OUTSOURCING / OFFSHORING: TWO CARTOONS

 

 This first cartoon introduces the idea of Outsourcing and Offshoring, two current issues in our nowadays societies. This two notions are presented through the figure of Mitt Romney (as we can see on the treasure full of money) who's explaining what outsourcing and offshoring are. To offshore is a mean to earn more money when you establish a western country's company in a third world country in order to pay less the workers and benefits. To outsource is almost the same but it's when you set up a not really lucrative part of a firm in an other country. It's a way to get money really fast for developped countries as United States and what they usually do is that they deposite their money in a tax haven as Cayman Islands drown in the foreground next to "Believin' in America" big boat which reflects the richness of America. But there are many tax havens like Bermuda or Switzerland that we can make out in the background.

 

The second document also tackles the current issue of offshoring. It's atempting to "simply explain" what offshoring means thanks to two banal characters who're having a conversation. They are speaking about the financial situation of their country and the first character says to the other that this would be better if they moved in the other country because there are jobs there. He also says something funny when he tells the other that the people want even more than their jobs. The other asks what and the first answers : they want to be paid. They thinks that it is unbelievable and they are kind of right beacause when a country ofsshores is to get money on the back of a cheap labor. This document is interesting because it shows how bad the situation is nowadays. Indeed, western country people are losing their jobs because some business companies are offshoring to get a cheaper labor. But this labor also wants to be paid.

To put it in a nutshell, these two cartoons raise the controversial issue of offshoring that is creating poverty in both sides, in western countries as well as in third world countries. It also shows that rich people are getting richer and they don't hesitate to hide their money in tax havens in order to not pay taxes even if they should. In fact they are preying on cheap labor to earn as much money as they can. That's awful because nowadays western countries are suffering of a massive joblessness.

MADTv iRACK VIDEO

This video is a parody of a TV show where Steve Jobs ("The founder of Apple computers") is the special guest. This document deals with three notions out of the four we have to study.

First, we can relate this video to the notion entitled "Myths and Heroes". Indeed, when the presenter introduces "Mister Steve Jobs", the audience is getting crazy. Then Steve Jobs' double enter on the stage while flashing lights lighting up him on a mystical music. We have the feeling that we are facing God. He is like a heroe for the audience because he created incredible products.

But this video makes us also think of the notion "The Idea of Progress". Actually, this fake TV show refers to the Apple products, we can see the iPod, the iMac, the iBook, the iPhone, the iPicture frame, the iLamp, the iMicrowave and the iVacuum. Obviously this video aims to laugh at Apple Corporation and its wishes to release more and more products. Besides, these products are totally improbable so it adds a comic effect.

Moreover I think that there is a link between this document and the notion "Locations and Forms of Power" because Apple Company wants to be more and more powerful, that's why the Corporation never stops releasing new products. And the fact is always more and more people buy Apple products even if it's useless like the "Irack" in the video. Apple is getting richer thanks to people who waste their money buying new products.

I personnally think that each and everyone should wear iRan and run far away from Apple spreading.

POSITIVE SIDES OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES

This document is a TV advertisement, released in 2013 by Apple.
 Apple Inc., formerly Apple Computer, Inc., is an American multinational corporation situated in California that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software and personal computers. The company was founded on April 1st, 1976, and incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. on January 3rd, 1977. The word "Computer" was removed from its name on January 9th, 2007, the same day Steve Jobs was introducing the iPhone. Apple is the world's second-largest information technology company by revenue after Samsung Electronics.

This ad introduces the new Iphone 5 and more particularly the Iphone application "FaceTime". It tackles the issue of keeping in touch with the ones you miss when they are away.

This video is made up of a succession of different (2 seconds) shots like the long shot of the father and his two sons on the beach at the beginning of the video or the medium long shot of the man and his dog with the sunset in the background. This kind of editing is very interesting because it gives us the impression that each person is linked to another in the video. It looks as if that they are speaking together even if they don't speak the same language - we can hear a Chinese woman saying "Ni hao." ("Hello.") and another German woman in her house garden whereas most of people in the video speak English - and even if they don't come from the same country (we can make out different types of places : we can notice Tokyo Bay in the background [00:36] or an airport [00:45] ). Besides with this application the two "speakers" can see each other which can be useful for mute people communicating through sign language [00:20]. You can also share your activities with friends and make them take part in what you are doing, at 00:23 a woman is visiting a house and asks the other "FaceTime" user :"Do you think you like it?". Moreover, Apple aims to make this "App" accessible to each and every one because even the little boy [00:43] is able to use it, he is cute because he is giving a kiss through the Iphone. At 00:49 we can see the layout of the application : in the top right-hand corner there is a little rectangle where you can have an outline of what you're shooting while in the middle of the screen you can watch what your friend is filming, then in the bottom left-hand corner there is a micro, it means that you can turn off your micro during the conversation, next to this icon there is another to end the phone call whenever you want, you can easily change the front camera for the one at the back of the Iphone thanks to the icon in the bottom right-hand corner. On the whole Apple wants to make people feel concerned about the progress of new technologies and thus getting more and more consumers : "Every day more people connect face to face on the Iphone, then any other phone" asserts the voice-over.

This video is carefully thought-out and well-edited. We never get bored during the video because it is short and there is a background music from the beginning to the end while the shots fade into the others fluently, the message is clear and summed up : the world "Iphone" and the Apple logo appear in the middle of the image at the end of the video. I find this ad really efficient and convincing! However it only shows the good side of this application (which is normal in advertising, they want to sell their products), indeed, they don't mention how it is difficult to be away from the ones you love, they prefer showing people laughing like the little girl sitting on a sofa [00:09]...

Nowadays, New Technologies enable us to access almost whatever we want. "FaceTime" is an example among many. In fact there are many social networks, free softwares (Skype), applications (Whatsapp) which give you the opportunity to communicate with the whole world. In my opinion, these different means have become essential to keep in touch with your friends or family and moreover to improve the international friendship.

"THE FANATIC GEEK" BY CHAPATTE

                                                                                       This cartoon is taken from International Herald Tribune

We don't know exactly when this cartoon was published but at first sight, it's obvious it was during the Festival de Cannes event. This document raises the controversial issue of illegal downloading.

What catches my eye first is the Festival de Cannes logo in the top left-hand corner but also the woman, dressed in a golden outfits, next to the actor or director... Actually the main character is signing an autograph to a fan. Behind them, in the background, we can make out a crowd of people and photographers shooting the stars on the red carpet.
This document is made up of a drawing and we can read what the "geek" teenager is saying to his idol.

In fact the cartoonist aims to criticize illegal downloading.
On the whole, I think that the cartoonist wants to denounce the increasing prices in the Cinema Industry but at the same time he blames the ones who pirate films because these are also reponsible for the increasing prices of DVDs.

In my opinion, I find this document well-designed and effective and I think it's thanks to the cartoonist's humour. This cartoon is clever enough to influence the readers but at the same time there is nothing to approve at all because each and every one can give their own opinion. Needless to say that document is linked to The Idea Of Progress

There is so much to do with laws against illegal downloading but is it worse than stealing a DVD in a supermarket? What's your point of view?