How Cultural Narratives Influence Perception

This kind of silly video is a great example of how 'framing' an idea can really affect how people then perceive that idea.

Narratives are constructed not only about ideas, but about products, political parties, minority groups in society. Parents construct a narrative about their kids, and that narrative affects their kids' perception of themselves.

Basically, the stories we tell influence our thinking as much as or more than the subjects of the stories do.

Like last week, we're going to practice using our critical faculties and intuition. As we watch the video together, we'll share the thoughts that occur to us, and create the discussion together.

Video Transcript:
Here are definitive scientific facts that prove that cats are better than dogs.
Here's a picture of a dog after a grueling and demeaning day working the pole at a local strip club.
Here's a picture of the cat after only five minutes, at the same club.

Here's a standard picture of a dog trying to catch a simply thrown frisbee.
Whereas here's a picture of a cat taken right after it scored an impressive goal in ultimate frisbee; humble, thankful for its gifts.

Here we see a cat deciding to emply more negative space to create tension and dynamism in the logo she's working on. For a Super PAC.
Meanwhile this dog's computer is not even plugged in.

Here we see a cat memorizing Cava Blanca's greatest chess endings by playing through and through against herself, while here this dog tries to use the Sicilian defence against a Queen-Pawn opening, against a cockateel.

These dogs who found themselves in a bucket are confused, scared, even angry.
Alternatively, these cats redefine the very notion of bucket, or bucketness, with an impressive combination of brain power, tenacity and postive thinking.

These dogs are nervous that their ties are not straight. Worried that their boss at the nibble factory might dock their pay.
This is their boss.

Here we see a dog licking its own genitalia. Vulgar.
Whereas here…can we have the next slide, please?

Here we see a home designed by cats, clean, modest, an inspiration for IKEA…and the rest of Sweden. Whereas dog-run interior design firms still struggle to find a niche in the market.

Here we see dogs wearing tinfoil hats to protect themselves from the mind reading of the government and aliens.
Whereas here we see a cat wears a tasteful aluminum headpiece in preparation for a cat Cosplay convention.

Here we see a dog engaged in the maudlin play for attention, demeaning the gesture of a hug into a physical commodity, something to be bought and sold,
while here we see a heartfelt private moment of sincere loyalty, affection, and yes, love.

The cat of course is a natural scholar, hungry for knowledge, while the dog is trained to poopoo and peepee on the newspaper.

These cats rented the original Dirty Dancing for their slumber parties whereas these bulldogs rented Dirty Dancing Havana nights.

Cats follow the simple instructions on roadway signs, realizing that it's the glue that binds our society,
whereas the dog flagrantly disobeys, or doesn't know how to read, a totem to chaos and a descent into anarchy.

When a dog is left alone with a baby, even for a second, it will start to think about eating that baby, like a dingo.
Whereas the cat nurtures and fosters that baby, teaching it to speak foreign languages, and even to play new instruments, like the piccolo and the hammer dulcimer.

Here is a dog that just ordered a corned beef hash, extra crispy and with extra fat at the local greasy spoon,
while here a cat who has just enjoyed an amuse bouche of snow pea grantas is fascinated by the dinner conversation about how the masses dialectic of enlightenment.

A cat would never kiss ass. Asses kiss them.

Cats never mistake themselves for a flower.

Here is a cat expertly negotiating rush hour traffic on her way to put out a housefire.
These dogs are drunk. And high. And they don't have a licence. And they're sitting in their own poop.