Sunday, April 24, 2016
Reflection
YAY Project 3 is done!
Some of the successes of this week included successfully revising my essay and completing it. I was really happy with the way it turned out, and I really enjoyed researching my topic and discussing my view.
A major challenge this week was getting my essay exactly how I wanted it to sound. I'm terrible at revising my own work, because I either hate all of it or think that it sounds fine. I appreciated the peer reviews for assisting me in my revision process.
I think that next week will be really hectic and crazy. I have a lot of assignments due in every class and several tests, as well as the video essay reflection. So time management will have to be my friend and hopefully I won't get too stressed out.
Overall I am feeling pretty good about this project. I am glad that it is finally done, and that I chose a topic that was interesting to me and close to my heart.
Some of the successes of this week included successfully revising my essay and completing it. I was really happy with the way it turned out, and I really enjoyed researching my topic and discussing my view.
A major challenge this week was getting my essay exactly how I wanted it to sound. I'm terrible at revising my own work, because I either hate all of it or think that it sounds fine. I appreciated the peer reviews for assisting me in my revision process.
I think that next week will be really hectic and crazy. I have a lot of assignments due in every class and several tests, as well as the video essay reflection. So time management will have to be my friend and hopefully I won't get too stressed out.
Overall I am feeling pretty good about this project. I am glad that it is finally done, and that I chose a topic that was interesting to me and close to my heart.
Revised Post to Peer Reviewers
Yay! The fine cut is done.
Here is the link to my fine cut!
This is basically my rough cut but heavily edited, so if you have any suggestions let me know . :)
A major weakness would be part of my form. I quoted a couple things from Twitter in my second body paragraph, but I have never used social media in my essays before so I am not sure how to properly cite it. I added in-text citations for each quote, but I am not sure if I did it right.
Some strengths include finally adding a Works Cited and real in-text citations. Compared to my rouch cut, I added a lot of stuff to make sure that the audience understood where I was coming from, what I thought was right, and why I thought that. So hopefully this is clearer now.
Here is the link to my fine cut!
This is basically my rough cut but heavily edited, so if you have any suggestions let me know . :)
A major weakness would be part of my form. I quoted a couple things from Twitter in my second body paragraph, but I have never used social media in my essays before so I am not sure how to properly cite it. I added in-text citations for each quote, but I am not sure if I did it right.
Some strengths include finally adding a Works Cited and real in-text citations. Compared to my rouch cut, I added a lot of stuff to make sure that the audience understood where I was coming from, what I thought was right, and why I thought that. So hopefully this is clearer now.
Editorial Report 13b
For this editorial report, I will be editing my conclusion. This will wrap up the essay and drive home the main points I want to make with this argument.
Selection from Rough Cut:
Re-edited version:
Selection from Rough Cut:
Choosing culturally diverse actor
and actresses for movies is more important than we think. The amount of
underrepresented minority groups portrayed in film and TV need to at least
represent the overall population of the U.S. When it doesn’t, it causes
children, like me, to gain a misguided view of the world growing up. These
racial groups are much more common that the entertainment industry gives them
credit for. And yes, while our children do attend school where these things
should be taught, oftentimes movies and film are much more influential in
shaping their view on the world. Casting a Black Hermione in an iconic series
such as Harry Potter could be the first of many steps needed to take to get
closer to the accurate representation that is so lacking in today’s
entertainment industry.
Re-edited version:
Choosing culturally diverse actors and actresses for movies is more important than we think. The amount of underrepresented minority groups portrayed in film and TV need to at least represent the overall population of the U.S. When it doesn’t, it causes children, like me, to gain a misguided view of the world growing up. These racial groups are much more common that the entertainment industry gives them credit for. And yes, while our children do attend school where these things should be taught, oftentimes movies and film are much more influential in shaping their view on the world. And why shouldn't we cast more varied types of people? Culturally diverse simply means that different types of people (with different backrgounds) will bring different things to the table when it comes to acting. And according to the #OscarsSoWhite movement, it seems like we've been watching the same kinds of people for awhile now, so lets change it up a bit. Casting a Black Hermione in an iconic series such as Harry Potter could be the first of many steps needed to take to get closer to the accurate representation that is so lacking in today’s entertainment industry.
