Popular Culture as the Enemy
As English teachers, we often say that one of our greatest goals is to simply get students to read. Often times the most difficult thing about teaching a novel is to get the student to even read the book. I think that is where we see the greatest asset of television and movie productions. These are texts that educators often do not deem educational. They are often seen as the adversary, as their glitter, glamour, and color take students away from curling up with a good book. However, these media examples cannot simply be dismissed. Not only are they an important part of students’ lives, but they also are a great way to teach literary ideas through a venue that students will want to explore.
It is important to teach students about the specific film techniques or the elements of the TV industry, because it is essential that we give students the tools to think critically about these elements of popular culture. Many of our students’ ideologies and ways of seeing the world stem directly from what they see in movies or TV shows. Often times these areas of popular culture create representations that students see to be as reality, and they do little to question what they see unless we teach them how to do so. Students need to know how the goals behind creating a movie differ from writing a book. They need to learn about what role the advertising or the opportunity for resale plays in creating a show. They need to know what goes in to creating a text so that they understand how and why these representations are formed and what basis they have in reality.
Using a Critical Eye to See the World
If we teach students how a book that we are reading discusses gender, we may effectively teach the student about the representation of gender, but will they are able to extend that discussion to the real world context? Will they able to see the issue as it is being represented daily in their own life? These television shows and video games that students are watching are working off of many of the same themes that we explore through literature. It is important that as we teach students to look through different literary and critical lenses, like gender, multiple perspectives, deconstruction, or post colonialism, that we teach students how these ideas are represented in the media that they experience as well.
I would use media adaptations and viewings in my class in many different ways. I think one of the most prominent ways they can be used is to teach these literary lenses on an extended and applicable level. I think that as we teach students to read the word critically, we need to extend that to the media that they are truly using in their daily lives. We need to focus on gender representations in advertisements, movies, school settings, books, and in so many other areas of life. If my students were reading a text that dealt with gender issues, I may introduce them to the idea by showing them clips of a TV show that they may be more familiar with and have them study the representation in gender in that at first. I may choose something that is very explicit and easier to recognize, like in music videos. This way students could begin to see how authors and society in general can manipulate the idea that we see as gender. Once students had a thorough grasp on this socially constructed nature of gender, I would then delve into how it is being played with in the texts that they are reading.
Developing Theme
As I discussed in my final project for this class, I also think that media adaptations can be used to talk about specific themes that are being discussed in a text. Often times, themes such as good vs. evil, the fickleness of love, or one’s coming of age can be seen in many different TV shows, songs, or movies that students are already aware of. By having students look for these themes in other texts, they are not only realizing how universal these themes are but they are also gaining a better understanding of them. Different texts will bring up different issues of a theme and it will help students see the complexity and the importance behind the discussions in the book.
For my final project, where I had the students look at the themes in a Midsummer Night’s Dream and find three different media examples that focused on the same theme, I had the students discuss the similarities and the differences between the two representations. I think that this is where a good discussion could take place about how the format of the representation changes the content. This is where students could look at silent films and see how the mood or the theme is represented differently without the use of words. How does the focus on facial expressions change how love is represented? Or anger? What limitations does this put on the representation? Students could look at the limited space of songs and how that affects the theme development. They could look at the intended audience or the purpose of the creation of the media example. All of these things play a role in the representation and as students work to understand this, I think that they will gain a better understanding about how representations are being represented. Through this experience, students will be able to see how they are being manipulated and exposed to certain ideologies and hopefully they will learn to fight back from this.
In my project, I had students find media examples that represented themes, but it might be interesting to have them create their own representations of theme as well. They could look at what factors go into the development and what choices they have to make when they choose what to represent. Students could collect a group of pictures, they could record a video, play a song, or they could write a story. They could also go into depth with one media example and annotate each moment that a theme or representation is being developed. They could focus on each moment and expression of gender, or love, or class and annotate on how that is expressed and what the text is saying. This could assist students in becoming active readers, as they begin to pay attention to each page or moment in a text, highlighting those moments that become significant or representational.
Reaching a Level of Enriched Understanding
Finally, I think that it is important to point out how many media examples there are out there that are taken to be explicit adaptations of the texts that we read. I do not see anything wrong with students watching a movie version of the book that they are reading, as they reading. I think that for more difficult texts this would help them visualize the setting or the scene. It would also help to build on a discussion of how the two are different and the reasons that that might be the case. This would be especially interesting when students are looking at completely different versions of a text, like the movie The Lion King as an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Students can easily begin to notice the thread of similarities but also the differences that exist. They can begin to denote where the changes are and what might be the causes for the changes. How does the changing of society and format change these representations?
This focus on why these differences exist is key, as I believe that it is where the critical thinking takes place. As I have students use different media examples, I would ask them to outline these differences and begin to notice the infinite amount of possible representations are out there. As students use these examples to see different ways to represent ideas, they begin to realize how constructed our view of the world actually is. They begin to see how vulnerable and subjective meaning truly is. And I think that is the true goal of teaching literature.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Analyzing a Song: What's your favorite song?
The Script: "Breakeven"
I’ve always found it difficult to find a specific genre that I prefer over the rest when it comes to music. I listen to rap, pop, country, classical, oldies, and everything else under the sun. However, I think that I am able to pull out a few themes that are consistent. There tend to be two things that I look for in a song. I want a catchy beat and usually romantic content. I can listen to songs that make no sense to me at all if they have a tune that I can dance to. However, I enjoy very mellow songs as well, if they have lyrics that I can respond to on an emotional level. Most prominently, I think that I am drawn to songs that are about lost love. I like songs about unrequited love, breakups, or love from afar. If you throw in a catchy tune as well, I am hooked.
One song that I think signifies my preferences for music is the Script’s “Breakeven.” This is a song that has several key changes and a rhythmic beat that is very emotionally driven. It is about a man who has just broken up with his girlfriend. He talks about how a heart cannot break even. There is always one person who is in more pain, and in this case it is him. He is grieving for his lost love, while she is doing just fine. Every time I listen to the song, I become consumed by it. When I first heard it, it was impossible for me to do something else while I was listening to it. I felt affected. I could feel his pain. I could feel his heart.
I think that the song is quite poetic. While the topic may be discussed over and over again in music, I believe the writer takes an interesting twist on the idea. He says lines such as, “I’m praying to a God that I don’t believe in” and I instantly start to wonder, has he stopped praying to God because he has lost faith or has he started praying because he sees no other choice? I can begin to relate to both, as I think back on times when my own faith has faltered. Every line that he says I can see some connection to or I can at least feel the emotional turmoil that he is expressing. His voice is simply magnificent in my opinion. While I may not know much about the specific techniques that he uses, he is able to imbed his pain into each note. He lengthens certain notes to add more feel to them and he makes it impossible to let them go.
While I have never had my heart broken by a romantic partner, I can still relate to this song. I can relate to the idea of pain and to the idea of missing out on something that you had or always wanted. I connect to his song on a human level, as I see the pain of this singer and I instantly feel for him. I instantly feel sympathetic and I begin to commiserate. It is almost like an instant pity party, which is always emotionally cathartic.
I think that if I were to teach this song, I would want to discuss how the singer creates a connection to his audience. What makes this song successful is its ability to bring the reader in, to make the reader sympathetic. I would ask the students to decode the techniques that he uses to create this connection and why it is important to the success of the song. I would connect this to the process of creating tone. This song clearly works to create a tone of pain and hurt and every image, line, and note is dedicated to adding to this tone. This would be a very simply example to use to start working on the idea of tone in writing and media examples.
This technique of building a connection is evident in the music video as well. In the music video, we see the singer by himself in snapshots throughout the song. He is usually alone in a black abyss, with no visible surroundings around him. He is completely isolated. In between these snapshots, we see pictures of the girl. She is happy and beautiful. A few times there are pictures of them together, happy and in love. These pictures appear quickly and sporadically, as if they are memories resurfacing. It is as if he is living through these memories. He is unable to let go, as they become the only thing worth holding onto.
When the singer is alone, the tone and color of the video is dark and gray. However, the woman brings light with her. Even when she is alone, she appears like an angelic figure, with white light encompassing her. The video makes a clear distinction between life with her and life without her. It also emphasizes the loneliness and despair that the singer feels. He again, reaches out to his audience, as he extends his hand out to the air. His face is crinkled in pain and his expression is always tied to tone of agony.
Thus, I believe that song appeals to its audience through its ability to pull out the pain that every human has eventually felt in their life at some point. Even if you are the happiest you have ever been when listening to this song, I think that there is part of you that is forced to stop and to relate to the emotion that he is expressing. This song tackles a universal emotion and thus attracts a more universal appeal, if the audience is accepting of the tone and emotion that he is working to create.
I’ve always found it difficult to find a specific genre that I prefer over the rest when it comes to music. I listen to rap, pop, country, classical, oldies, and everything else under the sun. However, I think that I am able to pull out a few themes that are consistent. There tend to be two things that I look for in a song. I want a catchy beat and usually romantic content. I can listen to songs that make no sense to me at all if they have a tune that I can dance to. However, I enjoy very mellow songs as well, if they have lyrics that I can respond to on an emotional level. Most prominently, I think that I am drawn to songs that are about lost love. I like songs about unrequited love, breakups, or love from afar. If you throw in a catchy tune as well, I am hooked.
One song that I think signifies my preferences for music is the Script’s “Breakeven.” This is a song that has several key changes and a rhythmic beat that is very emotionally driven. It is about a man who has just broken up with his girlfriend. He talks about how a heart cannot break even. There is always one person who is in more pain, and in this case it is him. He is grieving for his lost love, while she is doing just fine. Every time I listen to the song, I become consumed by it. When I first heard it, it was impossible for me to do something else while I was listening to it. I felt affected. I could feel his pain. I could feel his heart.
I think that the song is quite poetic. While the topic may be discussed over and over again in music, I believe the writer takes an interesting twist on the idea. He says lines such as, “I’m praying to a God that I don’t believe in” and I instantly start to wonder, has he stopped praying to God because he has lost faith or has he started praying because he sees no other choice? I can begin to relate to both, as I think back on times when my own faith has faltered. Every line that he says I can see some connection to or I can at least feel the emotional turmoil that he is expressing. His voice is simply magnificent in my opinion. While I may not know much about the specific techniques that he uses, he is able to imbed his pain into each note. He lengthens certain notes to add more feel to them and he makes it impossible to let them go.
