ENC 1102

What did you like about our class?
There were a lot of things about this class that I liked. I think what I enjoyed the most were the workshops and the conferences. I’ve never had a class before were we had opportunities for workshopping, but I think it’s an amazing idea. Workshops did two things for me: one helped me compare my essays to those of my classmates, and two, provided me with constructive criticisms of my work. Before, in high school classes the closes thing to workshops that I got to were communication with my teacher about the progress of my essays, but seldom did I get a comparison with other classmates or criticism from my peers. This is a great idea because we usually ignore or overlook our own mistakes, but it’s easy for others to point out our mistakes. The conferences were also very helpful to me. Having that one-on-one time with Mrs. Pilcher helped me articulate my ideas on my essays better and almost served like checkpoints, letting me know if I was on the right track. I liked all the movies and shows we watched in class. I honestly think that they supported the topics and lessons from the class a great deal. I also think it’s great for my peers to be presented with different genres that they would otherwise not be exposed to. There are many more things I liked about the class such as the pace, the lessons covered, and the class size. 

What did you dislike? 

There were just a few things I didn’t like about the class, and none of them are a big deal for me. I think the class participation was what I disliked the most. I often felt like I was the only one (or one of the only ones) participating, when there were multiple chances for my peers to be part of class discussions. I also didn’t like the amount of books required for the course. I think the course could have worked just as well without some of the books that were required materials.


What did you learn about writing that might help you in the rest of your academic career? 

 

Ethos, pathos, and logos is a concept that I had not heard before that I’ll definitely keep in mind as I go on into the rest of my college life. The process of finding a topic is also something I learned that I will be using for the rest of my life. Before this class I would chose topics that I was more familiar with, or that came to mind easily, but I now know that the best topics are those that we are interested about but perhaps don’t know much of.

What did you think of the assigned readings?
The assigned readings were great, for the most part. There were times when I felt like it was unnecessary or perhaps the readings were unnecessarily long, but overall the readings contributed to the class discussions and lessons. I enjoyed reading Beyond Words in particular; it is a great book that is written with college students in mind. It was very easy to read, entertaining, captivating, and I learned much from it. Most of the time it didn’t feel like a drag to have to read passages from the book.


What did you think of the paper assignments? 

I think the paper assignments were appropriate. The first one in particular I really enjoyed doing. It was almost effortless and I enjoyed it. The second paper, the research paper, was the total opposite for me. I didn’t enjoy that paper as much, and throughout it I felt confused and unsure if I was doing the right thing. I have done research papers in the past, but never with as many pages and with as many sources. It was time consuming, stressful, and overall not very enjoyable. The third paper I’ve just started so I can’t say how enjoyable it will be, but it seems alright so far. In terms of the process of writing the papers, I think I could have used some extra time, but I am well aware of the time constraints of a summer term. As previously mentioned, I really enjoyed the workshops and the conferences; I think they were immensely helpful to my writing process.


What did you think of our class time? 

I’m not sure what this question is asking haha, but I’ll answer it the way I think it’s being asked. The time spent on different subjects and lessons I think was adequate. Time was divided fairly between different lessons.

What did you think of your instructor? 

The instructor was amazing! I can honestly say that Mrs. Pilcher is an outstanding instructor! She’s incredibly funny and charismatic, extremely helpful and approachable, and of course, knowledgeable in her field. I wish every instructor was like Mrs. Pilcher. I will miss her.

I've seen this before

Every Opening Ceremony for the Olympics Games represents the culture of the host country, and this year it was no different. The 2012 opening ceremony for the XXX Olympiad was nothing short of a spectacular event showcasing the British culture. The Olympics is not only an event to unite nations, but also a chance for the host country to express its culture to the world. Through their various acts such as “The Isles of Wonder” and “Olympic Bedtime Story”, the British demonstrated their long history as a country, their diversity, and their culture.

