The blogging assignment for American Studies -- due by Friday, 3/1 -- is to write an original argument in response to the following AP-style prompt:
For all the progress in regards to racial understanding, awareness and acceptance within American society and politics over the past 200 or so years, American popular culture -- with only a few notable exceptions -- has seriously lagged behind, continuing to appear mired in the era of minstrel shows with their simplistic yet powerful and damaging racial stereotypes.
Henrietta Berdanine, professor of Critical Race Theory at Northern Jackson College (1973-)
In a well-organized essay, defend, challenge or qualify Professor Berdanine's view of race in present-day American popular culture. Whether you agree or disagree with her assessment, show your awareness of historical racial stereotypes and support your conclusions with an analysis of specific evidence from American popular culture, such as films, TV shows, music, fashion, books, commercials, etc.
All the requirements for a strong original argument apply -- in terms of a complex thesis, coherent organization, logical use of evidence, awareness of the opposing side and clear, eloquent and original language and voice. But since you will be writing this on the blog, for an audience larger than just our class, feel free to be looser with paragraph structure and a bit more informal or personal with your language.
Extra credit (due during this or our next blogging cycle): Discuss a work of contemporary American satire -- a film, TV show, song, etc, from the last few years that uses the techniques of satire to make a larger point about society. Even though we are in a unit on constructing race, your example does not need to involve race as its primary subject matter.
Your post should include the following:
1. A summary of the work of culture -- maybe including a link to a video or lyrics.
2. An analysis of how the work uses techniques of satire -- irony, hyperbole, understatement, and/or parody.
3. An analysis of how the work is not simply making fun of certain people or institutions but how the work is trying to criticize and ultimately change society.
Note that we're asking you to do more than just #1 -- giving us an example. You need to analyze that example.
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