BHSU
Lorna Richey
Final Research Paper:
RHETORICAL OR ARGUMENTATIVE
ANALYSIS OF POPULAR CULTURE
THEME
A rhetorical approach to the study of U.S. popular culture [allows us to] examine, both at the
theoretical level and through specific case studies, the role of popular culture in the U.S. as a
mediator of cultural values and attitudes. Rhetorical analysis will reveal popular culture as a
source of cultural meanings, as a reflection of existing cultural meanings, and as an instrument for
the negotiation and re-creation of cultural meanings.
Satellites send me the picture
Get it in the eye,
Take it to the world (take it to the wire)
Spinning like a dynamo
Feel it going round and round
Who made who?
Who made you?
Who turned the screw, yeah?—AC/DC
AC/DC asks a good question. What makes you? Where did you come from? Your parents? Your
school? Your MTV? And what are you wearing today? What does it mean? What do you value?
Who are you not? What are you rebelling against? What is fun, and how do you spend your leisure
time? Where do you lay your dollar down? Who is cool in your world? Who doesn’t get it? What is
your identity, and how did you end up with it?
So who made whom? Did you make pop culture or did the “culture industry” make you? The
average teenager spends more time watching television than in school. We are exposed to
approximately 1400 advertisements a day. Are you wearing Abercrombie and Fitch shorts or Vans
shoes? Do you have a “My Space” circle of friends? Do you wear your hair like Ross or Rachel on
Friend?.
Your real-life friends probably talk in popular movie and music references. Seems like these days
there is not much else to talk about. So who made whom? The study of popular culture is in large
part the study of how our world, and you, came to be. (Adapted from Rhetoric in Popular Culture,
Second Ed. By Barry Brummett)
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PURPOSE
To argue a thesis (that is, a claim) convincingly by supplying readers with reasons, analysis, and
examples that support your main contention. You are trying to persuade your readers.
AUDIENCE
College-educated readers who are intelligent and generally aware of the world around them but
who are not necessarily experts in the field you’re discussing. Therefore, be sure to explain your
position fully, explicitly, and clearly in this paper. Do not assume that your readers will necessarily
agree with you or understand the basis for your argument. Also, do not assume that your readers
necessarily share your own religious or cultural preferences. Your audience consists of "good"
people, but they may be different from you in many ways.
TOPIC
You are free to write on any subject dealing with popular culture other than the following
overworked topics: abortion, gun control, and capital punishment. (Papers written on these topics
tend to rely too heavily on bumper-sticker-style slogans. English 201 is designed to push writers
beyond that level of discourse.)
Remember that the topic for this argumentative paper should be something about which
reasonable people might disagree. The topic should lend itself to genuine argumentation, not
simply be a statement of one's own tastes, preferences, or religious beliefs.
Quote from introduction to Rhetoric in Popular Culture, Second Ed. By Barry Brummett:
“As we go through life experiencing and enjoying music, clothing, architecture, food, and so forth,
we are also participating in rhetorical struggles over what kind of society we will live in and what
sort of people we will be . . . you [need to be able] to see those struggles as well, so that you will be
able to find the rhetoric in rage metal, the motivations on MTV and the arguments in RV’s.”
POSSIBLE TOPICS & THEMES
Section 1: Composition and the Rhetoric of Pop Culture in Literature: the Written Word
 Comics—Animé, etc.
 Magazines
 Newspapers
 Blogs (To be discussed in greater detail in Technology Section)
 Poetry
 English literature
 American studies
 Folklore & Cultural Myths: Cultural myths are treasured ideas, assumptions, and values
generally accepted by the majority of the members of a society. Often, these cultural
myths mask the true complexity of the human experience. For example, the myth of the
emblematic American family – complete with content mom, dad, dog, cat, 2.5 kids and a
white picket fence—is something to which many Americans aspire, though it is by no
means the norm. In America, these myths are transmitted through media images, political
rhetoric, art, literature, advertising, film, public relations campaigns, and educational and
religious instruction. We convey them to others on a daily basis through our voices and
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our actions, yet we also hold the key to exposing these myths as well. Some of the more
prevalent American myths concern success, family, education, freedom, and gender roles.