While I have never had my heart broken by a romantic partner, I can still relate to this song. I can relate to the idea of pain and to the idea of missing out on something that you had or always wanted. I connect to his song on a human level, as I see the pain of this singer and I instantly feel for him. I instantly feel sympathetic and I begin to commiserate. It is almost like an instant pity party, which is always emotionally cathartic.
I think that if I were to teach this song, I would want to discuss how the singer creates a connection to his audience. What makes this song successful is its ability to bring the reader in, to make the reader sympathetic. I would ask the students to decode the techniques that he uses to create this connection and why it is important to the success of the song. I would connect this to the process of creating tone. This song clearly works to create a tone of pain and hurt and every image, line, and note is dedicated to adding to this tone. This would be a very simply example to use to start working on the idea of tone in writing and media examples.
This technique of building a connection is evident in the music video as well. In the music video, we see the singer by himself in snapshots throughout the song. He is usually alone in a black abyss, with no visible surroundings around him. He is completely isolated. In between these snapshots, we see pictures of the girl. She is happy and beautiful. A few times there are pictures of them together, happy and in love. These pictures appear quickly and sporadically, as if they are memories resurfacing. It is as if he is living through these memories. He is unable to let go, as they become the only thing worth holding onto.
When the singer is alone, the tone and color of the video is dark and gray. However, the woman brings light with her. Even when she is alone, she appears like an angelic figure, with white light encompassing her. The video makes a clear distinction between life with her and life without her. It also emphasizes the loneliness and despair that the singer feels. He again, reaches out to his audience, as he extends his hand out to the air. His face is crinkled in pain and his expression is always tied to tone of agony.
Thus, I believe that song appeals to its audience through its ability to pull out the pain that every human has eventually felt in their life at some point. Even if you are the happiest you have ever been when listening to this song, I think that there is part of you that is forced to stop and to relate to the emotion that he is expressing. This song tackles a universal emotion and thus attracts a more universal appeal, if the audience is accepting of the tone and emotion that he is working to create.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Piecing a Play Together: Example Final Project for a Midsummer Night's Dream
What Matters Most: Midsummer's Representation of Hermia and the Role of Beauty
1. The first theme that I chose was the representation of the character of Hermia and her obsession with beauty and her physical characteristics. In the play, we frequently see Hermia discussing her looks. She frequently compares herself to Helena, stating that she is not as beautiful as she and that she wishes that she was as tall as Helena. When the two men are no longer in love with Hermia, she instantly thinks that it must be because she is not as fair or because she is short. In Act 3 when she finds out that Lysander no longer her loves, she exclaims, “I am as fair now as I was erewhile. Since night you loved me; yet since night you left.” She assumes that it must be her beauty that has caused him to go astray. She cannot look to any other reason why a man would no longer love her. She interprets other people’s actions and ideas to be a direct commentary on her beauty.
2. Hermia’s obsession with her looks is interesting on two points. First off, it is an excellent commentary on the way that women view themselves and what they value as important. Shakespeare is playing with a universal theme as he addresses this point. This idea becomes even more significant because of the similarities that are drawn between Hermia and Helena. The two women are represented as being relatively similar in both looks and personality. However, the men clearly have opinions either way and the women see drastic differences between themselves. They see these differences based on which man loves the other woman. They assume that their beauty is their greatest asset and thus it must mean the difference between getting the man they want and not.
This connection between beauty and love puts into question whether or not love is truly blind. This is a theme that Shakespeare reintroduces throughout the play. For while, the men seem to see differences that are not there, illustrating that perhaps love is blind, the women have it stuck in their heads that beauty is what matters. This begs the question: do women create these ideas themselves or do they see it in the actions of men? Why do these women see their looks as being the key to finding love?
3. The media example that I chose to illustrate this theme is the movie Legally Blonde with Reese Witherspoon. In this movie, the main character Elle Woods is a dumb blonde who wants to go to Harvard to be with her boyfriend. She eventually makes it in and realizes that her boyfriend is a jerk. However, she works very hard and becomes a successful law student by the end of the movie. She uses her fashion and beauty ideas as a tool to help her make it in a business world. Her uniqueness and “ditziness” ends up being what saves the day for her in the end.
4. Legally Blond illustrates this idea of women and the significance of beauty because the main character is characterized as being the ultimate beauty queen. She is introduced as being the popular, rich girl who gets all the guys, because she is drop dead gorgeous. We see her going shopping, organizing her clothes, and wearing a wardrobe of pink. Her only real concerns seem to be clothes, makeup, and fashion accessories. Furthermore, the movie continues on this popular theme that love/attraction is only skin deep. Elle is very popular with the opposite sex, but as far as we can see, the only thing she has to offer is her beauty. At least, this is the only thing the men seem to see.
Elle uses her beauty to get ahead. She gets into Harvard due to her video application where she is wearing a bikini and prancing around in tight suits and cute purses. She shows no knowledge or ability to be a lawyer; however the judges are affected by her level of attractiveness. Their minds play no role in their decision. This again reinforces the idea that beauty is what matters most. Just like Hermia and Helena who constantly worried about their level of fairness, Elle uses her beauty to get ahead. She is concerned about her looks and rightly so, because it is eventually what helps her in the end.
5. Legally Blond, however, does not seem to be looking at this prominence of beauty in a negative light. For while beauty and sex appeal is what helps Elle get into Harvard and win out in the end, the movie works to show that there is more to Elle than meets the eye. Elle is able to use her beauty as a tool. The movie suggests that Elle also needs a certain amount of intellect to use fashion and beauty products to her advantage. She wins the case at the end because she knows about fashion and how perms work. Thus, this movie seems to be a direct criticism on the idea that all beautiful people are dumb. It seems to suggest that people can be concerned about how they look and still be able to use their minds for other useful things. It seems to say that women can indeed have it all.
In a Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare seems to playing with the idea of how much emphasis is placed on beauty and if that emphasis is rightly placed. Hermia and Helena begin to see themselves though how fair men see them. Their focus of beauty is extrinsic. Elle’s focus on beauty, however, seems to be more intrinsic. Elle wants to be beautiful for herself. It is a positive thing for her. While Helena and Hermia appear to lose their self worth and dignity in their looks, Elle is able to shine. She is presented as well-rounded individual.
6. I believe that the main difference between these two pieces is their intended audience and culture. Legally Blonde was created to be a fun loving comedy that made people believe that they too could be successful lawyers. It played with the idea that anyone, even Elle, can make it in this world. This illustrates what audiences are looking for. They are looking to feel good and to not have to think too hard. This movie is also a direct commentary on the current idea of “dumb blondes.” This is a more contemporary idea that was not as relevant to Shakespeare’s time.
Shakespeare on the other hand, has a more complicated theme in his play. His intent seems to make the audience question where they place the importance of beauty and how that relates to love. Rather than being a direct commentary on the importance we place on our physical appearances, Shakespeare seems to be shining the light on ideas that may be taken for granted by his audience. He does not attempt to make them feel good; instead he attempts to make them feel enlightened.
7. Legally Blonde. Dir. Robert Luketic. Perf. Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, and Selma Blair. Universal Pictures, 2001. Film.
Unrequited Love and the Plight of Shakespeare's Lonely Helena
1. For my second adaptation, I chose to focus on the character Helena, with a focus on her unrequited love for Demetrius. In the play, Helen is introduced as being the ex-lover of Demetrius. They were supposedly madly in love and then Demetrius left her when he found Hermia. Helena, however, has not gotten over him. In the very beginning of the play, she participates in a monologue where she describes her love for Demetrius and how her entire self worth is dependent upon his feelings for her. She wants him back and she dedicates the rest of the play to achieving that goal.
We see her chase Demetrius across the forest, begging for him to be with her. She states that she wants to be with him, even if it means that she has be degraded to being treated like a dog. She proclaims, “I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, /The more you beat me, I will fawn on you:/Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, / Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, /Unworthy as I am, to follow you” (Act II Scene 1). Through this quotation and her actions, it becomes clear that being anything to him is better than being nothing. It becomes clear that her entire being resides on Demetrius’ love.
2. This element is central to the play as a whole, because it is what creates the mismatch and asymmetrical relationships among the four nobles. There are two men and two women, so it would be natural to have two couples. Instead, both of the men love Hermia, leaving Helena out in the cold. This sets up the need for Puck and the magical fairies to use the love potion to create balance once again, which is the central conflict of the play.
This idea of unrequited love also has great implications in terms of gender roles and the effects of love. The main focus of the play is a commentary on love. This theme is an example of that because it looks at what love can do to a person. Helena has become defined by her love for Demetrius. She not only has dedicated her life to following him and degraded herself to be his dog, but she has also begun to see herself through his eyes. She no longer carries any intrinsic worth of her own, as she states that love can change the way you view yourself. She proclaims that even though the rest of Athens may believe that she is fair, she is ugly if Demetrius does not love her.
3. The media representation that I chose was the music video for Colbie Caillat’s song, “Realize.” This song became popular in 2007. Colbie Caillat has a large female fan base with many of her songs focusing on women in love and how that makes them feel.
4. In the song, “Realize” Caillat discusses how she has figured out that one man in particular is the man for her. She sings the song to him, using the second person. The main message of the song is that he too should realize that they would be perfect together and they should be a couple. This is similar to Helena’s situation, because both women desire men that are not theirs yet. Both women are in a position of seemingly unrequited love as we are left to watch them serenade their love interest. Both women are dedicated to winning over the man of their dreams. Both women believe that they have found the perfect man.
5. In the song, Caillat states that the man needs to “take time” to realize that they were meant to be together. In the music video we even see the man. He is portrayed as being just as much in love with Caillat as she is with him. Presumably then, he has just been too afraid to admit his true feelings. This song gives the impression that Caillat is not singing in vain. While her love may appear unrequited, there seem to be other obstacles that are keeping the couple apart. The song portrays the couple as being the elusive soul mates who are meant to be together. They are just not there yet.
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, however, Helena is represented as a fool. It is clear that Demetrius wants to be with Hermia and he shows no interest in being with Helena. He ignores her as she follows him around in the forest. It is not until the love potion is put on him that he begins to return Helena’s love. Therefore, Shakespeare seems to use this unrequited love as a commentary on the fickleness of love and how foolish one can be when they are in love. Caillat on the other hand, seems to be embracing the idea of love. She seems to be asking people to take time from their busy lives and realize that love is what matters most.