In the opening video to the 2012 Olympic ceremony we see different areas of Great Britain. The video takes us, the audience, through various British landmarks such as the Thames River, the Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the London Eye, the London Bridge, and the London Underground. In this act we see the pride of Great Britain. Where in the opening act we see famous London landmarks, in “Olympic Bedtime Story” we see some of the British culture. Voldemort, the main villain from the Harry Potter series is seen tormenting little kids. To everyone’s surprise a number of Mary Poppins fly down to defeat Voldemort.

What is special about “Olympic Bedtime Story” is that what is British culture is actually world culture as well. It is hard to find a child around the world who does not know about the Harry Potter series, and in its time, the same situation occurred with Mary Poppins. Both the Harry Potter series and the Mary Poppins series of books and films are icons of British literature as well as icons around the world. My mother recalls reading Mary Poppins and watching the Mary Poppins film in her childhood, while my sister recalls reading and watching the Harry Potter series in her childhood. By including Harry Potter and Mary Poppins in the opening ceremony, director Danny Boyle managed to show the world the greatness of British literature and culture, while at the same time evoking positive emotions from audiences around the world. The Olympic Games are all about inclusiveness and togetherness, and the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympics did just that. It showed the world the extent of the host country’s culture meanwhile celebrating world culture.

The Olympics is an event that brings different countries together to show the world the best of the best in human abilities. In the process, we get to see cultures from around the world. In The Parade of Nations, for example, we were witness to the first two women allowed to compete from the strongly Islamist nation of Saudi Arabia. Although the Olympic Games show the best of the world, it also shows some of the bad. There is ongoing controversy whether one of the women from the Saudi delegation would be allowed to compete in Judo wrestling. Country officials are demanding that she wear her headscarf, known as hijab, in line with Islamic dress code. However, according to Olympic and international Judo wrestling regulations, participants are not allowed to wear items around their heads. This causes a problem. Does the Olympic committee vow to the religious demands of a single country, or does it force them to follow international standards? It is not in the Olympic Games’ interest to allow a single country to dictate how their athlete should participate. Although Saudi Arabia has a legitimate right to demand that their athlete compete according to their standards, they do not, however, have the right to alter game rules because of religious codes. If Olympic officials were to cave in to their demands, this would cause innumerable more issues to come up later from different countries with different religious, cultural, and political codes. Issues like these tend to pop up from time to time, but over the years the Olympic Games have only gotten more inclusive. 

What does Exit Through the Gift Shop say about art?

Exit Through The Gift Shop is a unique documentary, a one-of-a-kind mocku-documentary. Is it a mockumentary? Or is it a real documentary? That’s the question that the viewer is left with at the end of the movie, but does it really matter? I don’t think so. The movie is a fusion of documentary and performance art. Exit Through The Gift Shop is a movie billed as a documentary that serves as the vessel for several analyses and criticisms of art, and the art world as a whole. This movie says nothing and everything.

Banksy’s directorial debut is surrounded by speculations and mystery, just like his street art. Regardless of whether this film is real or a hoax (or perhaps a mix of both), the film is a performance art piece that takes several topics of the art world and lets the viewer form their own opinions. In the film we see Thierry Guetta, also known as Mr. Brainwash become an overnight artistic sensation. We see his quick rise mostly from hype. At this point in the film we are left wondering whether Guetta is truly an artist or not. Guetta met the right people, he documented several street artists over the course of several years, often helping them with their art, and then one day he decided he wanted to be just like them, and he gave street art a try. So is Mr. Brainwash’s a real artist, even when his art is just recreated Andy Warhol and Bansky pieces? I think he is. Even Mr. Brainwash admits that he is just one big Banksy art piece (Felch). Whether his art is good or not is up to the individual to decide, but when we ask “is it real art?” that’s just jumping in a huge pool of gray. Yes his “art” is simple, and yes his “art” is close to plagiarism, except it’s not. When Warhol was around people said his art wasn’t real art, and you will find more than one critic of Bansky claiming that his street art is just mere graffiti. To me art is defined as the creation of something thought up in your head. Mr. Brainwash may have come close to copying modern artists, but that’s all he did, come close. I would never pay to go see his artwork and much certainly would not pay to keep some in my home, but just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean I can dismiss it as not art.

