On the one hand, this is awesome! I can pick whatever I want, anything that excites me or that I feel strongly about. On the other hand, I feel strongly about a lot of things, how will I ever decide?
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| "Possibilities". 7/19/14 via pixabay. CC0 Public Domain. |
In order to decide what topic works best for me, I have to rhetorically analyze my current situation and figure out what unique perspectives I can bring to an argument.
Author
What will you draw on? Be specific about how your plans for project 3 connect to some previous, current, or burgeoning interest of yours.
- I watch a lot of TV.
- I know a lot about Grey's Anatomy, Criminal Minds, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, and countless other shows I can watch on Netflix (and I remember a lot of details)
- I have recently become more interested in film, so maybe media portrayal is something I could argue for under the right circumstances
- I've always been interested in animal rights, I used to have a blog on a website for it (I think it was dodo). It never became popular and I didn't write much, but its an issue I've always been passionate about
- I used to photograph a lot, but I stopped after freshman year of high school. It would be cool if I could find something related to that.
- I know a lot about psychology, so I could definitely focus on something revolving it.
- Social justice is a big topic, and I try to stay on top of current events concerning it.
What are some preconceptions, previously held opinions, or potential areas for bias that you should be aware of?
- I tend to be very opinionated on the TV shows that I watch, so I am kind of scared I will end up arguing for something and then realize my bias is getting in the way
- I already think the media does not entirely portray mental illness in the best way, so that is one thing I should keep in mind.
Audience
How are you thinking about your audience? Who are they?
- I am thinking of my audience as the general public, to be honest. I don't think a particular group will be more interested than others.
- I want to pick a topic that most people will care about because it is present in their lives. I do not want it to be too specific to one group, I feel like this will reduce the effect.
- I am generally thinking of my audience as being my age, or somewhere between 16-26.
What beliefs and assumptions might this audience already hold? What positions do they hold on this issue? How will you respond to that position?
- I think a lot of people have already heard of social justice movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, and have already formed their own opinions on it, which can be either good or bad. I will have to respond to this by explaining the movement first and then going on to make my argument.
- If I focus on media/TV, I have to think about the fact that some people will have seen some shows and some won't. I have to be able to explain it and then move onto my argument. Also, like myself, other people may be firm in their chance, so I cannot focus on changing minds. Rather, opening room for thought should be the goal.
- If I focus on animal rights, some people may not know about all the laws and regulations that impact animal rights issues. Sometimes they won't even hold a position. I need to address this by explaining the background as thoroughly as possible.
- Overall, I need to focus on the fact that regardless of how much the audience knows about a topic, it is very probable that they already have a stance on it. So I have to give background information, allow them to take a stance there, and then make my argument and focus on explaining it. I cannot openly try to change minds, that will backfire.
How might they react to your argument?
- My main arguments for the possible topics I might cover are as follows (put as simply as possible)
- TV in the media
- Criminal Minds - responsibility of both audience and producers to prevent desensitization
- How I Met Your Mother - the finale was terrible, the writing shows poor flexibility
- Grey's Anatomy - it should probably end soon, I love the show, but there are not a lot of places to go
- Reaction to these- half and half, people will either agree or disagree, there is not middle ground unless you have not seen the shows
- Animal rights
- Ringling Bros - needs to shut down elephant shows ASAP
- Reaction - I think most people will agree, especially since there is a lot of footage of the animal abuse
- Mental illness in media
- Criminal Minds - ehh, could do better, but at the same time, the audience is also responsible
- Grey's - kind of dismisses these things (Arizona's PTSD, Dr. Dixon disappeared)
- Reaction - also half and half, people will probably believe one side has a bigger role than the other though
How are you going to relate or connect with your audience? Specific words, ideas or ways of arguing?
- I think establishing credibility through personal stories/involvement is the way to go
- I should mention my interest in the topic and show I know a lot about it within the first few minutes and last few minutes of the video essay especially
Think of one specific person or set of people you know personally or professionally who fall within the definition of 'target audience'. What can you tell them in order to convince them of your perspective? What would need to happen for them to agree with you?