For this editorial report, the content changed a little bit. I fixed some grammatical and spelling issues, and made it flow more smoothly. I added a little bit towards the end to make it clear what I feel and why I feel that way.
The form changed because I made it double spaced. This particular paragraph doesn't need any in text citations because it is the conclusion. I like how this looks now and I think it is taking advantage of the genre conventions. Making it double spaced makes me more credible.
Editorial Report 13a
This editorial report focuses on the second body paragraph of my essay. This paragraph focuses on the specific casting of Hermione and how that affects the larger issue of diversity in entertainment, which was outlined in the previous paragraph.
Selection from Rough Cut;
Selection from Rough Cut;
The casting of grown-up Hermione has
caused quite the controversy over social media between fans of the series. Fans
had a lot to say over Twitter, citing passages from the books as proof of
Hermione’s skin color. One passage from Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was cited more than anything else:
“Hermione’s white face was sticking out from behind a tree.” Others were
worried about the contradictions a Black Hermione would produce because she
supposedly wasn’t meant to be black. For example, an article from The Guardian analyzes how a Black
Hermione could change the reasoning behind some of her actions. Hermione was
one of the only people in the books that disapproved the slavery of the house
elves; however, the elves loved being enslaved. The article argues that “Hermione
is treated as being silly, or misguided, for wanting to free them-and if she’s
black, that means that the whole scenario reads a as a queasy parody of black
liberation struggles” (The Guardian). Other fans of the casting are praising
this new quality to Hermione. James Poniewozik (@poniewozik on Twitter) tweeted
“Irony of the Hermione casting furor is that prejudice and ideas of “purity”
are essential to the character’s story.” On the same not, both J.K. Rowling and
Emma Watson tweeted their excitement and approval over the casting. J.K.
Rowling tweeting, “Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin
was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione.” This caused many fans to be
more accepting of the change to the series. In addition, Watson tweeted, “Can’t
wait to see Noma Dumezweni as Hermione on stage this year,” followed by a
string of hearts. Bottom line: even if the character was white in the books,
who cares? The impact of casting a black actress in a previously white role is
bigger than just a story. This can affect how we consume all of TV and film.
Re-edited version:
The casting of grown-up Hermione has caused quite the controversy over social media between fans of the series. Fans had a lot to say over Twitter, citing passages from the books as proof of Hermione’s skin color. One passage from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was cited more than anything else: “Hermione’s white face was sticking out from behind a tree.” Others were worried about the contradictions a Black Hermione would produce because she supposedly wasn’t meant to be black. For example, an article from The Guardian analyzes how a Black Hermione could change the reasoning behind some of her actions. Hermione was one of the only people in the books that disapproved the slavery of the house elves; however, the elves loved being enslaved. The article argues that “Hermione is treated as being silly, or misguided, for wanting to free them-and if she’s black, that means that the whole scenario reads a as a queasy parody of black liberation struggles” (The Guardian). Other fans of the casting are praising this new quality to Hermione. James Poniewozik (@poniewozik on Twitter) tweeted “Irony of the Hermione casting furor is that prejudice and ideas of “purity” are essential to the character’s story.” On the same not, both J.K. Rowling and Emma Watson tweeted their excitement and approval over the casting. J.K. Rowling tweeting, “Canon: brown eyes, frizzy hair and very clever. White skin was never specified. Rowling loves black Hermione.” This caused many fans to be more accepting of the change to the series. In addition, Watson tweeted, “Can’t wait to see Noma Dumezweni as Hermione on stage this year,” followed by a string of hearts. Although fans do appreciate the support of those so influential in the creation of the series, their blessing shouldn't be the thing that makes this casting okay or appropriate. This casting is appropriate because she is a qualified actress and will portray a different side to this character that has never been seen before. And while it is obvious that fans are on both sides of the controversy, it doesn't really matter what the books say. Books deviate from the story line all the time when making film or stage adaptations. No movie or stage version has ever been exactly like the written version, so why are some changes okay, but not this one? Bottom line: even if the character was white in the books, who cares? The impact of casting a black actress, especially in a previously iconic white role, is bigger than just a story. These types of castings can affect how we consume all of TV and film, which is a step in the right direction towards equal opportunity for all actors and actresses.
