English Essay

Final Exam Essays

Below are the essay questions for our POPC 1600 Final Exam. You are required to choose any 5 of the following questions and write approximately 1 Yi - 2 pages (typed double spaced) in response. Please be sure to consult both your textbook and class notes when composing your reply. Each essay is worth 10 points total and you may receive partial credit for your responses. Be sure to proofread your written essays and please note that there is no need to offer citations.

1. According to the article/handout "What Makes Superman So Darned American?" what are the elements that have made the Man of Steel such an enduring icon in popular culture? Why is the

Clark Kent persona so important to the hero's popularity? How has Superman's depiction evolved so that he continues to remain relevant to new generations of Americans? How has the hero been interpreted in terms of religion? Are there other pop culture icons (real or fictional) that you believe also embody "American ideals" for many people today?

2. What are some of the most common and effective advertising strategies that we have discussed in this class? Please relate how these strategies relate to any 2 of the advertising-based essays we read from our textbook. How impressionable are you to advertising? Do you believe that you are influenced by the many ads you see every day? If so, why? IF you don't feel that you are unduly influenced by ads what makes you resistant?

3. In "Creating the Myth" Linda Segar discusses Joseph Campbell's theory of the Hero Myth. What

are the main elements that comprise this theory? What is an archetype and what are some of the most common that often appear in the Hero Myth tales? Do you agree with Campbell's idea that the hero is a vital idea in human culture? Many contemporary films, books, TV programs employ elements from Campbell's work. Can you name one that is effectively using Campbell's

ideas in the creation of modern pop culture? What is meant by the idea of the Healing Myth?

4. According to the essay "In Living Color" what is the difference between overt and inferential racism? Why has the mass media and American pop culture been so effective in shaping our

attitudes toward racial and ethnic minorities? What does the author see as the connection between race and gender stereotypes? How do you see race relations changing today? Has the increased sense of diversity in our modern pop culture helped changed attitudes in your opinion? If so, can you provide an example? What film, TV program, music, do you see as most

influencing modern ideas of race/ethnicity?

5. According to the essay "Batman, Deviance, & Camp" who was Frederic Wertham and what was

his impact upon the characters of Batman & Robin (as stated in his text Seduction of the Innocent)? How did DC Comics respond to such criticisms in their stories of the 1950s/1960s?

The author of this essay cites some "evidence" he feels demonstrates that Batman is gay. What are these examples and do you find them credible? How did the 1960s Batman TV series represent a campy sensibility and how does the author claim it supports his "Batman as gay"

theory? What does he mean by the closing line, "And if I want Batman to be gay, then, for me,