Post 2: Analysis of a Celebrity Endorsement

Many Americans know the infamous Sarah Jessica Parker from her hit T.V. show, Sex and the City. In addition to being a well-known actress, she also works in a variety of advertising campaigns, one being Gap. Gap is an American clothing and accessory brand based in San Francisco, California. It is currently one of the largest specialty apparel retailers in the United States. The following are all the Gap brand stores: Gap, Gap Outlet, GapKids, babyGap, GapBody, and GapMaturnity. The company clearly strives to meet the population as a whole. In my eyes, Gap gives off the image of classy, casual, and fun, which are three characteristics that Sarah Jessica Parker definitely portrays.

Sarah Jessica Parker, in my opinion, is an appropriate choice for Gap's advertising campaign. It is obvious, through her acting, that she is an extremely bubbly, fun-loving, yet still a sophisticated individual. These are the characteristics I believe Gap is trying to strive towards. On Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker is very fashionable. She is seen wearing elegant as well as casual clothing, and Gap absolutely manufactures clothing for every occasion.

The endorsement has been very successful for both Sarah Jessica Parker and Gap. Sarah Jessica Parker has been campaigning with Gap for quite some time now, and from the looks of it, Gap has been satisfied with her work. Many individuals look up to Sarah Jessica Parker, and when they observe her Gap advertisements, it ultimately convinces them to buy the same types of clothing items. In an Entertainment Weekly article titled, "Casual 'Sex'," Gary Muto, president of Gap, is quoted saying, "Gap has always been about individual style, and no one represents this philosophy better than Sarah Jessica Parker." I personally agree with this statement because Sarah Jessica Parker is an individualist and can definitely pull off wearing jeans and a T-shirt or couture. This endorsement deal has been successful for Gap because they are making profit from more Americans, while it has been successful for Sarah Jessica Parker because obviously she is making money and enjoying her job.

Post 1: Response to In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food, begins to propose ideas as to what we should really be putting into our bodies. He starts by trying to connect with his readers on a personal level through his own opinions. In the introduction, Pollan touches on the "Western Diet," informing readers this is a reason that many Americans are overweight. The first section of the novel goes on to explain more about the history of nutrients and why nutrients are so significant for a healthy body. Pollan clarifies what nutritionism is and how particular foods we see in the supermarket today are being replaced. The first section of In Defense of Food starts to offer alternate ways of eating through stating various facts about what and how most Americans eat.

Pollan makes clear the difference between nutrition and nutritionism in the first section of his novel. He states in regards to nutritionism, "the key to understanding food is indeed the nutrient. Put another way: Foods are essentially the sum of their nutrient parts" (28). I definitely agree with this statement and believe that many individuals don't take the time to actually think about what they are putting into their bodies. The goal of nutritionism is that the point of eating should be to promote and maintain your health. I believe it is very important to watch what you eat and try to eat those foods that make you a healthier person.

Another point covered in the first section of In Defense of Food has to do with certain foods being replaced in the supermarket. Pollan gives the example of margarine replacing butter. He explains that margarine is butter with the bad nutrients removed and good nutrients added. Experts comment on this particular site and here the experts actually compare butter and margarine and provide facts regarding both products. When thinking about many of the foods one sees today at the supermarket, other examples of these "fake" foods come to mind and i agree with what Pollan has stated regarding the replacement of foods nowadays.