For this editing round, the content changed. One of my previous peer reviews mentioned that it wasn't clear what my position was. The essay covered both sides of the controversy, but didn't make it clear which side I was on. So I added a couple of sentences near the end to really show that I was supportive of this casting and why.
The form changed because I made it double spaced this time. It makes it more professional and makes the essay look a little longer. I really like how this looks and I think that it will make the audience take me more seriously.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Reflection
Here is my reflection for the week. We are almost done with Project 3, which is such a weird thing to say because I feel like I just finished Project 1.
The successes of this week included actually completing a first draft! That was a really big success. I am really happy with how it is coming along, even though I know I have a lot of editing to do. I am really glad I chose this topic. I like educating myself on social issues like this, as well as incorporating some of my favorite childhood books.
The challenges of this week included actually completing the first draft! Although this was also success, actually getting it done was a challenge. Editing parts of it was also a challenge because I knew that it needed heavy editing but I didn't know how I wanted it to sound after editing was done.
Next week will be probably about the same as this week, maybe a little easier. Getting it all written out was really difficult. Now I just need to edit, which sounds easier in my head but I think will turn out to be harder than I think. We'll see.
Overall, I'm feeling good about this project. It is a lot of work, but I am enjoying the topic I chose. I get frustrated with my own incapability to manage my time and edit my work.
Open Post to Peer Reviewers
This is a very rough cut. I do intend to revise and add more information and evidence to support my claims.
A major weakness is my lack of evidence and proper citing. I intend to add in text citations and a Works Cited after I am done revising it. Also if anyone has ideas for a title I'm all ears because currently I can think of absolutely nothing.
One strength is my organization. I like the way I have it set up, I just need to fill it out with more support.
Editorial Report 12b
This editorial report will focus on the third body paragraph, which gives my point of view as a fan of the books and the movies, and how my view changed as I grew up.
Rough Cut
Re-edited version
The content changed a little bit. I edited mostly for sentence fluency. Reading through I realized I used "I" literally a thousand times. Hopefully the edited version is a little bit better about that.
The form changed because now it is double spaced. This makes it look more professional and more like a standard college essay. This adds to my credibility.
Rough Cut
I grew up reading
these books. I loved following Harry on his heroic adventures, Ron’s funny
comments, and Hermione telling them what to do when they found themselves in
trouble. Because the first book came out the year I was born, I watched the first
three movies before I read the books. Therefore, the Harry I pictured in my
head has always been Daniel Radcliffe, because I hadn’t gotten the chance to
come up with my own picture of these characters. This was never a problem for
me. I always looked forward to seeing the movies, because I think I was young
enough that I never found anything wrong with them even after reading the
books. I think this is also why I never questioned why most characters were
white. If a new character was introduced in the books that I had never seen before
in the movies I had seen, I automatically assumed in my head that he or she was
white until I was otherwise told. Looking back this sounds kind of awful, but
it’s true. I am not sure why this was; it could be my own skin color, but also
it could be the effect of growing up watching movies with mostly white actors
and actresses. I wasn’t aware of the problem until Twitter blew up with #OscarsSoWhite
and I looked more into it. I found that while the Oscar nominees and winners
did tend to be white, the awards show was not the problem: it was simply
representing the problem—Hollywood. When I read that they were casting Dumezweni for Hermione in the stage sequel, it
surprised me, mostly because I was so attached to the Emma Watson version in my
head. But after reading more into it, the new face to this beloved character
seemed like a refreshing change to this well-known story, and a much-needed
change at that.
