This paper is a critical analysis of your topic in popular culture. The goal is to demonstrate what you have learned from studying popular culture by not simply “consuming” it but by interpreting it.
First, define your topic in pop culture clearly for your reader. Your topic might be: a musical genre, such as hip hop, or a specific song; a toy such as Beany Babies; gossip magazines, such as People; presidential blogging; a celebrity past or present; a style of fashion; a particular film; a TV sit-com; reality TV; a video game; home shopping; or some aspect of sports. Your interest may be current or historical – and the choice is yours as long as it is rationalized well. Your opening paragraph or two can be a direct thesis or they can have a creative “hook” to bring in your reader and introduce the subject. But the opening should explain the importance of the topic; and it should conclude with a clear thesis statement that tells the reader what the main point of your analysis will be.
Second, begin your analysis of the topic by doing the following:
Apply a theory or concept from your readings that helps you to interpret your subject. These theories and concepts include: Baudrillard’s theory of hyper-reality, Lasn’s manifesto of culture jamming, Stuart Hall’s theory of encoding/decoding, Marxist theories of false consciousness, commodity fetishism, and alienation, Ritzer’s theory of McDonaldization, etc.
Demonstrate the larger cultural lessons we can learn from your pop cultural artifact or phenomenon by looking at its message, form, and context. In particular, please explain how it promotes, reinforces, or challenges certain dominant values in the United States or how it is a subject of debate in public discourse.
Be sure to use examples. Evidence is everything! Your quizzes and discussion boards should have prepared you well for this type of analytical writing.
Please be sure to check your grammar and organization, to provide a title, author name, date, and class number, and to abide by APA format for citations.
