Extra Credit: Putting Quotes in Context

In the following post, I will put two selected quotes into context. 

Dyer, Charles. "Zoom H1 Handy Recorder." 4/18/2011 via Flickr.
Attribution 2.0 Generic License. 

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: "I'm constantly amazed by the number of people who want to take my picture."

What was the context in which the quote was actually said? When? Who were they speaking to? Was the speaker responding to a question? Or did the quote emerge as part of a conversation about a specific topic?

• Judge Ginsburg was replying to a question about her knowledge of her being an internet sensation when she said the above quote. She was speaking to Jeffrey Rosen, an interviewer for New Republic. It was an extension to an answer where she said this quote. 

How does knowing the specific context in which the quote was said inform your understanding of the quote?

• It helps to know what situation the person who said it was in. If this was just a random sentenced blurted out in the middle of a walk that was captured by paparazzi, it would come across as super conceited. Yet, because we know it was part of an interview, it's almost cute how she responds with it. 

Does knowing the context for the quote deepen your impression of the celebrity who said it? Does it change or alter your perception of them? Does it cut against what this celebrity is often talked about or represented within culture-at-large?

• I had never heard of the 'Notorious R.B.G.' before this class, but when I imagine a Supreme Court Justice, I think of a prim and proper lawyer. The quote definitely softens her reputation to the average citizen.

Pope Francis: "In general, I'm not afraid. I tend to be more reckless; I act without weighing the consequences. Sometimes that causes me extra headaches because an extra word slips out here and there."

What was the context in which the quote was actually said? When? Who were they speaking to? Was the speaker responding to a question? Or did the quote emerge as part of a conversation about a specific topic?

• In this situation, the Pope was responding to a question about his fears. It emerged as part of his answer to the question, and kind of developed from there. He was speaking to Juan Berretta, an interviewer for Aleteia.

How does knowing the specific context in which the quote was said inform your understanding of the quote?

• Knowing the context helps, because if was just randomly out of nowhere with no background, it would almost discredit him with some people. However, this took place in an interview, so it is normal for him to be asked about this. 

Does knowing the context for the quote deepen your impression of the celebrity who said it? Does it change or alter your perception of them? Does it cut against what this celebrity is often talked about or represented within culture-at-large?

• This is definitely shocking, because the Pope is someone who is held in such high regards in my household, that it seems almost weird to think of him as human. It humanizes him to me when he says things like this, because I could to talk to anyone in my dorm and that response would seem normal. Pope Francis is the most in touch with the time pope that we've ever had, so his quote also seems like him.