.

I will be using a lot of pathos, ethos, and pathos. I will be talking about my personal experience and telling people how hurt and angry I was. I will also be using quotes that companies have said about having a plus size section. I will also be using some sarcasm.

I want my readers to understand this is a problem and that people come in all shapes and sizes. Not all those sizes should be labeled fat and obese. There are plenty of healthy thick women and I want them to know they are beautiful no matter what. Their size shouldn't define their beauty. It’s not that they aren't beautiful is why they can’t wear cute clothes it’s the companies faults. They can’t properly take care of the plus size section.

My readers through this pamphlet should be able to open their eyes and see the differences if they haven’t about plus size clothes. Notice that the clothing styles and colors of the plus size women look so dull compared to that of the skinnier size. That certain clothes stop at a certain size for a reason.

The start of something new

·         I’m going to make a pamphlet

·         It will be to inform

·         Evaluation Argument – To make people aware this is going on and it’s an issue. That no matter what shape and size we are we have a right to the same clothes as everyone.

On the first page I could probably start off with a question of saying do I not need clothes also?  Or maybe something sarcastic likes IF YOUR BIG YOU DON’T NEED CLOTHES.

I would then introduce the topic and talk about my struggles and people I know who have this problem so they know it isn’t just me and they can get a full understanding of what I’m talking about while I build ethos.

On the next page I would probably talk about model sizes and regular women sizes and just really skinny women and how when you walk into the store or go in magazines only they are being portrayed as the fashionable type. I would talk about how the majority of girls really look compared to what’s portrayed in the media.  I would talk about Abercrombie and how they use the media and how they believe plus sizes are irrelevant/

On another page I would probably combine depression and my own experience to size discrimination and try to show the audiences how it lowers self-esteem and makes people strive to change themselves for all the wrong reasons. I would also put some pathos by explaining some of the things that make big girls mad like unattractive clothes, size separation, high pricing, etc.

The back of the pamphlet will have the conclusion and I’ll write a little motivational thing on how we shouldn’t conform to the media just because. Everyone has different shapes and we need to accept them. Staying healthy doesn’t necessarily mean your stick skinny; you can be health but thick. I would probably encourage females to protest against certain companies if they feel discriminated badly size wise.

Lets analyze the Toulmin way

·         Claim: My claim is that smaller people get better clothes. There are a lot of fashion choices for those who fit the media’s criteria of beautiful which are sizes smaller than 10 or 6. Plus size women get the shorter end of the stick. Some companies refuse to make clothes that go higher in sizes because they don’t want plus size women wearing their clothes. I put these claims together to show everyone how cruel the companies are being and to tell plus size women who feel that the reason why their sizes are never there is not because they sold out but because they purposely don’t have their size.

·         Data:  The data I use is my personal experience with how I can’t find clothes sometimes. Also my mother who wants to wear nice clothes but has to settle for plain looking clothing because she is plus size and the companies don’t make pretty clothes for plus size women. I also have quotes and from Abercrombie’s CEO when he said they stop at size 10 because their clothes are only for the cool skinny kids.

·         Warrants – the quotes and the ways the sizes stop show that stores don’t really cater nor care for plus size

·         Authority – I am a plus size girl my family is plus size I put my anger and my families frustration in my writing I share my experience and try to express myself as best I can

·         Rebuttal : People might tell me that I’m overreacting over coincidences or I don’t know how to shop and that it’s only a onetime thing. They might also tell me do you know other people than yourself who have a problem like this.

·         My Response to those rebuttals would be no I’m not overreacting and it’s not a coincidence. It can’t be a coincidence that my mother and I struggle to find clothes or that the sizes stop at a certain size all the time. If they tell me I don’t know how to shop I would ask them is it right for a certain store to not have my size because I’m plus size, so its justified that I have to search all over for clothes?  I also can argue I know more than enough people have the same problem as me it’s not just a problem centered on me it is a plus size women problem.

Pick an Audience any Audience

Audiences

·         Designers

·         Clothing line Companies

·         Plus size women

·         Manufacturing clothes companies

·         Retail stores

·         CEO's  of clothing lines

·         Abercrombie and Fitch

·         Lululemon Athletica

Best Three

·         Clothing Line Companies

·          Plus Size women

·         Abercrombie and Fitch

Abercrombie and Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries admitted that the brand targets “attractive, all-American' customers of a particular size.” At Abercrombie, the largest jeans size is a 10 which is three sizes short of the national average. If people are looking for larger than that they are out of luck. They feel that if you aren’t in that size range you aren’t attractive. And that doesn’t help women who have insecurity problems about their weight. Or those who are just thick it makes them believe they are ugly because of their weight.  People don’t really know about the size stopping and informing them would be a big help to them.

