Vote for Nicole Hemmer's bid to become Miss World Canada. She's from McMaster !

Beauty pageants - the epitome of sexuality, sensuality, glitz and glamour. Beauty pageants, in recent times, have become a mere platform for exposure and skin show rather than an intellectual competition which used to focus on beauty and brains. Nevertheless, we still watch them. The most recently concluded beauty pageant was THE MISS WORLD CANADA 2008 (a glimpse of which can be watched by clicking this link - http://youtube.com/watch?v=uv5zojVk_Jw) which consisted of 3 contestans from McMaster University itself namely - Leah Ryerse (Winner), Simranjit Singh ( 1st runner-up) and Nicole Hemmer (one of the top 10 Semi-finalists). A big CONGRATULATIONS goes out to all these amazing girls who've made not only McMaster but also all of us proud too.

One may wonder why Dr.Sevigny chose only Nicole for us to write a blog on, well the answer to that lies only with him but I can shed lite on why I think he chose her. I realized very early on that most of the girls competing had very similar traits. I didn’t know it then, but I know it now: They had similar traits because they were all trying to communicate the same message, nonverbally. The message was this: Pick me.

In a beauty pageant, there simply isn't enough time to talk to every girl. Because nonverbal communication accounts for 70% of all the messages, girls like Nicole Hemmer (shown on the left) rely on their nonverbal messages to make an impression on the judges in order to win. In this blog I will analyze some qualities possessed by Nicole and relate them to a few types of nonverbal communication traits.

A straight back and a proud chin both give a sense of attractiveness to a woman. Despite the fact that many people are somewhat aware of this, few actually use it to their advantage (Adler, Rodman, and Sevigny 186). Beauty pageant competitors are among those that do use it. The article describes Nicole as a positive and highly goal oriented person. When we think of someone with these characteristics we generally tend to assume that they have a good posture. It’s not likely that one may find a positive person who is always slouching down looking at the ground. In Nicole’s picture, we can see her proper posture. She is standing up straight with her face looking directly at us as though to say: ‘I'm the girl that you have been looking for and I'm here to win.'

According to Dr. Terry Gaff's blog, a good posture can help in many different aspects
"[good posture] prevents strain and back ache."

Click here to read more on his blog.

My mom used to always tell me that you can tell a person’s sincerity by looking into their eyes. The eyes are a “tremendously complicated channel of expression,”says Adler, Rodman, and Sevigny(188). They represent many messages and looking into someone’s eyes represents a kind of involvement. Nicole appears to be taking advantage of that fact. In the above picture it is as though she is looking directly at us in an attempt to show a sense of involvement or connection with us so that we can favor her over the other competitors. This is not specific to beauty pageants, a lot of well known celebrities have also taken advantage of this nonverbal communication tactic. Tyra Banks, host of America’s Next Top Model, has even said,
“The only type of diva that is correct to me to be as a model is somebody who's fierce, somebody who can make someone buy a magazine cover just by the look in their eyes.”
To read more about Banks views on what it takes to be a cover girl, click on this link.

It’s true that looks aren’t everything; however they do count for something. Adler, Rodman, and Sevigny(191) mention that,
“women who are seen as more [physically] attractive have more dates, higher grades, and have an easier time persuading men.”

Fortunately for Nicole, she is already at the prettier end of the spectrum. She is a beautiful girl and even though she didn't win the competition, she still is undoubtedly a complete package.Nicole did take advantage of her physical attractiveness to communicate nonverbally to the judges. We too should take hints from these beauty pageants and realize that society tends to like physically beautiful people. For those of us who have not been blessed with the good looks, don’t worry because there are plenty of other nonverbal communication hints that are just as effective.

Sources -

1. Adler, Ronald B., George Rodman, and Alexandre Sevigny. "Perception, the Self, and Communication." Understanding Human Communication. Canadian ed. Canada: Oxford U P, 2008. 185-194.

2. Christian, Margena. “Tyra Banks: says 'it's a lot more than just looks' to become 'America's next top model' - Cover Story.” BNET.23 May. 2003: 21 March. 2008 .

3. Gaff, Terry. “Good Posture Still has a Positive Effect.” The Posture Blog: Improve Your Posture.22 March. 2008: 23 March. 2008.

His war secret out, Prince Harry returns to England - Globe and Mail

Prince Harry - Ah ! When one hears this name, there are a few things which come up instantly in the mind. Spoilt brat, party animal, poor student, rowdy Royal, Chelsy Davy (his girlfriend), nighclub adventures and brawls and the Nazi uniform that he wore at a dress-up party. Unlike his father,The Prince of Wales, and his brother Prince William, Harry has always been the centre focus of the media and is known for his very different attitude. It's a famous saying -

" Controversies and Prince Harry go hand-in-hand".

Even though we don’t use our ears when reading an article like this, I still strongly believe that there are many similarities between the article about Prince Harry and the characteristics involved in being an informational listener.