6. The differences clearly exist due to the intentions of the two authors. Caillat is writing for her large female fan base who revels in singing about the giddiness of love. She has a very positive and dreamy message. Shakespeare on the other hand, has a more expansive audience. He is providing a more complicated look at love. He is certainly not casting it off as unnecessary or foolish. However, he forces his readers to take a more introspective look at how they view love. Because Shakespeare is using a play format, he does have more room to create these complicated messages and ideas. Caillat is restricted to a few stanzas of a song, and thus she has to be simpler in her message.
7. Caillat, Colbie. “Realize.” Coco. Universal, 2008.
The Teaching Moment of Duality: The Nobles and the Craftsmen
1. The last theme that I chose to address is the idea of duality. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream there are several storylines there are intertwined throughout the play. We see the king and his bride to be, the story of the nobles, the magical forest with Oberon and Tinania, and finally the world of the young nobles. Although these storylines are treated as separate entities, there are several running themes that are addressed through all of them. One of the central themes is the idea of love and foolishness. In the storyline of the young nobles, they act very seriously. They are searching for their loved ones and when chaos occurs, they treat the problem as a grave concern. Even when their actions are dictated by magic, they still believe that they are acting by reason. For them, love is a serious and profound part of life. It is to be treated with the utmost importance and sincerity. As a direct opposite of these nobles, are the craftsmen. Unlike the nobles who speak with eloquent monologues, the craftsmen often have short banters between them. They are a comic relief in the play filled with misunderstandings and humor. However, they too, discuss the idea of love. The craftsmen put on the play Pyramus and Thisbe that was written with a very serious tone. However, the craftsmen butcher the play and make a mockery of the entire theme. They treat love as if it were foolish or inconsequential.
These two very different portrayals of how to approach love work together to teach the audience about love as a whole. These two sets of characters gain meaning through their comparison to the other. As readers, we begin to see how serious the nobles are because we have that link of difference. As these different representations become evident, the questions that they bring about become unavoidable.
2. An overarching theme that runs through the play is the idea of love and foolishness. We see several examples of how love changes a person, including in Helena’s speech where she directly says that she sees herself through the eyes of love which has no basis on reality. She proclaims, “Through Athens I am thought as fair as she./But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so;/He will not know what all but he do know:” (Act 1 Scene 1). Thus, Helena no longer sees with reason. She does not see what is actually there. Instead, she sees with love, which thus cannot be linked to reason.
One of the significant quotations from the play comes in the final act: “The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact” (Act 5 Scene 3). This quote illustrates the connection that is being made between imagination, lunacy and love. A common thread surrounding the play is this idea that love does not belong with reason. Love cannot be treated with a serious rational mind, as is part of the world of magic. I think that this dualism between these two sets of characters allows the readers to begin to address this idea as they see how serious the nobles are and yet they are engaging in foolish, unexplainable behavior. Because the readers become aware of their heightened level of seriousness through comparison, they begin to see how love is often unexplainable and has to be separated from rationality. They begin to see how foolish it is to pretend that lovers act by reason.
3. The media example that I chose was the movie The Breakfast Club. This movie was created in the 1980’s. It is a movie about 5 teenagers who have to go to Saturday detention. These 5 teenagers come from completely different social circles; there is the geek, the popular girl, the jock, the rebel, and the social outcast. By the end of the movie, these 5 people begin to get to know each other and see beyond their differences. They begin to respect one another even if they cannot hang out within school grounds.
4. This movie illustrates this idea of duality and learning through the other because it relies on the idea of definition through comparison. As readers of the text, we cannot define the popular girl in isolation. Her significance only becomes revealed to us when we see how she compares to the other characters. The movie attempts to put these characters in identical situations: coming to school, eating lunch, etc, as it works to highlight the fundamental differences that exist between them. As we see these differences, we begin to learn more about the characters themselves. We begin to see who they are by seeing who they are not. This is similar to Shakespeare’s attempt to highlight the seriousness of the nobles through their direct contrast.
5. The Breakfast Club works to break down these differences. It introduces the 5 characters as separate identities, but by the end of the movie, these characters are able to come together in unity. They are able to see beyond their differences and understand each other.
This idea of unity is very different from that of Shakespeare. In Shakespeare, these differences are posing questions. They are fundamental to the characters and the characters do not realize how the other is different from them. In Act 5, when the nobles watch the play, they comment on how ridiculous the craftsmen are. However, they do not realize how different these men are from themselves. They do not begin to question their own level of seriousness. Instead they remain naïve. They remain unaware of their attempts to apply logic to the inexplicable idea of love.
6. Shakespeare uses duality to create these questions regarding how love is thought to behave versus how it functions n reality. At the same time that he does this, he is creating a commentary on how people foolishly enter love with a guise of reason. Thus, the noblemen do not learn about themselves through the craftsmen because they are representative of the foolish members of societies who naively go on believing that they are living by reason. Shakespeare wishes to raise these questions and to use this duality as a way to emphasize differences and possibilities.
In The Breakfast Club however, the teaching opportunity of duality is not just for the audience, it is for the characters in the movie as well. The Breakfast Club uses this idea of duality to do more than teach a lesson or raise a question, it is central to the plotline as a whole. Thus, the characters are forced to recognize this duality and to learn about their differences in order to advance the plotline. The Breakfast Club uses this literary technique for a completely different aim and thus a completely different result becomes the consequence. The Breakfast Club finds a happy, resolved ending to keep its audience content. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, however, does not let the audience off the hook. It forces them to question a theme that remains unresolved in naivety.
7. The Breakfast Club. Dir. John Hughes. Perf. Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, and Molly Ringwald. Universal Pictures, 1985. Film.
Piecing a Play Together: Final Project for A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Congratulations! You have made it through Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. You have officially been blown away by his marvelous vernacular and his profound thematic developments. But wait… the ride is not over yet. For once you have entered the world of Shakespeare, there is no turning back. In fact, there was never really a time when you hadn’t been immersed into the works of Shakespeare. You just didn’t know it.
Over the past few weeks, we have discussed why we still read Shakespeare today. We have gone over in great detail, the universal and important themes and elements that are depicted in his works. Now, it is your job to prove it. The characters, plot devices, themes, and storylines of Shakespeare have been reworked and adapted for centuries in different media forms throughout the years. For your final assignment in this unit, you are to find 3 works that introduce similar themes or ideas that we saw in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and you are to discuss how they relate and the meaning and significance behind any changes that you notice.
Task One: Find 3 different media examples such as television shows, music videos, video games, movies, etc. that reflect similar themes or ideas that we saw in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Each example must reflect a different idea or theme. Examples of possible topics to choose from include:
1. A character from the play (Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, Bottom)
2. A theme from the play (the fickleness of love, naivety, lunacy and love, love is blind, lack of control in one’s life
3. A scene or storyline from the play (fight between Hermia and Helena, Hermia being forced to marry someone because of her father)
The possibilities are really endless for the idea that you pull from the text. Just make sure that you are able to justify why that particular idea is important to the play as a whole.
Task Two: For each media example you choose, you must:
1. Describe how the element or theme that you chose is illustrated in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Please use specific examples from the text.
2. Explain why the element that you chose is important to the play as a whole and to the “real world.” What are its universal implications?
3. Provide a brief background about the media example that you chose. What type of media form is it from? What is the basic concept of the show? Who is the author? When did it air? Was it popular? Please provide any information that you feel is relevant to introduce the media example that you chose, so that your audience has enough information to understand the context of the example.
4. Explain how the media example you chose illustrates the element that you picked from the play.
5. Describe how the element functions differently in the media example in comparison to the play. How has the theme or character changed? Is it viewed under the same connotation?
6. Provide reasoning for why you think the differences exist between the two representations. What role does the genre, format, audience, or culture play?
7. Provide a bibliographic citation of the media example that you discuss in MLA format.
Task Three: Presentation
You must be able to present your 3 media examples to your classmates in some way. You can play a song, show a clip, create a VoiceThread, etc. You can either decide to explain your theme and how it relates in your presentation (i.e. through video annotations, in a Vlog, etc) or you can discuss them to the class as you present.
Rubric
Description of Theme
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student thoroughly describes the theme pulled from the play, using specific examples from the text
1 = The student describes the theme pulled from the play so that the reader can understand it, but it is not clear how it is referred to in the text.
0 = The student fails to provide a thorough explanation and application of the theme pulled from the play.
Explanation of the Significance of Theme
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student explains the significance of the theme to the text as a whole and to the more generalized real world.
1 = The student explains the significance of the text in terms of how it is important to the text or its real world implications but not both.
0 = The student fails to provide an overarching context of the theme pulled from the play.
Background Information of Media Example
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student provides a brief background of the text, giving information needed to get a feel for the genre and media type used.
1 = The student provides a background of the text, but fails to provide information that is needed to get to know the text as a whole.
0 = The student does not provide background information on the media example.
Explanation of Media Example’s Representation of Theme
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student clearly describes how the media example develops a theme that relates to the theme introduced for the play.
1 = The student addresses a theme of the media example but it is unclear how it is similar to the theme of the play.
0 = The student does not address the media example’s development of theme.
Comparison and Contrast of Play and Media Example
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student takes both representations of the theme and provides clear differences between them, illustrating how they are depicted in both texts.
1 = The student addresses differences in the text, but it is unclear how they relate to the theme or how they are depicted in either example.
0 = The student fails to contrast the two representations of theme.
Explanation of Differences
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student provides an explanation for why the differences in representations of theme may exist, listing examples of author intent, context, etc.
1 = The student provides an explanation, but it is unclear as to why the reasons are specific to the individual texts and how these specific differences affected the theme.
0 = The student does not provide an explanation for the differences of representation of theme in the texts.
Bibliographic Citation on MLA format
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student provides a citation for the media example in correct MLA format.
1 = The student provides a citation, but it is not in correct MLA format.
0 = The student fails to provide a citation for the media example.
Presentation
2 X 1= 2 possible points
2 = The student presents his or her findings to the class, showing both the media examples and giving a background on the findings.
1 = The student fails to either show the media examples or to give an explanation of his or her findings.
0 = The student does not present his or her work.
Total: _____ out of 44 possible points
1. The first theme that I chose was the representation of the character of Hermia and her obsession with beauty and her physical characteristics. In the play, we frequently see Hermia discussing her looks. She frequently compares herself to Helena, stating that she is not as beautiful as she and that she wishes that she was as tall as Helena. When the two men are no longer in love with Hermia, she instantly thinks that it must be because she is not as fair or because she is short. In Act 3 when she finds out that Lysander no longer her loves, she exclaims, “I am as fair now as I was erewhile. Since night you loved me; yet since night you left.” She assumes that it must be her beauty that has caused him to go astray. She cannot look to any other reason why a man would no longer love her. She interprets other people’s actions and ideas to be a direct commentary on her beauty.
