QS essay

2

QS115, Fall 2014

Professor A. Harrison

(200 points total)

Essay #2 – Music Videos!

10/07: Class Library Meeting with Lindsay Hansen (Lab B)

10/09: Thesis/ Outline with Complete Works Cited Due (3 hard copies to class)

Draft annotated bibliography Due (one copy for professor)

10/14: 1250+ word draft Due (3 hard copies to class)

Before 2pm, Students Garcia – Reiser post to Moodle for whole class workshop

10/16: Peer Reflection Due (via email to partner and CC me, 25 points)

Before 2pm, 150-word replies due to workshop

10/16 & 10/21: whole class workshops

Final Draft Due: October 28

Purpose: To formulate a clear, argumentative thesis statement, and develop support for it in an essay that utilizes academic research, interpretation, and a visual “text.” You will learn and practice the following research skills: finding and evaluating sources, citing sources, effectively incorporating paraphrase and/or quotes and using the library databases.

Contextual and audience information: Since the work you will undertake in this paper (textual analysis/interpretation) is most commonly found in academic writing, where readers often know something about the text under discussion, we will work with a common text – music videos from Brooke Candy, Lana Del Rey, The Prodigy, and Madonna. Assume that while all your readers may not be members of this class, they have seen the video and are familiar with some of the discussions around it; thus you do not need to waste time summarizing the video. Your goal in this task is to discuss ideas, themes, and rhetorical strategy, NOT to tell me if you liked or disliked the video.

Writing Task: Write your own analysis of “Smack My Bitch Up,” “Justify My Love,” “Summertime Sadness,” or “Das Me.” Analyze one scene, theme, idea, character, motif, image, set of images, audible effect, issue, or technique used in the video/s.

· You may write about one or two of the videos.

· Ensure that your essay has a focus/thesis, and is not a collection of unconnected points about the video. While you are analyzing one aspect of the video/s, a strong paper will make connections between this one aspect and what you see as the important issues about/in the video/s.

· You may pick one theme and connect it between the videos we look at; however, note if you decide to talk about two of the videos, there must be a clear connection!

· You should use the outside research to support YOUR thesis. Support your thesis with specific reference to and examples from the video/s, and detailed discussion of these references/examples.

· This is not a report-where you collect and then report information. Instead, you will develop and argue a debatable position on your selected topic.

· You will not turn in a paper that pieces together other people’s ideas or a summary. Instead, you will support a thesis statement and use sources to back up your ideas.

· As many of these videos use adult and college-level themes, only choose those if you feel comfortable discussing, re-watching, and reading about those ideas.

· Use of counterargument will be mandatory for an “A” paper.

Videos to use: (can be found on Youtube.com, Madonna.com, Vevo.com)

· Madonna, “Justify My Love” (1990)

· The Prodigy, “Smack My Bitch Up” (1997) – use of the uncensored version mandatory

· Lana del Rey, “Summertime Sadness” (2012)

· Brooke Candy, “Das Me” (2012)

Suggestions to steer your idea/thesis: You may choose a topic from one of the following options in relation to the writing task above or I encourage you to explore your own:

· Nudity

· Sexuality/ Overt Sexual Situations

· Social Norms

· Religion/ Religious Symbols

· Gender or Gender Roles

· Identity

· Race

· Pop Culture theory

· Urban Landscape

· Consumerism

· Self - Realization

· Socioeconomic Relationships

· Color Theory

· Costumes

Turning in your Essay:

· Your FINAL draft will be 1500+ words and contain a word count (Microsoft> Tools> Word Count) at the end of the paper but before the Works Cited page.

· YOU MUST INCLUDE A PROPERLY FORMATED “WORKS CITED” PAGE AT THE BACK OF YOUR PAPER; THIS DOES NOT COUNT TOWARD THE 1500+ WORDS! You must have 4 outside sources plus the video(s) you decide to use for the assignment to meet the requirement.

· Annotated Bibliography will also be a mandatory requirement for this assignment.

· A video / song is always in “quotes,” an album in italics.

· YOUR FINAL PAPER DUE ON 10/28 MUST INCLUDE (binder clipped in this order):

1. Final draft (100 points)

2. Turnitin.com printed email receipt

3. Annotated Bibliography – Final (25 points)

4. 1st draft (20 points)

5. Peer Critique Workshop Sheets: Outline and First draft (5 points each)

6. Outline & Working Thesis with Works Cited and draft annotated bibliography (20 points)

7. Whole class workshop (25 points)

8. Any other pre-writing that you did

9. LRC slip (10 pts. extra credit)

READ THIS PROMPT ONE LAST TIME BEFORE YOUR TURN THE PAPER IN TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE MET ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS. As always, if you have any questions about this assignment, please come see me or email me [email protected]