Overnight Mr. Brainwash becomes the new “it” thing. Before most people had even seen his art, he was the talk of the town. Thanks in large part to the buzz that his big name friends generated, Mr. Brainwash had people, and the press, lining up to have a look at the new artist in town. Eventually, Mr. Brainwash sells millions of dollars of his artwork in his first installation, and later through auctions. In the film, Bansky says that his former friend’s art is not really art, and that his methods are not artistic. Another question arises: was his success due to his actual creativity or was it due to hype? Much of the art world is driven purely by hype. Mr. Bansky knows this very well. I would be stunned if while making this film Mr. Bansky wasn’t thinking of his own over commercialized pieces. By showcasing Mr. Brainwash and his rapid rise to fame through hype, and the subsequent commercialization of his pieces, Bansky is in fact revealing the flaws of the art world.

In Exit Through the Gift Shop we never hear Bansky or anyone else explicitly say that Mr. Brainwash’s art is not real art, but they insinuate it, ultimately leaving the answer to the viewer. By extensively featuring Thierry Guetta and his over commercialized pieces, Bansky is in fact critiquing the art world’s obsession with hype instead of quality. The entire movie whether real or not is intended to present the viewer with various aspects of the art world not commonly talked about. From street art to the quality of art, Bansky simply tells a story and lets the viewer decide what to believe and what’s real and not real.

Bibliography

Ebert, Rogert. Exit Through The Gift Shop. 28 April 2010. 22 July 2012 <http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100428/REVIEWS/100429978>.

Felch, Jason. Los Angeles Times. 22 February 2011. 22 July 2012 <http://articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/22/entertainment/la-et-oscar-exit-20110222>.

Long, Tom. Review: 'Exit Through The Gift Shop' is witty fun, real, or hoax. 7 May 2010. 22 July 2012 <http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20100507/ENT02/5070323/1034/ENT02/Review---Exit-Through-the-Gift-Shop--is-witty-fun--real-or-hoax>.

Nilsen, Richard. 'Exit Through the Gift Shop'. 23 June 2010. 22 July 2012 <http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/movies/articles/2010/06/23/20100623exit-through-gift-shop.html>.

Walker, Alissa. Here's why the Bansky movie is a Bansky prank. 14 April 2010. 22 July 2012 <http://www.fastcompany.com/1616365/banksy-movie-prankumentary>.

Jolene

       "Jolene" is a song released in 1973, written and performed by country star Dolly Parton. "Jolene" was one of the singer's first hits, in large part due to everyone being able to relate to it. Although I am not a country music fan, this song’s lyrics and catchy chorus makes it very likable. The song speaks of feeling inadequate for the love of a person, a feeling that any man or woman has felt at one point or another.
       Listening to “Jolene” makes me feel two opposing feelings. At first listening to this song makes me feel insecure and weak, probably because of the emotions conveyed by Parton’s voice. Lyrics such as “there’s nothing I can do to keep from crying”, and “I’m begging of you please don’t take my man” make me sympathize with Dolly Parton and her feeling that she is not good enough for her only love. However, I am also empowered by this song, an empowerment mostly stemming from not wanting to feel inadequate.
       Dolly Parton's hit song is one of my favorite country songs mostly because of its crossover appeal. It’s catchy chorus and simple lyrics make this country hit likable to a wider audience. The song’s ability to tell a story also makes this song very intriguing. With less than 200 words this song is able to hook the listener, convey deep emotions, and tell a story.
     This entire song is an argument. Through its lyrics Dolly Parton argues to Jolene to forget “her man” (Parton’s husband). Parton tells Jolene that “you can have your choice of men” while “I can never love again” because she can only love her husband and doesn’t want him to leave her for Jolene. Dolly Parton begs Jolene not to take her man, and argues that because of her beauty she has the power to take her man away from her. Parton also tells Jolene that she has the power to take away her happiness by taking her man away. The country star makes it clear that she does not feel confident enough to keep her man and that Jolene, with her beauty, can tempt him to leave her, thus ruining her happiness.

