Use whatever animated movie, tv series, or music
FALL 2021
MIDTERM ESSAY
DUE uploaded to Canvas by Friday, 10/22, 11:59 PM (no exceptions)
Dear Popular Culture Theorists:
Here it is, your midterm essay prompt! Please read everything below! Let
me know if you have any questions. We can ZOOM and/or email.
Very best wishes,
Steve W.
Your midterm essay is an argumentative-style research paper totaling five typed,
double-spaced, numbered pages (fifth page is your Works Cited—not bad for a
midterm essay). You’ll address one of the prompts below with a clear thesis and
convincing references to our main *texts throughout. You may write in the firstperson (e.g., “I believe that”) and share your own experiences and interests to make
your case (i.e., to support your thesis). Just be sure to draw from our readings
throughout the essay, with helpful quoting and paraphrasing, including in-body
citations.
*NOTE: You must point your “universal academic reader” to our main book, Chris
Barker’s Cultural Studies, and Canvas supplemental essays (our PDFs) with
paginated citations for direct quotes and paraphrasing. It is not enough to use only
slideshows and Professor’s Notes. If the complete citation information isn’t available
use whatever information you have—you won’t be penalized!
Since this is a relatively short midterm essay, do not use large block (extended)
quotes. You may rework and incorporate your weekly reflections when these
reflections are relevant. You can also use our slideshows, but don’t reference these
texts in your essay, e.g.,“Wexler Digital Presentation.” Why not? My notes are your
notes. Just be sure to connect to the Barker book and supplemental essays!
Please note our Canvas submission deadline as there are no exceptions. Don’t wait
until 11:58 PM to upload your midterm just in case you experience a technical issue! To
be fair to everyone, you’ll have to acquire proof from CSUN I.T. that this technical issue
was beyond your control. I say this only because I want to treat all of you fairly—on
equal terms. So we follow these requirements.
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Here we go . . .
Choose one prompt from the following three for a well-developed, original essay
on popular culture:
1. RomCom Happiness
In the 2011 film Crazy, Stupid, Love, Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) tells Hannah
Weaver (Emma Stone), “I’m wildly unhappy, and I’m trying to buy it, and it’s not
working.” Write an essay that considers the following: how has the Romantic
Comedy defined “happiness” through its depiction of love, gender, profession (work),
dating, and marriage? How might a good understanding of RomCom’s cultural
politics (via, say, theorists Beauvoir, Bordo, and Foucault) reveal the relation between
love, labor, and the idea of happiness? In other words, how exactly does the RomCom
construct “happiness?” Who or what might be served by RomCom happiness?
Include convincing connections to our theory/theorists. Remember: you’re writing an
essay, not answering individual questions. Be sure to cite our theory and theorists.
—or—
2. Animation Revolution
Here’s your opportunity to convince a “universal academic reader” why your all-time
favorite animated TV series or animated film is important. Think deeply about this
TV cartoon or animated movie. How does your cartoon or animated film engage or
represent the politics of culture? That is, how does your favorite animated text
influence the way its viewers understand family, race, class, gender, work, technology,
friendship, community, nation, nature, war, music, art, religion, history, etc.? Include
convincing connections to our theory/theorists read up to mid-term.
—or—
3. Radical Rap, Maniacal Metal, Cogent Country, and Justin Bieber
Can music change the world? Consider Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan’s useful yet
problematic distinction between culture from above and culture from below as a way
to approach music’s potential to bring positive social change (i.e., as you understand
“positive social change”). Write about your favorite musical artist(s) and their
“spectacle” in light of cultural materialism, semiotics, gender and sexuality
studies, and other theory read and discussed up to mid-term. You might consider the
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limits to radical music in a music-culture industry. For example, does the profit motive
change the impact of the message? Include convincing connections to our theory/
theorists—not only Rivkin and Ryan!
CORE REQUIREMENTS
These core requirements must be met in order to pass the midterm.
• Original Title
• Original Thesis
• Clear and convincing connections to the theories, theorists, and historical
anecdotes read and discussed to the midterm point. Note: this requirement is
most important as it demonstrates your familiarity and understanding of our readings
and discussions. You must refer to our texts with proper page citation.
• Works Cited page that lists all texts referenced
• Typed, numbered, and double-spaced pages (no more, no less)
• 12 point Times-New Roman font
• MLA or APA style accepted; be consistent
• Five pages total, four pages of argument-exposition, and one page Works Cited
Please consider reaching out to CSUN Learning Resource Center (LRC) if you need
help with your writing, including academic conventions. They are good folks and can
really help you!
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(I will be attaching the pdf with these instructions in the attachments)
Also, I could only find the table of contents and chapter 1 of Cultural Studies Third Edition by Chris Baker. If you can’t work with chapter 1 let me know and I will try to get the other chapters.
