Lady Gaga Post

Read the piece on Lady Gaga on Angel. In addition, look around the Gaga Stigmata blog beginning with the post on her video Born this Way. What sort of arguments do they make about Lady Gaga? What evidence do they use? Note a few rhetorical tactics that are used that are particularly effective in this kind of cultural commentary.

 The piece on Angel by Camille Paglia used many rhetorical tactics. One was establishing ethos by drawing the reader in by listing Gaga's accomplishments at the beginning. She also showed pathos by making examples from lyrics of Lady Gaga's songs in her own opinions. Paglia then proceeded to give her strong negative opinion on Gaga's persona and unoriginality by comparing her to other artists that inspire her. She makes it sound like Lady Gaga is just a figurehead for her music, and that she doesn't have a lot of say in what she actually wears and does. Paglia believes that Lady Gaga's music and style are the end of sex in the music industry because of how she dresses and the content of her music videos.

The "Gaga Stigma" blog piece analyzes Lady Gaga's latest hit music video "Born This Way." The author, Samantha Cohen, referenced other writers like Lewis Hyde who wrote Trickster Makes The World. Cohen also defined the word "trickster"so the readers could follow her interpretation of "Born This Way." She also uses anecdotes like the Chinese symbols of the Monkey and the Lion to describe her opinion. Cohen wasn't trying to defend Lady Gaga's work, but she did by describing what she thought her purpose was in the production of the video.

Cultural Interest Posts

Think of three cultural objects of interest. Freewrite about why you think it is good of bad (or the epitome of mediocrity). What does it mean to you? Why are you interested in it? What are people saying about it. How have people reacted to it. Where has it been taken up and used or repeated? Where has it made the most impact? How and why?

Friday, June 29th

Lady Gaga is a fantastic addition to the music industry. Her repetitive yet sometimes eerie sounding songs can be heard on any top 40 radio station for a reason. Her musicality and controversial dress has also helped to make her one of the most well known mainstream artists of the 21st century. Lady Gaga's rise to fame started in 2008 with the release of her single "Just Dance," from her album The Fame. Gaga's music videos have been wildly popular and changed what we now look for in other music videos. She encourages her fans, fondly referred to as "Little Monsters," to be themselves and celebrate their differences by. I think overall she sends out a positive message through her music and attire. People say all sorts of bad things about her because they don't understand what she is trying to do. I think the best thing about Lady Gaga is the fact that she starts conversations. She is very infused with pop culture, and is talked about by people from all walks of life. Her style and songs have been remade by many others in the entertainment industry.

Saturday, June 30th

Easy A is a funny, truthful movie about rumors and reputations in high school that was released in September of 2010. Emma Stone's stellar performance along with the other lead actors made the message of the movie come across very clearly. The message of the movie is that it is easy to get a bad reputation, and much harder to gain it back. It also shows what really happens when people spread rumors about others. Along with it being an entertaining movie, it brings to light an important issue in our modern culture. Spreading rumors is very real, not just in high school, and movies like Easy A highlight the issue.The movie got pretty good reviews, and everyone that I talked to about it really enjoyed it. I thought it was very smart and witty with a good plot.


Sunday, June 31st

Country music in general is underrated. Mainstream pop culture puts down country because it does not take as many risks as other genres of music. The truth is, country music is just more real than most other genres. Its simplicity makes it more relatable. Country is a good thing because it shows the real and original American way of life. I have nothing against pop and rap music. I like Katy Perry and Wiz Khalifa as much as the next teenager, but there is something to be said about a musician who can perform with just a guitar and a microphone. People get too caught up in the special effects surrounding a performance, and forget about the music sometimes. Country is still very relevant to pop culture, even though it is less respected.

Peer Review for Narrative

This peer review (like all the others) was helpful. Chelsea pointed out the weaker points of my story, and helped me with where I needed to expand. She pointed out the weaker parts of my descriptions, and helped me to find better ways to get my point across. Reading her paper made me realize that I needed to go over my own structure and word choice.

Narrative Response 2

I stood by the microwave in anticipation as I watched the plate spin endlessly. Once the buzzer went off I ran to the microwave and ripped the door open. I wrapped it in a soft potato roll and took a huge bite as I started to make my perogies. The crunch of the breading combined with the softness of the roll made my mouth want to sing. My satisfaction ended curtly when i realized that there was no chicken or pattie left in my hand. Luckily for me, the perogies had just finished boiling, so I quickly drained the water and melted butter over the potatoes folded in pasta shells. I took them back to my room and turned on the TV. I flipped through the channels till I heard the familiar theme song of "That 70s Show". As I waited for my perogies to cool off I sipped my water and listened to my fan combined with the sound of rain outside. As soon as they were cool, the perogies were gone, and I concluded another dinner that made me want to go to the gym.