- One of my best friends, Keisha, is studying Psychology and Family Studies at CMU; she knows A LOT about social justice and mental illnesses
- She is the same age as me and watched a lot of the same shows and follows the same social justice movements as I do
- To convince her of my point, I would set up the background and then move onto the first claim
- Then, I would move onto proposed solutions, because I think this is what will really resonate with her the most because it offers a solution (as opposed to me just writing about why an issue is an issue)
- In order for her to agree with me, I will have to demonstrate I know a lot about the topic, aka I need a lot of resources that will help me address the issue from all sides and viewpoints
Purpose/Message
What do you want to accomplish with project 3? What affect do you want it to have on your intended audience?
- I do not think it is realistic to expect my project to change most of the audience's minds. I want to provide the audience with accurate, interesting information that will allow them to think of an issue from a different perspective and come up more additions to my proposals or something along those lines.
- I want the audience to also consider the cause of the issue and how to "nip it in the bud"
- In addition, I want to convince the audience of the importance of an issue, and to convince them that some sort of change (possibly the solution I have to offer) is necessary
- Other research
- I need to find videos and still images! I looked through a lot of print media sources just to gather possible sources, but now that I have narrowed down the topics that interest me the most, I need to make sure I will have enough to work with once I commit to a topic.
- I should find more primary sources, to make my arguments stronger and more credible.
- People will need to be reminded of
- The fundamental truths of the topic as well as definitions
- For example, if I decide to focus on animals rights, I will have to define animal abuse and remind the audience of what laws have been passed as well as which ones are in process
- Perspectives that need to be addressed
- Definitely first hand/primary accounts
- For example, if I focus on the portrayal of autism in the media, I should incorporate the opinions of film critics who are autistic because they provide a unique perspective.
- Info left to gather
- Background info! You can never really have enough of it. The background info is what usually leads to the underlying cause. And from there, possible solutions can arise.
Genre
- For this project, I am making a Video Essay!
- I expect the audience to be around my age, so I feel like they will have rather high expectations. I should add all video essay conventions in a sophisticated, clean manner, because people my age can really pick up on those details. And also, the more aesthetically pleasing a video is, the easier it is to become engaged in it.
- My history with this genre is...limited. When I was younger, I made a of of those Windows Movie Maker videos. I made the digital version of scrapbooks. I would play photos with background music and a few videos I think. So, I am familiar with the program, but I still need to learn a lot more to succeed on this project.
- Comfort level? Feeling like Piglet from Winnie the Pooh right now. Extremely nervous. I am not tech savvy at all. But at the same time, I am excited! I think I will learn a lot about whatever topic I choose and I will also figure out a new way to portray information in a new way. I am actually kind of glad we haven't only been writing essays in this class. Sure, that would have been a lot easier, but also a lot less fun.
- Top two most effective conventions of the genre
- Visual stimulation
- If done properly, this will make it 10x easier for the audience to become engaged and pay attention. I love documentaries because of this. I feel like I learn more by seeing things.
- Transitions
- I can transitions to break the project into segments. This will make my argument easier to follow and will give the audience small breaks in between to process all the info and form their opinions.
When
Are there any historical events that might impact how your audience perceives your argument? Or necessary background information?
- The background varies depending on the topic, which I have not yet chosen. But I have narrowed it down to media.
- Information that is necessary for audiences to know include:
- Background of shows, laws, bills, etc.
- Definitions of keywords such as "mental illness", "voluntarism", etc.
- What groups are involved in the issue and what they think
- CNN
- Social justice
- The Artifice
- So much info on TV shows
- Psychology Today
- Anything on mental illness can be found here
- New York Post
- Endless Reviews
What are 3-4 major counter arguments you'll have to respond to?
- Watching violent TV leads to desensitization.
- Response: People can choose what to watch. If something is too violent, can always watch something else.
- Found here
- Why is there such an emphasis on this #BlackLivesMatter movement? Why isn't is #AllLivesMatter?
- Response: Yes, all lives do matter. But statistically, more people of color are arrested and subjected to more police brutality. The "Black Lives Matter" movement does not disregard non-black lives at all.
- Found here
- Volunteers only travel internationally to get good Instagram pictures.
- Response: Is it really all that bad to share one's experience? The pictures being shared are raising awareness. Not every person posts pictures to raise awareness, but a lot of people do. We cannot label an entire group of people this way.
- Found here
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