Sun Vampiers free essay sample

The Sun Vampires is an article by Cayte Williams outlining the dangers of using sun beds; addiction to sun beds and portrays the people who use sun beds as foolish. The article was printed in ‘The Big Issue’, which is most commonly sold by the homeless to earn money. ‘The Big Issue’ is targeted towards young casual readers who have knowledge of current affairs and have general concerns for society. The main message put across in the article by Cayte is that they are dangerous and can become very addictive. She outlines facts and figures from medical professionals to re-enforce her point of view, whist using experiences, from past and present ‘tanorexics’. The article appealed to the younger audience by keeping the tone humorous by using informal, casual language such as, â€Å"fork out†, â€Å"so who are these walking raisins† and â€Å"lets face it†, but still portraying the serious message of the health risks taken by using the sun bed. We will write a custom essay sample on Sun Vampiers or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The title ‘Sun Vampires’ grabs your attention due to the fact you would not associate Vampires with the Sun. This reflects well with the article because Vampires burn in sunlight. Followed up by the sub-heading, â€Å"desperate for a sun fix† supports the none association of Vampires and the Sun, intrigues you into reading more. The sub-heading, â€Å"incarcerated in hi-tech coffins† along with the graphic illustration gives you an image of a burnt vampire within a coffin, but in fact it represents a ‘tanorexics’ using a hi-tech sun bed! The opening paragraph, sees Cayte personally involving the reader in an amusing way, to picture themselves confined within a sun bed, but comparing it to what she would consider an alien abduction! She does this by describing the sensations which are experienced on a sun bed, â€Å"lying in a big plastic cocoon†, â€Å"blue lights beats down at you† and â€Å"strange humming noises†, all of which you would associate with the paranormal. The article goes on to a more serious note by informing us that the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) have issued a fact sheet outling the dangerous effects of indoor tanning. She uses a third party spokeswoman for the ICRF, Christine Suggars to emphasise the extreme dangers and concerns for ‘tanoerexics’. She uses the word ‘tanoerexics’ in order to associate tanning with â€Å"an obsession with self-image and self-esteem, like anorexia†. The paragraph is concluded with a light hearted statement of, â€Å"so who are these walking raisins, and why do they need a regular sun bed fix†, to engage the reader’s interest to find out who these people are. Again in the third paragraph she continues with her use of informal, casual language, such as â€Å"Lets face it†, â€Å"one hell of a habit† and â€Å"fork out to†, to keep her target audience interested. The paragraph takes on a more serious tone, when Jane Horwood describes her addiction. She compares her addiction to smoking and although she only used it once a week at first it gradually became once a night. She went to inform us she â€Å"was really upset that when i got pregnant my doctor told me i couldnt go on the sun bed†. This outlines the seriousness of the risks and how easily people can become addicted. Cayte leads us on to worrying information provided by Doctor Julia Newton Bishop, who is a consultant dermatologist at St James’ University Hospital in Leeds. She introduces Julia into the article to substantiate the facts of premature skin ageing and compares the problem in the elderly to younger patients who have over-used tanning equipment. This helps Cayte to persuade the reader to her point of view, by using an outside professional to reaffirm the effects of using the sun bed and explains you will have the opposite effect of what the younger generation want to achieve. Cayte re-introduces Christine Suggars of the ICRF who goes on to inform us of more medical conditions caused by over tanning but in in-depth medical terms, â€Å"UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply, damaging the elastin†. This again re-enforces the hazards of sun bed use but also shows that Christine Suggars is a medical professional and has a wide knowledge of her chosen field. Having now been given concise information by professionals Cayte then moves on to the sun tanning industry. Shes continues in a judgemental manner regarding a well-known ‘brand’ â€Å"The Tanning Shop† whos first branch opened in 1992 and has over 150 branches throughout the country. She highlights ‘controlled tanning’ and ‘consultation’ to sarcastically mock the industry as she does not think this is their true reflection of the industry’s Code of Practice, and more concerned with their profit margin than the safety of their customers.