Developmental Essay
I have two major passions: writing and pop culture. My interest in media goes beyond just having a favorite movie or TV show. While so much of popular culture is labeled as “fluff,” I am fascinated by it and see it as a reflection of our society. I love how the media creates moments that stay in our collective memories, bringing us together and defining our shared experiences. Much more than just entertainment, they hold messages about our world and are worth a closer look.
Similar to how media connects us as a culture, I use my writing to connect with the reader. I’m a soft-spoken person who normally doesn’t voice my opinions out loud. Writing allows me to confidently express my thoughts. Despite this overlap, these two interests never collided until I entered college. As a communication studies major and writing minor, I’ve explored these passions through the written analysis of popular media. Learning to think more critically about media helped me to grow as a writer. I was forced to decide what my opinions were and stick to them in order to convince the reader. Through media analysis, I’ve developed my personal voice as a writer by strengthening my opinions, allowing me to craft a compelling argument.
As a mode of expression, analysis can be dry and impartial compared to a genre like personal narrative. However, as people interpret things differently, analysis can also be individual. This is especially true of media, which can be read in a number of ways. Taking apart a piece of media and exploring its greater meaning or cultural significance is challenging. However, my interest in the topic has driven me towards making a thorough analysis, while also forming my own point of view. Allowing my opinions to show more in my writing has helped me to prove the implications that media can have.
My first attempt at media analysis was an essay for Comm 101 that looked at how editing techniques created a narrative within an episode of a reality show. Although I used a lot of examples from my chosen show, Project Runway, my writing was stiff and flat. While explaining the use of music cues and camera angles, I didn’t reflect the drama of the episode. I somehow made the plot of a reality show, a genre known for being over-the-top, sound boring. How can I show the power of editing to create drama when I can’t even make the episode seem exciting? From this paper, you probably couldn’t tell that Project Runway was my favorite reality show at the time. I was trying too hard to be serious and formal, because that’s what I thought an analysis was supposed to be.
Interestingly, I think my most analytical and maybe even scientific writing of my college career really gave me a push towards injecting my opinions into my writing. For an upper-level writing communications class, I had to create a study that tested the effect of a particular kind of media. I wanted to look at the effect that political satire would have on political knowledge. My hypothesis was that viewing political satire or “fake news” would increase political knowledge more than viewing hard news. What helped this paper was that I really love shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report and truly believe they have a substantial cultural influence. I think I made this clear in the conclusion of my study:
“Political comedy shows have opened up the possibilities for reporting the news. By framing top stories in an entertaining and funny way, they grab the viewer’s attention in an unconventional manner that sets them apart from other news reports. These programs do not use media tricks to fool their viewers, but instead point them out on other shows and hold these shows accountable for using them.”
I think these sentences show that I personally find these programs important, but I also use evidence to back up their significance. Within this paper, my opinions combined with research to make an argument that was sparked by personal interest.
While taking the Minor in Writing gateway course, I had the chance to revisit some of my earlier media analysis. Taking these pieces and changing their format showed me that analysis takes multiple forms and can include my personal voice. I remediated my political satire study by turning it into a video that used clips from the programs I examined to show how they parody the news. Incorporating visual media added another layer to my analysis. Although I included voiceover that stated the main points of my paper, having examples from the shows allowed my audience to actually see what I was discussing and this enhanced my argument.
In the gateway course I also repurposed a communications essay I wrote about feminism and the movie Pretty Woman. I decided to expand this topic to discuss how females are negatively portrayed in movies that are marketed to women, like romantic comedies. I wanted to write it in the style of a magazine column, with a humorous tone. This was the first time I wrote media analysis in the first person. Moving away from an academic tone was strange, but I enjoyed writing the piece because I had more freedom to express how I really felt:
“The chick flick clichés are numerous and easy to spot. No female lead is complete without her quirky best friend, kisses are always better in the rain, and who doesn’t love a makeover montage? But this is exactly why they are fun to watch. There’s no bigger meaning to it. Except for, you know, when there is. Because the worst and most prevalent of chick flick staples is the perpetuation of the belief that every woman is just looking for her happily-ever-after, and that a man is her ultimate happy ending.”
I connected with the reader in a more casual way while still making my point clear. The remediation and repurposing projects opened me up to new ways that media could be looked at and taken apart.
