College: The Easy Way

Read this article in the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/opinion/05herbert.html?_r=2&emc=eta1
Respond in one paragraph as a comment. Be prepared to discuss this in class.

CARTOONS! And race....

Watch these cartoons!

King Of The Hill Season 2-Episode 1-How to Fire a Rifle Without Really Trying

Now, think about the ways that each race is portrayed in each cartoon. Do these cartoons rely on racial stereotypes to create a plotline, humor, or a point? Is this done in a way that is offensive or inoffensive? Why? What do you think about the cartoon's handing of race? Does it confirm ideas/stereotypes you already have of the mannerisms, behavior, or culture of certain races? I am not asking you if you think that either show is an ACCURATE portrayal of anything. I am asking you to look at HOW race is portrayed in each show. If King of the Hill was your only window into "whiteness" and The Boondocks was your only window into "blackness", what would you think of each of these two races? Post a well-written, well-constructed paragraph as a comment below. DUE FRIDAY BY NOON. Your paper assignment will be posted here TOMORROW BY NOON.

Race Paper Topic Options

You have a five paragraph essay due next week. Here are your topic options:

1. Describe a scene in the movie Crash. Does it bring a particular social problem or issue to mind? Argue whether it does or does not do a good job of highlighting this issue and why.
2. Discuss the evolution of a character from the movie Crash. How do we see them change from the beginning of the film to the end? Is their personal change meant to be symbolic of a change that would/should/could happen in society?
3. Compare the portrayal of race in King of the Hill and The Boondocks. Is the subject of race more obvious in one than the other? Does one of them rely more heavily on racial stereotyping to make points and jokes? What is the effect of this difference on the audience?
4. Discuss racial stereotyping in either King of the Hill or The Boondocks. How/when is it used? Does the show use racial stereotypes in order to challenge them? Or does it use racial stereotypes as a convenient way to make a point?
5. Discuss an experience that you have had that challenged your personal ideas about race or racial stereotypes. Warning: Although this option is expository, it must still have an argument and be presented in a well-constructed five paragraph format. Because this is the most flexible topic, I will also be grading it the most critically.
Paper Format
Your paper must be typed in 12 pt. Times New Roman font. It must be double-spaced, except the header, which should be single-spaced on the left-hand side of the paper and contain: your name, the date, your course and section number, and my name. You should have a title for your paper and it should be centered. Your last name and the page number should be in the upper right hand corner of each page. This is called MLA format and you can google it if you need to. It looks like this:

Writing a Five Paragraph Essay

If you aren't completely comfortable with your understanding of what a five paragraph essay is, you should check out these links:

The Basic Structure of a Five Paragraph Essay

Tips for Organizing Your Ideas into Five Paragraph Format

An Example of a Five Paragraph Essay

Graphic Organizers for Writing Five Paragraph Essays

Racism VS Racial Stereotyping

As we discussed in class, it can sometimes be difficult to parse out the differences between racism and racial stereotyping. Here are the Wikipedia definitions of each:
Racism
Stereotyping
Read the Wikipedia entries, think about what we discussed in class, and as a comment below write one paragraph discussing what you think the difference is between racism and racial stereotyping.

Racial Sterotyping

Watch this video and check out this link:
Stuff White People Like
As a comment, post a link to something you've found on the internet that uses racial stereotyping to make a point, a joke, or sell you something. Make sure to include your name as it is listed on the roll. Also check out at least three other links.
*Be careful about your choices. Blonde jokes, for example, aren't really racial stereotyping. I would say that they are more about gender.

CRASH Review

Check out these reviews of the movie we watched in class, Crash:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050505/REVIEWS/50502001/1023

http://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/reviews/11872/

http://movies.nytimes.com/2005/05/06/movies/x06cras.html

Which review do you think does the best job of interpreting the film? Why? What did the reviewer get right, and what did they get wrong? What would you add to the review? Post your response as a comment below.

My Blank Is Better Than Your Blank

Your first assignment for this class is to write a 3 paragraph argumentative essay about why something you like is better than something else. Use the chart we made in class about choral groups as a guide to make a chart about your topic. We will be using this chart in class on Tuesday to make an outline. In order to prepare, read the following guides about the writing process:

Starting the Writing Process

Prewriting (make sure you go through the prewriting questions)

Outlines (make sure to look at How to Outline)

After you have looked through this material, post the most useful thing you learned from it as a comment below. How will these ideas help you become a better writer? Also mention what was not helpful to you.

Remember, the chart will be due in class on Tuesday, the outline will be done in class on Tuesday, and the draft will be due on Thursday. The draft must be double-spaced, in Times New Roman font pt 12, with your name, the date, your course and section, and my name in the upper left hand corner single-spaced.

The Assignment

Think of something that you like and compare it to something that you think that it is superior to. Use facts about your topic, such as statistics, awards, or evidence of popularity to back up your argument that one thing is better than the other. Make sure that you take into account what is good about the other thing without taking away from your argument. Be passionate, but fair. In other words, I don't want an argument structured like My D*ck. (Warning: this link may be offensive to some/all students. Do not click if you are concerned about this, it's not on a test or anything.)