Mommy's Hair

Mommy's Hair

Mommy's hair is long and black
and soft like our new kitten
Her hair smells like vanilla cookies
(but I know you can't eat hair)

I like to watch her braid her hair
She braids it in the bathroom
She stands in front of the bathroom mirror
and I stand at the door

Mommy has magic in her hands
That's why her braids are good
I tried to make a braid like Mommy
but only mommies have magic

My hair isn't black like Mommy's
it's brown and not so long
But Mommy still braids my hair for me
So I can be pretty too

***

This post is my experiment in perspective. I noticed that for a lot of writing, you can tell how old the author is or even what their background/gender is. The type of author you hear has a big effect on the feeling you get out of the writing. For example, hearing a teenager talk about their mom is different from hearing a 6-year-old talk about their mommy. Because of this effect, I thought it would be good to try and change the perspective of my writing, so that it sounds like a younger, different author. With young kids especially, the writing can be less grandiose but also get important emotions out of the reader. Lastly, I think that the idea of having an innocent, sweet child as the author makes the reader see the topic in a different light.

Just "Good"?

You're walking down the hall, into the dining hall, or out of class. While you're on the move, someone passing by you asks, "Hey! How are you?"

In this case, there's only one right answer: Good.

While it might seem like a perfectly harmless phrase, asking "How are you?" is actually a very well disguised argument. By asking this question, you're trying to show that you are polite, because you are asking about how someone is feeling and if they are having a good day. Yet people rarely stop to ask you this question; they are almost always walking past you while they ask, so you only have enough time to say one word before they are gone.

It's a very clever way to seem polite and compassionate without actually putting the effort in. Just look at how simple it is: three words, three syllables. But don't be fooled by the brevity of it; the words have a very personal, considerate diction. Unlike other phrases like "What's up?" or "How's a going?" this phrase uses the word "you", which leaves no doubt that the question is being direct and personal.

It's also important to note what the phrase doesn't say. It doesn't actually ask, "Did anything bad happen?" or "Did anything awesome happen?" By saying "How are you?" you are asking for more of a summary, without losing the feeling of connection and care.

Let's take a step back for a minute. If this question is set up to evoke such a personal response, then why can we get away with asking it on the go and then getting a one word answer?

Unlike some other cultures, the US is known for people always rushing around, so it's become part of the culture to be in a hurry. Because of this background, asking someone "How are you?" while they're on the move actually adds to the strength of it. By asking it while they are moving and making it short and personal, they are arguing that they are compassionate and care about you so much that they will ask after your health even though they are apparently too busy to actually stop and talk; they are making time for you because they care. In fact, it argues that the interrogator is selfless because of this sacrifice of time and emotion.

All this isn't to say that you shouldn't use it; it's very effective and can be heartfelt. This simple, supposedly innocent phrase is an undebatable argument in favor of the narrator's generosity and compassion.

By the way, how are you?

Burger King and Milk

Two tag lines that stood out to me were the catchphrases for Burger King and California Milk Processor Board. While the catchphrase "Got Milk?" seems a lot different from "Have it your way", they actually share very important elements. The phrase "got milk?" has very informal, friendly connotations. Unlike the Burger King phrase, it's in the form of a question. It also does not directly say "you" or "your", which allows it to refer either to one person or a group of people. This first phrase is very clever because it's short, is good for all audiences, and it appeals to the audience's desire to be part of the crowd. On the other hand, the phrase "Have it your way" is almost sassy in addition to its informal tone. You could interpret this phrase as either being inviting, in the sense that it wants you to come to Burger King because they make food your way, or as being peer pressure, in the sense that it lets you pick where to eat while implying that the best choice is Burger King. It's also different from the milk phrase because it's a statement, not a question. Despite these differences, the most important thing is that both phrases use the strategy of catchy phrases and peer pressure. Both of the phrases are very short and easy to remember. They also share a tone of informality, which makes the connection to the brand more personal. Most importantly, both phrases have an undertone that says, "If you don't buy this/go here, then you're different and not doing what every other cool person is doing." The first phrase, "got milk?" does this by making it into a simple question where the most normal answer would be "yes". If you were to answer "no", then you would probably ask yourself why, since the question makes it seem like most people do. Similar to this, the Burger King phrase is implying that while the choice is up to you, everyone smart is choosing Burger King as their way. While these two brands are selling different products and using different words, both share the important strategy of grabbing the audience by using memorable phrases and subtle peer pressure.