http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEpCrcMF5Ps (2nd Debate)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkrwUU_YApE (3rd Debate)
Alexa Blog #6
Faces
Goffman discusses in his article, Presentation of Self and Face Work that we all have many different faces that we carry around. We can be angry, sad, and happy, two face and the list goes one. We are “actors” (humans) performing on a stage (reality) showing people how we are based one our personality, our faces. As we present our selves to the world, whether it is how happy we are or how miserable our day played out, this is how the world sees you. And based on those activities, it influences their performances as well. The faces that are present are how we see that person, the images we see is what we see and how we characterize a person.
A perfect example is the presidential debate. A problematic question was asked and each party has a chance to sum up their solution to that problem. What we think we will see on the debates is how having each party dispute their answers can solve a problem but what we really saw was “whatever you can do, I can do better” debate. Obama and Romney literally just interrupted each other to see who has the better solution. Yes, that is the whole point of the debate but the way that they approach the situation, was not the solution. If you watched the second and debate you can see how they interacted with one another. One would answer to a question and the other candidate would rebuttal their views. Their gestures are very stern and serious, and it may look as if they were trying to fight, not with their hands but with their words. Now if you look at the third debate, they greet each other with poise and respect and they are sitting, not standing, not like how it was in the second debate. Obama and Mitt Romney both took their time to discuss each issue and presented their resolution. They respected one another’s time and let each one speak. Obviously, this face was different than the one before, a face where the public saw less aggressive candidates race to the finish with elegance.
In any election, you want to make your point and make it quick. There are countless propagandas that dominate in politics. Trying to make the opponent look like a bad guy and the other appear to be the hero. This is an old tactic that has been over played over and over again but it is very effective. The faces that are used in those propaganda videos are the images that we want to see, according to Goffman. The faces on the debates are who we think that person is. Obama being attacked in Mitt Romney’s videos is the person that we see and perceive after that video. Before the second debate, I was all for Obama. But after watching the debate, I couldn’t believe his behavior. He seemed angry, angry that he was being attacked for not making his point. His social interactions that night, was enough to lose my vote I this year’s election. Now Mitt Romney was the same way too, they both wanted to be the bigger man and have the right answers rather than just clarifying to the audience how they were going to solve the our debit crisis’ or how to employ people who lost their life time savings. These faces are what Goffman is referring to. How they presented them selves is how the world will see them as. These faces were full of solutions but with a behavior that only wanted to offend the other, showing the world their different faces.
Alexa Blog #6
Faces
Goffman discusses in his article, Presentation of Self and Face Work that we all have many different faces that we carry around. We can be angry, sad, and happy, two face and the list goes one. We are “actors” (humans) performing on a stage (reality) showing people how we are based one our personality, our faces. As we present our selves to the world, whether it is how happy we are or how miserable our day played out, this is how the world sees you. And based on those activities, it influences their performances as well. The faces that are present are how we see that person, the images we see is what we see and how we characterize a person.
A perfect example is the presidential debate. A problematic question was asked and each party has a chance to sum up their solution to that problem. What we think we will see on the debates is how having each party dispute their answers can solve a problem but what we really saw was “whatever you can do, I can do better” debate. Obama and Romney literally just interrupted each other to see who has the better solution. Yes, that is the whole point of the debate but the way that they approach the situation, was not the solution. If you watched the second and debate you can see how they interacted with one another. One would answer to a question and the other candidate would rebuttal their views. Their gestures are very stern and serious, and it may look as if they were trying to fight, not with their hands but with their words. Now if you look at the third debate, they greet each other with poise and respect and they are sitting, not standing, not like how it was in the second debate. Obama and Mitt Romney both took their time to discuss each issue and presented their resolution. They respected one another’s time and let each one speak. Obviously, this face was different than the one before, a face where the public saw less aggressive candidates race to the finish with elegance.
In any election, you want to make your point and make it quick. There are countless propagandas that dominate in politics. Trying to make the opponent look like a bad guy and the other appear to be the hero. This is an old tactic that has been over played over and over again but it is very effective. The faces that are used in those propaganda videos are the images that we want to see, according to Goffman. The faces on the debates are who we think that person is. Obama being attacked in Mitt Romney’s videos is the person that we see and perceive after that video. Before the second debate, I was all for Obama. But after watching the debate, I couldn’t believe his behavior. He seemed angry, angry that he was being attacked for not making his point. His social interactions that night, was enough to lose my vote I this year’s election. Now Mitt Romney was the same way too, they both wanted to be the bigger man and have the right answers rather than just clarifying to the audience how they were going to solve the our debit crisis’ or how to employ people who lost their life time savings. These faces are what Goffman is referring to. How they presented them selves is how the world will see them as. These faces were full of solutions but with a behavior that only wanted to offend the other, showing the world their different faces.