Narrative

      It was a cold rainy morning,"I'm finally here" he thought as he took his first step off the plane. It was a long flight from his small town in Texas, but J.D. was finally in the city of his dreams, the city he had always seen in pictures and in movies. As he took the bus to the city, he marveled at the sight of world famous landmarks and sky-high buildings.

     Soon enough he was in his hotel room. "Time to start living" he told his friend Rose. "Let's go!" That first night J.D. and Rose went out to a club with Mark and a couple of his friends, strangers they met while they were out for lunch that day. 

      JD was 21 and Rose was 22, but both weren't alcohol drinkers. Due to peer pressure they started to do things unlike their character. At the club JD and Rose started to emulate the behavior of their new friends. 

      "Here have this shot" said Mark. "No, no, it's ok, I rather not" said J.D. "Oh, come on man, don't be a wuss, you can do it!" replied Mark. "Alright, alright, but just one" said J.D. That's where things started to go down hill that night. After J.D.'s first shot, Rose soon followed, not wanting to feel left out.

      After 3 hours, J.D. and Rose were still taking shots. Somewhere around that time an alcohol-fueled fight broke out between Mark and another club-goer. Feeling courageous and untouchable J.D. decided to join in the fight in Mark's defense.

      J.D. woke up around mid day the next day. He had bruises all over his body and an almost unrecognizable face. Mark and his friends were no where to be found. "We can't do that again J.D. Look at you... look at me, I've been throwing up all morning. This isn't us J.D." He knew Rose was right. Fun wasn't going to come in the form of partying and drinking. It wasn't going to come in following other people's idea of fun. J.D. took a look in the mirror and he knew he was a changed man.

Pop stars: Role Models for women?

Somebody’s uncle once said “with great power comes great responsibility”. Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna are three of the biggest pop stars in the world, amassing millions of followers, and thus becoming role models and holding a great amount of influence over the youth that listen, watch, and emulate them.

When the First Lady of the United States thanks Beyonce “for being a role model who kids everywhere can look up to” it says something. If we look at all the different facets of her life it seems like in every single one she could be commended for her great portrayal of women. She has multiple hit songs with a central message of women empowerment, she radiates positivity in her interviews, and she has in large part kept her personal life private and stable, while at the same time staying mostly controversy free. 

Beyonce on empowering women

Lady Gaga is easily one of the most controversial pop artists of our generation and seems to have her own way of being a role model for women. Although her songs and advocacy are often geared towards the LGBT, her overall message of love, acceptance, and bravery is universal. Critics at times have called her “hypocritical” and she could certainly be described as such given some of her past comments. In a 2009 interview when being asked if she was a feminist she responded with “I’m not a feminist. I hail men, I love men” perpetuating the stereotype that feminists are men-haters. However, in that same interview (see below) she calls the interviewer out on his sexism. Gaga also has multiple female-empowering songs such as “Scheiße”, but her use of derogatory terms for women in interviews and social media are distracting to her message of women empowerment. It seems like Lady Gaga tries to be a positive role model and aims to be a fighter for women’s rights and freedoms, but at times through her own words her attempt at a positive portrayal of women is lost.

Lady Gaga 2009 interview

In 2009 Rihanna and her then boyfriend Chris Brown got in an argument that resulted in her being the victim of domestic violence. Weeks later she gave an interview to ABC News where she revealed that she went back to her abuser because she still loved him, but later ended the relationship because she realized how much of an impact she had on the lives of young girls and she didn’t want to be responsible for telling them “go back". In 2012 she released a remix to her song “Birthday Cake” featuring Chris Brown. Unsurprisingly it caused a fire storm of controversy to which her response was “it never occurred to me how this was going to be a problem. It really didn't".'RiRi' is definitely not trying to be a role model for women anymore.

Rihanna on the Chris Brown incident

Different pop stars have different ways of portraying themselves and they all have different opinions on being a role model. They’re all human and as such are not perfect. At the end of the day it’s their music that matters… right?