Narrative Reading Response

1) Write a bit about how these essays differ from the writing you are used to writing/reading. How do they use a different structure, tone, techniques, etc?

2) Take one of the essays and write a few sentences about the purpose and audience for the essay. What are they and how do you know? 

 

In this class so far, we have been mainly writing more formal sounding essays that are obviously meant to persuade the reader.  The narratives were still meant to persuade, but they did so in a less obvious way. Most essays that I have been reading and writing are not written in first person. They have had a more personal and open feeling to them than what is usually written for school. Narratives seem like more of a creative type of writing, because you use your own experiences. 

The purpose of the Kotaku narrative was to convince the readers that gamers are responsible for the amount of time they spend playing video games. The audience is most likely gamers, which is stereotypically males age 16 to mid twenties. They would probably be reading the blog expecting it to be a story about how video games ruined him and he was blaming it on the producers.

Sunday's Pain

Sunday June 24, 2011

      This morning I woke up to the smell of french toast dancing up the stairs from the kitchen. I drifted back to sleep until my mom came and started tapping on the door.

      “Girls, breakfast is almost gone”

      I mumbled, “ten more minutes mom, save me some”

      I slowly opened my eyes as the other girls leaped out of bed and darted out of the room. Some people are blessed with the ability to wake up and completely be ready for action. I am not one of those people. I need a good half an hour before my grumbles turn into decipherable English. My parents learned the hard way to not speak to me until my eyes are all the way open, and I am dressed for the day.

      This morning was just like any other. I decided to wait a few more seconds before I actually began to move. I flexed my toes first, then my feet and legs. I tried to turn over and the second I started to move my arms it started.

      It went all the way from my neck and shoulders down to my tailbone. Anyone who has ever worked out knows this feeling. I have worked out before, but this morning I was so sore that it hurt to breathe once I started moving. I sat up and tried to stretch out my arms, but stopped halfway and cringed in agony. I tried to slowly move my neck around as I listened to the clanks of silverware on plates the floor below me.

      I wouldn't say that I'm out of shape, but I definitely could work out my upper body more. Yesterday was the “Lumberjack Festival” at Black Moshannon State Park about a half hour from campus. Its main events include things like log cross cut, hatchet throw, and log roll. Every year I come I do almost every one of them, and this year was no different. I usually am not that tired after things like this. Maybe it is just a sign from God that I need to get a gym membership.

Saturday's Realization

 Saturday June 23, 2011

      I was walking through the woods this morning with my three neighbors, Shannon, Jamie, and Maura. A cool breeze pushed our hair in our faces as we trudged down the mossy green trail. The only sounds we could hear were our sneakers tromping on the trail. I stared at the back of Shannon's shoes, and concentrated hard on not falling over any limestone that dared to poke itself out of the ground. We started descending the hill towards the lake, and Shannon started talking about her family and how she disliked some of the pressures they unintentionally put on her. Her and Maura started comparing their friends and their families.

      I chimed in and said, “I don't really consider you my friend.”

      “Uhm, what?” Maura replied.

      “I don't think of you as my friend.”

      I really meant what I said, and I explained to them how they are somewhere in between friends and family. I have known my neighbors, Shannon, Jamie, and Maura since I was born. We were there for Shannon when her parents split up. We were there for Jamie when her parents were away or working (which was most of the time for a few years). We were there for Maura when she was getting picked on in elementary school, and they were all there for me when my mom's brain surgery did not go as expected.

      A lot of childhood friends grow apart when their lives begin to take separate paths, but the four of us have been blessed to stay close even though we are all in very different places in our lives. Maura is the youngest, and she will be starting her second year of high school this fall. She has always been the baby, and we all watch out for her like her own personal troop of sisters. Jamie was born twenty days before me and she is starting school pre-med at the University of Pittsburgh in Johnstown. It is definitely going to be an adjustment not being able to see them every day like I am used to. Shannon is a sophomore at Mansfield studying Environmental Science.

      Even though we are all living away from each other, nothing changes when we are together. I spent this weekend with them and although we are much older, we still have just as much fun doing the same things that we did when we were in elementary school. They are the first people I call when I had a bad day or heard some exciting news, and they will call me when they want to have a last- minute sleepover or a run to Dairy Queen.

      I have realized lately how incredibly lucky we all are to have each other. I know it sounds dorky and cliché, but I always wished that I had a sister. Don't get me wrong, I love my big brother, but I always wanted to have a girl to tell everything to who would love me regardless. I do have a sister, and not just one but three.