Suggestions for Writing

1. Read this statement by Daniel Harris from “Celebrity Bodies,” and write an essay in which you support, challenge, or qualify his assertion that we would be better off trying to be like the celebrities we admire.

   Our fantasies engender a paralyzing awe that instills in us despair, a sense of hopelessness about maintaining our bodies, about achieving the buff perfections of stars spoon-fed by studio dieticians who force them to nibble on rice cakes and celery sticks and submit to grueling regimens of Pilates and kickboxing. In fact, we would almost certainly be healthier if we did imitate Hollywood, if we did work out and diet as compulsively as they do, if, like supermodel Dayle Haddon, we performed leg lifts while washing the dishes, side bends while standing in line at Starbucks, and thigh resistance exercises in the elevators of our four-star hotels.

   Question

   uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7

   Chapter 11 - Suggestions for Writing: Read this statement by Daniel Harris from “Celebrity Bodies,” and write an essay in which you support, challenge, or qualify his assertion that we would be better off trying to be like the celebrities we admire. Our fantasies engender a paralyzing awe that instills in us despair, a sense of hopelessness about maintaining our bodies, about achieving the buff perfections of stars spoon-fed by studio dieticians who force them to nibble on rice cakes and celery sticks and submit to grueling regimens of Pilates and kickboxing. In fact, we would almost certainly be healthier if we did imitate Hollywood, if we did work out and diet as compulsively as they do, if, like supermodel Dayle Haddon, we performed leg lifts while washing the dishes, side bends while standing in line at Starbucks, and thigh resistance exercises in the elevators of our four-star hotels.
2. In a paper entitled “Moral Pluck: Ethics in Popular Culture,” Columbia Law School professor William H. Simon writes about the portrayal of lawyers in film and television. He notes:

   While elite moralism is strongly authoritarian and categorical, popular culture exalts a quality that might be called Moral Pluck—a combination of resourcefulness and transgression in the service of basic but informal values.

   Consider the portrayals of professionals—in law, in medicine, in education—in popular culture. Do you agree with Simon that the ethics of popular culture are sometimes in conflict with traditional ethics? Write an essay defending your position on this question.

   Question

   uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7

   Chapter 11 - Suggestions for Writing: In a paper entitled “Moral Pluck: Ethics in Popular Culture,” Columbia Law School professor William H. Simon writes about the portrayal of lawyers in film and television. He notes: While elite moralism is strongly authoritarian and categorical, popular culture exalts a quality that might be called Moral Pluck—a combination of resourcefulness and transgression in the service of basic but informal values. Consider the portrayals of professionals—in law, in medicine, in education—in popular culture. Do you agree with Simon that the ethics of popular culture are sometimes in conflict with traditional ethics? Write an essay defending your position on this question.
3. Each of the following statements addresses the subject of media. Select one that interests you, and write an essay that defends or challenges its assertion. To support your argument, refer to your own experience with media and to the selections in this chapter.

   The one function TV news performs very well is that when there is no news, we give it to you with the same emphasis as if there were.

   —David Brinkley, American TV network news anchor

   Whoever controls the media—the images—controls the culture.

   —Allen Ginsberg, poet

   If you want to use television to teach somebody something, you have first to teach somebody how to use television.

   —Umberto Eco, philosopher

   Visual chaos is not good for anyone. Billboard companies should not be allowed to sell what they don’t own—our field of vision and our civic pride.

   —Meg Maguire, president, Scenic America

   Question

   uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7

   Chapter 11 - Suggestions for Writing: Each of the following statements addresses the subject of media. Select one that interests you, and write an essay that defends or challenges its assertion. To support your argument, refer to your own experience with media and to the selections in this chapter. The one function TV news performs very well is that when there is no news, we give it to you with the same emphasis as if there were. —David Brinkley, American TV network news anchor Whoever controls the media—the images—controls the culture. —Allen Ginsberg, poet If you want to use television to teach somebody something, you have first to teach somebody how to use television. —Umberto Eco, philosopher Visual chaos is not good for anyone. Billboard companies should not be allowed to sell what they don’t own—our field of vision and our civic pride. —Meg Maguire, president, Scenic America
4. In his essay “High-School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies” (p. 819), David Denby suggests that the teen movies from the turn of this century reflect the secret wishes—and geekiness—of their screenwriters and directors. Watch a movie about teens from an earlier time—Rebel without a Cause (1955) or Splendor in the Grass (1961), for example—and discuss what the film said about the filmmakers of the era.

   Question

   uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7

   Chapter 11 - Suggestions for Writing: In his essay “High-School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies” (p. 819), David Denby suggests that the teen movies from the turn of this century reflect the secret wishes—and geekiness—of their screenwriters and directors. Watch a movie about teens from an earlier time—Rebel without a Cause (1955) or Splendor in the Grass (1961), for example—and discuss what the film said about the filmmakers of the era.
5. In “Corn-Pone Opinions,” Mark Twain distinguishes between fashion and standards. Is it the same as the difference, discussed on page 787, between what was once considered popular culture and high culture? Write about what you see as the difference between fashion and standards.

   Question

   uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7

   Chapter 11 - Suggestions for Writing: In “Corn-Pone Opinions,” Mark Twain distinguishes between fashion and standards. Is it the same as the difference, discussed on page 787, between what was once considered popular culture and high culture? Write about what you see as the difference between fashion and standards.
6. Write an essay in which you apply Steven Johnson’s arguments about television (p. 827) to another form of popular culture, such as video games, movies, or music.

   Question

   uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7

   Chapter 11 - Suggestions for Writing: Write an essay in which you apply Steven Johnson’s arguments about television (p. 827) to another form of popular culture, such as video games, movies, or music.
7. “Hip Hop Planet” by James McBride (p. 788) refers to several different genres of popular music. Listen to an assortment of songs by the artists mentioned in his piece. Make a CD of the music, and write some liner notes in which you explain why you chose the songs and how you decided on the order in which they appear.

   Question

   uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7

   Chapter 11 - Suggestions for Writing: “Hip Hop Planet” by James McBride (p. 788) refers to several different genres of popular music. Listen to an assortment of songs by the artists mentioned in his piece. Make a CD of the music, and write some liner notes in which you explain why you chose the songs and how you decided on the order in which they appear.
8. Consider a pairing in which one medium has been adapted into a new one—books and video games made into movies, or movies made into live theater, for example. Write about how the remake was changed to suit the new medium and how the new medium honors the old.

   Question

   uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7

   Chapter 11 - Suggestions for Writing: Consider a pairing in which one medium has been adapted into a new one—books and video games made into movies, or movies made into live theater, for example. Write about how the remake was changed to suit the new medium and how the new medium honors the old.
9. Write a sermon using “Emily Dickinson and Elvis Presley in Heaven” (p. 850) as a starting point.

   Question

   uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7

   Chapter 11 - Suggestions for Writing: Write a sermon using “Emily Dickinson and Elvis Presley in Heaven” (p. 850) as a starting point.
10. Write a review of a concert, album, movie, or graphic novel. Keep in mind that reviews are arguments either applauding artists, criticizing them, or both.

    Question

    uZxg83qH9uNZ3NUqyV8wT7hdxc9/5MQeJeZaOsQNhvI0w6Xk3EOeDQ1B873FE1s7

    Chapter 11 - Suggestions for Writing: Write a review of a concert, album, movie, or graphic novel. Keep in mind that reviews are arguments either applauding artists, criticizing them, or both.