2. Hermia’s obsession with her looks is interesting on two points. First off, it is an excellent commentary on the way that women view themselves and what they value as important. Shakespeare is playing with a universal theme as he addresses this point. This idea becomes even more significant because of the similarities that are drawn between Hermia and Helena. The two women are represented as being relatively similar in both looks and personality. However, the men clearly have opinions either way and the women see drastic differences between themselves. They see these differences based on which man loves the other woman. They assume that their beauty is their greatest asset and thus it must mean the difference between getting the man they want and not.
This connection between beauty and love puts into question whether or not love is truly blind. This is a theme that Shakespeare reintroduces throughout the play. For while, the men seem to see differences that are not there, illustrating that perhaps love is blind, the women have it stuck in their heads that beauty is what matters. This begs the question: do women create these ideas themselves or do they see it in the actions of men? Why do these women see their looks as being the key to finding love?
3. The media example that I chose to illustrate this theme is the movie Legally Blonde with Reese Witherspoon. In this movie, the main character Elle Woods is a dumb blonde who wants to go to Harvard to be with her boyfriend. She eventually makes it in and realizes that her boyfriend is a jerk. However, she works very hard and becomes a successful law student by the end of the movie. She uses her fashion and beauty ideas as a tool to help her make it in a business world. Her uniqueness and “ditziness” ends up being what saves the day for her in the end.
4. Legally Blond illustrates this idea of women and the significance of beauty because the main character is characterized as being the ultimate beauty queen. She is introduced as being the popular, rich girl who gets all the guys, because she is drop dead gorgeous. We see her going shopping, organizing her clothes, and wearing a wardrobe of pink. Her only real concerns seem to be clothes, makeup, and fashion accessories. Furthermore, the movie continues on this popular theme that love/attraction is only skin deep. Elle is very popular with the opposite sex, but as far as we can see, the only thing she has to offer is her beauty. At least, this is the only thing the men seem to see.
Elle uses her beauty to get ahead. She gets into Harvard due to her video application where she is wearing a bikini and prancing around in tight suits and cute purses. She shows no knowledge or ability to be a lawyer; however the judges are affected by her level of attractiveness. Their minds play no role in their decision. This again reinforces the idea that beauty is what matters most. Just like Hermia and Helena who constantly worried about their level of fairness, Elle uses her beauty to get ahead. She is concerned about her looks and rightly so, because it is eventually what helps her in the end.
5. Legally Blond, however, does not seem to be looking at this prominence of beauty in a negative light. For while beauty and sex appeal is what helps Elle get into Harvard and win out in the end, the movie works to show that there is more to Elle than meets the eye. Elle is able to use her beauty as a tool. The movie suggests that Elle also needs a certain amount of intellect to use fashion and beauty products to her advantage. She wins the case at the end because she knows about fashion and how perms work. Thus, this movie seems to be a direct criticism on the idea that all beautiful people are dumb. It seems to suggest that people can be concerned about how they look and still be able to use their minds for other useful things. It seems to say that women can indeed have it all.
In a Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare seems to playing with the idea of how much emphasis is placed on beauty and if that emphasis is rightly placed. Hermia and Helena begin to see themselves though how fair men see them. Their focus of beauty is extrinsic. Elle’s focus on beauty, however, seems to be more intrinsic. Elle wants to be beautiful for herself. It is a positive thing for her. While Helena and Hermia appear to lose their self worth and dignity in their looks, Elle is able to shine. She is presented as well-rounded individual.
6. I believe that the main difference between these two pieces is their intended audience and culture. Legally Blonde was created to be a fun loving comedy that made people believe that they too could be successful lawyers. It played with the idea that anyone, even Elle, can make it in this world. This illustrates what audiences are looking for. They are looking to feel good and to not have to think too hard. This movie is also a direct commentary on the current idea of “dumb blondes.” This is a more contemporary idea that was not as relevant to Shakespeare’s time.
Shakespeare on the other hand, has a more complicated theme in his play. His intent seems to make the audience question where they place the importance of beauty and how that relates to love. Rather than being a direct commentary on the importance we place on our physical appearances, Shakespeare seems to be shining the light on ideas that may be taken for granted by his audience. He does not attempt to make them feel good; instead he attempts to make them feel enlightened.
7. Legally Blonde. Dir. Robert Luketic. Perf. Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, and Selma Blair. Universal Pictures, 2001. Film.
Unrequited Love and the Plight of Shakespeare's Lonely Helena
1. For my second adaptation, I chose to focus on the character Helena, with a focus on her unrequited love for Demetrius. In the play, Helen is introduced as being the ex-lover of Demetrius. They were supposedly madly in love and then Demetrius left her when he found Hermia. Helena, however, has not gotten over him. In the very beginning of the play, she participates in a monologue where she describes her love for Demetrius and how her entire self worth is dependent upon his feelings for her. She wants him back and she dedicates the rest of the play to achieving that goal.
We see her chase Demetrius across the forest, begging for him to be with her. She states that she wants to be with him, even if it means that she has be degraded to being treated like a dog. She proclaims, “I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius, /The more you beat me, I will fawn on you:/Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me, / Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave, /Unworthy as I am, to follow you” (Act II Scene 1). Through this quotation and her actions, it becomes clear that being anything to him is better than being nothing. It becomes clear that her entire being resides on Demetrius’ love.
2. This element is central to the play as a whole, because it is what creates the mismatch and asymmetrical relationships among the four nobles. There are two men and two women, so it would be natural to have two couples. Instead, both of the men love Hermia, leaving Helena out in the cold. This sets up the need for Puck and the magical fairies to use the love potion to create balance once again, which is the central conflict of the play.
This idea of unrequited love also has great implications in terms of gender roles and the effects of love. The main focus of the play is a commentary on love. This theme is an example of that because it looks at what love can do to a person. Helena has become defined by her love for Demetrius. She not only has dedicated her life to following him and degraded herself to be his dog, but she has also begun to see herself through his eyes. She no longer carries any intrinsic worth of her own, as she states that love can change the way you view yourself. She proclaims that even though the rest of Athens may believe that she is fair, she is ugly if Demetrius does not love her.
3. The media representation that I chose was the music video for Colbie Caillat’s song, “Realize.” This song became popular in 2007. Colbie Caillat has a large female fan base with many of her songs focusing on women in love and how that makes them feel.
4. In the song, “Realize” Caillat discusses how she has figured out that one man in particular is the man for her. She sings the song to him, using the second person. The main message of the song is that he too should realize that they would be perfect together and they should be a couple. This is similar to Helena’s situation, because both women desire men that are not theirs yet. Both women are in a position of seemingly unrequited love as we are left to watch them serenade their love interest. Both women are dedicated to winning over the man of their dreams. Both women believe that they have found the perfect man.
5. In the song, Caillat states that the man needs to “take time” to realize that they were meant to be together. In the music video we even see the man. He is portrayed as being just as much in love with Caillat as she is with him. Presumably then, he has just been too afraid to admit his true feelings. This song gives the impression that Caillat is not singing in vain. While her love may appear unrequited, there seem to be other obstacles that are keeping the couple apart. The song portrays the couple as being the elusive soul mates who are meant to be together. They are just not there yet.
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, however, Helena is represented as a fool. It is clear that Demetrius wants to be with Hermia and he shows no interest in being with Helena. He ignores her as she follows him around in the forest. It is not until the love potion is put on him that he begins to return Helena’s love. Therefore, Shakespeare seems to use this unrequited love as a commentary on the fickleness of love and how foolish one can be when they are in love. Caillat on the other hand, seems to be embracing the idea of love. She seems to be asking people to take time from their busy lives and realize that love is what matters most.
6. The differences clearly exist due to the intentions of the two authors. Caillat is writing for her large female fan base who revels in singing about the giddiness of love. She has a very positive and dreamy message. Shakespeare on the other hand, has a more expansive audience. He is providing a more complicated look at love. He is certainly not casting it off as unnecessary or foolish. However, he forces his readers to take a more introspective look at how they view love. Because Shakespeare is using a play format, he does have more room to create these complicated messages and ideas. Caillat is restricted to a few stanzas of a song, and thus she has to be simpler in her message.
7. Caillat, Colbie. “Realize.” Coco. Universal, 2008.
The Teaching Moment of Duality: The Nobles and the Craftsmen
1. The last theme that I chose to address is the idea of duality. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream there are several storylines there are intertwined throughout the play. We see the king and his bride to be, the story of the nobles, the magical forest with Oberon and Tinania, and finally the world of the young nobles. Although these storylines are treated as separate entities, there are several running themes that are addressed through all of them. One of the central themes is the idea of love and foolishness. In the storyline of the young nobles, they act very seriously. They are searching for their loved ones and when chaos occurs, they treat the problem as a grave concern. Even when their actions are dictated by magic, they still believe that they are acting by reason. For them, love is a serious and profound part of life. It is to be treated with the utmost importance and sincerity. As a direct opposite of these nobles, are the craftsmen. Unlike the nobles who speak with eloquent monologues, the craftsmen often have short banters between them. They are a comic relief in the play filled with misunderstandings and humor. However, they too, discuss the idea of love. The craftsmen put on the play Pyramus and Thisbe that was written with a very serious tone. However, the craftsmen butcher the play and make a mockery of the entire theme. They treat love as if it were foolish or inconsequential.
These two very different portrayals of how to approach love work together to teach the audience about love as a whole. These two sets of characters gain meaning through their comparison to the other. As readers, we begin to see how serious the nobles are because we have that link of difference. As these different representations become evident, the questions that they bring about become unavoidable.
2. An overarching theme that runs through the play is the idea of love and foolishness. We see several examples of how love changes a person, including in Helena’s speech where she directly says that she sees herself through the eyes of love which has no basis on reality. She proclaims, “Through Athens I am thought as fair as she./But what of that? Demetrius thinks not so;/He will not know what all but he do know:” (Act 1 Scene 1). Thus, Helena no longer sees with reason. She does not see what is actually there. Instead, she sees with love, which thus cannot be linked to reason.