Re-edited version
I grew up reading these books, and loved following Harry on his heroic adventures, Ron’s funny comments, and Hermione telling them what to do when they found themselves in trouble. Because the first book came out the year I was born, I watched the first three movies before reading the books. Therefore, the Harry in my head has always been Daniel Radcliffe, the actor in the movies, because I hadn’t gotten the chance to come up with my own picture of these characters. This was never a problem for me. I always looked forward to seeing the movies, because I was young enough that I never found anything wrong with them even after reading the books. I think this is also why I never questioned why most characters were white in the movies. However, if a new character was introduced in the books that I had never seen before in the movies, my head automatically assumed that he or she was white by default until I was otherwise told. Looking back that sounds kind of awful, but it’s true. As to why my brain did this, I am not completely sure. It could be my own skin color, but it's more likely that it is the effect of growing up watching movies with mostly white actors and actresses. I wasn’t even aware of the problem until Twitter blew up with #OscarsSoWhite and looked more into it. I found that while the Oscar nominees and winners did tend to be white, the awards show was not the problem: it was simply representing the problem—Hollywood. But regardless, it got my attention so it made some movement towards change. When I read that they were casting Dumezweni for Hermione in the stage sequel, it surprised me, mostly because I was so attached to the Emma Watson version in my head. But after reading more into it, the new face to this beloved character seemed like a refreshing change to this well-known story, and a much-needed change at that.
The content changed a little bit. I edited mostly for sentence fluency. Reading through I realized I used "I" literally a thousand times. Hopefully the edited version is a little bit better about that.
The form changed because now it is double spaced. This makes it look more professional and more like a standard college essay. This adds to my credibility.
Editorial Report 12a
For this editorial report, I chose to re-edit my first body paragraph. This outlines the big picture problem: lack of diversity in the entertainment business.
Section from Rough Cut:
The problem with diversity in entertainment isn’t a new one, but it is an important one. Although the #OscarsSoWhite reaction generated a lot of attention and discussion, many people are unaware of the extent of the problem. A USC study that was published in February of 2016 analyzed “414 stories or 1091 motion pictures and 305 broadcast, cable, and digital series.” It analyzed these samples for demographics of both on-screen speaking parts, as well as behind the camera jobs. This study analyzed these in four areas: gender, race/ethnicity, LGBT, and company inclusion. According to this study, people with speaking parts were “71.7% were white . . . 28.3% of all speaking characters were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.” Furthermore, this study analyzed the behind the camera demographics as well. In film alone, 87.3% of directors are white. This is attributing to the problem because if the director is from an underrepresented group, then he/she is more likely to cast underrepresented actors.
Re-edited version:
Section from Rough Cut:
The problem with diversity in entertainment isn’t a new one, but it is an important one. Although the #OscarsSoWhite reaction generated a lot of attention and discussion, many people are unaware of the extent of the problem. A USC study that was published in February of 2016 analyzed “414 stories or 1091 motion pictures and 305 broadcast, cable, and digital series.” It analyzed these samples for demographics of both on-screen speaking parts, as well as behind the camera jobs. This study analyzed these in four areas: gender, race/ethnicity, LGBT, and company inclusion. According to this study, people with speaking parts were “71.7% were white . . . 28.3% of all speaking characters were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.” Furthermore, this study analyzed the behind the camera demographics as well. In film alone, 87.3% of directors are white. This is attributing to the problem because if the director is from an underrepresented group, then he/she is more likely to cast underrepresented actors.
