J.R.R. Tolkien approves this blog

One topic that came up in class this week was endorsement. Frederick Douglass' narrative about his life was and still is very popular. But why would anyone 150 years ago want to read a book written by a former slave? Also, why was it included on some versions of the book that it was "written by himself"? Could it be that people didn't believe the fact that a black man could write so well? My theory is that the preface was included to add some validity to Douglass' book. While his book was indeed written by himself, there is a big possibility that people back then didn't believe that slaves were capable of writing. Also, the preface attracts a whole new genre of readers. People who enjoy the work of (insert name) will consider reading Douglass' book just because of the endorsement. We see this kind of star power every day.

When a new movie comes out, the commercials, posters, and newspaper ads are littered with stamps of approval from the Rolling Stone, Ebert and Roeper, and an assortment of other magazines and film critics. In almost every commercial, there is a celebrity or athlete representing a product. These endorsements are used to help promote an item or idea. When people see or recognize people on tv whom they idolize, it makes them want to but the product. I like some of these commercials because they are pretty funny. Here's one that I really like:Star Power Commercial