7.2 Polemical

Where/ When: I was trying to find out the particular type of design used to produce the video Story of Stuff. The resulting websites had the following description: The Story of Stuff is a short polemical animated documentary about the lifecycle of material goods.

Familiarity: I have never heard this word before. Since I was thinking in my head "stick figures...
graphic design.... special name for graphic design used to produce this video... story is told by an invisible hand drawing out one's thoughts" I thought the world polemical had to do with the particular type of story-telling/design/production of this animated video.

Definition provided by Merriam-Webster
Polemic
a :  an aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another
  b    :  the art or practice of disputation or controversy —usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

Reflection: Boy was I wrong in my prediction! I was actually shocked to find out what this word really meant! Mostly because I had a prediction which was way off. The definition of the word does make sense in the context in which it was read. The author of this video is extremely vocal about the hidden cost of the stuff we use on a daily basis. Not only does she discuss the environmental cost, but also the human cost... we purchase products made in China for extremely low prices mostly because the wages of those who produce these products are ridiculously low.