The Blind Viewer

         We watch an amazing amount of television in this country.  Some of it is good and some of it is not so good. Reality television takes the drama that most people run from in their own lives and broadcasts it for a full audience.  Whatever the television show, there is a meaning to be taken.  The Wizard of Oz was originally commentary on the Industrial Revolution. We have turned it into an iconic film filled with romance of days past and what could have been.  The movies, Red Dawn, Hunt for the Red October, and No Way Out are all movies that came out in the 80"s.  This in turn was to provide commentary on the Cold War.  
         My point is that what we watch each day impacts our ideas and our views.  Look at what you are watching now.    The movie remake, Red Dawn changed its antagonist to North Korean invaders.  What commentary are they making now?  What are you watching and what do the writers, directors, and actors want you to take from it?  

• Your assignment: Look at what you watch this week.  Pull one example.

1. Briefly provide some background information
2. Explain what message is being conveyed to those viewing
3. How is that message being conveyed--characterization, visual imagery, archetypes, etc?

Sarah Kay

The imagery of our lives is what allows our world to go from black and white to a world exploded into a Willy Wonka color phantasm.  The way we paint the world with our language is what allows us to connect--two people drinking from the same straw.  Two people connected by thirst.  Watch Sarah Kay's spoken word poem about Forest Fires. (The title is the link.)  Listen to her story and listen to her imagery. Pay attention to how her descriptions speak volumes.  

The language we use determines the way we feel and understand a piece of writing.  Listen to hers. 1. Once you have listened, pull one of her images and explain why you like it.  What does it do for you as the listener?
2. Go to a text we are reading in class--Hamlet, Crime and Punishment or As I Lay Dying--and pull an image that resonates with you.  Explain why it speaks to you the way that it does. 

Continuum

We live in a world where we are impacted by the history of the town, the city, the state we reside.  The fingerprint left on us is one that is subtle and often not realized until we are older.  As seniors preparing to embark on a journey that may or may not take you far from home, it is vital for you to think about the place you come from.  Watch this video by John Greene entitled Space Time Continuum: Thoughts on Dublin and think about the influences made on you.  How much of the history is part of you?  What have you learned from where you are from? 

I grew up in two places: my first place was a thirty-three acre farm and the second was Akron.  Both of these places have left their fingerprint.  Both have helped to mold me into the cynically lighthearted person that I am.  On the farm, I was exposed to the natural side of the world.  My family grew many vegetables in the garden, shot and ate groundhog, killed snakes, and climbed trees in the apple orchard.  In Akron, I learned about the others in the world, learned what profanity was, learned to be tougher, and that I was the only one who would ever stand up for me, so I better figure out how to do it.  Both of these places nurtured in me the duality that is me.  I am two cymbals held by two different hands and when they are clanged together, they make a pretty cool sound.  (Yes, I just described myself as cool:)) Now, I live in another place, suburbia. It is quiet, quaint, and home.  The perfect bend of my two other worlds--perhaps a watercolor where my colors have blended removing the rough edges, but maintaining the original art. 

Art

Every day we see the world.  We see with our eyes, but what we often miss are the details.  Here are three pieces of art.  Look at what is going on in each piece.  What emotion is brought out through the colors, shapes, designs? 

Choose one of these pieces to connect to either a poem, novel, or essay read this year in class.  Explain how the artwork connects to an idea, a particular scene, or even a character.  Break both down in your explanation. 

Your explanation should breakdown what you see in the artwork and then connect the art to your poem, novel, or essay.  Remember to focus in on a specific character, scene or idea.  All ideas should be original. 

Gender Roles:

Throughout history, the role of gender has been debated. What can or can’t a woman do? What constitutes a man? These are just some of the questions posed. These same questions are evident in the literature we read. In the Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath presents her thoughts on what women want and how women are seen during the time. Chaucer uses this to provide commentary on his world and the role of women. This idea is still present today.

Look this week at the television shows or video games you normally watch or play. What character traits are the women given? What character traits are the men given? What does the assigning of the traits say about our society? Also pay attention to the physical traits of each. Are the females presented as curvaceous and dull witted or slim and intelligent?  Your idea does not have to be about sexism.  I want you to look at how men and women are being portrayed and what message is being conveyed about gender roles in society.   

The show I would address is “Three’s Company.”

This show is about three roommates and the many conflicts that present themselves in their day to day activities. It takes place in 70s and 80s. The roommates consist of two women and a man. One of the females is a blonde and the other is a brunette. The show portrays the two women differently: the blonde is supposed to be very attractive, curvy, and lacking intelligence. The brunette is portrayed as intelligent, a planner, and “cute.” The male roommate is a man who very much likes women, a klutz, and in need of mothering by the female roommates.  

In this show, the women have to battle the way they are portrayed. This shows the shift in the role of women. Women were fighting for more equality and to be seen as more than just homemakers and dependent on males. Both women were single seeking husbands, but also speaking to independence.  The man is a chef. He needs to pretend to be what he is not in order to be permitted to rent the apartment with the girls. He is battling with the preconceived role of the quintessential male. Here we see gender trying to make a shift—move from traditional roles while using humor and the novel idea of roommates.

Be mindful of your language and how you present your case.  Keep it PG!  Do not say anything you think might be offensive! 

Commercials

We are bombarded by visual images each day.  Yesterday, was a celebration of not only football, but the commercial.  What new and innovative techniques were to be used in order to make the commercial worth the money being spent on the advertisement and time slot? 
My favorite commercials are the Pure Michigan commercials. I love the feel of the commercial.  The music, the voice of Tim Allen, the imagery--they all just resonate with me.  They make me nostalgic.  Watch this commercial (the word commercial is the link) and pay attention to what is being done to make Michigan attractive. 
What I want you to do is to watch television this week and look at how advertisers are trying to speak to you.  Answer these questions:

1. What is the advertisement for?
2. How are they trying to persuade you to Buy in to their product--ethos, logos, pathos?
3. What appeals to you when it comes to advertising?

WARNING---Keep your comments clean and PG!!!!! If I have to delete your response, you do not get points.  If I am offended, that is all that matters:)


    

Why we read...

I often hear my students provide the disgruntled groan when asked to read something for class.  It is not out of disrespect or angst directed toward me.  It is, I think, because we have become a society that views reading as a chore.  It asks us to engage with a text--not in a shallow or quick manner--but in a manner that asks us to make a commitment.  We need to pay attention to our words.  Not just the meaning either, but what they say, how they say it, what order they fall in, and to whether or not they are used out of context.  Additionally, we have to look at the figurative language, punctuation and the time period of the text.  All of this attention to detail begs us to engage.  We cannot be passive.  We must pay attention!!!

We are very capable.  We do this during video games, sporting events, musical entertainment.  We can do this for reading.  This video is by John Green (his name is the link) and he is an author of several books.  Pay attention to what he says about reading and how it benefits you to read. 

Your assignment:
1. Point out and explain one of his main points about reading critically.
2. What do you need to do as a reader in order to read more critically?
3.  Why do you love to read, or why do you hate to read?  Explain!


Happy blogging!!!