The most useful information that I learned from this class all of the different types of criticism there are. Before taking this course, I had no idea or even thought about how there are different tpes of criticism.
My favorite part of this class was writing a blog. I thought it was very easy, fun, and convenient to have a blog to write my assigments on. I enjoy blogging, so it was great to have one for this class.
The most challenging aspect of this class for me was relating an artifact to one of the types of criticisms. I had to reread the examples in the text as well as do outside research so that I could fully understand the type of criticism and write an affective essay.
A way in which I would incorporate the information that I learned in this class is that there are several ways to think about everything. I will take that ino consideration from this point forward.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Idea for the 2nd Essay
For my second essay I will still be writing about singer, Beyonce's alter ego, Sasha Fierce, but I think instead of using the character for my artifact, I will be using Beyonce's double disc album entitled I Am...Sasha Fierce. The method that I will use to analyze this artifact will be Fantasy-Theme criticism. In an interview with Billboard magazine, Knowles described the two sides to the album. She describes one one side (I am..) as being more traditional R&B songs and ballads such as the songs, "Halo", "If I Were a Boy", and "Broken-Hearted Girl." The other disc (Sasha Fierce) included in the album is described as more mainstream tunes like "Sweet Dreams", "Video Phone", and "Single Ladies". Like my previous blog, I'd like to talk about the fictional character that Beyonce calls her alter ego, but in order to explain it more in depth, I will focus my paper on the character as well as the album I Am...Sasha Fierce because that is where the character Sasha Fierce came from.In my paper, I will discuss the Symbolic Convergence Theory and how it relates to Beyonce's album. In addition to the Symbolic Convergence Theory, I will also discuss the three types of fantasy themes: setting themes, character themes, and action themes in the album. I feel comfortable enough with my artifact to write an entire paper on it. I know the background of the album and all of the songs. Here is a track list for I Am...Sasha Fierce
Beyonce Disc
1. “If I Were a Boy” (Toby Gad and Beyoncé Knowles)
2. “Halo” (Ryan Tedder and Beyoncé Knowles)
3. “Disappear” (Amanda Ghost, Dave McCracken, Ian Dench, and Beyoncé Knowles)
4. “Broken-Hearted Girl” (Stargate and Beyoncé Knowles)
5. “Ave Maria” (Stargate and Beyoncé Knowles)
6. “Smash Into You” (C. “Tricky” Stewart, Terius “The-Dream” Nash, and Beyoncé Knowles)
7. “Satellites” (Amanda Ghost, Dave McCracken, Ian Dench, and Beyoncé Knowles)
8. “That’s Why You’re Beautiful” (Andrew Hey and Beyoncé Knowles)
Sasha Disc
1. “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” (C. “Tricky” Stewart, Terius “The-Dream” Nash, and Beyoncé Knowles)
2. “Radio” (Jim Jonsin, D-Town, Rico Love, and Beyoncé Knowles)
3. “Diva” (Shondrae “Mr. Bangladesh” Crawford, Sean Garrett, and Beyoncé Knowles)
4. “Sweet Dreams” (Jim Jonsin, Wayne Wilkins, Rico Love, and Beyoncé Knowles)
5. “Video Phone” (Shondrae “Mr. Bangladesh” Crawford, Sean Garrett, and Beyoncé Knowles)
6. “Hello” (REO and Beyoncé Knowles)
7. “Ego” (Elvis “BlacElvis” Williams, Harold Lilly, and Beyoncé Knowles)
8. “Scared of Lonely” (Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins)
9. “Why Don’t You Love Me?” (Beyoncé Knowles, Solange Knowles, and Bama Boyz
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Fantasy Theme Criticism: Sasha Fierce
American R&B singer Beyonce Knowles released her third solo studio album in November 2008 entitled I am ... Sasha Fierce. Knowles explained the character Sasha Fierce as being the character that she becomes on stage and in some of her more upbeat, sexy songs. Beyonce describes herself as being a very shy, personal woman, but her alter ego, Sasha Fierce allows her to let loose and be a totally different person. In fact, Sasha Fierce is the more outspoken, agressive, and fun. There is a distinct difference between the two and the difference is evident in the way they she sings and dances in her concerts.