According to Adler, Rodman, and Sevigny(143),
“informational listening is the approach taken when you want to understand another person.”

The goal in being effective at this is to make sure that you are receiving the same concepts that the person intends to send. It sounds simple, but believe me, its not. Many a times a listener misunderstands the main topic, or gets lost in the explanation. In this blog I hope to discuss a few tips on good listening and relate it to the article about Prince Harry.

We should always try not to judge anyone prematurely, however a lot of people, myself included, are guilty of that crime. By judging too soon we are jumping to our own conclusions (Adler, Rodman, and Sevigny 143). If you are the manager of a company and an employee is late, you will gain nothing by firing him just because you think that he is too lazy to show up on time. Instead you should wait to hear his side of the story because it may be legitimate. Bryan Veloso, the writer of a blog called Prince Harry’s Blog, has said,
“Was [the plan to send Prince Harry to Afghanistan] more than a photo opportunity, really, and a PR gimmick for the royal family? It would be hard to convince me otherwise!”

Before reading the article about Prince Harry, I would have agreed with Veloso's blog because I was completely against the idea of him joining the military in Afghanistan. I thought Prince Harry was going there only for ‘publicity' and to show that he ‘cared’ .His presence there,however, did put the military in a grave situation because he could be the target of any enemy. However after reading the article, I know that my judgedement was premature. The prince’s stay in Afghanistan was a secret for many months. He was referred to as Lieutenant Harry Wales and not ‘Prince Harry’ (http://youtube.com/watch?v=thury77xYk4). So clearly he was not a danger to his troops because the enemy didn’t even know he was there. According to Prince Harry ,
“I don't want to sit around Windsor, because I generally don't like England that much and it's nice to be away from all the press and the papers."

Its after his this statement that I realised that I was kinda wrong about him. He just wants to get away from all the hustle and bustle associated with being a Prince and wants to experience the life of a commoner for a while.

Disliking a speaker should not stop you from receiving the message(s) he is trying to send to you. To become better listeners, we should always try to “separate the message from the speaker”(Adler, Rodman, and Sevigny 144). If you don’t like a writer of an article, you many think that they have nothing valuable to say, and that could be very misguiding. Even the most boring person could make some good points occasionally and you will only be hurting yourself by not receiving that message. When I first read the article, I was a little turned off by Sir Richard Dannatt (who is head of the British army). I come from a country where military leaders are not looked highly upon because they are seen as corrupted and selfish. After reading Sir Dannatt’s view on the issue at hand, I now understand and respect his reasoning. He believes that the Prince should not have been sent to Afghanistan but he has come to an understanding with the British media not to broadcast Prince Harry's whereabouts. Despite the kind of person Sir Dannatt is, I have managed to separate the speaker (him) from the message and in the end I have come out with some good ideas.

Have you ever spoken to someone for an hour or so and after speaking to them wondered what on earth was the main point of that long talk? To avoid a situation like this, try to look for the key ideas of the speaker. According to Adler, Rodman, and Sevigny(146) most people have a,
“central idea or a thesis when they are speaking to you.”

News articles, like this one, are very convenient in that way. Doug Saunders, the author of this article, knows that the readers are only interested in the main points of this crisis which is why the title clearly states what the entire article is about: 'The Prince has been on Afghanistan’s front lines since Christmas – an operational challenge for his military superiors'. The average person does not care about what time Prince Harry arrived in Afghanistan, the main point is that he arrived. Likewise, it does not matter how this secret was leaked, the point is that it did get leaked to the public...

The tips for being an informational listener can also be used when reading an article, as I have shown. Whether you think sending Prince Harry to Afghanistan was a good idea or not, is entirely up to you, but by just following these tips you are sure to make a better decision on the matter. Just remember that by being a good listener, you have nothing to lose but the world to gain.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=t1hDUpLS71o

Sources -

1. Adler, Ronald B., George Rodman, and Alexandre Sevigny. "Perception, the Self, and Communication." Understanding Human Communication. Canadian ed. Canada: Oxford U P, 2008. 143-147.

2. Veloso, Bryan. “Harry Hunter.” Prince Harry’s Blog.1 March. 2008: 20 March. 2008.

3. "Prince returns from Afghanistan.” BBC News. 1 March. 2008: 19 March. 2008.

4. Prince Harry shooting Taliban in Afghanistan. Perf. Prince Harry. ITN News, 2008.

Raising the Curtain on Russian Beauty - Anne Applebaum's Blog

This article takes us through the phases of progress of the Russian women right from the times of the Soviet Union up until present day. Russian women have always been the most apt examples of defining beauty and by that I mean just not external beauty but internal too. Russian women have always wanted to carve a niche for themselves just like their American or European counterparts but the stringent rules during the Soviet time and the lack of awareness during that time pulled them back greatly. Its a pity that their talent and beauty was not recognized and hence the world lost the opportunity to know some of the finest women who could have made it big.

