“Tyler Perry’s Money Machine” and
“Do I Look Like Public Enemy
Number One?”
Discussion of “Tyler Perry’s Money
Machine” p. 346
• What is the main point or thesis of this article?
• What point is Eugene Robinson making about Tyler Perry’s
movies and the representation of African Americans in
Hollywood?
• In this article, Robinson shows that he is aware of the discussion
that is already going on about the representation of African
Americans in Hollywood by bringing up the trope (commonly
used theme or literary device, similar to “cliché”) of the
“magical Negro.” What exactly is this trope? Can you think of
any examples of it other than the ones Robinson lists?
• According to Robinson, how are the Tyler Perry movies different
from those that use the “magical Negro” trope?
“Do I Look Like Public Enemy Number
One?” p. 45
• What are some of the ways that the author,
Lorraine Ali, learns about the Arabic part of
her heritage? What influence does American
pop culture have on her perception of Arabic
culture?
Making Connections
• We have now read two more essays about the
issues of diversity, representation, and popular
culture.
• Do you notice any common threads? Can you
connect some of Lorraine Ali and Eugene
Robinson’s ideas to the essays from last week?
• For example: What do you think Ali (the writer of
“Do I Look Like Public Enemy Number One?”)
would have to say about the ideas expressed in
“TV Diversity: Whose Job is it, Anyway?”
Preparing for College Level Research
• Tell me about a time when you had to do
research. This might be research you did for
school, research into a product you were
thinking of buying, research into how to apply
for student aid, etc.
– What did you need to find out?
– Where did you go for information?
– How did you know which sources of information
to trust?
There are Three Steps to Using
Sources:
• Find sources and choose the best ones for
your purpose.
• Read the sources carefully, keeping track of
your own reactions to the author’s ideas and
using your sources as a springboard for your
own contribution to the discussion.
• Use the sources in your essay, giving proper
credit in the body of the essay and at the end,
using MLA format.
Finding/Choosing Sources
• Why do you need to include sources in your
essays?
– To show your audience that you are aware of the
conversation that is already going on.
– To give your audience context for an argument
you will make.
– To support a point you are making.
– To provide an example of an opposing point of
view that you will then counter.
Where Can I Find Sources?
•
•
•
•
College Databases
College Library
Public Library
The Internet
Library Resources
• Library Databases can be accessed through
the College Library website.
– Databases are collections of articles that have
appeared, either in print or online, in various
publications.
• Potentially useful databases:
– EBSCO
– Proquest National Newspapers
– Ethnic News Watch
Some Tips on Using the Databases
• If you don’t get many results at first, try changing your
search terms. For example, if you don’t get any hits for
“black people and shows about space” try “African
Americans and science fiction,” then try something else
using related words.
• Pay attention to the suggestions the databases make about
related subjects.
• Make sure to check the “full text” search option so that you
will be able to access any results you want.
• Email or save any results that interest you to read later. You
may also print out articles here if you have a print card.
• Make sure that you keep a record of any sources you use
from the databases.
Evaluating Online Sources
• Any sources you find through the databases are
likely to be “reputable” sources, but what about
typing your search terms into google or another
search engine?
• This can be an excellent way to find resources
that are very new and haven’t been included in
the databases yet, BUT there’s a lot of junk out
there.
• SO, how can you tell the junk from the good
stuff?
Evaluating Online Sources
• See p. 344 of Everyone’s an Author
• Who takes responsibility for the piece of writing?
Is it a publication with an online presence? Is it
an organization with a good reputation?
• In what ways does the author establish
credibility?
• Is the piece of writing presented well? (Are the
points well argued/explained? Does the author
display an awareness of the ongoing
conversation? Does the piece of writing use clear
grammar, spelling, and punctuation?)
Step 2: Read the Sources You Chose
• Read them all the way through. Unless you decide
after the first paragraph that the source is not useful to
you, how can you possibly respond to a source you’ve
only skimmed?
• Identify the author’s big claims. Do you agree with
them? If so, do you have anything to add to the
author’s support? If not, how would you counter the
author’s argument?
• Keep notes on your sources. Highlight. Write questions
in the margins. Make connections between what one
source says and another source says.
Step 2: Read the Sources You Chose
• A couple more things about sources…
– Just because you find a source and read it doesn’t
mean you have to use it. If you read a source and
don’t like it, keep looking.
– Keep researching throughout the writing process. If
you find a wonderful source with all kinds of good
ideas you want to respond to after you wrote a draft,
that’s fine. Include that source and your response
when you revise.
– Keep track of every source you use ideas or quotes
from in your paper. You will need to be able to find the
source again when you give it credit.
What does this mean for OUR Essay #1
specifically?
• Right now you need to be reading everything
you can find about your specific topic relating
to diversity and the media.
• Read general articles about pop culture and
diversity to start out if you would like, but you
need to be reading articles about a specific
film/show/musical group or a specific genre or
a specific minority group.
Step 3: Using Sources and Giving
Credit
• You’ve found your sources, read them, annotated them, and
you’re ready to use your sources in your essay.