Settings: The I Am...Sasha Fierce album, music videos, concerts
Character: Beyonce, Sasha Fierce
Action Theme: dancing, agressiveness
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Truman Show/ Film Fest Assignment
The film that I chose to see during the was The Truman Show (1998) starring Jim Carrey. The movie was shown at the Mills Godwin Building on Friday, March 26. The movie is about a man with a perfectly normal lifestyle who finds out that his entire life is being televised across the world. Every single moment since the day he was born has been filmed and watched by millions. It takes years for him to even realize that he is being filmed. His while life is filmed through thousands of hidden cameras around his home, job, etc, 24 hours a day and broadcast live to viewers. In the 30th year of the show, Truman finds things to be very odd. A large object falls from the sky landing near his home. Also, he sees a man who appears to be his desceased father. Truman later discovers that he is starring in a television show.
The method of criticism that we discussed in class that imediately comes to mind after watching this movie is Metaphor. My first thought is, "My life is a television show", and that is exactly what Truman's life was. According to the text, metaphors are nonliteral comparisons in which a word or phrase from one domain of experience is applies to another domain. A metaphor joins two terms mornally regarded as belonging to different classes of experience, i.e.: life and a television show. The director of the show made a metaphor out of Truman's life. He made his life a form of entertainment for the entire world. Every aspect of Truman's life, even his most private and intimate moments were made as entertainment for the rest of the world.
During the film, we see different shots of people all over the world who tune into the show every single day. By the viewers reaction to the events in every aspect of Truman's life, you can tell that they were very much into the show. When the show took an ugly turn, viewers were very upset. They spent hours upon hours viewing the show. The main character, Truman, acted as the star of The Truman Show, much like a star of a sitcom or a reality-tv show character would. The entire set up of the movie was just like a television show; the thousands of cameras everywhere, the actors who played different roles in Truman's life, etc were all like a televison show.
The method of criticism that we discussed in class that imediately comes to mind after watching this movie is Metaphor. My first thought is, "My life is a television show", and that is exactly what Truman's life was. According to the text, metaphors are nonliteral comparisons in which a word or phrase from one domain of experience is applies to another domain. A metaphor joins two terms mornally regarded as belonging to different classes of experience, i.e.: life and a television show. The director of the show made a metaphor out of Truman's life. He made his life a form of entertainment for the entire world. Every aspect of Truman's life, even his most private and intimate moments were made as entertainment for the rest of the world.
During the film, we see different shots of people all over the world who tune into the show every single day. By the viewers reaction to the events in every aspect of Truman's life, you can tell that they were very much into the show. When the show took an ugly turn, viewers were very upset. They spent hours upon hours viewing the show. The main character, Truman, acted as the star of The Truman Show, much like a star of a sitcom or a reality-tv show character would. The entire set up of the movie was just like a television show; the thousands of cameras everywhere, the actors who played different roles in Truman's life, etc were all like a televison show.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Pentadic Criticism
Ni Hao, Kai-LanAgent-Kai-Lan
Act-She teaches toddlers and pre-schoolers the Mandarin Chinese language, culture, and values
Purpose-To create a fun and easy way for children to learn
Scene-The Nick-Jr. channel
Agency-Playfully
Ratios
The ratios that I discovered from this artifact is Purpose-Act. I chose this because the show creates a fun and easy way for children to learn the Mandarin Chinese langauage, culture, and values.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Lion King
From my three artifacts, I chose to analyze the Disney film, The Lion King. The Lion King is a anaimated film released in 1994 about a young lion prince, Simba, who becomes next in line to be the king after his father. His uncle, Scar, becomes jealous that he will not be king, so he kills his brother and tries to kill Simba. Simba is left thinking that it is his own fault that his father died, so he flees the Pride Lands. After years and years of exile, Simba's friends encourage him to return and overthrow his uncle and claim his title as the king. This film has been criticized for subtlety referring to racial, gender,homosexuality and class issues.
Although the characters in this film are protrayed by animals, it is evident that their voices show raicial stereotypes. For example, the hyenas who are protrayed by African American and Hispanic voices, live in the ghetto part of the Pride Lands. Some have argued that these characters are racists because they are colored darker, the accents that they have represent negative aspects of minorities, while the brighter colored animals represent the superior race. In addition to the race, the movie also displays the Pride Lands after the king's death. The lionessess are shown as being weak and in desperate need of a male hero to make the living conditions of the pride better. They are unable to protect themselves from Scar and the hyenas until years later when Simba returns. This goes with the notion that women need men to do things and that they cannot do them on their own.
This film suggests many things about our culture. Some people may feel that this these are not true, but I think that these are underlying things that the creators of this film purposely including in order to stir up it's audience. As I mentioned in my previous blog, because we were children when we first watched this film, many of the hidden messages in this film go unnoticed to us. I believe the ideology that is used in this film is that certain people are superior to others; that there is a superior class/race and a superior gender.
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