One of the significant quotations from the play comes in the final act: “The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact” (Act 5 Scene 3). This quote illustrates the connection that is being made between imagination, lunacy and love. A common thread surrounding the play is this idea that love does not belong with reason. Love cannot be treated with a serious rational mind, as is part of the world of magic. I think that this dualism between these two sets of characters allows the readers to begin to address this idea as they see how serious the nobles are and yet they are engaging in foolish, unexplainable behavior. Because the readers become aware of their heightened level of seriousness through comparison, they begin to see how love is often unexplainable and has to be separated from rationality. They begin to see how foolish it is to pretend that lovers act by reason.
3. The media example that I chose was the movie The Breakfast Club. This movie was created in the 1980’s. It is a movie about 5 teenagers who have to go to Saturday detention. These 5 teenagers come from completely different social circles; there is the geek, the popular girl, the jock, the rebel, and the social outcast. By the end of the movie, these 5 people begin to get to know each other and see beyond their differences. They begin to respect one another even if they cannot hang out within school grounds.
4. This movie illustrates this idea of duality and learning through the other because it relies on the idea of definition through comparison. As readers of the text, we cannot define the popular girl in isolation. Her significance only becomes revealed to us when we see how she compares to the other characters. The movie attempts to put these characters in identical situations: coming to school, eating lunch, etc, as it works to highlight the fundamental differences that exist between them. As we see these differences, we begin to learn more about the characters themselves. We begin to see who they are by seeing who they are not. This is similar to Shakespeare’s attempt to highlight the seriousness of the nobles through their direct contrast.
5. The Breakfast Club works to break down these differences. It introduces the 5 characters as separate identities, but by the end of the movie, these characters are able to come together in unity. They are able to see beyond their differences and understand each other.
This idea of unity is very different from that of Shakespeare. In Shakespeare, these differences are posing questions. They are fundamental to the characters and the characters do not realize how the other is different from them. In Act 5, when the nobles watch the play, they comment on how ridiculous the craftsmen are. However, they do not realize how different these men are from themselves. They do not begin to question their own level of seriousness. Instead they remain naïve. They remain unaware of their attempts to apply logic to the inexplicable idea of love.
6. Shakespeare uses duality to create these questions regarding how love is thought to behave versus how it functions n reality. At the same time that he does this, he is creating a commentary on how people foolishly enter love with a guise of reason. Thus, the noblemen do not learn about themselves through the craftsmen because they are representative of the foolish members of societies who naively go on believing that they are living by reason. Shakespeare wishes to raise these questions and to use this duality as a way to emphasize differences and possibilities.
In The Breakfast Club however, the teaching opportunity of duality is not just for the audience, it is for the characters in the movie as well. The Breakfast Club uses this idea of duality to do more than teach a lesson or raise a question, it is central to the plotline as a whole. Thus, the characters are forced to recognize this duality and to learn about their differences in order to advance the plotline. The Breakfast Club uses this literary technique for a completely different aim and thus a completely different result becomes the consequence. The Breakfast Club finds a happy, resolved ending to keep its audience content. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, however, does not let the audience off the hook. It forces them to question a theme that remains unresolved in naivety.
7. The Breakfast Club. Dir. John Hughes. Perf. Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, and Molly Ringwald. Universal Pictures, 1985. Film.
Piecing a Play Together: Final Project for A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Congratulations! You have made it through Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. You have officially been blown away by his marvelous vernacular and his profound thematic developments. But wait… the ride is not over yet. For once you have entered the world of Shakespeare, there is no turning back. In fact, there was never really a time when you hadn’t been immersed into the works of Shakespeare. You just didn’t know it.
Over the past few weeks, we have discussed why we still read Shakespeare today. We have gone over in great detail, the universal and important themes and elements that are depicted in his works. Now, it is your job to prove it. The characters, plot devices, themes, and storylines of Shakespeare have been reworked and adapted for centuries in different media forms throughout the years. For your final assignment in this unit, you are to find 3 works that introduce similar themes or ideas that we saw in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and you are to discuss how they relate and the meaning and significance behind any changes that you notice.
Task One: Find 3 different media examples such as television shows, music videos, video games, movies, etc. that reflect similar themes or ideas that we saw in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Each example must reflect a different idea or theme. Examples of possible topics to choose from include:
1. A character from the play (Hermia, Lysander, Demetrius, Bottom)
2. A theme from the play (the fickleness of love, naivety, lunacy and love, love is blind, lack of control in one’s life
3. A scene or storyline from the play (fight between Hermia and Helena, Hermia being forced to marry someone because of her father)
The possibilities are really endless for the idea that you pull from the text. Just make sure that you are able to justify why that particular idea is important to the play as a whole.
Task Two: For each media example you choose, you must:
1. Describe how the element or theme that you chose is illustrated in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Please use specific examples from the text.
2. Explain why the element that you chose is important to the play as a whole and to the “real world.” What are its universal implications?
3. Provide a brief background about the media example that you chose. What type of media form is it from? What is the basic concept of the show? Who is the author? When did it air? Was it popular? Please provide any information that you feel is relevant to introduce the media example that you chose, so that your audience has enough information to understand the context of the example.
4. Explain how the media example you chose illustrates the element that you picked from the play.
5. Describe how the element functions differently in the media example in comparison to the play. How has the theme or character changed? Is it viewed under the same connotation?
6. Provide reasoning for why you think the differences exist between the two representations. What role does the genre, format, audience, or culture play?
7. Provide a bibliographic citation of the media example that you discuss in MLA format.
Task Three: Presentation
You must be able to present your 3 media examples to your classmates in some way. You can play a song, show a clip, create a VoiceThread, etc. You can either decide to explain your theme and how it relates in your presentation (i.e. through video annotations, in a Vlog, etc) or you can discuss them to the class as you present.
Rubric
Description of Theme
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student thoroughly describes the theme pulled from the play, using specific examples from the text
1 = The student describes the theme pulled from the play so that the reader can understand it, but it is not clear how it is referred to in the text.
0 = The student fails to provide a thorough explanation and application of the theme pulled from the play.
Explanation of the Significance of Theme
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student explains the significance of the theme to the text as a whole and to the more generalized real world.
1 = The student explains the significance of the text in terms of how it is important to the text or its real world implications but not both.
0 = The student fails to provide an overarching context of the theme pulled from the play.
Background Information of Media Example
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student provides a brief background of the text, giving information needed to get a feel for the genre and media type used.
1 = The student provides a background of the text, but fails to provide information that is needed to get to know the text as a whole.
0 = The student does not provide background information on the media example.
Explanation of Media Example’s Representation of Theme
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student clearly describes how the media example develops a theme that relates to the theme introduced for the play.
1 = The student addresses a theme of the media example but it is unclear how it is similar to the theme of the play.
0 = The student does not address the media example’s development of theme.
Comparison and Contrast of Play and Media Example
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student takes both representations of the theme and provides clear differences between them, illustrating how they are depicted in both texts.
1 = The student addresses differences in the text, but it is unclear how they relate to the theme or how they are depicted in either example.
0 = The student fails to contrast the two representations of theme.
Explanation of Differences
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student provides an explanation for why the differences in representations of theme may exist, listing examples of author intent, context, etc.
1 = The student provides an explanation, but it is unclear as to why the reasons are specific to the individual texts and how these specific differences affected the theme.
0 = The student does not provide an explanation for the differences of representation of theme in the texts.
Bibliographic Citation on MLA format
(assessed for each media example individually)
2 X 3 = 6 possible points
2 = The student provides a citation for the media example in correct MLA format.
1 = The student provides a citation, but it is not in correct MLA format.
0 = The student fails to provide a citation for the media example.
Presentation
2 X 1= 2 possible points
2 = The student presents his or her findings to the class, showing both the media examples and giving a background on the findings.
1 = The student fails to either show the media examples or to give an explanation of his or her findings.
0 = The student does not present his or her work.
Total: _____ out of 44 possible points
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Documentary Analysis: Super Size Me
"Who do you want to see go first, you or them?"
Summary of the Documentary “Super Size Me”
In the documentary “Super Size Me, ” independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock documents himself each day for a month. During that month, he consumes nothing but McDonalds’ food. For breakfast, lunch and dinner he orders off the menu of the fast food restaurant, making sure that he tries every last thing on the menu before the end of the month. He would super size his meal only when asked, which was pretty often. He also makes sure to not exercise any more than the average sedentary individual. He limits himself to engaging in only light physical activity, walking sporadically throughout the day. Thus, he is consuming over 5,000 calories a day and he is working off very little of it. By the end of the month, he gained an average of a pound a day. The large amounts of fat and sugar intake created irregular heart palpitations and resulted in a decrease in his sex drive. Throughout the movie, we see him visit his doctor, who repeatedly warns him that he must quit this month long experiment if he wants to avoid any long term and serious residual health consequences. Spurlock, however, perseveres and lasts the entire month. It takes him over a year to get back into his original shape. And he never stepped foot in a McDonalds again.
So what is the point?
At the beginning of the movie, Spurlock cites the court case Pelman v. McDonald's Corporation, where two teenage girls sued the McDonalds corporation for making them fat. Although the girls did not win the case, Spurlock states that he believes this can be one of the first steps towards ending the rising obesity epidemic that is growing in the country. Since the year 2000, the largest growing obese population is that of adolescents. Spurlock’s goal is to bring a stop to this epidemic and to teach America the harmful effects of fast food like McDonalds.
The Chicken or the Egg: Who is to blame?
With that being said, is Spurlock blaming corporations like McDonalds for the rising epidemic? What does he wish to accomplish? Does he want to end the success of these fast food chains? Or does he want to teach people how to make healthy choices? There is a clear difference here.
When watching the movie, I see McDonalds being cast as the evil victor. Spurlock goes on about the growing portions and the new innovative and fattening choices that they add to their menu. He highlights the number of times that the server asks him if he would like to super size his meal. Spurlock seems to believe in the validity of the court case made against McDonalds. It seems as though his goal is to bring down the corporation.
But in doing so, however, I believe that he is ignoring the real problem. How can McDonalds be at fault for the rising epidemic in this country? Are they forcing us to eat their food? By placing McDonalds as his target, is he really going to end the rise of obesity in this country? Who is to say that we are not going to go eat more pie instead of cheeseburgers? Bringing down one corporation will not stop people from making bad choices.
The Target Audience
The first time that I watched this movie was in my health class in high school. I remember watching it in the gym and hearing all of the girls groan in disgust. Spurlock would show himself stuffing his face with food, grease and cheese dripping down his chin. Every girl in that class swore that she would never eat at McDonalds again. But did that solve the problem?
