Ridolfo and Rife

   Ridolfo and Rife’s, “A Case Study on Strategies of Rhetorical Delivery” and their discussion of Maggie’s photograph being appropriated and recomposed really caught my attention, and made me consider other situations this has happened to. But to understand what Ridolfo and Rife are trying to convey in their article, you have to understand the keys terms they use to fully grasp what is going on, and how each of these key terms relate to Maggie’s case. The keys terms one must know are, rhetorical velocity, rhetorical delivery, appropriation, and recomposition. 

    To understand how these terms function together one must know what to “appropriate” something is. In this case, the appropriation of Maggie’s photo. Appropriation is to reuse an image for different purposes then originally intended. Maggie, “worked with other student activist to design a visually intensive protest to achieve a particular type if broadcast press coverage. Even though the protest and activist campaign was ultimately successful, in the years that followed, a series of images” (of Maggie) “were used in ways neither Maggie nor the other activist  could plausibly predict.” (Ridolfo/ Rife 229) The university used Maggie’s image in the snow in several different ways. They used it on their website as a promotional video, showing students having fun in the snow. Although Maggie and the other students were in fact playing in the snow, the pictures lead a misconception of what the situation intended. 

    Now that we have an understanding of what appropriation is, we must understand what recomposition is. To recompose an image is to revamp it. To make it different from its original form. In Maggie’s case, Michigan State University used the picture of Maggie, and changed it. They even went so far so to changing the background to look more pleasing in the photo. This is particularly difficult in todays world where it is extremely easy to alter a image, especially with the evolution of smart phones and the easy spreading of images through social media. Although this isn’t illegal, it leads back to appropriation. What the intended meaning of the photo is. It also leads us to rhetorical velocity and delivery. 

    “Rhetorical velocity is a strategic concept of delivery in which a rhetor theorizes the possibilities for the recomposition of a text based on how s/he anticipates how the text might later be used.” (Ridolfo/ Rife 229) Maggie’s did not theorize how the university might recompose her image for their own use and financial gain. While reading Rodolfo and Rife’s legal portion of the essay, they discuss different things that Maggie could have done to stop the use of her photo. Although there are many legal actions that Maggie could take, in the end there is nothing she could do to prevent the university from using her image. Rodolfo and Rife talk about the “commons”, and what it means to be in them. Because Maggie was publicly protesting, she has no right to say that someone can’t take her photo. More over, because the image was taken by a staff member of the university and on the private property of the campus, Maggie has no right to claim ownership of her image. 

   When considering Carolyn Miller’s definition and theory of genre, I feel that the recomposition best relates to her theory. Miller believes that genre can change over time based on previous genres evolving. To recompose something is generally the same theory. That something starts as original, and over time though typification and recurring situations, that original thing, changes into something else. This can be thought of through many different angles. Like genre, many things in our society evolve and become new or different things.