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Humanities 123: American Popular Culture TTh 11:10-12:35 Spring 2020 / Final Presentation Project 12 points for presentation topic proposal; 100 points for final presentation / written work Your final project for this class will consist of a group presentation in which you and a few classmates will present your analysis and interpretation of an example of American popular culture through our final Zoom-based class session. The topic

options are based on the same options for your paper assignment, but you will develop your interpretive ideas and synthesize them with those of other members of your group, and you will format these ideas and examples for an oral presentation. Below are deadlines pertaining to different components of this assignment: Deadline for broad topic preferences: Thursday, April 9th (not graded) Deadline for specific topic proposal: Thursday, April 16th

(12 points) * This is the deadline for your proposal, but earlier submissions are encouraged. The sooner your topic is approved, the sooner you and group can move forward with your project. Final presentations / last day of class: Thursday, May 21st

(100 points) Broad topic preference / due April 9th You are first asked to submit a request indicating your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice of subject matter for this assignment by no later than Thursday, April 9th. Review the assignment descriptions in your paper writing guidelines and note that this final project is based on the same topic options as the paper assignment. You may select a different topic for this final assignment than what you based your paper on, but you may also opt to work on the same topic for your final project as you did for your paper. Note that for your topic preferences due Thursday the 9th, you only need to indicate your broad topic preference; you do not need to specify what specific film or what tv show you wish to analyze by this date. Email your 1st, 2nd and 3rd topic preferences from the following options by April 9th: • Advertising analysis • Heroes or Anti-heroes in Television • Personal identity in Film: the portrayal of race, class or gender in film • Tabloid Magazine Comparison You will be assigned to one of these broad topics along with a few other class members, and from there you and your group members will determine what specific example (a specific film, for example) you will make the basis of your analysis. A synthesis and summary of your interpretive ideas will be the basis of a final presentation our last day of class, and you individually will submit written analysis of this topic on that final day.

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Specific topic proposal / due April 16th Using the Canvas Student Group or Discussion feature, discuss with group members what topic you might make the basis of your final project. Each of you will submit a proposal indicating specifically what you would like to base your final project on (a specific film, a specific ad, etc.). Your proposal should also include some preliminary interpretive observations about the topic’s form, content, and how it relates to either a pro or a con argument (from our list). It is expected that your proposals will be similar in nature since you will have discussed some ideas about your topic, but you should write your proposal in your own words. This proposal constitutes 12 points of your grade, and each group member must submit this. Note: if for some reason you and your group mates do not settle on one topic for your final presentation, your proposal should be based on your preferred topic. If you and your group mates submit multiple possible topics, I will decide which topic will be your final topic (your proposal grade will not be negatively impacted by the inability to decide on one topic, and similarly your grade will not be negatively impacted if a group member does not submit their proposal). Your topic proposal should be emailed as a pdf or Microsoft Word attachment, and it should indicate your name in the upper right-hand corner and the names of your other group members in parentheses. Indicate your specific topic (if you are analyzing gender identity in ads, for example, indicate what ad you will use and how the ad promotes a particular idea about gender), your thesis statement about your topic (or at least a draft version of the thesis), some evidence to support your thesis, and what pro or con argument you plan to apply to your topic. NOTE: If you are analyzing an ad, please attach an image of the ad to your proposal. Your proposal will be graded, and must be approved before you proceed with your presentation plans. Feel free to consult with me in advance of your proposal due date. Getting Started: first steps • Once you have been assigned to a broad topic with other classmates, you should begin communicating (through Canvas) and make a decision as to what specific example of popular culture you will analyze. You are permitted to choose from examples you may have analyzed in your papers. Take a group vote to determine what example will be the basis of your final presentation. You are asked to use Canvas’ student group and discussion options for your communications. You should also create slides for your final presentation. • Create google slide doc: Google docs is likely the best option for creating and collaborating on slides for your final project. It does not require that all group members have a gmail account, and it is likely the most accessible way for everyone to work on slides that will be used in your final presentation. One person in the group should initiate the google doc and then invite in others through the “Share” option. Go to slides.google.com, choose the blank template, click on the “Share” , name your project (give it a name based on the title(s) of your film / fiction example), then enter the email addresses of your group members while making sure that you are permitting the to edit the google doc. To enable your group members’ editing access, click on the pencil/ (edit) icon, and scroll and click on “can edit.”

