Proposal

Joshua WIlson 

What is the main topic of your project? Why have you chosen this topic?

I would like to present my topic titled American greed. The greed in America Truly shows itself in a time like this we’re facing a pandemic and the big business has a way to truly disguise helping the customers compared to doing it for their self-interest. Many if not all small and local businesses have shut down due to the spread of COVID-19 however the billion-dollar business has not. It seems normal to us and our society we wouldn’t expect the big business to close but why? The resources are the same people need employment they need to shop for goods and services. The impact is only felt by the low and middle class and it’s odd. Big business has been affected by it, in fact, it has helped most of them they are able to lay off a percentage of their workers and get the shelves are being cleared even in terms of big restaurant business have operated in the same way. And to make it worse they are putting up this illusion that they are doing all they can to help just to protect their dollar. If you’ve noticed just in the recent few days companies have now given staff materials to feel safe but that’s how far it goes most companies aren’t even giving out sick leave because they know they need for jobs is in high demand so that just means easily replaced. At times like this, there should be a need for job security but it’s not just business security. Companies like Amazon, McDonald’s, Walmart and in between are forcing the bad if it’s employees to work or to be like the millions of people as of now under unemployment because they don’t have benefits like paid sick leave. Leaving staff out dry. Not just the staff but the customers are also getting a false sense of safety. Speaking from personal experiences and working at McDonald’s they sold a False sense of safety with the Big Mac. Tho gloves that were worn to hand out food and food prep however when it comes to making the food mask aren’t worn yet we have to keep the smiles.

 Why have you chosen this topic?

 The golden arcs are what they only care about the gold. Amazon will sell everything from A-Z to get to make sure the money gets delivered and all in between. All the greed in these companies shows they only care for the profit and will ignore the very people that are buying or working for them to insure the dollar makes it back to the very building that was built off the backs of the people this is American Greed. I have a personal attachment to this topic  As a McDonald’s employee I can speak first hand as to what a pandemic like effects everyone from the customers to the staff. It can be broken up into two parts .the rules must be followed by the staff. The way the corporate office is handling the situation. The rules have not changed just edited since the pandemic as the staff has been feeling uneasy about the situation sadly there is nothing they can do they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Empowerment understands that it’s hard to find a job elsewhere and McDonald’s is exploiting that. When talking to some of my employees I feel powerless to the situation and the company they work for isn’t providing anything to make it better. To only get paid 9-10 dollars an hour and no benefits to them are told they must act accounting to not scare away the customers when they themselves are worried about their family for just to be paid the minimum wage and if they get sick no such thing as paid leave they would just have to quit and there’s still contact between customer and staff meaning they are exposed to COVID 19 only thing separating them is a pair of gloves. Going right into the corporate office because some instructions are optional based on my rules they have to listen to is the ones they demand all chains such as staying open and operational and not allowing paid sick leave. They sugar coat everything including the pandemic making it seem like the doors are open because people need to eat not but aren’t dropping prices or even reaching out to attempt to make the establishment safer for staff and customers. I’m fortunate enough to not have the ability to leave and there are thousands who cannot do the same thing but the corporate office is doing nothing to ensure that the people they hired and customers are safe. 

What is your message for the audience? How will you reach an audience (ie "publish" the project)? How can an audience engage with the project?

The main message I would like to bring to my audience is the fact that these companies are selfish if it wasn't for their PR and marketing it would be pretty hard for them to convey the message that they care about both consumer and staff. My main mission of this project is to expose the truth and show the teeth of these companies and their true intention. The way I will display this will be in multiple forms. One including a poetic piece followed remaking some of the commercials and or marketing targeting for these billion-dollar companies to show what the true intentions behind it are. I want both pieces to be visual however I want the viewer to be impacted. I want both to be thought-provoking. 

How does this project fit into your professional aspirations and your portfolio?

As a marketing major and understanding how marketing works such as how to make a marketing campaign. With this comes the knowledge of why its made and what is being persuaded to the audience I'm hoping when it comes to remaking the marketing strategies or commercials to show the true intention I will help me in just furthering my experience as a marketing major and showing that I know what to what I've been taught. however aside from the personal aspect of this project becomes a successful company could possibly want to hire me as a person on the PR team to make sure there aren't any holes in their marketing strategies I would have to decline however due to my ethics I believe in honest marketing and not to display lies in order to further the dollar.  

What artists have influenced or inspired your project? Please research and choose 5 artists that connect with your project/topic. What other projects have you found that also address this issue and speak to your audience?

Due to my recent research, I've had a list of not just artist but events starting with the artist

Robert Karimi: he is a cook that organizes dinners and or mobile dinners this to mean is significant due to him doing almost the exact opposite of what big companies are doing his face to face with the consumer making himself not just a CEO but a staff catering personally to the consumer.

Akosua Adoma Owusu :she is a filmmaker from Africa that compares their society to Americans. Her work inspires me to really think outside the box in my approach because not only does she film but she organizes protests for social injustice.

 Favianna Rodriguez: She is an artist who usually does posters when I first came across her work it made me want to almost recreate the same emotions that I got from seeing her pieces at first then I realized I'm not as artistically talented but it pointed me in the direction I wanted to go.

Barbra Krugur : she is the originator of the supreme logo and when it comes to her work it more accessible to what I can manage it's thought-provoking minimalistic yet noticeable it immediately catches the eye especially to read what she has to say in fact when digging more into her work  I found myself looking up some of the causes she attached herself to.

Marlanda Dekine aka Sapient Soul: she is a poet who takes about social injustice from the views of a black American. I've yet to master any type of poetry however after reading and listening to some of her work I found myself wanting to mimic her art style because it's easy to digest and comprehensible yet still remaining profound. I hope my poetry can reflect close to her work. 

      . Please list 10+ resources that will inform your project in a resource list at the end of your proposal

Different movements writers and documents have helped me further my research and reasoning as to why this project needs to be done the list is at the bottom 

The civil rights movement  

Labor organizations

Niome Kleine : burning fire, shock doctrine 

History of worker rights 

15%

Green new deal 

Ad busters