Friday, September 18, 2009

Booth Ch. 7-9

These chapters from Booth are an overview of how to make a good argument. Return to one of the early essays we've read in class: South Park, Superhero Worship, So You Wanna Be a Gangsta?, and in about 200 words, break down the essay's argument using these chapters from Booth.

19 comments:

  1. I decided to talk about the essay "Super Hero Worship" because I thought it was the easiest to identify with and understand.
    The author introduces the word "glamour", but not in the way we usually think of it. She relates it to comic book heroes and things of that sort. The author then backed up this statement by giving plenty of examples throughout the essay. For instance, she uses people that want to "escape" from their usual lives and wish to be like these heroes. I didn't find any part of the essay where the author addresses and responds to other views of the topic, but she does back up her own views with facts about Hollywood, for instance. The claims made throughout the essay are feasible and not hard to understand or identify with because the author relates them to every day life. I think that makes it easier for the reader to accept the claims. Reasons for why the claims are made are found in the essay with supporting evidence that the reader can plainly see in there lives. The actors/actresses in Hollywood are good examples to use for evidence, along with the acknowledgment that other people think the same way. Although I couldn't find a place where the author acknowledges opposite views and addresses them, the points/claims in the essay are well backed-up.

    -Andrew "A.J" Hubert

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am going to be talking about "Superhero Worship" like A.J. did.
    The author, Virginia Postrel, makes her claim very clear. Her claim is that superheros have glamour. However, she is not talking about the glamour that reflects beauty and luxury, but the glamour that signifies our admirmation of these superheros. It defines it as us wanting to be that superhero and escape everyday life. This seems attainable because most superheros have the same problems as us, but they have these awesome powers we wish we could have. She proves this point by telling us that the two Spider-Man movies, Superman Returns, and X-Men were some of the biggest hits in the movie industry. Also, the author lets us know that hundreds of millions of dollars go into making these movies. Another thing she says to support her claim is that you always see kids in superhero costumes for Halloween or people standing in line to get autographs. These movies give us a way to escape the realities of life. Postrel gives much supporting evidence and gives herself a strong ethos because she has interviewed many people on the matter, and addressed all questions that could be asked. This makes me trust her. The one thing I have to disagree with A.J. about is the opposing view. At the end of the essay Postrel goes on to say how glamour is always vulnerable to those who love it. These people admire the actors/actresses so much they look for more details, and sometimes find hidden flaws. This then creates gossip and makes that actor/actress look bad.

    -Nicholas Roger

    ReplyDelete
  3. The argument in “Superhero Worship” is very clear, the writer wants to show the reader how super heroes have glamour. She uses this word with a different definition than most people are use to. She states her claim in the beginning of the essay and provides evidence and support through out the body paragraphs. She provides good reasons to validate her argument by relating her topic to the reader. She talks about how people look up to super heroes not only because of their power, but also because they still seem human. She offers good evidence by showing what great hits super hero movies have been over the years and how people start to look up to the actors who play them. She also makes her argument significant to her readers because she shows how people can actually relate to super heroes with the whole super heroes are still real people theme. This helps prevent the “who cares” questions because she explains how they are still human, except with their “glamorous” powers making it is easy for real people like us to not only relate to them, but also look up and aspire to be like or even be them. This makes it easy for the reader to accept and acknowledge her claims because she has clearly supplied reasons and evidence to back up and validate her argument.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I also chose “Superhero Worship” as I am more familiar with this essay. The author, Virginia Postrel, does an excelent job at presenting her argument that she discusses in her essay. She first defines what glamour truly is. In her argument, glamour doesn’t have the typical meaning, but means something that glorifies our image of reality. This gives us the feeling of wanting to accomplish something beyond the everyday. She then ties glamour into the superhero culture and genre of movies and media. She makes several valid claims to support this correlation. She points out a major idea as to why these movies have become so popular. They provide us, the viewers, with an escape from reality. She ties this into how glamour was used to describe Hollywood and movie stars in the 1920s. Her argument is well received by the readers, as it is easy to comprehend and relate to. She also does a great job at providing the readers with evidence of an opposite view, like Nick mentions. She shows us how each superhero, has a “human” side; this which tarnishes the glamour, if only temporarily, in order to make the superhero more relateable to the viewers. She provides valid claims to support this in a clear way for the readers to understand. She then, however, points out, that the glamour seems to overpower this flaw, thus maintaining the way we look up to our beloved superheros.