I continued this informal writing as part of my summer internship at an entertainment news site. I wrote a lot of news briefs as an intern for Hollywood.com last summer, and my editors encouraged me to incorporate my own voice into the stories. This would set my articles apart from the hundreds of other sites writing about the same thing. After writing a lot of these short pieces, I was given the chance to write a review of Joss Whedon’s movie adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. Having never written a movie review before, I was both nervous and excited. I wanted to sound professional but still have a point of view, and I think I managed to achieve that:
“Although the dialogue may be a bit hard to follow for those who aren't familiar with the play, the actors deliver their lines in such a way that makes their intent clear. You can understand when they are teasing, when they are fighting, and when they are being sarcastic (and there is a lot of sarcasm). They aren't giving dramatic performances on a stage; they are having normal conversations with each other that just happen to be spoken in flowery language.”
Being able to briefly play the role of a critic made me think about how critics perform a media analysis of their own. They decide whether something is good or bad, and then try to convince others that it is or isn’t worth their time and money. Feeling less restricted than in an academic setting, writing for Hollywood.com helped me establish my voice as a journalist.
My capstone project for the Minor in Writing draws on what I’ve learned throughout my development as both a critical consumer of media and a writer. It’s a paper entitled “Why Television Matters” that examines the importance of television in society and how it can bring people together. Television is the form of media I’m most passionate about, and I wanted to express what it means to me and comment on the significant role it plays in our lives. Because this topic is so important to me, I didn’t want to approach it like I would a traditional research paper. Instead, I chose to include my own personal anecdotes along with research. This way, the reader could understand my connection to the topic, but I would still have facts to support my argument. I analyzed television through both a personal and academic lens, even including the perspectives of others by conducting interviews. I feel that my project is comprehensive and proves the value of television. To complete a big project on a topic that I care so much about is very satisfying to me.
As I’m finishing up my time at the University of Michigan and looking forward towards a career in entertainment journalism, I think I’ve changed significantly as a writer over the past four years. Through the many papers I’ve done taking apart media and stating its significance, I’ve learned to see analysis as an extension of myself and my opinions. Writing about subjects that I really care about has allowed my voice as a writer to shine through, and that has made it easier to support my arguments. In turn, analyzing media through my writing has helped me to think about media more critically. In this way, my two passions have been able to complement each other.
I have two major passions: writing and pop culture. My interest in media goes beyond just having a favorite movie or TV show. While so much of popular culture is labeled as “fluff,” I am fascinated by it and see it as a reflection of our society. I love how the media creates moments that stay in our collective memories, bringing us together and defining our shared experiences. Much more than just entertainment, they hold messages about our world and are worth a closer look.
Similar to how media connects us as a culture, I use my writing to connect with the reader. I’m a soft-spoken person who normally doesn’t voice my opinions out loud. Writing allows me to confidently express my thoughts. Despite this overlap, these two interests never collided until I entered college. As a communication studies major and writing minor, I’ve explored these passions through the written analysis of popular media. Learning to think more critically about media helped me to grow as a writer. I was forced to decide what my opinions were and stick to them in order to convince the reader. Through media analysis, I’ve developed my personal voice as a writer by strengthening my opinions, allowing me to craft a compelling argument.
As a mode of expression, analysis can be dry and impartial compared to a genre like personal narrative. However, as people interpret things differently, analysis can also be individual. This is especially true of media, which can be read in a number of ways. Taking apart a piece of media and exploring its greater meaning or cultural significance is challenging. However, my interest in the topic has driven me towards making a thorough analysis, while also forming my own point of view. Allowing my opinions to show more in my writing has helped me to prove the implications that media can have.
My first attempt at media analysis was an essay for Comm 101 that looked at how editing techniques created a narrative within an episode of a reality show. Although I used a lot of examples from my chosen show, Project Runway, my writing was stiff and flat. While explaining the use of music cues and camera angles, I didn’t reflect the drama of the episode. I somehow made the plot of a reality show, a genre known for being over-the-top, sound boring. How can I show the power of editing to create drama when I can’t even make the episode seem exciting? From this paper, you probably couldn’t tell that Project Runway was my favorite reality show at the time. I was trying too hard to be serious and formal, because that’s what I thought an analysis was supposed to be.