The main point here is that the Russian women have always wanted to have their own individual identity. Gone are the days when men treated Russian women as mere pleasure dolls or escorts to boost their morale and prestige. Women like Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova, Vogue cover girl Natalia Vodianova, Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic are just a few living examples who defied tradition and are living examples of success. They realised their potential and passion and took the tough road in order to achieve what they achieved and climb the ladder of success. Russian women have moved away from the concept of just doing the thing which would happen in their bloc or village or town and have ventured into multi-dimensional tasks. We as men, in general have to get over the fact that women are subordinate and are meant to do only a set number of tasks. In particular,Russian men who have always curbed their women need to learn that the world has changed and moved on. The Soviet rules are no longer applicable and the Russian women should be given the liberty to showcase their beauty to the entire world.

In the article Cool Bodies: TV and Talk, by M. Gillespie, the point that young people have a “preoccupation with matters of physical appearance,” “criteria of physical attractiveness,” proves just how obsessed our culture is as far as looks are concerned and how these Russian beauties are the perfect models to sell our products (Gillespie 154).

The bottom line is that we shouldn't be threatened by the progress these amazing women are making in different territories but infact we should be a source of encouragement for them so that they can come out without fear and show to the world what they've got and what they're made of. Next time we see a Russian women, we shouldn't just think of sexuality but instead we must make an effort to look at her internal beauty and just not the materialistic superficial beauty.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_8FAwMpR6D4

http://youtube.com/watch?v=smXd6TINB50

References:

Applebaum, Anne. "Anne Applebaum's on Maria Sharapova et al.:Raising the Curtain on Russian Beauty," National Post (February 2008): http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/02/01/anne-applebaum-on-maria-sharapova-et-al-raising-the-curtain-on-russian-beauty.aspx (accessed February 15, 2008).

Gillespie, M. "Cool Bodies:TV and Talk." In Custom Courseware: CMST 1A03, ed. Prof. Sevigny. Hamilton:McMaster University Bookstore, January 2008, 153-171.

The Year In Pictures (2007) - Vanity Fair

36 Pictures !! That's what Vanity Fair uses to describe the entire year of 2007. Magazines like Vanity Fair know that visual stimulation catches the immediate attention of the masses as opposed to a mere article of text. Photographs are assumed to hold the entire truth of a situation, a moment captured in time - photographic realism. Somehow, photographs appear to be more authentic than language.


"The Medium is the Message", one of the philosophies which Marshall McLuhan believed in, is the main theme of the pictures used in the article - "2007: The Year in Photos". An important point to note is that out of the thirty-six photographs assembled in this pictographic article, 20 of them feature celebebraties…that’s about 56%! Does that mean that the year 2007 was just about the celebs ? Definately not !! 2007 was filled with events that shook the world and which etched their names in the annals of history but who cares about them, people only want to see the glamorous aspect of the year and who better than the celebs can portray the epitome of glamour.

Vanity Fair was very well aware of this fact and knew that their sales would sky-rocket if they could take advantage of this weakness of the people. The pictures though are intertwined amongst themselves. They could be classified into a couple of categories namely - The rise of the African-Americans, sexuality and nature, to name a few. Natalie Portman,Amy Adams, Eva Green, Gisele Bundchen and the other gorgeous women depicted in these pictures are a living example of the famous slogan - " Sex sells".http://youtube.com/watch?v=lX-8GYcZpFg Now, why would someone have a picture of Leonardo DiCaprio and Gisele Bundchen in the same pictorial. The reason is simple, everyone knows that they both were romantically involved for 5 years.http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Hnp1S-Z-3A. Magazines like Vanity Fair bank on celebrity make-up and break-ups. They know that most of the girls are crazy behind DiCaprio and would buy the magazine just to have a glimpse of one of his pictures while on the other hand the guys are captivated by Gisele's radiating beauty. People feel the need to buy the tabloids, watch the entertainment television shows, and search the Internet for the latest gossip on those in the spotlight. This is what they find interesting rather than reading or watching about the poor on the streets or how we are sabotaging the environment.



The picture to the left touches on world resources and how mankind is devouring them. Just by looking at the photo the viewer gets the impression that the person is aggressively ripping up and eating the trees i.e.deforestation, which symbolize earths energy. The man representing mankind doesn't look very bothered or concerned with the damage he may be causing which represents the real world situation with an unfortunate amount of similarity. The picture effectively tells the story and clearly gives the impression of a gloomy future or present with the fading to black background.

The big question is - "Where is the world heading to ?" Are we going to become scapegoats to the elements of the media and let them dominate our lives or are we going to stop and think for a bit that is it really worth spending so much of our time and effort on such short-lived pleasures. The choice is ours.


Citation

McLuhan, Marshall. "The Medium is the Message." Introduction to Communication. Comp. Alexandre Sevigny. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt,2005. 235-241