Blog #1

1. The America's Army website used many forms of rhetoric to influence the viewers and readers. The layout of the website is key in grasping the viewers attention, it uses camouflage as the background. There are pictures of soldiers and game simulations all over. Once you click the media tab you are taken to a page that shows you exactly how the game works, starting in Basic Training and working you way through a "real" military base training. There is a tab called "Real Heroes" were real soldiers tell their stories of courage. The majority of the content on the website has to do with the game, but there are parts that have to do with real life. Overall, the website draws you in to find out more, and the rhetoric used is very persuasive.

2. The intended audience of the America's Army website are young Americans, boys or girls, who are thinking about joining the Army or any other military branch. The rhetoric used on the website is very effective in influencing and appealing its audience toward the military. The game shows you exactly what you could expect to go through in the real military.

3. I do not agree with Navy veteran Boyle. If someone goes out and buys or buys and downloads a war video game, that person already has the ideology of war in his/her head, the video game only shows what it would be like in the military. The media portrays the Iraq war in a negative light, because they are only reporting the casualties and disasters of the war, but positive things are happening every day over there, troops are being sent home, the Iraqi people are starting to run their own government, and the people of Iraq are happier. I do not know anyone who is currently fighting in the Iraq War.

4. I do not think that a video game or a movie about war is going to promote violence into those who play the game and watch the movie. In some ways, teens see the behavior and violence in the game/movie and in no way do they wish to copy it, it is wrong and they see that in the game/movie. My opinion is that some violence in video games is ok, but beating up a prostitue and taking her money is going too far.

I personally like to play video games, sometimes I watch when my brother and his friends play, and they do play violent games, but when the game is turned off, so is the violence attached to it. Also one of my good friends from High School just joined the Navy ROTC, as a nurse, at her college, she has never liked violent video games or movies, but she joined to help people.