Section 2: The Verbal / Oral Rhetoric of Pop Culture
 Speeches
 Music—(Watch movie: Bebopping, Hip-hopping & Slam-dunking: the Influence of
African-American Endeavors in Music and Sports) Rap, Hip hop, country & western
 Food& communities: McDonalidization of U.S., sushi, pizza delivery, Starbucks
Section 3: Composition and the Visual Rhetoric of Pop Culture in Film and Media
Visual Rhetoric: Images as Argument—as the world relies more and more on visual imagery to
communicate, skills to decode these images become necessary. Clothes we wear, buildings,
monuments, stained glass, advertisements, photography—all require visual literacy. How do we
read nonverbal signs as rhetorical arguments including political ads, cartoons, films, stained glass,
and the way companies advertise their products?
 Movies (Watch movie: Outfoxed)
 Television (reality TV, The Swan, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy)
Society and reality TV: The Swan, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Socialization of children: Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, Sesame
Street, Barney, Blue’s Clues, and Teletubbies, Pee Wee Herman Show
Sociological analysis: rubbernecking and white trash - American Gladiators,
World Championship Wrestling, Fox specials (America’s Most Wanted, World’s
Wildest Police Videos, World’s Worst Drivers), and the "Talk " shows (Sally Jesse
Raphael, Jenny Jones, RuPaul): Jerry Springer Show
Dysfunctional Americanism analysis Roseanne, Married ... with Children,
Unhappily Ever After, Absolutely Fabulous, The Simpsons.
Taboo, vulgarity and impropriety as protest art –
British invasion (Monty Python's Flying Circus, Benny Hill, Fawlty Towers, and
The Young Ones)
America comes of age (Soap and Saturday Night Live), Comedy Central (The
Daily Show,Upright Citizens Brigade), South Park
Conspiracy theory and analysis - The Fugitive, The Invaders, V, Roddenberry Final Contact, The X-Files, 24, Lost
Intercultural analysis of Japanese ANIME, MANGA comes to America - Ogre
Slayer, Sanctuary, Crystal Triangle, Ghost in the Shell, and Akira
Posthuman analysis -- Inspector Gadget, Gadget Boy, The Six Million Dollar
Man., Robocop - the movie, the series, the cartoon, The Terminator - the movies
and the theme park attraction, Aeon Flux, and Heroes
 Advertisements—the relationship between advertising and identity
 The future of sex and violence
 Fashion
 Photography
 Toys (Barbie/G.I. Joe)
 Architecture
 Art: including body art—piercings and tattoos
Section 4: Composition and the Rhetoric of Pop Culture in Technology
What is the intersection of rhetoric and technology and media—the ways in which popular
technologies/media shape the rhetoric of argumentation, persuasion, and culture?
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I-Pods
Cell Phones / Camera Phones /Blackberries
PDA’s
Digital Cameras / Movie Cameras
The role of business in the production of culture
Technology as a driving force in the changing of a corporate society
Communications
Section 5: Composition and the Rhetoric of Pop Culture in Politics and Propaganda
 Politics and political campaigns—the political climate of pop culture, news and
infotainment
 Propaganda
 Cultural myths
 Laws and their influence or lack thereof
Rhetoric of Law and Disorder: Can’t live with it, can’t live without it. Ever since humans
first made rules for living in social groups, laws have been a part of our daily lives—for
better if we wish to be rescued from the “bad guys," for worse if we wish to do our thing
unimpeded. And even if we manage to avoid direct personal experience with the “long
arm of the law,” the government, courts, lawyers, police, rebels, and outlaws fill our
media—and consequently our imaginations. In this class we explore some of the ways in
which people have depicted the law and how these depictions influence us citizens who
live under it.