Clothing Line companies

If clothing line companies are the main audience they would have to re-evaluate themselves especially if others are re-evaluating them too. They would think about their clothing lines more. I mean it might take a while before they act upon their size discrimination but they would be able to hear my opinion and hopefully other people would open up to. They should see the mistakes they make by just excluding others based on their sizes even though clothes should be available to everyone. Even the plus size clothing lines would be targeted because they don’t put effort into making the plus size girl feel or look pretty they don’t put half as much effort as they do than in their other sizes.

Plus Size women

My family is plus size I’m considered plus size. Most of my friends are plus size and they all complain about the lack of variety and style plus size wear offer. They go to the store and see something cute but won’t have a chance of wearing it because of their size. Most plus size women don’t bother saying anything. They notice that the skinnier body type is getting the better end of the deal but say nothing. I think it’s time plus size women stand up for themselves and stop having to try to lose weight when they are a healthy body type. It isn’t fair that we have to go on diets, and feel self-conscious and ashamed of our bodies, even though we are healthy. But because of the fact we are plus size and the media doesn’t cater to us we feel we need to change that needs to end. Every healthy body type is beautiful and all women should be allowed to pick from the same rack of clothing regardless of their size, or appearance. We should all have confidence.

I feel I connect more with plus size women and I have more to say when my audience is plus size women so that is my audience!

Are You Calling Me Fat?

The social issue I’m addressing is size discrimination. Is size discrimination even a thing? I’m going to need you to pause, stop, and rethink that question. Of course it’s a thing! Why can I not wear certain clothes because of my size? When you hear my story you’ll get what I mean by size discrimination. I hope. When, I walk into a store with cute clothes like Hollister, Abercrombie, or even Macy’s the struggle begins. Why? Because clothes stop at certain size. When, I walk into the store and see cute pairs of jeans, I look for my size. Will I find it? HELL NO I won’t. The store will mostly have size 0, size 00, and even 000(don’t be shocked they exist). Where are the numbers???? Not that zero isn’t a number, but what are you doing that you waist is a size 000? That can’t be healthy can it? But back to the point; after shuffling under countless of size 0’s, I find actual numbers. Yeah numbers! But to my disappointment the sizes usually stop at 7’s and 9’s maybe 10’s if I’m lucky. And those are not my sizes. You’re probably thinking; just go to the big department. Listen here bub, it’s not that shopping in the big people’s section is bad or anything, but why are they separated? Why is the designing different and plain for bigger sized people? Why do some stores like Abercrombie & Fitch or Lululemon Athletica refuse to add plus sizes? It makes me, and I’m pretty sure other average/plus size girls, feel bad about our body shape. I used to hate my body type because I wasn’t skinny enough to fit in a certain brand of clothes. The models in the magazine and even mannequins give me that judgmental feeling, like why aren’t you a size 2 or 00? Did you know models that are sizes 6 and above are considered plus size models? What kind of tomfoolery is that? A size 6 should be a normal size (still skinny but normal skinny). Yet, to models that size is the start of the plus size category. Are you kidding me? Of course girls feel insecure and pressured. They feel pressured to lose weight to be pretty like the model, and wear pretty clothes like them, but you can’t and then you feel horrible. Why do you feel horrible? Because clothes cater to the skinny population, and if you fall under skinny you’re good to go. If you don’t, you have to go through the sizes. Then hope that those cute pair of jeans you saw comes in your size. My mom is plus size and she isn’t fat. My mom is curvy, and finding clothes isn’t easy.  Because of that she decided she wanted to lose weight. I believe my mom has a wonderful body type but she doesn’t think so, because the clothes she wears don’t make her feel that way. It’s like designers stop trying when they get to bigger sizes.  I mean it’s not like its designer’s jobs to make appealing clothes to everyone. It’s not like everything can be made in every size or anything, because that requires work (sarcasm). But really how would you feel if you saw a cute outfit, and it didn’t come in your size but it was in other sizes. You’d think damn….am I fat? 

Why Don't You Just Wear Curtains?