    -Shawn Mitchel

    ReplyDelete
  5. In “South Park and the Open Society”, David Curtis and Gerald Erion argue that the writers of South Park aim to express social criticism and support for Karl Popper's open society through the unorthodox approach of potty humor. Their reasoning is that the characters portrayed on South Park are caricatures of extremist viewpoints, and provide evidence in support of their reasoning by bringing up Eric Cartman's egocentric personality and penchant for extremist nationalistic ideals akin to those of the German Nazis and the oft buffoonish caricatures of Hollywood celebrities and interest groups whose ideals, the show's creators believe, are antithetic to those of an open society as Popper defines it. They argue also that the show, like Popper's ideal open society, exhibits “an intolerance for intolerance”, and support their argument by pointing out that the show targets what its creators believe to be “enemies” of the open society, often in a manner harsh enough to be considered a display of intolerance for the intolerant. The authors also argue that the show exhibits a politically centrist point of view, citing quotes from Matt Stone and Trey Parker during an interview with Charlie Rose as well as the duo's tendency to take shots at both extremist right-wingers and left-wingers in their show.

    -- Brandon Ross

    ReplyDelete
  6. In the essay "So You Wanna Be a Gangsta" the main argument, although a little hard to discover, is clearly about how gangster films have affected the ways in which people view our country's minorities and how being a gangster used to be extremely looked down upon until recent years. Boyd does a very good job at giving examples in which hollywood plays a huge role on our country as a whole. He makes us realize how gangster movies are adapted for the time period, placing a minority which is causing problems in our country as the villains. These claims are excellent because people love to watch movies, and in that time whoever would see a gangster film would almost automatically see that particular race or culture as they were in the film. He does a good job at providing examples that people can relate to because everyone sees movies . Also he makes a clear point to show the transition from being a gangster to a gangsta and how something that was once looked down upon is now something that can almost be seen as cool. He does this by not only talking about the movies, but how it has sort of become an image for specific genres of music which has a great influence on people (just like the movies did). I think that basically is general argument would be to show how much the media affects people in our country today.
    -Kevin Plath

    ReplyDelete
  7. I’d like to say that I can be original, but “Superhero Worship” was really my favorite essay that we have read. Virginia Postrel states that her claim is that superheros are the glamorous figures of the last decade. She first defines glamour and how it relates to superheros. Glamour is a longing or admiration for something that we don’t have. Superheros are attainable because they have actual lives and problems. Another reason to support her claim is relating superheros to the Golden Age actors of the 20’s. Marilyn Monroe was very glamorous, but she had drug problems that made her seem like an ordinary person. Postrel uses evidence to support claim and reasons. I don’t think she really acknowledges alternatives and objections to her claim. She just states her thoughts and why, and though she does this very well, she doesn’t cite any other opinions on the subject. Other than that I think she states her argument very well in terms of how Booth says it should be done.

    -Nicole Bekemeier

    ReplyDelete
  8. Superhero Worship was my favorite essay so far, so I will jump on the wagon and join everyone else. The author of Superhero Worship clearly stated that her argument was that people love superheroes because of their glamour, because they do the things that normal people want to do with their everyday lives. Also, it shows the normal side of superheroes which allows the audience to connect even more. The author does a very good job of showing examples about the superheroes and how they become a lot more frequent and prevalent in harder times in this country due to economic downfall or times of war. This makes it easier for people to connect with them because they are going through the same problems as the audience is and she gives great examples towards that and how the glamour of the superheroes makes people excited about them and continue to go so movies with them in it
    -Erik Ross

    ReplyDelete
  9. Since I helped present on "So You Wanna Be a Gangsta," I am going to examine this essay for its argument.

    "So You Wanna Be a Gangsta" definitely starts with making a claim. And although the claim is hard to see at a glance, it's evident after studying the material that the author makes the claim that the gangster/gangsta films over the years have had an effect on our country's minorities. There are many reasons and much evidence to support this claim. The author uses numerous sources of gangster films to support his argument. And because these films are so popular in our society, many people can relate to this argument. Therefore, I think Boyd creates a ethos among his readers.