• So… which quotes should you use?
– Quotes that contain ideas you want to respond to.
– Quotes where the original source’s wording is especially good or
important to your response.
– Quotes where the original source explains a complex idea clearly and
succinctly.
– Quotes that contain ideas that would make most people want proof.
• Any quote you use should have an explanation/response that is
TWICE AS LONG as the original quote. If a quote takes up two full
lines of your paper, the explanation/response to that quote
should take up FOUR.
What Is MLA Format?
• MLA Stands for “Modern Language
Association”
• The MLA makes rules for the writers of
research papers in English and the Humanities
so that everyone who is doing research is
following the same set of rules and we can all
understand each other.
What kinds of things do I need to do to
have correct MLA Format?
• Part of MLA style is format.
–
–
–
–
Margins
Heading
Font, etc.
Please see the formatting example that is in the file with your
syllabus for my expectations on formatting.
• Part of MLA style is citation.
– This means giving credit to your sources and avoiding
plagiarism.
– Citation is also meant to make is easy for your reader find your
sources if he or she wishes to read them.
–
Two Required Ways of Giving Credit in
MLA
Format
A Works Cited page
– Where is it? On its own page at the end of your essay
– Lists every source you used in alphabetical order by the last name of
the author
– Each source on your works cited must contain specific information in a
specific order. Consult a handbook or the handout for more details.
– Parenthetical (in-text) citations
– What is it? A way of indicating which source you just quoted or
summarized.
– Where is it? In the body (main text) of your essay.
– When do I have to use it?
• After a direct quote that you took word for word from a source.
• After a paraphrase of an idea that you did not write or think of yourself, you
must indicate which source you are using in order to avoid plagiarism.
MLA Format
• In-text citations and the works cited page work
together in order to help your audience know
where your quotes or paraphrases came from,
and to help your audience easily find the source
themselves.
• Each in-text citation should use the FIRST name
or words that appear in the works cited entry for
that source. This way, you are linking your quote
to an entry on your works cited page.
Resources for Using MLA
• The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/74
7/01/
• LA Mission Library Resources
http://www.lamission.edu/library/research.aspx
• MLA Handout posted on etudes
• Your Everyone’s an Author text book
Useful Pages in Your Rules for Writers
Book
•
•
•
•
•
•
Directory of In-Text Citation examples: p. 458
Directory of Works Cited examples: p. 458-459
Integrating Sources: p. 468-479
Avoiding Plagiarism: p. 464-468
Sample Research Paper in MLA Style: p. 446-462
Remember, your first essay for English 101 must
have a works cited page that cites at least three
sources.
Using Sources and Giving Credit
• You’ve found your sources, read them, annotated them, and
you’re ready to use your sources in your essay.
• So… which quotes should you use?
– Quotes that contain ideas you want to respond to.
– Quotes where the original source’s wording is especially good or
important to your response.
– Quotes where the original source explains a complex idea clearly and
succinctly.
– Quotes that contain ideas that would make most people want proof.
• Any quote you use should have an explanation/response that is
TWICE AS LONG as the original quote. If a quote takes up two full
lines of your paper, the explanation/response to that quote
should take up FOUR.
They Say / I Say: Chapter 3
• Quotations give your interaction with the
ideas of your sources credibility. (p. 42)
• Choose quotes that support your claim, and
be flexible. This may change as you write.
• Frame your quotes. (See how to make a
“quote sandwich” on p. 46)
• A bad example of how to use a quotation is on
p. 45, and the improved example on p. 47.
The “Quote Sandwich”
• This is a way to integrate quotes into your paper
smoothly and avoid drop-in quotes.
• The first piece of “bread”
– Introduce quote, possibly mention author, connect
quote to what you were saying before.
• The “Meat”
– Your quote, correctly cited with in-text citation.
• The second piece of “bread”
– Interpretation/explanation of quote (NOT simply
rewording the quote), connect quote to what you will
say next.
Online Examples of Quote Sandwiches
• http://www.csun.edu/~hflrc006/quote.html
• https://sites.google.com/site/sasamtani/quot
e_sandwich003.jpg
• Notice that both of these examples make the
quote a part of a sentence the essay author
wrote, and notice that both examples give
credit to the source’s author.
Quote Sandwich Practice
• If you brought a possible source for Essay #1 with
you today, choose a quote that you would like to
respond to. Then, write a paragraph that
includes the quote you chose in a quote
sandwich. Remember, you need to INTRODUCE
the quote by putting in in context, USE the quote
with a correct in-text citation, and RESPOND to
the quote by adding something new to the
discussion.
• If you did not bring a source, you must do this
practice with one of the essays we have read as a
class.
What I expect from a rough draft:
• A draft is a first attempt of your essay. This
means that while it may be rough, it should be
a complete essay with a length between 2 and
5 full pages.
• The longer and more complete your draft is,
the more useful your peer and instructor
feedback will be.
• Your draft must be typed, and you must print
out three copies for peer review.