Fall 2011/ English 115
Professor A. Harrison
Essay #2 – Music Videos!
Outline & Working Thesis (with Works Cited) Due: 10/06, Thursday
First Draft Due: 10/13, Thursday
Final Draft Due: 10/20, Thursday
(Worth 120 points total)
Purpose: To formulate a clear, argumentative thesis statement, and develop support for it in an essay that
utilizes academic research, interpretation, and a visual “text”. You will learn and practice the following
research skills: finding and evaluating sources, citing sources, effectively incorporating paraphrase and/or
quotes and using the library databases.
Contextual and audience information: Since the work you will undertake in this paper (textual
analysis/interpretation) is most commonly found in academic writing, where readers often know
something about the text under discussion, we will work with a common text – music videos from
Eminem, Madonna, and The Prodigy. Assume that while all your readers may not be members of this
class, they have seen the video and are familiar with some of the discussions around it; thus you do not
need to waste time summarizing the video. Your goal in this task is to discuss ideas, themes, and
rhetorical strategy, NOT to tell me if you liked or disliked the video. Think about what you have done in
all 3 exercises for this Progression to connect visual texts, actions, and depictions.
Writing Task: Write your own analysis of “Love The Way You Lie”, “Hung Up” and/or “Smack
My Bitch Up”. Analyze one scene, theme, idea, character, motif, image, set of images, audible
effect, issue, or technique used in the video/s.
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You may write about one or two of the videos.
Ensure that your essay has a focus/thesis, and is not a collection of unconnected points about the
video. While you are analyzing one aspect of the video/s, a strong paper will make connections
between this one aspect and what you see as the important issues about/in the video/s.
You may pick one theme and connect it between the videos we look at; however, note if you
decide to talk about two of the videos, there must be a clear connection!
You should use the outside research to support YOUR thesis. Support your thesis with specific
reference to and examples from the video/s, and detailed discussion of these references/examples.
This is not a report-where you collect and then report information. Instead, you will develop and
argue a debatable position on your selected topic.
You will not turn in a paper that pieces together other people’s ideas or a summary. Instead, you
will support a thesis statement and use sources to back up your ideas.
Your evidence for this essay may consist of your scene and ethnography, but you need not
confine yourself to this early work. There may be other visual objects, or written texts that now
seem more helpful to you in terms of developing your idea; feel free to use them.
Use of counterargument will be mandatory for an “A” paper.
Videos to use: (can be found on Youtube.com, Madonna.com, TheProdigy.com Eminem.com)
Eminem “Love The Way You Lie” (2010)
Madonna “Hung Up” (2005)
The Prodigy “Smack My Bitch Up” (1997)
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Suggestions to steer your idea/thesis: You may choose a topic from one of the following options in
relation to the writing task above or I encourage you to explore your own:
 Nudity
 Sexuality
 Homosexuality or Bisexuality
 Overt Sexual Situations
 Gender or Race
 Drug/Alcohol Use
 Urban Landscape
 Socioeconomic Relationships
Turning in your Essay:
 Your FINAL draft will be 1250+ words and contain a word count (Microsoft> Tools> Word
Count) at the end of the paper but before the Works Cited page.
 YOU MUST INCLUDE A PROPERLY FORMATED “WORKS CITED” PAGE AT THE
BACK OF YOUR PAPER; THIS DOES NOT COUNT TOWARD THE 1250+ WORDS
PAGES! Your works cited page must have 4+ sources in addition to the video/s you are working
with to receive full credit. 1-2 of your sources must be the proper citation for the video/s “Love
The Way You Lie”, “Hung Up” and/or “Smack My Bitch Up”.
 YOUR FINAL PAPER DUE ON 10/20 AT THE START OF CLASS MUST INCLUDE (stapled
in this order):
1. Final draft (90 points)
2. Turnitin.com printed email receipt
3. First draft, must be at least 1,000+ words to get full credit (10 points)
4. Peer Critique Workshop Sheets: Outline and First draft (5 points each)
5. Outline & Working Thesis with 1st draft of Works Cited (10 points)
6. Any other pre-writing that you did
7. LRC slip (5 pts extra credit)
READ THIS PROMPT ONE LAST TIME BEFORE YOUR TURN THE PAPER IN TO MAKE
SURE YOU HAVE MET ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS. USE IT AS A CHECKLIST AND
DON’T MISS CARELESS POINTS; YOU WILL BE PEANLIZED HEAVILY THIS TIME
AROUND!
As always, if you have any questions about this assignment, please come see me or email me
Amanda.Harrison@csun.edu