Why is it that if I walk into Abercrombie and Fitch I won’t find clothes? Why do I have to feel bad? It’s because I happen to not be the average skinny white girl form the block. And no I’m not bashing skinny white girls. So stop crying. There are skinny black and Hispanic people too, but when you think of skinny doesn't a cute white girl pop in your head. That’s what I thought. Because when you think of Abercrombie and Fitch I’m pretty sure you’re not thinking of a black or Hispanic girl. You are thinking of a white girl. You can think of boys too, size discrimination goes both ways but I’m focusing on the girl point of view (sorry boys).

Now after reading that paragraph your probably thinking well aren't you just fat? Lose weight. Well sir or madam I’d like to say I’m as healthy as an apple according to my doctor. But I guess if you compare me to an Abercrombie and Fitch or Forever 21 model I’m fat. Or if you compare me to that girl wearing a size three I’m fat. But do you accommodate my curves when you’re thinking I’m fat I’d say I’m disproportionate my thighs are huge but then my legs are…well they are another story. But what I mean to say is my butt and thighs in jeans are not taken to account. There are some women who are just very curvaceous, and even if they are fit clothes still come off as a problem. So it’s horrible to know that some brands make their clothes stop at a certain size. What is so hard about making clothes in all types of sizes?

So you’re most likely going to tell me but they make clothes for big girl too. I would like to clarify once again having curves does not make you big. Therefore you don’t belong in the big girls section and you don’t belong in the skinny girls section. What do you do? I don’t know wear a curtain. Of course you won’t do that, you’ll fine clothes of course, it just won’t be to your liking. It probably won’t be from that cute brand you like but they are clothes right?

Then we actually have the big girls who do need bigger sizes then the rest. Yes I understand they are big but do you have to make them feel ugly. Some of the clothes people make for big girls look like a seven year old designed it. Come on people you are not getting paid to make shitty clothing. A lot of big girls feel upset with the options they are given. Hell I’m upset for them. Some people will try to kill themselves to lose weight because of that. Some can’t. They just can’t shed the weight but they are trying. Why? So they too can wear those cute clothes that the other skinny girls wear. But they can’t wear those cute outfits because when you’re big being cute doesn't matter.

Doesn't it take about the same amount of energy to make smaller sizes and bigger sizes or is there some hidden technique I’m missing here? Yes making clothes isn't easy but if it’s your job, why don’t you I don’t know make them for everyone. I mean that’s just a thought but, hey don’t listen to the 16 year old girl who feels fat and annoyed, when I look at cute jeans then look at the size and just have to walk away. It’s not like that gives people low self-esteem or anything. No not at all. 

Size discrimination(paragraph reconstruction)

Have you ever wondered why it is that all we seem to have learned from you is how to corrupt our societies and how to be tyrants. You will have to accept that this mostly your fault. Let me just show you how you looked to us. You came. You took things that were not yours, and you did not even, for appearances’ sake ask first. You could have said, “May I have this please” and even thou it would have been clear to everybody that a yes or no from us would have been of no consequence you might have looked so much better. Believe me, it would have gone a long way. I would have had to admit that at least you were polite. You imprisoned people. You robbed people.  You opened your banks and you put our money in them. The accounts were in your name. There must have been some good people among you, but they stayed home. And that is the point. That is why they are good. They stayed home. But still, when you think about it, you must be a little sad. 

Have you ever gone to a clothing store and thought wow these clothes are really cute but then you look at the size and your face drops? If you haven’t that’s cool too but I have and I’ll tell you why my face drops and I get upset. The sizes. People are not always a size zero, some of us have curves, hard to believe but, it’s true. You are probably saying, “What is she talking about?” I’m talking about fashion having this bias view that skinny is the best body type so lets design our clothes for only a certain size and making other sizes irrelevant. Trust me, I’m not the only one with a problem with this. A lot of people are thicker than me they have more curves. We get angry. We get hurt. We get annoyed.  If I were a skinny white girl I wouldn't have this problem. I would be able to wear anything.  My butt wouldn't affect the length of my skirt. The models for the cute clothes are all skinny white girls, but no curvy women.

Things the make want to fight some people

  

Things/People around School

Stop walking like you don’t have class in 4 minutes.

·         When you bump into me don’t look at me like it’s my fault you bumped into me my dude!

·         Teachers all giving tests like I have all the time in the world to study and sleep isn’t necessary to function.

·         That cute way some of the Japanese taking kids feel they need to speak in. (if any of you are reading this you need to STOP. YOU are NOT an anime character!)

·         The Haitians in the hallway talking shit about people like I don’t understand you.

·         The fact the girls bathroom only has 2 working stalls.

·         The tiny CGS lockers but big McMahon lockers(are we not worthy enough for big lockers are we going to put our cat ears and tails in there).

