Sunday, October 3rd by 11:59PM
Objective
Write a mock interview. Interview one (1) of five (5) characters: 1) Mookie (played by Spike Lee) from Do The Right Thing (1989), 2) Bluto (played by John Belushi) from National Lampoons Animal House (1978), 3) Gilbert (played by Anthony Edwards) from Revenge Of The Nerds (1984), 4) Short Round (played by Ke Huy Quan) from Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984) and 5) Samantha (played by Molly Ringwald) from Sixteen Candles (1984). The topic of discussion is rewatching 80s cinema in an era of #MeToo & Cancel Culture.
Create five (5) or more questions that are specific to the topic and craft answers from the perspective of the character and not the actor. Imagine that you are interviewing these characters who are 35-40 years older than how old they are in the film. How would the character who you are interviewing respond to your questions, especially at their current age and living in their respective contemporary moment?
Imagine how these characters have aged and evolved based on who they were in the moment that you saw them last in the film that they were in. Think of how they have fared over the years based on the socioeconomic and cultural trends in the last thirty years alone.
Identify what is their social status based on the social strata that are established today and the social trends shape our existence, way of life, and thinking? How would they respond to the actions, behaviors and ideological shifts in thinking that were prevalent in their time compared to how it is in 2021?
Come up with questions that would elicit engaging answers based on the subjects personality, points of view, and experiences. But before you do that, you need to know who your characters are in order to elicit the answers that you seek.
Structure the interview with a definitive beginning, middle, and end. Refer to other interviews with actors, politicians, artists, etc. (which can be found in many online sources whether video or written) and see how the conversational flow is established between the interviewer and subject.
How would YOU engage in a conversation with others? How would you go about asking questions to others and allow themselves to open up to you? How would you respond to answers that are provocative? Refrain from being robotic with your writing, playing it safe with creativity, or producing a lackluster response because you failed to commit time to writing or were intimidated by the process and allowed insecurities to prevent you from engaging in a form of writing that asks you to be bold and different.
This is an exercise in thinking differently and writing with a purpose. I dare you to get creative. Think outside of the box. There are no boundaries to your creativity.
Lastly, this post must meet the minimum of 1,500 words. As standard with all blog posts, each must contain relevant imagery, whether in the form of photos, videos, GIFs or both, to serve as references that reinforce your points of view. In addition, a student is expected to follow style and grammar guidelines. Lastly, a student can not produce a video blog (vlog) as a substitute for a written work, so do not request for substitutions or inquire on the possibility of producing a vlog for this assignment.
Media
Lecture #002 – Rewatching 80s Movies In An Era Of Cancel Culture
Objective: A scrutiny over the messaging and content of movies from the 1980s.
Instructional Media:
Sixteen Candles (1984) – Directed by John Hughes
Revenge of the Nerds (1984) – Directed by Jeff Kanew
Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984) – Directed by Steven Spielberg
Animal House (1978) – Directed by John Landis
Do The Right Thing (1989) – Directed by Spike Lee
Requirements
In order to obtain a passing grade for each blog, a student must meet the following requirements:
Using Tumblr or Other Platforms. Creating a blog on Tumblr is straightforward and there are many resources online that can facilitate in starting your own. Wix, or WordPress are viable options but paid ones. Below are links of resources that I recommend:
How to Create a Tumblr Blog – Step-by-Step
Tumblr 101 For Beginners
How to Make a Tumblr Fanfiction Blog (First Video!)
Below is the document where you will populate the blog name and link for the class and Instructor to access throughout the semester:
COM 105 Media & Society [FALL 2021] || Student Blogs
If you have experience in writing and creating blogs, and prefer other platforms for distributing your work asides from Tumblr, please inform me of your preference and I will determine if this option is suitable for the scope of this assignment.
Creativity. For each post, students are encouraged to infuse their respective style, personality and voice into this project. Creative writing will be graded in terms of (a) originality and imagination (unusual, unique, novel ideas), (b) elaboration (ability to present ideas in detail), (c) complexity (detail and implications of ideas; recognition of patterns, similarities and differences), and (d) risk taking (willingness to produce something different). Produce something that is uniquely yours. Take this opportunity to share your vision with other people and show off your writing to your peers. Create something that you will be proud of and can include into your professional portfolio. Dont waste an opportunity to create something great.
Quality Vs. Quantity. The deciding factor in determining if your blog post is good or not is if you are able to display a point of view that is original, unique and relevant to the conversation that we are engaged in. Your voice and perspective matter. That is what I expect to read from your blogs. I prefer if you did not waste your time writing regurgitated points of view that you glanced at on your social media feed, or appropriated ideas from some social influencer who has nothing but a following on social media and is a person who possesses no substance, character or any other redeeming qualities as an individual in society. Its time for YOU to untether your thinking from the herd, develop your own perspectives or reinforce ones that you already have but do so with clarity, articulation and integrity.
