Writing and Submission Requirements
Due: Monday, September 29th @ 9:35am
Length: 1100 word minimum
Length: 1100 word minimum
Format: Academic-specific citation style. 12-pt Times New Roman font, double spaced, 1" margins, name and date, paginated
Submission: Turn in via TurnItIn and turn in as a hard copy at the beginning of class. Include all drafts, brainstorming, and peer reviews in a labeled folder. Working drafts should be in the left pocket with the final draft in the right pocket.
Point Value: 75
Point Value: 75
Assignment Prompt and Context
Similar to the Rhetorical Analysis, the Media Analysis locates one text related to music culture and analyzes the text's appeal to specific rhetorical techniques. For this assignment, you will choose a media other than literacy to analyze. You might opt to analyze a song, music video, film, commercial, advertisement, or website. The beginning of your analysis will determine who the text's primary or targeted audience is. At the end of your analysis, you will analyze the text's use of rhetoric and how that rhetoric engages with or persuades its targeted audience.
Essentially, this assignment asks you do to the following:
1. Locate a visual or auditory artifact (e.g. song, film, print ad, website) that has a rhetorical purpose (i.e. inform, instruct, or persuade)
2. Research the artifact's context (e.g. when, by whom, and why it was produced)
3. Locate THREE rhetorical devices the media text is using
4. Evaluate the aesthetics of the artifact (e.g. color, space, text, lyrics, typography, shapes, tone, pitch, diction)
Essentially, this assignment asks you do to the following:
1. Locate a visual or auditory artifact (e.g. song, film, print ad, website) that has a rhetorical purpose (i.e. inform, instruct, or persuade)
2. Research the artifact's context (e.g. when, by whom, and why it was produced)
3. Locate THREE rhetorical devices the media text is using
4. Evaluate the aesthetics of the artifact (e.g. color, space, text, lyrics, typography, shapes, tone, pitch, diction)
While you are free to locate your own media text, you can opt to analyze one of the following texts. If you choose to analyze a text outside of this list, you must approve the text with the instructor.
- Kendrick Lamar verse on "Control" (starts @ 2:58)
- Miley Cyrus website
- Nicki Minaj fragrance commercial
- Wacka Flocka Flame PETA ad
- Iggy Azalea - Fancy ft. Charli XCX (2014 music video)
Your essay will analyze how your chosen media text uses at least 3 type(s) of rhetorical appeal(s) (e.g. ethos, logos, pathos, kairos) to persuade its audience. It is imperative to critically investigate how and why the text plays to cultural values, emotions, and beliefs. Additionally, your analysis must propose a thesis and provide convincing, relevant evidence in support of every claim being made.
Grading Criteria
Please see the rubric.