Re-edited version:
The problem with diversity in entertainment isn’t a new one, but it is an important one. Although the #OscarsSoWhite reaction generated a lot of attention and discussion, many people are unaware of the extent of the problem. A USC study that was published in February of 2016 analyzed “414 stories or 1091 motion pictures and 305 broadcast, cable, and digital series,” for demographics of both on-screen speaking parts, as well as behind the camera jobs (USC study 2016). This study analyzed these in four areas: gender, race/ethnicity, LGBT, and company inclusion. According to this study, people with speaking parts were “71.7% were white . . . 28.3% of all speaking characters were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups,” (USC study 2016). Furthermore, this study analyzed the behind the camera demographics as well. In film alone, 87.3% of directors are white. This is attributing to the problem because if the director is from an underrepresented group, then he/she is more likely to cast underrepresented actors. Okay, so it’s a problem. But why should people care? Both of these studies were comparing these statistics to the actual U.S. population. The reason so many people are upset is because these films make the population of these minorities seem even smaller than it already is. “Thus, 28.3% of all speaking characters were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, which is below (-9.6%) the proportion in the U.S. population (37.9%).” The goal, or perhaps solution to this problem, is to get Hollywood and entertainment businesses to accurately reflect demographics in the U.S. and abroad.
Content changed because I added some things. Before, I had a lot of statistics but they didn't really mean anything. I wanted to show 1. that people were upset about this issue and 2.) why they were upset. I think that I might still need to go a little more in depth about the extent of the problem, but I am not sure how without just throwing statistics at the audience.
Form changed a but because it is double spaced now, so it looks more like a standard college essay now. In the future, I will need to add in text citations to all the statistics once I complete my Works Cited page. I think that now the content look more professional, which will cause the audience to take me more seriously, adding to my credibility.
Content changed because I added some things. Before, I had a lot of statistics but they didn't really mean anything. I wanted to show 1. that people were upset about this issue and 2.) why they were upset. I think that I might still need to go a little more in depth about the extent of the problem, but I am not sure how without just throwing statistics at the audience.
Form changed a but because it is double spaced now, so it looks more like a standard college essay now. In the future, I will need to add in text citations to all the statistics once I complete my Works Cited page. I think that now the content look more professional, which will cause the audience to take me more seriously, adding to my credibility.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Reflection
Here is my Reflection for the week.
The successes of this week were actually sticking to my schedule. It felt good to actually start my essay. Once i started, it was easier to figure out exactly how I wanted it to be organized. I actually ended up going back to my content outline and changing it so it made more sense to my audience.
The challenges of this week included actually starting my essay. Oftentimes, this is the hardest part for me, mostly because I never know where to start. With big research papers like this, there is a lot of research involved, and figuring out where to start and how to organize everything can be difficult sometimes.
Next week will be a little harder I think, because more and more research will be involved as I progress further into my essay. But I will also be writing the portion of my essay that reflects on my own experiences with reading the series and growing up with the movies, so I am excited for that.
Overall, I am feeling pretty okay right now about this project. I am a little nervous about getting it all done because there is so much research involved and I have many classes to complete assignments for. But I am excited about the topic so I hope that it will make it go by faster. I'm glad I picked this topic, because even with the research I've done so far, it seems like a worthwhile topic to study.
Production Report 11b
This is an excerpt from my first body paragraph regarding the history of the lack of diversity in Hollywood.
Content Outline: First Body Paragraph
Content Outline: First Body Paragraph
The problem with diversity in entertainment isn’t a new one,
but it is an important one. Although the #OscarsSoWhite reaction generated a
lot of attention and discussion, many people are unaware of the extent of the
problem. A USC study that was published in February of 2016 analyzed “414
stories or 1091 motion pictures and 305 broadcast, cable, and digital series.”
It analyzed these samples for demographics of both on-screen speaking parts, as
well as behind the camera jobs. This study analyzed these in four areas:
gender, race/ethnicity, LGBT, and company inclusion. According to this study,
people with speaking parts were “71.7% were white . . . 28.3% of all speaking characters were from underrepresented
racial/ethnic groups.” Furthermore, this study analyzed the behind the camera demographics as well. In film
alone, 87.3% of directors are white. This is attributing to the problem because
if the director is from an underrepresented group, then he/she is more likely
to cast underrepresented actors.
Questions:
With a delicate topic like race, I have to be very careful with my words and how I am communicating with my audience. I want to add sources and quotes so that it shows my sources are credible, and that I am credible as an author.