    Like Kevin said, this film is, in a broad way, arguing how the media detrimentally affects our society. With Boyd's critical analysis of these films and the role they have on our society, readers can truly see that, subconsciously, they are affected by the media. In a "gangsta" sense, we are affected because we view minorities in a different way based on what we see in the films. From a minority's perspective, Boyd argues that this media can even put their culture and race at a disadvantage, because they may feel "stuck" in ways the media is portraying them.

    I think "So You Wanna Be a Gangsta" makes a great argument, even using the guidelines Booth describes. It just takes some thought to see his point of view.

    -Rebecca Griggs

    ReplyDelete
  10. The essay on South Park was one that I thought met all of Booth’s expectations for a good argument. The authors made a claim about how the show makes political statements about many different issues, but just does it in an unorthodox way. They made reasons for this claim and supported it with tons of evidence, which is easy to see in many of the episodes. As Booth says is necessary, they do explain other opinions on the subject, but also show us why they believe their reasoning is correct. In my opinion, all of their reasons were logical and relevant to the main claim. All of their evidence and arguments are in clear, logical order and really do express to the reader the basis behind the main claim. Their argument was followed by tons of examples and allowed the reader, even when it’s someone like me who knows very little about South Park, to see how the show makes such political statements. Their argument meets all of Booth’s expectations and comes from reliable sources, which makes their argument a good one.

    ReplyDelete
  11. In Superhero Worship, Postrel talks about how movies and comics create glamor for their audiences. To make certain that her point is clear, the first thing she does is define the word glamor and ensure that we see it not just as beauty or luxury but that it is about creating an emotional response. With a new definition in mind, Postrel goes on to give an account of a person who was convinced people could fly after seeing Superman. The reasoning behind the claim continues with dissecting what makes superheros so super and what makes movie stars to startling. She ends the essay with the observation that glamor is both desirable and disliked noting that often we seek to model ourselves after those we find glamorous while simultaneously seeking to fill in the mysteries and details that when unknown create their sense of grace and glamor.
    The argument is clearly laid out in the beginning and well supported throughout the essay. The reasons are quickly backed by examples and the examples are easy to understand, recognize or source.

    -Evan Ledet

    ReplyDelete
  12. Im going with "South Park and the open society". I found this essay was the best one to describe their argument.Curtis and Erion made the argument that the creators of South Park used potty humor to make political statements in their episodes. This essay met Both's expectations by backing up their opinion with example and reliable sources.

    Joey Busbice

    ReplyDelete
  13. Like almost everyone else my favorite essay of the semester has been “Superhero Worship” so I am going to discuss that essay.

    Virginia Postrel, the author, of “Superhero Worship” focuses her argument around one word, “glamour”. However, she does not define “glamour” like the magazine Glamour, but as the desire everyday people have for superheroes’ unrealistic abilities. The author provides the reader with the idea that average, everyday people relate to superheroes because they seem to both experience the same daily problems. However, the difference is that superheroes have these unattainable super powers that ordinary people have a longing desire for. To support her claim she uses facts and relationships that the reader can connect to. One example being that two of the largest superhero movies, Superman Returns, and X-Men, produced a lot of money; however, these movies cost a lot to make. She defines her argument from the beginning of the essay and continues to enlighten her reader throughout the essay using several examples to support her claim. All of her examples help the reader connect to her argument because they all relate to everyday superheroes and daily conditions. Therefore, this author does a great job forming a good argument.

    -Blanche Lambert

    ReplyDelete
  14. I chose to do " So You Wanna Be A Gangsta" because it provided an awesome conversation for our class Boyd's essay discusses specific ways in which the media has influenced the gang world. He gives great examples, he takes the Irish-Italian gangster and shows how they have evolved into the Black-Latino gangsta we now know today. He provides plenty of examples and evidence explaining to his readers how the media has portrayed the gangsta in films and television to the the minorities of American Society. This helps connect the reader with something popular that they can analyze and see first hand what Boyd is trying to say. He shows how, although gangsta and gangster have changed spelling, the meaning remains unchaged.

