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| 325:questions:week_12_questions_comments-325_17 [2017/04/13 13:34] – [Document D -- Covey] 192.65.245.89 | 325:questions:week_12_questions_comments-325_17 [2019/11/13 20:56] (current) – 192.65.245.230 |
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| Section VI of chapter 6 provides an interesting **dichotomy between portrayals of electricity in art.** In O’Neill’s Dynamo it represents godlessness and the unfaithful Reuben Light is electrocuted. In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, however, electricity becomes not only a symbol of Gatsby’s status, it becomes a part of his identity and an extension of his self-confidence. In Hemingway’s “A Clean Well-Lighted Place,” it takes on an almost religious meaning for the waiter, who seems to believe in nothingness, and views electrical light as the only bastion from the darkness. In Hopper’s Nighthawks it is used to create a sense of solitude for the patrons of the cafe. In the span of a lifetime, electricity came out of nowhere to become an integral part of everyday life, and many people were forced to grapple with its significance and meaning in their lives.- Nick Skibinski | Section VI of chapter 6 provides an interesting **dichotomy between portrayals of electricity in art.** In O’Neill’s Dynamo it represents godlessness and the unfaithful Reuben Light is electrocuted. In Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, however, electricity becomes not only a symbol of Gatsby’s status, it becomes a part of his identity and an extension of his self-confidence. In Hemingway’s “A Clean Well-Lighted Place,” it takes on an almost religious meaning for the waiter, who seems to believe in nothingness, and views electrical light as the only bastion from the darkness. In Hopper’s Nighthawks it is used to create a sense of solitude for the patrons of the cafe. In the span of a lifetime, electricity came out of nowhere to become an integral part of everyday life, and many people were forced to grapple with its significance and meaning in their lives.- Nick Skibinski |
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| | I found it incredibly fascinating that gas and oil lamps weren't abandoned until the 20's. I knew that we talked about Edison's reasoning to use electricity to make loads of money but his prices were ridiculous by today's standards. It really demonstrates the length that the elites and eventually the working class would go to have electricity in their home. I didn't realize how hazardous and burdensome the alternative of gas lighting really was until I read this piece. Especially that the humidity destroyed things like books and furnishings. These are complications that today's society would not think of, and that realization really impacted my thoughts on the importance that electricity has in our everyday lives.-Kendell Jenkins |
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| It's amazing really how much electricity has impacted people's lives so profoundly.People had to design houses to accommodate the wiring system for electrical appliances and lighting. **"Children were particularly fascinated. Long before most homes had electricity, upper-class children had electric toys. In 1897 a book on electric toy making, already in it's third edition, describing how to make an electric train, a tireless electrified dancer, an electric drum, artificial butterflies with moving wings, and electrical firecrackers." (245 - 246) Of course there was still a difference between what is considered a boy's toy and what is a girl's toy. But the electric toys still serve their purpose to provide children a method to learn the latest technology and push them towards their future careers, the boy gets the remote control cars and the girls get the easy bake ovens.** - Laura B. Downs | It's amazing really how much electricity has impacted people's lives so profoundly.People had to design houses to accommodate the wiring system for electrical appliances and lighting. **"Children were particularly fascinated. Long before most homes had electricity, upper-class children had electric toys. In 1897 a book on electric toy making, already in it's third edition, describing how to make an electric train, a tireless electrified dancer, an electric drum, artificial butterflies with moving wings, and electrical firecrackers." (245 - 246) Of course there was still a difference between what is considered a boy's toy and what is a girl's toy. But the electric toys still serve their purpose to provide children a method to learn the latest technology and push them towards their future careers, the boy gets the remote control cars and the girls get the easy bake ovens.** - Laura B. Downs |
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| After reading this section by Maines, and going over the documents used, **this quote seems to sum up the advertising of vibrators, “the product’s advantages are revealed to knowledgeable consumers in language that disclaims the manufacturer’s responsibility for illegal or immoral uses of the product.**” (Pursell 128). This is easily seen in the technical terms used to advertise vibrators, and how manufacturers advertised to physicians, as well as the private citizen. They included medical conditions that the product could help to correct, and never mentioned anything about it being used for something other than to fix a medical problem. **This was a sneaky way for the manufactures to sell their product, “by indirection and innuendo, particularly with reference to the overall result, i.e. relaxation and relief from tension” (Pursell 128). This was the only way they would be able to sell the vibrator without being persecuted for selling illicit products.** I was shocked that they were able to sell it at all in the first half to he 19th century. - Heidi Schmidt | After reading this section by Maines, and going over the documents used, **this quote seems to sum up the advertising of vibrators, “the product’s advantages are revealed to knowledgeable consumers in language that disclaims the manufacturer’s responsibility for illegal or immoral uses of the product.**” (Pursell 128). This is easily seen in the technical terms used to advertise vibrators, and how manufacturers advertised to physicians, as well as the private citizen. They included medical conditions that the product could help to correct, and never mentioned anything about it being used for something other than to fix a medical problem. **This was a sneaky way for the manufactures to sell their product, “by indirection and innuendo, particularly with reference to the overall result, i.e. relaxation and relief from tension” (Pursell 128). This was the only way they would be able to sell the vibrator without being persecuted for selling illicit products.** I was shocked that they were able to sell it at all in the first half to he 19th century. - Heidi Schmidt |