This production was a little harder, mostly because it required a lot of research before I could write anything. I still want to look into how long this has been a problem and add to my research, Also I want to put at the end something about why people should care about this problem, but I think that might be better suited for the third body paragraph or even the conclusion.
Production Report 11a
For this production report, I wrote my Introduction to my Standard College Essay on the casting of Hermione in the sequel to Harry Potter.
Content Outline: Intro
The recent casting of Hermione in the stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the
much-anticipated sequel to the legendary Harry Potter Series has sparked quite
the conversation across the internet. Why? Because Noma Dumezweni was cast. And
no, people weren’t upset about her acting ability or worried about how she
would play a grown-up version of the beloved character. Many fans were concerned
about her skin color. This actress was born in Swaziland, a country in southern
Africa is Black, and the Hermione that the fans know from the original film adaptation
of the series has a pale complexion. Do fans have a right to be upset? Or
should they accept this as a stab back at the popular controversy over the lack
of diversity in Hollywood? The issue gained popularity after several stars
boycotted the Oscars after many of the nominees were white. Since then, there
has been much debate over why Hollywood has a lack of diversity, and what to do
about it. Can a casting like Hermione help solve this issue?
Questions:
1. The conventions of this genre allows me to say what I want to say clearly and concisely. Because this form does not typically include pictures, I have to make sure that my words are getting the right message across to my audience. I haven't come up with a title yet, and I am a little worried about that because I am not really that creative. But we'll see.
2. The production of this material actually went smoothly. I know that this is a very rough edit, and that this section (along with the rest of my first draft) will require a lot of revising. I am planning on making it longer, but I wanted to write the rest of my essay first and see if this is the way I want to open it up. But overall, it's looking good.
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Peer Review 10b
I will be reviewing Ben's Rhetorical Analysis. This assignment just provides the writer with a complete understanding of the project. I used questions from pages 70-73 in the Student's Guide to First-Year Writing.
It looks like Ben understands the purpose of this assignment very well. He took into consideration the possibility of his own biases, how the audience may react to his argument, and how he would deal with that reaction. His outline is very detailed, and describes how he will use genre conventions to assist his audience in understanding terms of his argument. I would suggest that he include how he would get the readers attention in his introduction.
I admired that he split up his rhetorical analysis into easy-to-read sections, and all had a heading.THis made it simple to follow.
Peer Review 10a
I will be reviewing Olivia's Content Outline. She is completing a Video Essay on the captivity of orcas in California. The content outline simply maps out how the argument will be organized. I used some of the questions and considerations given on pages 70-73 in the Student's Guide to First -Year Writing.
This outline is very detailed and specific. She has her 3 main ideas and pieces of evidence for each one written underneath it. Her intro takes genre conventions into consideration, and her closing deals with the real world significance of her issue. I would say that she could take genre conventions into consideration for her conclusion as well as her intro. She has lots of specific evidence, but no hyperlinked sources. It might be helpful to come back to this after research is done and add specific sources to certain parts of the outline. This helps organize the amount of research acquired.
I admired how specific she was throughout her content outline. She shows exactly what she wants and in what order, but also why she wants it in that order and how she is going to make her audience care.
This outline is very detailed and specific. She has her 3 main ideas and pieces of evidence for each one written underneath it. Her intro takes genre conventions into consideration, and her closing deals with the real world significance of her issue. I would say that she could take genre conventions into consideration for her conclusion as well as her intro. She has lots of specific evidence, but no hyperlinked sources. It might be helpful to come back to this after research is done and add specific sources to certain parts of the outline. This helps organize the amount of research acquired.
I admired how specific she was throughout her content outline. She shows exactly what she wants and in what order, but also why she wants it in that order and how she is going to make her audience care.
Reflection
I am very excited to start working on this project because it is in a genre that I am really familiar with. I can't wait to research more into my topic
The successes of this week included finally choosing a topic to focus on, beginning research on it, and creating an outline of what I want to do for my project. Also, I made a production schedule to help with my time management
The challenges of this week also included choosing a topic to focus on. I knew I was going to focus on this for the next month, so I wanted to choose something that would fit the project, but also keep me interested for that amount of time. This topic seems like something I could continuously learn about over the next month
If I stick to my Production Schedule, then this week should go well. I do have several other big assignments due this week, so I am a little nervous about getting everything done.