    ReplyDelete
  15. In Superhero Worship Postrel's main claim is that the reason our society is so obsessed with the idea of superheroes is because of their "glamour." She supports this first by giving the definition of glamour which is an imaginative process that creates a specific, emotional response: a mixture of longing, projection, admiration, and aspiration. She also gives the qualities of glamour grace, mystery, and transcendence. She gives evidence of all of these examples throughout her essay from personal examples of people wanting to fly after they see Superman, how people idolize the idea of being able to save the planet, how these movies or comics are an escape from reality for some, and showing the insider view on a superheroes real life. I think she acknowledges complications that the reader might have with her claim by addressing the true definition of glamour; it's not the red-carpet or what one might see in a magazine like most would link initially. Through the examples and evidence Postrel uses, it helps the reader truly understand the definition of glamour, and that is why our society as a whole is attracted to the notion of "superheroes."
    -Katie Clark

    ReplyDelete
  16. I chose the article “South Park and the Open Society.” The writers Curtis and Erion argue that the creators of the show South Park aim to illustrate views of the likes of Thomas Jefferson and Karl Popper. Curtis and Erion use the ideas of open societies and “not tolerating a tolerance for intolerance,” as the reasons why South Park is such an advocate to the ideas of Popper and Jefferson. They argue that South Park uses potty humor and extreme caricatures of real life people and situations to exhibit what Popper would call an open society. Also, like Brandon said, they argue that the show has political undertone to it, explained through the use of both extreme right and left wing characters. The writers also back up their claim that South Park represents Popper’s idea of an open society through what I mentioned before, an “intolerance for intolerance,” by making fun of people that may have spoken out against their open society through the creation of caricatures of those individuals. The writers made a good point to support all of their claims with good examples from the show for support.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Like most of the class, I decided to talk about Superhero Wroship by Postrel. Her main focus of her argument is one word: "glamour". She does not define the word as today's society would, but the sense that all people want the glorified life of a superhero and not that of our everyday lives. Something more exiting. She also compares the superheros' lives to our everyday life in order to our society to relate even more to her argument. Postrel also shares that as war progressed, so did the superheros, because society could relate to them during times of turmoil. Her claims are not hard to understand and she relates many to hollywood, movies, and kids in costumes for halloween. Our society's longing for an escape from our everyday lives is the main focus of her arguments and claims. She clearly backs up her arguments and claims using language and examples that are easy for the "everyday" individual to relate to.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I chose "Superhero Worship" simply because I found it the most enjoyable and most insightful of all the articles I have read in this class. The author, Postrel, bases her argument on the idea of 'glamour' in the portrayal of our 'Superheroes'. Glamour, by her definition, is the idea of the illustrious, eventful, rewarding lies of fictional superheroes, an idea for which we all have a secret desire. She talks about the secret desire to escape our lives and live lives of importance and excitement. Her argument compares thier lives to our own and cites reasons why we might want lives such as these. Postrel doesn't necessarily explain opposite points of view, but I'd chalk that up to mean that there isn't much debate about this fact. The article is very easy for the reader to relate to and understand because she relates it all to our lives (Hollywood) and relative tangents in our society. With the examples and thorough detail given, it is very easy to understand and agree with her argument.

    Christian Ornelas

    p.s. sorry i'm late. I completely forgot about it until just now.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I believe the South Park essay writers made a good argument. Their claim was that South Park was a show that actually had more than potty-mouth humor, but in fact incorporated social and political themes. Reasons for believing in this are shown in the parallels between the show's society, and Karl Popper's idea of an open society. Karl Popper believed that we should live in a society, in which no ideas are left sacred, and are open to critical thought and discussion. The citizens of South Park (each character or group of characters representing political factions), take part in criticizing zealots of all kinds - religious, political, and all opposing sides. The evidence is expressed in terms of the mentioned episodes like Chickenlover. In this episode police brutality (officer Barbrady), secret service heavy-handedness, and conservative and liberal morality were all equal targets of criticism. This attitude correlates with the intolerance paradox that Popper mentions is necessary for the survival of an open society. Ultimately, views that do not tolerate other views must not be tolerated. In addition an interview of the creators of South Park served as further evidence of the authors’ claim. Ultimately the essay had a well-based argument that seemed to have good “bedrock foundation.”

    ReplyDelete