Yes, Spurlock does demonstrate how the high amounts of saturated fats and cholesterol in McDonalds’ food has a drastic and negative effect on his health. However, he does not clearly distinguish these effects as a separate problem from McDonalds specifically. Spurlock spends the bulk of the documentary placing a dark shadow over the fast food corporation. He leaves his audience running away from the golden arch and toward, well toward anything else that looks appetizing. McDonalds may be bad, but what is wrong with that pumpkin pie?
Goodbye to McDonalds?!
Spurlock suggests that he is mimicking those people who are addicted to fast food. He states that he is hoping to raise the warning flag for those people who walk in and out of the fast food revolving door. Yet, studies show that even the greatest fast food attics limit themselves to fast food only about 4 times a week. There are very few people who eat McDonalds everyday, let alone for every meal of the day. Thus, it could be seen that his attempts are too unrealistic. Ninety-eight percent of his audience could cast off his antics as being too extreme. The problems that he faces are not applicable because his habits are not the same.
Still, did Spurlock put a stop to the evil empire? Did he successfully get those fast food attics to step away and take a bite of an apple for once?
Well, Spurlock did start the wave of a new change in fast food. Since he created this movie in 2004, the super size option has faded away. All fast food restaurants, including McDonalds, have started to include healthier options in their menus. There are now things like apples, orange juice, water, and yogurt being offered. McDonalds has started to create a healthier vision and they are still a successful and growing corporation. They have taken the advice of Spurlock and offered their customers a variety of options: both healthy and otherwise.
Despite the changes that have been made however, people go to McDonalds to get greasy hamburgers and fries. While, yes, an apple or two may sliver down the occasional throat, McDonalds is not in business because of its healthy options. It is the go to place for that yummy and greasy comfort food. No matter how many options they have, people still want the fries.
Furthermore, despite the changes that have been made, there have been no signs of improvement in the obesity epidemic. Childhood diabetes has been growing as obesity has been spreading. Despite the occasional apple being offered, there have been no clear signs of keeping that doctor away.
Thus, the success of Spurlocks’ documentary lies in his intent. It cannot be said that he failed, because his movie did create a spiral effect of changes. He did help bring down, or at least modify, the giant corporation he was after. He poked a hole in the evil empire and forced them to swat at the tiny little fly of “Super Size Me.” If Spurlocks intended audience was the McDonalds corporation, then he was a success in relative terms.
In a final analysis of the documentary, I think that Spurlock did a fantastic job of disgusting his audience. By providing close-ups of his throwing up and forcing his audience to see crumbles of chewed up slime fall across his face, he successfully fought against the appeal of fast food. However, his focus was too immediate. The frequent doctor visits and the tracking of his weight gain provided the audience with the sense of what the food was doing to his body, but he was too focused on the disgusting factor of fast food. His priorities and plan of attack did not seem clear. Spurlock failed to take his documentary into the broader context of reality. He failed to fully demonstrate how his agenda related to his audience as a whole. He became isolated within his documentary, leaving the facts of life somewhere in between his movie and the audience.
Teaching Idea: Fighting Against the Fight
For this activity, students will watch and analyze a documentary of their choice. When watching the documentary, they must provide an introductory paragraph that explains the goals and intended audience of the documentary. They must then outline the key arguments that the documentary makes in supporting their claim.
After this is done, the students will go one by one and contradict each argument. They must flip the coin and support the other side. The students do not need to have a central focus or counterclaim as a whole; instead they are to be looking at many different viewpoints that are left out by the documentary. They are to focus on each single argument and provide a discussion for what sides are left out and how these ideas could be looked at from a different angle. Thus for each argument that the documentary makes, the student is to take on a different perspective. This different perspective may vary from argument to argument.
The purpose of this activity is to simply have students look at how a documentary frames its audience. As students come up with counterclaims, they will be able to see how viewers may respond or interpret the film. They will also realize what discussions were left out and they will begin to understand how these perspectives may strengthen or broaden the discussion.
Summary of the Documentary “Super Size Me”
In the documentary “Super Size Me, ” independent filmmaker Morgan Spurlock documents himself each day for a month. During that month, he consumes nothing but McDonalds’ food. For breakfast, lunch and dinner he orders off the menu of the fast food restaurant, making sure that he tries every last thing on the menu before the end of the month. He would super size his meal only when asked, which was pretty often. He also makes sure to not exercise any more than the average sedentary individual. He limits himself to engaging in only light physical activity, walking sporadically throughout the day. Thus, he is consuming over 5,000 calories a day and he is working off very little of it. By the end of the month, he gained an average of a pound a day. The large amounts of fat and sugar intake created irregular heart palpitations and resulted in a decrease in his sex drive. Throughout the movie, we see him visit his doctor, who repeatedly warns him that he must quit this month long experiment if he wants to avoid any long term and serious residual health consequences. Spurlock, however, perseveres and lasts the entire month. It takes him over a year to get back into his original shape. And he never stepped foot in a McDonalds again.
So what is the point?
At the beginning of the movie, Spurlock cites the court case Pelman v. McDonald's Corporation, where two teenage girls sued the McDonalds corporation for making them fat. Although the girls did not win the case, Spurlock states that he believes this can be one of the first steps towards ending the rising obesity epidemic that is growing in the country. Since the year 2000, the largest growing obese population is that of adolescents. Spurlock’s goal is to bring a stop to this epidemic and to teach America the harmful effects of fast food like McDonalds.
The Chicken or the Egg: Who is to blame?
With that being said, is Spurlock blaming corporations like McDonalds for the rising epidemic? What does he wish to accomplish? Does he want to end the success of these fast food chains? Or does he want to teach people how to make healthy choices? There is a clear difference here.
When watching the movie, I see McDonalds being cast as the evil victor. Spurlock goes on about the growing portions and the new innovative and fattening choices that they add to their menu. He highlights the number of times that the server asks him if he would like to super size his meal. Spurlock seems to believe in the validity of the court case made against McDonalds. It seems as though his goal is to bring down the corporation.
But in doing so, however, I believe that he is ignoring the real problem. How can McDonalds be at fault for the rising epidemic in this country? Are they forcing us to eat their food? By placing McDonalds as his target, is he really going to end the rise of obesity in this country? Who is to say that we are not going to go eat more pie instead of cheeseburgers? Bringing down one corporation will not stop people from making bad choices.
The Target Audience
The first time that I watched this movie was in my health class in high school. I remember watching it in the gym and hearing all of the girls groan in disgust. Spurlock would show himself stuffing his face with food, grease and cheese dripping down his chin. Every girl in that class swore that she would never eat at McDonalds again. But did that solve the problem?
Yes, Spurlock does demonstrate how the high amounts of saturated fats and cholesterol in McDonalds’ food has a drastic and negative effect on his health. However, he does not clearly distinguish these effects as a separate problem from McDonalds specifically. Spurlock spends the bulk of the documentary placing a dark shadow over the fast food corporation. He leaves his audience running away from the golden arch and toward, well toward anything else that looks appetizing. McDonalds may be bad, but what is wrong with that pumpkin pie?
Goodbye to McDonalds?!
Spurlock suggests that he is mimicking those people who are addicted to fast food. He states that he is hoping to raise the warning flag for those people who walk in and out of the fast food revolving door. Yet, studies show that even the greatest fast food attics limit themselves to fast food only about 4 times a week. There are very few people who eat McDonalds everyday, let alone for every meal of the day. Thus, it could be seen that his attempts are too unrealistic. Ninety-eight percent of his audience could cast off his antics as being too extreme. The problems that he faces are not applicable because his habits are not the same.
Still, did Spurlock put a stop to the evil empire? Did he successfully get those fast food attics to step away and take a bite of an apple for once?
Well, Spurlock did start the wave of a new change in fast food. Since he created this movie in 2004, the super size option has faded away. All fast food restaurants, including McDonalds, have started to include healthier options in their menus. There are now things like apples, orange juice, water, and yogurt being offered. McDonalds has started to create a healthier vision and they are still a successful and growing corporation. They have taken the advice of Spurlock and offered their customers a variety of options: both healthy and otherwise.
Despite the changes that have been made however, people go to McDonalds to get greasy hamburgers and fries. While, yes, an apple or two may sliver down the occasional throat, McDonalds is not in business because of its healthy options. It is the go to place for that yummy and greasy comfort food. No matter how many options they have, people still want the fries.
Furthermore, despite the changes that have been made, there have been no signs of improvement in the obesity epidemic. Childhood diabetes has been growing as obesity has been spreading. Despite the occasional apple being offered, there have been no clear signs of keeping that doctor away.
Thus, the success of Spurlocks’ documentary lies in his intent. It cannot be said that he failed, because his movie did create a spiral effect of changes. He did help bring down, or at least modify, the giant corporation he was after. He poked a hole in the evil empire and forced them to swat at the tiny little fly of “Super Size Me.” If Spurlocks intended audience was the McDonalds corporation, then he was a success in relative terms.
In a final analysis of the documentary, I think that Spurlock did a fantastic job of disgusting his audience. By providing close-ups of his throwing up and forcing his audience to see crumbles of chewed up slime fall across his face, he successfully fought against the appeal of fast food. However, his focus was too immediate. The frequent doctor visits and the tracking of his weight gain provided the audience with the sense of what the food was doing to his body, but he was too focused on the disgusting factor of fast food. His priorities and plan of attack did not seem clear. Spurlock failed to take his documentary into the broader context of reality. He failed to fully demonstrate how his agenda related to his audience as a whole. He became isolated within his documentary, leaving the facts of life somewhere in between his movie and the audience.
Teaching Idea: Fighting Against the Fight
For this activity, students will watch and analyze a documentary of their choice. When watching the documentary, they must provide an introductory paragraph that explains the goals and intended audience of the documentary. They must then outline the key arguments that the documentary makes in supporting their claim.
After this is done, the students will go one by one and contradict each argument. They must flip the coin and support the other side. The students do not need to have a central focus or counterclaim as a whole; instead they are to be looking at many different viewpoints that are left out by the documentary. They are to focus on each single argument and provide a discussion for what sides are left out and how these ideas could be looked at from a different angle. Thus for each argument that the documentary makes, the student is to take on a different perspective. This different perspective may vary from argument to argument.