Overall I am feeling pretty good about this project. I think once I get all of my research done, the making of the genre will go smoothly.
Production Schedule
Here is my production schedule for this upcoming week to create my Standard College Essay on the lack of diversity in Hollywood.
Introduction
Arbol Study Room
Monday, April 4th, 3 pm
Research
4-4-16 4 pm
After completion, revise for grammar, sentence fluency etc.
Body #1
Arbol Study Room
Tuesday April 5th, 9 pm
Research, laptop, internet access
4-5-16 10 pm
Revisions: grammar sentence fluency etc.
Body #2
Arbol Study room
Wednesday April 6th, 9 pm
Research, laptop, internet access
4-6-16 10 pm
Revisions grammar, sentence fluency etc.
Body #3
Arbol Study room
Thursday April 7th 8 pm
Research, laptop, internet access
4-7-16 9 pm
Revisions, grammar, sentence fluency etc.
Conclusion
Arbol Study room
Sunday April 10th, 3 pm
Research, laptop, internet access
4-10-16, 4 pm
Revisions for grammar, sentence fluency etc
Content Outline
This is my content outline for my Standard College Essay about the controversy surrounding the casting of a Black Hermione for the play sequel to the Harry Potter series, as well as a lack of diversity in the entertainment business.
Intro
Body
Body
Conclusion
Intro
- brief background info about diversity in Hollywood
- overview of casting of Hermione in Harry Potter Sequel
Body
Extent of diversity in Hollywood, New York, and the entire entertainment business
Statistics of colored directors/producers/actors compared to white
What happens if some groups aren't represented in the entertainment business?
Body
- Description of personal experiences with Harry Potter series
- how I initially assumed everyone was white when I first read the books (why did I do that?)
- If they had cast a Black Hermione in all of the movies, would things change? Personally and culturally?
- Specific event: Casting of hermione
- Bad reactions
- Good reactions
- Which one is right?
Conclusion
- How the effect of choosing culturally diverse actors for movies affects how we think about society as a whole
- Black Hermione could be just what we need as a society (to start changing the way we experience and consume things)
- Closing sentence
Research Report
For this Research Report, I will be researching into the controversy surrounding the casting of Black Hermione, but also the history regarding the lack of diversity in all of Hollywood and abroad.
1st Source
My first source is from Vanity Fair. It is titled "Why a Black Hermione Has Harry Potter Fans, and Even J.K. Rowling, So Excited" and it did not indicate an author. Because this is posted on Vanity Fair, the main target audience is probably the general public, or those interested in entertainment issues or topics. The main purpose of this article is to first explain the situation and why people are upset about this, but then calm everyone down by showing J.K. Rowling's perspective on it.
2nd Source
This source is from Independent, and it is titled, "JK Rowling, we all know you didn't write Hermione as black in the Harry Potter books- but it doesn't matter" by Kayleigh Anne. This is her only article on this website. The target audience is also mainly those interested in issues related to entertainment, TV, or movies. I think the author of this article wanted to be as transparent as possible about her beliefs in saying that Hermione was originally meant to be white. But it doesn't matter, because a black Hermione is just as interesting, if not more.
3rd Source
"Harry Potter and the contradictions about racial justice" by Noah Berlatsky is from The Guardian. Noah has an extensive list of articles written for the Guardian. The target audience for this article is probably people interested in social issues, as well as those interested in literature and its role in society. This article's purpose is to get people thinking about how having Hermione be black changes some of the story. Suddenly all of the "mudblood" insults have double meanings, and meanings that can be examples in today's society.