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You should include your instructor in your group in order to obtain feedback on this important graded assignment: include the email rmiller@dvc.edu Developing the presentation These analytical projects should follow the same guidelines as those stipulated for the paper assignments. The final assignment should showcase your ability to develop interpretive observations about an example of American popular culture. Your interpretations must be supported by specific evidence of the works’ form and content, and you should employ vocabulary learned from class. As with the paper assignments, these are NOT research assignments (if that were the case a bibliography would be required and you would be instructed in proper source citing methods). Your presentations and writing should be informed primarily by your own analysis of form and content of the example of popular culture. Additionally, you must apply a “pro” or “con” argument (see final pages of this document) to your subject. The oral presentations should be rehearsed and should not exceed 10 minutes in length. Like your papers, they should include the following: 1) a clear introduction 2) a thesis statement (what your subject does, how it does it, and why) 3) interpretive analysis of the work’s form and content 4) a conclusion * the pro or con argument may be included in the thesis and / or the conclusion Brainstorming Writing Process • Strong, clear interpretive writing and presentations usually begin in a rather messy manner; drafts can be produced through a “brainstorming” process that might make little sense to any reader other than the author. These beginning stages of developing your ideas are an important part of a larger process in which you discover, distill and clarify your analysis. • You will be submitting a written summary and analysis of your example of popular culture (each of you submits this individually via email due the day before the final presentations). This writing assignment should assert a thesis statement and summarize your evidence to support that thesis. Though this thesis and summary should be relatively brief (2-3 pages), it should be the result of an extensive analytical process. Writing is not simply a matter of having something to say and saying it. Rather, it is often a process through which you discover something to say about a topic through the process of writing a draft. Thus, your first steps should consist of simply describing the subject and asking yourself questions about it as a means of discovering what you ultimately want to say about it (your thesis). Ultimately, you want to develop your description into interpretation. Your analysis should be written as an essay and not simply an exhaustive and disconnected series of descriptions and observations about your topic. However, in the beginning stages of writing your draft, it is useful to list and outline the description and points you want to make. Timing Presentations should be rehearsed to run 10 minutes in length. Rehearse this by individually practicing reciting your final presentation as if you were presenting this to an audience and time it. You should not have to speed read. You should speak at a reasonable pace to allow your audience to follow along, and you should consider any points at which you might want to point something out in a slide (like a film still / technique).

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Written Requirements: Interpretive proposal, summary / thesis, a group and self-evaluations. • Each group member must submit their own thesis and summary of the presentation, a self-evaluation (what specifically did you contribute to the assignment?) and a group evaluation (what did you group members contribute to the assignment?). These should be submitted via email and are due the evening before our final class, Wednesday, May 20th. No late work will be accepted. The self and group evaluations should indicate specifically what you contributed and what others contributed to assignment. Be specific and identify each group member. • Written analysis should be a brief (2-3 pages) but should include an interpretive analysis of your work. Include a thesis argument and how you will support your interpretation in terms of form and content. Note: Your written work must be individually written. While it is understood your analysis and thesis may be similar to that of your group members because you have developed your ideas as a group, all written assignments should be written in your own words. Do not duplicate one copy; duplicates count as plagiarism and will receive a failed grade. The comparative analysis must be typed and it is due no later than 11 pm Wednesday, May 20th, before our last day of class. Email your typed work (please attach a pdf) and send to rmiller@dvc.edu . Work must be turned in on time to receive credit – NO LATE WORK. • Work must be typed (not a photograph of handwritten work), use 12-point font, multiple pages should be numbered, and you should include your name and the class name (Humanities 118) on the first page of the typed work. It is preferable that you save your work as a pdf before attaching it to the email. Let me know if you need help with this.

Final class attendance: • Attendance by means of our Zoom-based class session is mandatory for the entire class our final day of class, Thursday May 21st. While you may not be one of the presentation “speakers,” your attendance the day of final presentations is required.

Technical Presentation Requirements & Guidelines: • Presentations should be rehearsed and should run 10 minutes in length. • Do not use the Zoom chat feature while your classmates or other members of your group are presenting. • Decide in advance who will say what. Speakers should speak at a reasonable pace and in a somewhat conversational manner. Avoid reading directly from a script. This encourages a rather monosyllabic, fast-paced and meaningless delivery, and it makes it hard for the audience to understand what you’re saying. • Email the presentation slides (either the slides alone or the link to your google doc) to rmiller@dvc.edu by no later than 11 pm Wednesday, May 20th . This deadline is critical. I need to organize the slides / groups in advance of our final class session; I will not have time to do so the morning of our class.

