Discussion Post with Essay: Stereotypes in TV and Movies
The Discussion Post – Due Feb 5
Discussion Post Length:
at least 250 words.
Discussion Post:
Explain the basic premise of this movie or show.
Do not assume it has been seen before.
Explain the common stereotypes society has about the group you’ll be focusing on.
Are you arguing that the movie/show challenges stereotypes or perpetuates them?
Find a clip from the movie or show that you feel effectively showcases the stereotyped group you’ll be discussing in your essay. Provide a link to the clip or embed it in the document.
Explain whats being seen in this clip that is challenging or perpetuating the stereotypes society has about this group.
Essay Benchmarks Content – Due Feb 7
Go find two sources in a Library Database that you plan to use for the Movie/TV Stereotypes Essay and then submit the following:
A Works Cited entry for each source–you should just copy the citation provided by the source.
Underneath each Works Cited entry, write a 5-7 sentence paragraph that summarizes the source and then discusses how the article will help support your prediction.
Any phrasing taken word for word from the source must be in quotation marks.
All info, whether paraphrased or quoted directly, must be cited in-text using either signal phrases or parenthetical citations.
Essay Benchmarks Content – Due Feb 12
Full Essay draft due.
Must contain an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, as well as in-text citations and works cited page.
The Essay – Due Feb 16
Essay Length:
Essay must be 750-1000 words in length.
Assignment:
Write an essay in which you argue how film or television perpetuates or challenges stereotypes about a specific group of people (age, lifestyle, income level, religion, disability, gender/sexuality, mental illness, race, nation/culture, etc.).
Choose three examples of one stereotype about that group reflected or challenged in one film or TV show to support your argument.
Writing Mode:
This essay should be written in 3rd Person, should avoid generalizations, and should focus only on the stereotype as manifested in the film or TV show.
Personal experiences with the stereotype may not be included in the essay.
Research and Content:
How is the stereotype often applied in our culture?
What are some of the ways that this stereotype causes harm?
Organization:
Your essay should be organized like this:
Introduction:
The introduction is critical to the development of the essay, do not write generalizations (i.e. “Stereotypes often show up in film” or “People should not stereotype each other”).
Instead, use your introduction to provide the specific context:
Provide sourced, cited and substantive information about the stereotype that will be discussed and the film or TV show that you have chosen. What do we need to understand about this stereotype in order to understand your thesis and supporting evidence?
Provide a summary of the basic premise of the TV Show or Movie you’ll be analyzing in the essay–do not assume we have seen it ourselves.
You may also include relevant information about when the show or movie was released, who starred in it/directed it, how it was received by the public, etc. This information must also be cited.
Thesis statement (last sentence of introduction): Your thesis statement should identify the stereotype and preview the three examples of that stereotype you will discuss in the body paragraphs.
Example Thesis: Marvel’s Black Panther challenges the stereotype that Africans are uncivilized savages by showcasing characters who possess impressive, futuristic forms of technology, above-average intelligence, and skillful diplomacy.
Example Thesis: The Joker perpetuates stereotypes about people with mental illness as dangerous, unpredictable, and unproductive outcasts from society.
Example Thesis: The Good Doctor disregards the complex spectrum that is Autism, and instead portrays the main character as stereotypically Autistic: a socially awkward, white male genius with savant superpowers.
Body paragraphs: Each paragraph should focus on one aspect of this particular stereotype and how it is dealt with in the movie or TV show (3 examples=3 body paragraphs).
Describe each aspect in detail, providing examples from the film/show, and explain clearly why each example either challenges or perpetuates the stereotype.
Your examples should be specific and should consider the way that the dialogue, actions, and personality of specific characters contribute to or challenge the stereotype.
Conclusion: Your conclusion should not simply summarize your essay; rather, use the conclusion to explain the significance of your observations. Why does it matter that this particular group of people is stereotyped in this film/show? How do you see that same stereotype reflected in our culture?
Point of View:
You should be writing in third person (nouns, as well as he, she, they).
Do not use first or second person (such as I or we, or you, your, yours).
Outside Sources:
You will use at least two academic sources from the library databases (not Google) –any additional sources must come from the databases as well. You must also cite the film.
All sources must be properly documented using in-text citations and a Works Cited page. Both elements of MLA documentation must be included.
For your works cited page, use the Citation Quick Guide https://docs.google.com/document/d/19lypo9a2Toz3lkeADTg8A24Khy3VbgsYU_2PRkYE-hs/edit?usp=sharing formats provided for database sources and for movies/TV Shows. For database sources, you can copy the citation provided by the source itself (check the very bottom or for a citation button and always choose MLA format). Do not use a citation generator this time–they do not work for database sources.
Format:
Your essay should be formatted according to MLA standards for essays, including using Times New Roman, size 12 font, and giving the essay a specific, original title.
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