The purpose of this activity is to simply have students look at how a documentary frames its audience. As students come up with counterclaims, they will be able to see how viewers may respond or interpret the film. They will also realize what discussions were left out and they will begin to understand how these perspectives may strengthen or broaden the discussion.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Analyzing the Local News
Kare 11 News on Friday, November 5, 2010 at 6:00 PMBreakdown of Stories and Time of Coverage: Stories are listed as they appeared on the program
60 seconds: governor ballot race recount--description of how the recount is done, how many tables are there, who sits where, how long it will take, etc.
35 seconds: Ramsey robbery: employee of US Bank was ambushed at her home and was forced to drive to her work and help the robbers rob the bank. This is the third time the robbers have done this. There is a $100,000 reward from US Bank if the perpetrators are found
40 seconds: girls being molested and invited into stranger’s cars. Young girl was asked if she wanted any money at a Kowalski’s market from an older man--fifth time such an event has happened in past few months- Warning to girls: do not go out in public alone!
20 seconds: quick recap of Mankato homicide case
65 seconds: Blue Cross Blue Shield employees got the day off from work as they were cleaning out the dead leaves from lakes--description of how dead leaves cause algae, etc.
40 seconds: Tinuccis buffet offering a discounted buffet in honor of Randy Moss--if you bring his jersey you get to eat for free--response his criticism of the restaurant in post news conference
1 minute discussion of what it still to come
3 minutes of commercials
30 seconds: deer hunting--starts this weekend and should be successful as most of corn crop has been cut
3 minutes: Grow with Kare: description of how to find seeds and plant them yourself--putting them in a pot or in your own backyard--but don’t take them from the Arboretum like on TV, only they can do that!
1 minute discussion of what is still to come
3 minutes of commercials
3 minutes: weather--full description of what expected temperatures are for right now, description of past years at this time, what weather to expect, daylight savings time, explanation of air movements and how it will affect forecast--beautiful weather this weekend to get out and enjoy (although sun will go down very early but it is a compromise)
5 minutes of Sports--Vikings/Childress--job in jeopardy, high school football and what games will be on the Kare11 affiliates, Gopher hockey/interview with injured hockey player--question of perseverance and working though the pain
1 minute of still to come and what will be coming this weekend
4 minutes of commercials
45 seconds: executive chef talking about healthy eating habits when he visits elementary school
1 minute of banter and salutations
Breakdown of Time Devoted to Content Areas
5 minutes of local news--all in beginning of program
5 minutes of consumer feature stories: planting seeds, eating healthy, cleaning leaves, etc. banter
3 minutes of weather
5 minutes of sports
10 minutes of commercials
3 minutes of previews of what is still to come
Taking a Hard Look at the News: My Analysis of the Kare 11 News
Before analyzing the news program that I watched, I think that it is important to look at who the program is intended for. In order to understand how the news fulfills its role it is essential that we understand what exactly its role is. What is the purpose of the news? Who is its audience?
Very broadly, the main function of the news is to inform. Journalism as a whole is meant to be a mediator between the public sphere and the private. As citizens of a democracy, we are supposed to be involved and knowledgeable about the government. It is our job to vote for representatives and legislation that we believe will benefit our country as a whole. However, as everyday citizens we do not have access to the public sphere. We must rely on a third party for information. We must rely on the media.
The local news is the most accessible and immediate form of the media. The local news also has the function of building a sense of camaraderie among its citizens, as it is able to bring a community together each and every day and focus their discussion on issues that are pertinent to the community. Because television news is easily accessible, it becomes the most immediate news outlet. Audiences who are disengaged or uninterested in the media are most likely to stumble across the television program. Thus, the local news has to work to create interest. They have to keep that wandering citizen on the channel. The local news becomes the outlet for instilling a public interest into the private. They become the media that works to create a sense of citizenship into the community. Once their audience has that sense of citizenry, they can then seek out their own news as well.
As I was watching the news, however, I noticed how the functions of the program often adversely affected one another in their execution. For instance, I noticed the news program’s attempts at creating interest. They spent a great deal of time discussing what was to come and presenting it in an exciting matter and tone. They also worked very hard to insert jokes and banter within the news, in order to create a more casual and fun appeal. Instead of bombarding the viewers with hard news programs that require interest and knowledge to understand, the news program spent a great deal of time discussing soft news. They looked at things like how dead leaves cause algae, eating healthily, or good deals at local buffets. Soft news is much more immediate to the viewers, as it is clearly evident how this information relates to the viewers. Viewers know that a good deal at a local buffet means that they can eat there cheaply. But what does information about a ballot race mean to them? Why does that information matter? This information is not as readily received and can lose the interest of the viewers.
Keeping the interest of the viewers is a controversial and multi-dimensional concept. On the one hand, it is important for the program to keep interest in their viewers in order to get them to listen to what they have to say. The program has to make its viewers tune in if they are to inform them. On the other hand, the program is also a commercial entity. They want to attract viewers not necessarily to keep them interested so that they can inform them about the public issues, they also want them to tune in so that they can make money and continue airing their program. The commercial aspects of journalism make their social function much more murky and complicated.
As a citizen who is not as informed as I should be, I was very disappointed in the program. It is highly likely that if a citizen was to go to only one place for news, they would go to their local news program. Yet, if they were to go to only this program, they would leave knowing very little about the news. While only a few minutes of the program was even dedicated to issues of the public sphere, the issues that were discussed were only glanced over. The program simply introduced the subject, showed some pictures, and the moved on. For a viewer like myself who does not have any background information, I was not given enough to even know what the issue was. I was left bewildered instead of educated. I couldn’t even gather enough information to jot down what the story was about, let alone make an informed decision about how I feel about the issue or what should be done.
It could be argued that the news program is meant to provide an overview of the important issues so that citizens can know what the issues are and seek out their own information. However, there are two problems with this argument. First off, I do not believe that the program even granted enough time to the issues for viewers to know enough to even begin to establish how they feel or where to seek more information. They do not know enough to know what they want to know. Secondly, I do not believe that most viewers who watch the news will go to other sources for information. Watching the news is a ritual activity. It is something that is done while getting ready in the morning or cooking dinner. It is the perfect opportunity to catch people who may not otherwise engage with journalism. Yet by skimming over the issues, they are missing out on this opportunity.
I believe that the local news program needs to be the source of background information. The program spends a great deal of time toward creating a connection with its viewers. They have the same anchors who joke around with each other and introduce their families. The news works to build trust and a sense of community. Because of this, they are the perfect outlet for the role of teacher. If citizens are going to trust their local news program, then they are more likely to listen to them. If the program went into depth with the issues, giving the viewers background information, they might build more interest in their viewers as citizens would begin to understand why they should even care. I’m not saying that there is not a place for soft news. It is the soft news that attracts. However, it is the hard news that should be the point of attraction.
Taking a Critical Look at the News: A Matching Activity
When teaching my students how to look at the news critically, I would want them to understand two things. First I would want them to be able to understand what function the news serves. I would want them to be able to compare the functions of the local television news and other forms of news such as CNN, radio programs, newspapers, internet articles, etc. For every piece of news that they analyze, I would ask them to list as many functions or purposes that media outlet performs or should live up to, according to a democratic setting or society. This would be done before the actual viewing. I would then have the students write these functions down on the left hand side of their paper.
As they watch the news, they would write down the storylines and the techniques that they notice the news focusing on. For instance, if the news went over how to carve a pumpkin, they would simply write this idea down. If they noticed that the news used a lot of pictures or interviews, this could be recorded as an observation as well.
Finally after they are done watching the program, I will ask them to draw lines matching the left side with the right side. All of the items on the right do not have to be connected to something, nor do the items on the left have to have a match. However, students should think critically about how the two sides might match or perhaps contradict each other.
After the students have matched the sides, they should write a short reflective piece analyzing how and why they decided to match different ideas. Here, they could also add different functions that they saw the news serving that were not listed. They should look at why these were not listed and why they seemed to be priorities of the program. This should lead to a group discussion about the economic function and influence of journalism.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Romantic Comedies: Viewing through the Lens of The Cutting Edge
Watch these two video annotations of a scenes from the movie the Cutting Edge in order to get a quick overview of the main points highlighted in my blog post about romantic comedies: their general format, messages, themes, and positioning of readers.
Cutting Edge Trailer
The Ending Scene of Cutting Edge
Gilroy Tony & Glaser Paul. (1992) The cutting edge [motion picture]. USA: MGM Studios.
Cutting Edge Trailer
The Ending Scene of Cutting Edge
Gilroy Tony & Glaser Paul. (1992) The cutting edge [motion picture]. USA: MGM Studios.
Discovering the Romantic Comedy: Analyzing the Genre of Romantic Comedies
Pretty Woman Montage
Romantic Comedies: The Happiness of Love
Discovering the Romanic Comedy
The romantic comedy is a genre of both movies and television shows that includes the elements of both a comedy and a romance. The genre has been around for centuries. The common prototypes and themes of romantic comedies are evident in pieces of literature as far back as Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” or “Much Ado About Nothing.”
What is appealing about the romantic comedy?
The greatest appeal of the romantic comedy is its lighthearted nature and its feel good tone. While there is often turmoil and conflict embedded in the plot, a romantic genre always maintains a positive mood. Every moment of conflict is juxtaposed with a joke or a possibility of a solution. And of course, the prototypical romantic comedy offers its readers a hopeful view on the possibility and power of love. It suggests that love conquers all. Love can survive the greatest of obstacles and it can be found in your own backyard.
What are the elements of a romantic comedy?
The romantic comedy has two lead characters, usually a male and a female. The story is focused on these two characters; however, both characters usually have a support system that guides them throughout the story. The support system is usually there for the main character to discuss their problems with and to also insert comedic relief when necessary.
These characters are usually male and female. However, recently there have been television shows and a few movies that have presented homosexual love. These stories tend to follow the same general storyline and theme. However, the issues surrounding their love may deal more with social acceptance.
The two characters usually meet in the beginning of the film and there is the immediate sense that they will fall in love. Once the characters meet, there are two options:
1) The characters start dating.
2) The characters will not start dating; however, they will think about each other and fall more in love throughout the movie. In this case, the characters usually will see each other frequently throughout the movie but they will not declare their love. The audience knows, however, that these two are meant to be!
As the characters’ love develops, there is usually a climatic moment when the two separate. If they were dating, this is easily accomplished through a breakup scene. If they were never dating, it is usually done with a glimpse of the characters getting together. They are often seen as being so close to getting together and then they have a fight or something happens to tear them apart.