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• Create bullet point type notes (rather than a script) to remind yourself of the key ideas you want to mention. Have an actual set of notes / note cards to look off of (do not rely solely on your slides projected through the screen) for anything you plan to read. Your slides should not contain too much text. • It is highly recommended that you use visual and / or aural aids that highlight your main interpretive points and show the class what your subject looks like. Your slides can be used to underscore relevant illustrations for your presentation, but don’t overdo it with too many words. Too many slides or overly wordy slides will make the presentation ineffective and will negatively impact your grade. We want to hear your interpretation not read it, and the presentations will only be 10 minutes in length, so don’t overload a number of slides with reading material. Please consult with me regarding visual aids you plan to use. • If your subject is a tv episode or a film, it is a good idea to feature film stills that relate to your analysis. You can incorporate film stills into your slides to show the class the film’s main characters, some of the scene compositions, camera angles, lighting, colors, etc. You may also plan to use a brief video clip, but note that it must be brief and it must meaningfully contribute to your analysis. The majority of your presentation should consist of your interpretation, not simply showing clips or images. If you do use a clip, make sure it works, be mindful of how much time this takes during the presentation, and develop interpretation of the clip shown. If you show a clip from a film or show, verbally clarify why you are showing it before doing so. • If your subject is an advertisement or tabloid magazines, you should show us the ad or magazines you analyzed and highlight aspects of their form and content throughout the presentation. • Do not put too much text in your powerpoint slides. This becomes distracting rather than informative. Use visual aids to illustrate your point. You may want to use film stills in your powerpoint to provide us with relevant images from the film. • In order to be legible any text in your powerpoint should be at minimum 20 font. • Make sure your powerpoint is clear and legible when projected. For example, white font on pale gray background does not make for very legible text. Use simple and sharply contrasting font / background (black font on white or pale background).

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Defenses and criticisms of Popular Culture (Pros and Cons) The following includes a partial list of pro and con arguments about popular culture, or, arguments in defense of popular culture and criticisms against popular culture. You should relate your final project to at least one of these ideas. Cons or Criticisms of / Arguments about Popular Culture: • It promotes negative stereotypes of people and in this way encourages racism, sexism, homophobia, class biases and bigotry generally. • It creates a flattering version of stereotypes – compensatory myths – which seem helpful but can have an equally negative impact on social groups. Compensatory myths tend to flatter various minority groups, people who have less economic, political or social power in society. Compensatory myths make otherwise disadvantaged people appear heroic or uniquely enviable when in actual society they continue to be devalued (discriminated against in varying ways). These heroicized portrayals in turn create a docile audience, one that is less likely to resist discrimination and attempt to positively change their standing in society. • It distracts its audience from more significant and pressing events and issues and thus discourages social engagement, political involvement, etc. • It can be a source of misinformation though it often masquerades as truthful information. • Profit is its “bottom line.” In the pursuit of profit, it tramples over more experimental cultural forms and relies instead on repeated formulas (think of movie sequels, or story lines you have seen repeated endlessly). • It eliminates regional or “folk” culture and thus creates a homogenized, mainstream “norm” and eliminates unique, regional cultural differences. It encourages us to all be the same, rather than celebrating difference. • It contributes to a shortened attention span, inability to focus and think critically. It encourages a “passive” reception mode rather than critically engaged interaction. • It can negatively influence its audience’s behavior or morals. For example, it has been argued that violence in popular culture creates violence in real life. Pros or Positive interpretations of Popular culture: • It “brings us all together” by providing shared cultural experiences. In this way, it has been argued to help eliminate social divisions (cultural, economic, etc.). It reminds us of our shared humanity and helps us empathize with people who we might otherwise objectify or judge unfairly. • It has didactic qualities. In other words, it can teach us significant moral or historical lessons through its narratives. If we are to believe that popular culture can negatively influence us, then we must also agree that it can positively influence us. • It can be politically or socially subversive. It can provide an outlet for perspectives that are critical of the so-called mainstream. In this way, it can be said to encourage critical thinking skills rather than a passive, unthinking reception mode. • It provides us with pleasure that helps us endure hardships and helps us make meaning out of our lives. Though many consider the pleasurable appeal of popular culture to be dangerous, mindless, and vacuously “entertaining,” others have suggested that pleasure is a significant way in which we make meaning of our lives and it is an important survival tool. • It can provide inspiring and productive models by which to live. It can positively influence our behavior and challenge our cultural assumptions and foster critical thinking skills.