edditing 2 essays

Essay #4 Prompt – Pop Music: Good or Bad?

Context: Music is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in today’s society. Whether it’s on iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, the radio, or even in the grocery store, people listen to music every day. Even music-themed television shows like Glee, The Voice, X Factor, and American Idol are seemingly everywhere. While pop culture is fun and entertaining, it also reflects and influences a culture. As we see in “Body Rituals of the Nacirema,” one can interpret the values and the beliefs of a culture based on the artifacts and activities of that culture. It is arguable that anthropologists 100 years from now will analyze the music that we listen to in order to make judgments regarding our society’s beliefs and values.

Prompt: For your essay, choose one American pop song from the following list. First, you will describe the song and what its message is. Second, you will argue whether or not the song has a positive or negative impact on society:

“23” by Mike WiLL Made-it ft. Miley Cyrus.

“Applause” by Lady Gaga

“Berzerk” by Eminem

“Black Skinhead” by Kanye West

“Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke

“The Fox” by Ylvis

“Gorilla” by Bruno Mars

“Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake

“Holy Grail” by Jay-Z ft. Justin Timberlake

“Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake

“Radioactive” by Imaginedragons

“Roar” by Katy Perry

“Royals” by Lorde

“Safe and Sound” by Capital Cities

“Same Love” by Macklemore

“Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey

“That’s My Kind of Night” by Luke Bryan

“Wake Me Up!” by Avicii

“Work Bitch!” by Britney Spears

“Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus

In your essay, be sure to use specific examples from the song’s lyrics (or the official music video for the song) to support your argument. Since many things are neither absolutely good nor absolutely bad, it may be appropriate for you to qualify your argument regarding which group or audience the show impacts positively or negatively.

As you brainstorm, consider the following questions: which of these songs do you like? Why do you like them? What songs are popular that you don’t like? Why not? What are the morals be put forth by the lyrics or the artists in the above songs? How do they compare to the values our society seems to promote? What does the target audience of the music seem to be? Is it kids? Adults? Partiers? Hipsters? A certain culture, ethnic, or religious group? Is the content of the song seemingly “low brow” or “high brow?” Would you be ok with your children listing to this song? Would you be comfortable if your parents listened to it? What seems to be the purpose of the song? Is it a dance song? A love song? A pop song? These can help you with your argument of whether or not the song is a good influence on society.

Note: if you don’t like what’s on the above list, you may be free to run any piece of popular culture (a movie, a book, a TV show, etc.) by me. My only stipulation is that it be culturally significant (not necessarily in the United States) and that it be released on or after 1/01/2013.

Rules and Regulations for Essay #4:

Avoid using the word “you” at all costs (unless it’s a lyric in your chosen song). Keep everything in the first person (I, me, mine), or the third person (listeners, Americans, individuals, men, women, children, they, them).

Make sure to follow all MLA format guidelines, including 12 pt. TNR font, 1” margins, 0 spaces between paragraphs, double spacing, your name and page number in the top-right corner, and a properly formatted header.

For this essay, no more than three students can write on a single song (for the sake of variety). We will choose topics on Wednesday 10/16/2013.

Assume your audience for this paper is someone who knows next to nothing about the song or the artist. Perhaps they’ve heard it on the radio once or twice, but don’t expect much else form them.

Remember that there are two primary goals for this assignment. The first one is to summarize the content and message of the song. The second is to explain whether or not the song is good for society and why.

Remember that you will have to show specific examples of lyrics in the song. You can’t prove whether a song is good or bad if you don’t show your reader the specific content of the song.

Avoid using the word “you” at all costs (unless it’s a lyric in your chosen song). Keep everything in the first person (I, me, mine), or the third person (listeners, Americans, individuals, men, women, children, they, them).

Make sure to follow all MLA format guidelines, including 12 pt. TNR font, 1” margins, 0 spaces between paragraphs, double spacing, your name and page number in the top-right corner, and a properly formatted header.

This essay has an argument (by extension, opinion). You are making a judgment. As such, you need to choose a side. Follow the ideas of They Say/I Say for help with this and any other aspect of the paper.

Each essay must have a strong thesis statement which incorporates your argument. Remember S + O + (H)(W) = T, as we have gone over in class. I expect the thesis statement to be in the introduction unless there’s a really good reason for it not to be there.

Avoid using the word “you” at all costs (unless it’s a lyric in your chosen song). Keep everything in the first person (I, me, mine), or the third person (listeners, Americans, individuals, men, women, children, they, them).

Make sure to follow all MLA format guidelines, including 12 pt. TNR font, 1” margins, 0 spaces between paragraphs, double spacing, your name and page number in the top-right corner, and a properly formatted header.

As always, especially in the intro and conclusion, we need to consider the “So What?” factor. With your argument, you need to make your reader "care" about the subject you are evaluating. Explain the context. Why is the song important? Why should your reader care about its influence on society? It is necessary to consider these questions all throughout the paper, but especially in the intro and conclusion.

There IS NO research requirement for this essay beyond the song itself. The only source I might suggest you to use is the song itself (and the official music video if you so desire). Cite the song or the video in your works cited page.

The essay is not a narrative. Though personal and first-hand examples can be helpful in this essay, they should not take the place of careful lyrical analysis. Use of first person words, such as “I,” “me,” or “my,” is acceptable, but should be used sparingly—only when they help you explain your argument.

Avoid using the word “you” at all costs (unless it’s a lyric in your chosen song). Keep everything in the first person (I, me, mine), or the third person (listeners, Americans, individuals, men, women, children, they, them).

Make sure to follow all MLA format guidelines, including 12 pt. TNR font, 1” margins, 0 spaces between paragraphs, double spacing, your name and page number in the top-right corner, and a properly formatted header.

All essays must be typed, three to five pages in length, and adhering to MLA format, INCLUDING A WORKS CITED PAGE. Note: the works cited page does not count toward your page requirement.

Good luck, and remember to avoid using the word “you” at all costs!