Before the ending, there is usually one character who decides that they must be together. This is usually the character who may have been in doubt before or who was the reason for the breakup. The sex of this character varies with each movie. However, if it is the woman, she was usually unsure or did not trust the man and than she changes her mind. If it was the male, he may have cheated on the woman or been unable to commit until now.
Once the characters realize how much they love the other, they come up with some sort of grand gesture and seek out the other. There may be a chase scene, where the character rushes to meet the other at the airport before they leave. There is usually a metaphorical ticking clock, where the character has a limited amount of time to find the other, declare their love and find that happy ending before it is all taken away.
Finally, there is the romantic love speech. The recipient of the love speech will accept it. The couple will then kiss, music will play, and the credits will role. And then finally the readers belief in love will reemerge and all will be right with the world!
The Ultimate Love Speech: The Cutting Edge
The romantic comedy assumes that love conquers all. It suggests that love will outlast any obstacles or problems that may come its way. Social class, families, distance, another love interest, all of these things are simply bumps in the road. Nothing can stop the power of true love. Ultimately, I believe that this is true. However, the representation of love in a romantic comedy is overly idealistic. Finding love and keeping it is one of the hardest things that a person has to do. Often the price of keeping love may not be worth the cost. A romantic comedy suggests that all you have to do is love each other and it will work out. But how true is this? The question is up for debate. Even if you are to believe that love can outlast anything, it is not going to be as easy as the movie suggests. These movies always end at the reunion. They end with the couple getting together and the music playing. But what happens after the credits roll? What happens when the businessman marries the prostitute? How does she fit into his life? How does she fit the business-role? How does she remain an equal when she comes with no money or foundation of her own? Is the businessman able to accept her friends and her habits? How can the two happily coexist?
While, I would not say that love is not strong enough to conquer all. The ultimate message needs to be that love takes work. The credits do not roll and happiness pervades. Romantic comedies often create this picture perfect idea of love that leaves viewers unable to comprehend why their own relationships are filled with problems. They often leave readers believing and longing for that impossible love where there is only kissing in the rain, happiness, and laughter.
These movies also suggest that love is the cure-all. They suggest that all that matters is love. The focus of these movies is on two people finding each other. Throughout the movie, these people have problems with their jobs, with money, or with their friends. However, once they are kissing in the rain, all of these problems fade away. These movies create the idea that love is all that matters. It suggests that if you do have it, you should be happy. And if you don’t, then your life will be miserable and there must be something wrong with you. They create this idealistic view of soul mates that leaves viewers longing for that perfect love of their own. There is no room for a life alone. Thus, how are those who are not in love supposed to view these films? Often times, these movies can create a feeling of adequacy in its viewers, making them live though the movie as they feel empty without their own love. Again, if the movie showed what happens after the credits roll, perhaps it would leave its viewers with the sense that love may not be the answer to their problems.
A romantic comedy creates the belief that love is all that matters. It puts high expectations on what love is, creating the sense that true love must be perfect and pure. It suggests that you must find love in order to be happy. Nothing else will fulfill you. Nothing else will give you that happy ending.
Example Lesson Plan for Teaching about the Genre of Romantic Comedies
What happens after the credits roll? Moving from the Idealistic to the Realistic
For this assignment, students will be asked to extend the story of a romantic comedy. They will watch the film of their choice and summarize the basic plot points of the movie. However, they must then continue the story after the couple gets together and the credits roll. How do these two coexist? Do they truly find their happy ending? What problems will they have to encounter that the movie did not show? The students should show one or two more scenes that brings to life how these characters live together and what issues of conflict they will have to endure.
The purpose of this activity is to have the students question what the movie left out. Often times romantic comedies will suggest that once love happens, everything else fades away. This activity, however, forces readers to wonder where everything else went. It forces readers to question the assumption that love is the ultimate cure-all.
These movies or representation are able to create a message or theme by leaving out important elements of an argument. These movies create an argument that many people blindly accept because they do not take the time to question and dissect the argument that is being made. They do not pull out the foundation of the argument and see the issue with all of its questions and concerns in mind. They do not see the bigger picture as they become trapped in the incomplete and one-sided representation that is being played out in front of them. This assignment asks the students to question the argument that is being made and to put the themes and issues of the narrative into a real world setting. This assignment asks student to move from the idealistic to the realistic, as they take the idealistic plot and theme of the movie and they place it into the expectations of reality.
Romantic Comedies: The Happiness of Love
Discovering the Romanic Comedy
The romantic comedy is a genre of both movies and television shows that includes the elements of both a comedy and a romance. The genre has been around for centuries. The common prototypes and themes of romantic comedies are evident in pieces of literature as far back as Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” or “Much Ado About Nothing.”
What is appealing about the romantic comedy?
The greatest appeal of the romantic comedy is its lighthearted nature and its feel good tone. While there is often turmoil and conflict embedded in the plot, a romantic genre always maintains a positive mood. Every moment of conflict is juxtaposed with a joke or a possibility of a solution. And of course, the prototypical romantic comedy offers its readers a hopeful view on the possibility and power of love. It suggests that love conquers all. Love can survive the greatest of obstacles and it can be found in your own backyard.
What are the elements of a romantic comedy?
The romantic comedy has two lead characters, usually a male and a female. The story is focused on these two characters; however, both characters usually have a support system that guides them throughout the story. The support system is usually there for the main character to discuss their problems with and to also insert comedic relief when necessary.
These characters are usually male and female. However, recently there have been television shows and a few movies that have presented homosexual love. These stories tend to follow the same general storyline and theme. However, the issues surrounding their love may deal more with social acceptance.
The two characters usually meet in the beginning of the film and there is the immediate sense that they will fall in love. Once the characters meet, there are two options:
1) The characters start dating.
2) The characters will not start dating; however, they will think about each other and fall more in love throughout the movie. In this case, the characters usually will see each other frequently throughout the movie but they will not declare their love. The audience knows, however, that these two are meant to be!
As the characters’ love develops, there is usually a climatic moment when the two separate. If they were dating, this is easily accomplished through a breakup scene. If they were never dating, it is usually done with a glimpse of the characters getting together. They are often seen as being so close to getting together and then they have a fight or something happens to tear them apart.
Before the ending, there is usually one character who decides that they must be together. This is usually the character who may have been in doubt before or who was the reason for the breakup. The sex of this character varies with each movie. However, if it is the woman, she was usually unsure or did not trust the man and than she changes her mind. If it was the male, he may have cheated on the woman or been unable to commit until now.
Once the characters realize how much they love the other, they come up with some sort of grand gesture and seek out the other. There may be a chase scene, where the character rushes to meet the other at the airport before they leave. There is usually a metaphorical ticking clock, where the character has a limited amount of time to find the other, declare their love and find that happy ending before it is all taken away.
Finally, there is the romantic love speech. The recipient of the love speech will accept it. The couple will then kiss, music will play, and the credits will role. And then finally the readers belief in love will reemerge and all will be right with the world!
The Ultimate Love Speech: The Cutting Edge
The romantic comedy assumes that love conquers all. It suggests that love will outlast any obstacles or problems that may come its way. Social class, families, distance, another love interest, all of these things are simply bumps in the road. Nothing can stop the power of true love. Ultimately, I believe that this is true. However, the representation of love in a romantic comedy is overly idealistic. Finding love and keeping it is one of the hardest things that a person has to do. Often the price of keeping love may not be worth the cost. A romantic comedy suggests that all you have to do is love each other and it will work out. But how true is this? The question is up for debate. Even if you are to believe that love can outlast anything, it is not going to be as easy as the movie suggests. These movies always end at the reunion. They end with the couple getting together and the music playing. But what happens after the credits roll? What happens when the businessman marries the prostitute? How does she fit into his life? How does she fit the business-role? How does she remain an equal when she comes with no money or foundation of her own? Is the businessman able to accept her friends and her habits? How can the two happily coexist?
While, I would not say that love is not strong enough to conquer all. The ultimate message needs to be that love takes work. The credits do not roll and happiness pervades. Romantic comedies often create this picture perfect idea of love that leaves viewers unable to comprehend why their own relationships are filled with problems. They often leave readers believing and longing for that impossible love where there is only kissing in the rain, happiness, and laughter.
These movies also suggest that love is the cure-all. They suggest that all that matters is love. The focus of these movies is on two people finding each other. Throughout the movie, these people have problems with their jobs, with money, or with their friends. However, once they are kissing in the rain, all of these problems fade away. These movies create the idea that love is all that matters. It suggests that if you do have it, you should be happy. And if you don’t, then your life will be miserable and there must be something wrong with you. They create this idealistic view of soul mates that leaves viewers longing for that perfect love of their own. There is no room for a life alone. Thus, how are those who are not in love supposed to view these films? Often times, these movies can create a feeling of adequacy in its viewers, making them live though the movie as they feel empty without their own love. Again, if the movie showed what happens after the credits roll, perhaps it would leave its viewers with the sense that love may not be the answer to their problems.
A romantic comedy creates the belief that love is all that matters. It puts high expectations on what love is, creating the sense that true love must be perfect and pure. It suggests that you must find love in order to be happy. Nothing else will fulfill you. Nothing else will give you that happy ending.
Example Lesson Plan for Teaching about the Genre of Romantic Comedies
What happens after the credits roll? Moving from the Idealistic to the Realistic
For this assignment, students will be asked to extend the story of a romantic comedy. They will watch the film of their choice and summarize the basic plot points of the movie. However, they must then continue the story after the couple gets together and the credits roll. How do these two coexist? Do they truly find their happy ending? What problems will they have to encounter that the movie did not show? The students should show one or two more scenes that brings to life how these characters live together and what issues of conflict they will have to endure.
The purpose of this activity is to have the students question what the movie left out. Often times romantic comedies will suggest that once love happens, everything else fades away. This activity, however, forces readers to wonder where everything else went. It forces readers to question the assumption that love is the ultimate cure-all.
These movies or representation are able to create a message or theme by leaving out important elements of an argument. These movies create an argument that many people blindly accept because they do not take the time to question and dissect the argument that is being made. They do not pull out the foundation of the argument and see the issue with all of its questions and concerns in mind. They do not see the bigger picture as they become trapped in the incomplete and one-sided representation that is being played out in front of them. This assignment asks the students to question the argument that is being made and to put the themes and issues of the narrative into a real world setting. This assignment asks student to move from the idealistic to the realistic, as they take the idealistic plot and theme of the movie and they place it into the expectations of reality.
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