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| | This section was really interesting to me, especially in that it emphasized (unsurprisingly) how the vibrator as a technology involved issues "of acceptability rather than legality" (Pursell 117). The way the camouflage rhetoric that was used to market vibrators to consumers is still used today, just for other technologies is also intriguing. Now, this kind of rhetoric, or marketing strategy, is used to advertise things like "drug paraphernalia" and "burglary tools" (Pursell 128). A difference that I noted between not the marketing strategies, but the products being marketed, is that though vibrators were an issue of social acceptability and not legality, the things that are using camouflage rhetoric today tend to involve issues with both. - Megan P. |
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| ==== Document A -- Taylor ==== | ==== Document A -- Taylor ==== |
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| In the document by Noble M. Eberhart, the author gives a brief description of what type of qualities are need for a full functioning vibrator. **A vibrator that properly works according Eberhart must, “. . . have sufficient power, be capable of delivering an even stroke, both deep and penetrating, as well as medium or light; be capable of quick adjustment from the light to the heavy stroke” (135). I think that this document gives a good perspective on the process of making a marketable vibrator that consumers will want to buy. I never knew the true backstory of how the first vibrator was invented and the reasoning behind it actually fascinated me because it brings to light of how people had a tool to apply for the own sexual needs and desires.** Moreover, the document does a decent job in explaining the proper ways a consumer can successfully use the machine. The vibrator machine would help treat hysteria, menorrhagia, menorrhagia, and uterine diseases (140).- Rachel Kosmacki | In the document by Noble M. Eberhart, the author gives a brief description of what type of qualities are need for a full functioning vibrator. **A vibrator that properly works according Eberhart must, “. . . have sufficient power, be capable of delivering an even stroke, both deep and penetrating, as well as medium or light; be capable of quick adjustment from the light to the heavy stroke” (135). I think that this document gives a good perspective on the process of making a marketable vibrator that consumers will want to buy. I never knew the true backstory of how the first vibrator was invented and the reasoning behind it actually fascinated me because it brings to light of how people had a tool to apply for the own sexual needs and desires.** Moreover, the document does a decent job in explaining the proper ways a consumer can successfully use the machine. The vibrator machine would help treat hysteria, menorrhagia, menorrhagia, and uterine diseases (140).- Rachel Kosmacki |
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| The discussion of vibrator inventions is always a fun and interesting topic to address. In Eberhart's section, the vibrator is discussed medically with mention of a controversial vibratode that goes inside the vagina and gets applied more directly to female organs, not just the spine. It's weird reading how scientific all of this was. Vibrators were used on men as well as women for the sake of health, not pleasure. Yet now, vibrators are extremely gendered and not marketed for the sake of health benefits, although some still argue for the use of them to help with menstrual cramps and other issues. The only major difference in language is that it's supposed to be the orgasms that help, not the massaging effects of the vibrator. Where did this discussion of pleasure versus practicality shift? Why are vibrators a tool of shame that women should hide now and not a medical treatment for menstrual issues? --- //[[lmccuist@umw.edu|Lindsey McCuistion]] 2017/04/13 07:24// | The discussion of vibrator inventions is always a fun and interesting topic to address. In Eberhart's section, the vibrator is discussed medically with mention of a controversial vibratode that goes inside the vagina and gets applied more directly to female organs, not just the spine.** It's weird reading how scientific all of this was. Vibrators were used on men as well as women for the sake of health, not pleasure. Yet now, vibrators are extremely gendered and not marketed for the sake of health benefits, although some still argue for the use of them to help with menstrual cramps and other issues. The only major difference in language is that it's supposed to be the orgasms that help, not the massaging effects of the vibrator. Where did this discussion of pleasure versus practicality shift? Why are vibrators a tool of shame that women should hide now and not a medical treatment for menstrual issues?** --- //[[lmccuist@umw.edu|Lindsey McCuistion]] 2017/04/13 07:24// |
| ==== Document D -- Covey ==== | ==== Document D -- Covey ==== |
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| **While I am not sure of the sound practice of vibrotherapy, I actually find it funny how a poorly understood reaction to the stimuli of vibrations spawn a sudden health spa/clinic similar to our own actions of creating businesses around a new health or business trend. The habit of creating a livelihood out of a fad apparently isn't something too new.** However, I am actually interested in vibrotherapy as a segway into modern massage techniques and if this form of therapeutics was a gateway for more modern tactics. Thomas Lanier | **While I am not sure of the sound practice of vibrotherapy, I actually find it funny how a poorly understood reaction to the stimuli of vibrations spawn a sudden health spa/clinic similar to our own actions of creating businesses around a new health or business trend. The habit of creating a livelihood out of a fad apparently isn't something too new.** However, I am actually interested in vibrotherapy as a segway into modern massage techniques and if this form of therapeutics was a gateway for more modern tactics. Thomas Lanier |
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| I found the article to be definitely one of the weirdest I've read this semester. The phenomenon that surrounded this new form of treatment was extremely interesting because of the lack of knowledge that they possessed about the benefits and its effects. The fact that it reminds me of those diet crazes or the new trends that are supposed to allow you to live longer, be better, and work faster or more efficiently is just so funny to me. - Danielle Howard | |