Interestingly, I think my most analytical and maybe even scientific writing of my college career really gave me a push towards injecting my opinions into my writing. For an upper-level writing communications class, I had to create a study that tested the effect of a particular kind of media. I wanted to look at the effect that political satire would have on political knowledge. My hypothesis was that viewing political satire or “fake news” would increase political knowledge more than viewing hard news. What helped this paper was that I really love shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report and truly believe they have a substantial cultural influence. I think I made this clear in the conclusion of my study:
“Political comedy shows have opened up the possibilities for reporting the news. By framing top stories in an entertaining and funny way, they grab the viewer’s attention in an unconventional manner that sets them apart from other news reports. These programs do not use media tricks to fool their viewers, but instead point them out on other shows and hold these shows accountable for using them.”
I think these sentences show that I personally find these programs important, but I also use evidence to back up their significance. Within this paper, my opinions combined with research to make an argument that was sparked by personal interest.
While taking the Minor in Writing gateway course, I had the chance to revisit some of my earlier media analysis. Taking these pieces and changing their format showed me that analysis takes multiple forms and can include my personal voice. I remediated my political satire study by turning it into a video that used clips from the programs I examined to show how they parody the news. Incorporating visual media added another layer to my analysis. Although I included voiceover that stated the main points of my paper, having examples from the shows allowed my audience to actually see what I was discussing and this enhanced my argument.
In the gateway course I also repurposed a communications essay I wrote about feminism and the movie Pretty Woman. I decided to expand this topic to discuss how females are negatively portrayed in movies that are marketed to women, like romantic comedies. I wanted to write it in the style of a magazine column, with a humorous tone. This was the first time I wrote media analysis in the first person. Moving away from an academic tone was strange, but I enjoyed writing the piece because I had more freedom to express how I really felt:
“The chick flick clichés are numerous and easy to spot. No female lead is complete without her quirky best friend, kisses are always better in the rain, and who doesn’t love a makeover montage? But this is exactly why they are fun to watch. There’s no bigger meaning to it. Except for, you know, when there is. Because the worst and most prevalent of chick flick staples is the perpetuation of the belief that every woman is just looking for her happily-ever-after, and that a man is her ultimate happy ending.”
I connected with the reader in a more casual way while still making my point clear. The remediation and repurposing projects opened me up to new ways that media could be looked at and taken apart.
I continued this informal writing as part of my summer internship at an entertainment news site. I wrote a lot of news briefs as an intern for Hollywood.com last summer, and my editors encouraged me to incorporate my own voice into the stories. This would set my articles apart from the hundreds of other sites writing about the same thing. After writing a lot of these short pieces, I was given the chance to write a review of Joss Whedon’s movie adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. Having never written a movie review before, I was both nervous and excited. I wanted to sound professional but still have a point of view, and I think I managed to achieve that:
“Although the dialogue may be a bit hard to follow for those who aren't familiar with the play, the actors deliver their lines in such a way that makes their intent clear. You can understand when they are teasing, when they are fighting, and when they are being sarcastic (and there is a lot of sarcasm). They aren't giving dramatic performances on a stage; they are having normal conversations with each other that just happen to be spoken in flowery language.”
Being able to briefly play the role of a critic made me think about how critics perform a media analysis of their own. They decide whether something is good or bad, and then try to convince others that it is or isn’t worth their time and money. Feeling less restricted than in an academic setting, writing for Hollywood.com helped me establish my voice as a journalist.
My capstone project for the Minor in Writing draws on what I’ve learned throughout my development as both a critical consumer of media and a writer. It’s a paper entitled “Why Television Matters” that examines the importance of television in society and how it can bring people together. Television is the form of media I’m most passionate about, and I wanted to express what it means to me and comment on the significant role it plays in our lives. Because this topic is so important to me, I didn’t want to approach it like I would a traditional research paper. Instead, I chose to include my own personal anecdotes along with research. This way, the reader could understand my connection to the topic, but I would still have facts to support my argument. I analyzed television through both a personal and academic lens, even including the perspectives of others by conducting interviews. I feel that my project is comprehensive and proves the value of television. To complete a big project on a topic that I care so much about is very satisfying to me.
As I’m finishing up my time at the University of Michigan and looking forward towards a career in entertainment journalism, I think I’ve changed significantly as a writer over the past four years. Through the many papers I’ve done taking apart media and stating its significance, I’ve learned to see analysis as an extension of myself and my opinions. Writing about subjects that I really care about has allowed my voice as a writer to shine through, and that has made it easier to support my arguments. In turn, analyzing media through my writing has helped me to think about media more critically. In this way, my two passions have been able to complement each other.