My family

·         Why does my grandmother visit like every other week( you live in MARYLAND and you work why are you always in Ct).

·         Everyone who opens my door for the purpose of looking in to see what I’m doing(because I’m definitely murdering someone in my room).

·         Everyone who comes in my room leaves and doesn’t close the door ALL THE WAY!!

·         My mom constantly asking me what I’m doing or who I’m talking to knowing I’m going to say no one and nothing.

·         The fact that half my family is just hating on my grandfather.

The train

·         Conductor man/lady you see me every day of the school year why must you always ask for my ticket like you don’t know me!!!

·         The creepy guy on almost every train ride that walks back in forth (sit your ass down sir!!).

Racism

·         The line “I’m not really racist I have black friends too.”

·         When I walk by an old white lady and they lock their car door and pull up their windows(yes lady I’m definitely here to rob you).

·         Walking in a predominate white room and being followed around either physically or by vision.

·         When a white person gives you that nervous look when your around all black people.

·         The stereotype that black people are poor and use food stamps.

·         People saying that black people corrupted Miley.( NO NO Miley corrupted Miley)

·         Why are the books on black people always bad like they were raped or from the hood? Can I get a nice book of a black person raised in a middle class normal home!!

Media

·         Why are we making vampires and werewolves this big thing STOP IT!

·         Magazines with there you can’t be too skinny or too thick.

·         Kim Kardashians life(I don’t really care about it can we stop reporting everything).

·         Twerking, No Miley is not the queen of twerking(please go check out the real twerk team and come back to me)  In order to twerk one must have a butt (again Miley is not the queen of twerk).

·         Children who haven’t been born from the 90’s shouldn’t have access to the internet until their 15.

     The World

·         Why does America always have to do something first when things get rough (what about everyone else? does America rule the world is that it?).

·         So America can go just about everywhere but we can’t help Africa out.

The Dislike for A Name

The name: Stephanie Alexandre. Let’s start with the first name, shall we? It is said “Stephanie” in Greek means crowned and in French, it means crowned in victory. However, as I was searching my name up in urban dictionary, I was able to find descriptions on myself: “Stephanie’s are very sexy and sophisticated women. Stephanie’s know what they want and can get it; can also mean a sophisticated bitch.” “Stephanie is very nice and caring towards everyone and she always has a smile on her face no matter what and she doesn’t know it, but she is very beautiful and smart.” I’d like to say I’m both. If you agree or disagree, I personally don’t care. That is the meaning of my name, according to the internet. Now, you would think, “Wow, that’s a nice name, right?” No, my name for me is just my title.

I was named after my grandmother—well, not exactly: my grandmother’s name is Symphonie. She is my mother’s best friend, literally. So of course, she would want to name her child after her—or close to the name—and what name is close to Symphonie? If you guessed Stephanie, go get yourself a cookie because you’re right. I should be honored to be named after my grandmother, the woman who was my mother before my mother; the one who raised me in Haiti when I was nine months to five years old, and when things got tough, raised me in Maryland, but the thing is: I’m not honored at all. I like to say that I was a squirrel in a past life, and my belief is that my grandmother ran me over. Meaning: I don’t get along with my grandma. I mean I love her…. really I do! But my grandma still manages to irk my soul whenever she is around. We can get along, but sometimes, I just can’t deal with her.

That is one reason why I dislike my first name. The second is because when you think of the name Stephanie, doesn’t a nice white girl pop up in your mind? Not a turnt up, sassy Haitian girl. Let me tell you the amount of times people have questioned my ethnicity based on my name and skin is stupefying and the amount of times someone has asked me if I’m part white or adopted is so ridiculous that I’ve lost count. I’d like to say it got better when I tanned, but I still get a couple of people who ask me that question, and I have to hold back my sigh and tell them no. Then I sit back and look at their disappointment. I don’t know if it’s because I’m not white, or the fact that they were wrong is the reason why they were disappointed though.

The last reason I don’t like my name is because no one can ever pronounce my last name correctly! My last name is Alexandre but everyone becomes dyslexic at the “re,” and they flip it: then I’m Alexander. My last name is French but in English, yes it would be Alexander. I didn’t know this until the third grade. As a young child, my teacher taught me how to spell my name Alexander, not Alexandre. So, up until my father told me, “NO, that’s not how you say it. CORRECT PEOPLE!” I was spelling my own name wrong. Can you believe that even though it was only two letters, my name was being spelled—and said— wrong? But, if I was given the option of changing my name, I wouldn’t.