 Military and warfare
 Religion
 Environmental rhetoric (oil for example)
 Social classes
 Economics
 Geography: How does pop culture vary by location
 Minorities
 Ethnic studies
 Women's studies
 Gays/lesbians/bisexuals/transsexuals
 Academics
 Protest and social causes
 The meaning of cool, rebellion, and resistance
GUIDELINES
Logic is important in argumentative writing. In fact, it is an essential tool for any writer who
wishes to establish credibility with readers he or she does not personally know. Emotion, which
sometimes has a place in argumentative essays (albeit a limited place), can work to your advantage
if it is interpreted as enthusiasm, but to your disadvantage if it is viewed as ranting.
Please organize your essay with care.
INTRODUCTIONS:
Introductions are descriptions of the material to come. Make certain that it:
a) catches a reader’s interest, and
b) presents your thesis, the paper’s central claim.
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In order to do this, you may use
 a startling observation,
 a humorous or touching anecdote,
 a significant or important quote (especially by a notable figure,) or
 thought provoking questions.
BODY of the essay:
Ordinarily a minimum of five solid paragraphs in college-level papers should develop and support
your thesis in a convincing manner.
A few notes about organization: Please make your readers’ work as easy as possible. Among other
things, this means that readers should be able to recognize your thesis statement without any
hesitation. Also, be sure that each body paragraph has a topic sentence which deals with some
aspect of your thesis. Finally, provide readers with transitions as you move from idea to idea or
from a general assertion to an example which supports that assertion.
This paper calls for a good argument and good supporting reasons and examples relying on sources
as proof.
In analyzing the argument, you may wish to incorporate many or all the following:
 Define the issue and crucial terms or concepts associated with the issue
 Establish a context for arguing about the issue (providing background, explaining a problem,
describing a recent event, surveying an ongoing debate)
 Present a claim about the issue
 Support the claim with logical argumentation, collected and interpreted data, and/or appeals to
values
 Present opposing or alternative claims about the issue
 Refute, qualify, or concede those alternative claims
 Suggest a policy be enacted, an action be taken, or a point of view be changed
 Predict outcomes based on following—or not following—suggested policies
Please respond to at least one objection which readers are likely to raise. (This requirement is
known as "refutation" or "responding to a counter-argument.") Be sure you are responding to a real
objection, not a straw man argument (that is, an objection which a reasonable person is not likely to
raise). Plan on spending an entire paragraph on refutation. As you write this paragraph, be certain
that readers know you have not suddenly changed your mind about the subject; also, make sure that
this paragraph does not seem like it has been "tacked on to" the essay as an afterthought. An
effective transition will prove useful here.
CONCLUSION:
The essay’s conclusion should do more than simply summarize the points you’ve already made; in
fact, boring, point-by-point summaries are best avoided. Instead, reiterate your thesis (rephrased, of
course) and then give readers a sense of the larger significance of what you are arguing. This final
appeal might involve one or more of the following strategies:
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Poignant or particularly apt quotation
Brief scenario in which you explore what is likely to happen (sociologically, economically,
academically, etc.) if the problem you’ve discussed does not receive adequate attention.
Summarize the material sometimes repeating the major ideas.
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Repeat an important idea of the essay by means of an analogy or a quote.
Interpret the significance of the material presented.
Stress the subject’s importance or your evaluation of the subject.
Evaluate your argument and give the consequences of your evaluation.
Call to Action: Present an appeal or an emotional statement. (i.e., encouraging readers to take
some action)
Make Predictions or Forecasts: based on the analysis of your topic.
Parting Question: Often a provocative question left unanswered or a probing (rather than easy,
yes-or-no) question or brief series of questions.
Final Example or Climactic Incident: Refer back to intro. or your startling incident.
(These strategies, by the way, are not intended to be formulas. Successful writers often start with a
rhetorical strategy or trick but work hard to make what they write their own.)
GRADING CRITERIA
CONTENT, Purpose/focus, organization, development, and language/mechanics
FORMAT
Length: Approximately 6-7 pages; double-spaced; word-processed or typed. Use MLA Format.
Place it in a folder with your outline and peer edited rough draft.