Jarrod Cook

Professor Liliana Naydan

English 15, Section 15

12 September 2004

Journal Prompt #3

Salley uses Irony to present an advertising campaign for a fictional product the Genderator 1.1. This is a product that supposedly works similarly to spell check, but what it checks for is what matters. The Genderator searches a document and replaces terms that deal with gender with the appropriate term. Salley uses irony to demonstrate the foolishness of trying to select a style of writing and pronouns without offending someone. It is improbable to write without using gender specific pronouns somewhere in the piece. Irony gives Salley an advantage in this type of writing because he is attempting to point out a flaw in a way of thinking in society. Readers are forced to evaluate the writing and this helps them to evaluate their own ideals and the ideals of society. The writing suggests that it is improbable to expect certain types of writing to agree with the expectations of everyone in the audience. Many terms in modern language are gender specific and one must be chosen. Salley uses classic pieces of writing in his piece to demonstrate his product on. Using famous writings allows Salley to demonstrate how foolish it is to write in this manner. No matter what the choice you risk offending someone, and the irony shows how it is not wise to worry over this aspect. Irony is an effective tool in criticizing aspects of society and the humor in this piece shows the foolishness of the topic.

There are also some advantages to writing in a strait forward manner depending on the topic being written on. When you write in an ironic tone your writing is less serious and is some times taken that way. You can present the facts in your writing rather than criticizing others. There will be a more professional manner and your writing and readers will have more evidence to convince them. It also ensures that all readers will understand the aim of your writing. When you write with an ironic style not everyone will understand the principles you are criticizing. When you use a strait forward manner the reader is not forced to evaluate and really think about your writing because it is presented in an obvious manner. A strait forward manner should be used when writing a formal paper that relies on facts and research to reach its point. Depending on your topic and your audience you should choose the appropriate style to write in.