References. Five (5) or more references per blog. References can be a mix of written work or photos and videos. A minimum of three (3) written references and a maximum of two (2) photo and video sources per blog post. MLA standards for citation apply.
Plagiarism. One strike and you are out. NO EXCEPTIONS. I adhere to a strict plagiarism policy. Any student who is determined to plagiarize other work will receive a F for the course and will be reported to the Department Chair and College Administrators for disciplinary action and possible expulsion from the College.
Deliverables
Written Copy. A written copy of your blog must be submitted as a Google Doc to provide evidence of original work. PLEASE DO NOT SEND A PDF OR YOUR WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
A written copy must be formatted as single-space, 12-point font size and Arial font. The following information should be placed on the top right corner of your document and formatted in single-space:
Last Name, First Name
COM 105 Media & Society
FALL 2021
MM/DD/YY
Blog Post ### & Title of Blog
References. A bibliography must be included in your written copy and placed on the last page of your document. MLA standards for bibliographies apply. For your convenience, below is a resource for the MLA citation process:
https://www.easybib.com/
Deadlines. All deliverables must be submitted on or before 11:59PM of a blog due date. Deliverables must be placed in a shared folder on Google Drive titled LAST NAME, FIRST NAME – COM 105 FA21 – Course Deliverables -, specifically in a folder inside the root folder titled BLOG POSTS. Within that folder, blogs are organized numerically and deliverables must be placed in its respective folders. Late submissions are not accepted unless permitted by the Instructor.
Grading
These assignments account for 50% of your total semester grade. Ten (10) points per blog post. To receive a passing grade, a student must meet all of the requirements, submit deliverables on-time, and take part in feedback and critiques of other student work. Below is grading breakdown per post:
100% – Presentation
25% – Deliverables & Minimum Word Count
15% – Did the student meet the 1,000 word minimum requirement?
10% – Did the student submit a written copy of the blog post and place the document in the shared folder on Google Drive?
35% – References
Does the student cite a minimum of five (5) references; a combination of three (3) or more written sources and no more than two (2) video sources? (5 Points Each)
Does the student use references in a manner that reinforces their point of view and overall quality of writing in their post? (10 Points)
40% – Insight & Creativity (10 Points Each)
Does the student exhibit originality and imagination in their writing that compliments the theme, motif or focal chosen for the post?
Does the student exhibit elaboration for their post and displays an ability to present ideas in detail using a combination of creative writing, poignant insight and mixed media?
Does the students work exhibit clarity, articulation and integrity which adds depth and complexity to their writing?
Does the student exhibit a level of risk taking and a willingness to produce and say something different that deviates from a literal interpretation of the focal point chosen for a blog?
Point Deductions After Grading
Grammar: two (2) points deduction per error
Late post and submission of deliverables: five (5) point penalty per day after the deadline
Grading Rubric Per Assignment (Post)
Criteria
0-2 Points
Unsatisfactory
3-6 Points
Limited
7-8 Points
Proficient
9-10 Points
Exemplary
Content
Posting shows no evidence of
insight, understanding, or
reflective thought about the topic.
Posting provides minimal
insight, understanding, and
reflective thought about the
topic.
Posting provides moderate
insight, understanding and
reflective thought about the
topic.
Posting provides
comprehensive insight,
understanding, and reflective
thought about the topic.
Support
Posting presents no specific
viewpoint and no supporting
examples.
Posting presents a specific
viewpoint lacks supporting
examples.
Posting presents a specific
viewpoint that is
substantiated by supporting
examples.
Posting presents a focused and
cohesive viewpoint that is
substantiated by effective
supporting examples.
Voice
Posting does not reflect an
awareness of the audience and it
is difficult to identify the authors
voice.
Posting is written in a style
that does not fully consider
the audience, and the
authors voice is difficulty to
identify.
Posting is written in a style
that is generally appropriate
for the intended audience
and an attempt is made to
use a consistent voice.
Posting is written in a style that
is appealing and appropriate
for the intended audience and a
consistent voice is evident
throughout.
Word Choice
(diction)
Posting does not reflect the
authors personality and word
choice does not bring the topic to
life.
Posting reflects almost no
personality and little attempt
is made to use effective word
choice to bring the topic to
life.
Posting reflects a big of the
authors personality through
word choices that attempt to
bring the topic to life.
Posting reflects the authors
unique personality through
expressive and carefully
selected word choices that
bring the topic to life.
Quality of
Writing and
Proofreading
Written response contains
numerous grammatical, spelling
or punctuation errors. The style
of writing does not facilitate
effective communication.
Written responses include
some grammatical, spelling
or punctuation errors that
distract the reader.
Written responses are
largely free of grammatical,
spelling or punctuation
errors. The style of writing
generally facilitates
communication.
Written responses are free of
grammatical, spelling or
punctuation errors. The style of
writing facilitates
communication.