4th Source
This article from the New York Times written by Manohla Dargis, Wesley Morris and A.O. Scott is titled "Oscars So White? Or Oscars So Dumb? Discuss." Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott both have written for the New York Times previously, Wesley Morris has not. The target audience for this article are people who are interested in social issues, and more specifically the entertainment industry's role in solving these issues. The purpose of this article is to analyze the "Oscars So White" movement. They talk about why this is suddenly an issue now, when there has been a lack of diversity in the movie industry for years.
5th Source
This source is actually a podcast from NPR that was scripted onto their website. It is titled "Researchers Examine Hollywood's Lack Of Diversity." David Greene hosts, and has a number of guests included in this excerpt from his podcast. David Greene has worked at NPR for many years, but begun this podcast in 2012. The target audience for this source would be people who are looking for a more scientific perspective on social issues, and the issue of lack of diversity in particular. The purpose of this podcast is to respond to the outburst over Oscar Nominees and present studies that explain why this is happening.
6th Source
"'Black Hermione' Casting in Harry Potter Play Sets Off Twitter Firestorm" is from Mediaite, and it is written by Andrew Husband.
7th Source
Claire Fallon from Huffington Post wrote an article called, "'Black Hermione' Backlash Proves Outrage Is About Race, Not Canon."
8th Source
The Guardian posted an article titled, "Lack of diversity in film industry costs Hollywood big money, report finds," by Edward Helmore.
9th Source
"Depressing New Study Confirms Hollywood Is So, So,So, So White (and Male, and Straight)" is an article from Vulture, by Nate Jones.
10th Source
BBC News posted an article called, "Hollywood films 'do not reflect diversity' in US" and no author was indicated.
1st Source
My first source is from Vanity Fair. It is titled "Why a Black Hermione Has Harry Potter Fans, and Even J.K. Rowling, So Excited" and it did not indicate an author. Because this is posted on Vanity Fair, the main target audience is probably the general public, or those interested in entertainment issues or topics. The main purpose of this article is to first explain the situation and why people are upset about this, but then calm everyone down by showing J.K. Rowling's perspective on it.
2nd Source
This source is from Independent, and it is titled, "JK Rowling, we all know you didn't write Hermione as black in the Harry Potter books- but it doesn't matter" by Kayleigh Anne. This is her only article on this website. The target audience is also mainly those interested in issues related to entertainment, TV, or movies. I think the author of this article wanted to be as transparent as possible about her beliefs in saying that Hermione was originally meant to be white. But it doesn't matter, because a black Hermione is just as interesting, if not more.
3rd Source
"Harry Potter and the contradictions about racial justice" by Noah Berlatsky is from The Guardian. Noah has an extensive list of articles written for the Guardian. The target audience for this article is probably people interested in social issues, as well as those interested in literature and its role in society. This article's purpose is to get people thinking about how having Hermione be black changes some of the story. Suddenly all of the "mudblood" insults have double meanings, and meanings that can be examples in today's society.
4th Source
This article from the New York Times written by Manohla Dargis, Wesley Morris and A.O. Scott is titled "Oscars So White? Or Oscars So Dumb? Discuss." Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott both have written for the New York Times previously, Wesley Morris has not. The target audience for this article are people who are interested in social issues, and more specifically the entertainment industry's role in solving these issues. The purpose of this article is to analyze the "Oscars So White" movement. They talk about why this is suddenly an issue now, when there has been a lack of diversity in the movie industry for years.
5th Source
This source is actually a podcast from NPR that was scripted onto their website. It is titled "Researchers Examine Hollywood's Lack Of Diversity." David Greene hosts, and has a number of guests included in this excerpt from his podcast. David Greene has worked at NPR for many years, but begun this podcast in 2012. The target audience for this source would be people who are looking for a more scientific perspective on social issues, and the issue of lack of diversity in particular. The purpose of this podcast is to respond to the outburst over Oscar Nominees and present studies that explain why this is happening.
6th Source
"'Black Hermione' Casting in Harry Potter Play Sets Off Twitter Firestorm" is from Mediaite, and it is written by Andrew Husband.
7th Source
Claire Fallon from Huffington Post wrote an article called, "'Black Hermione' Backlash Proves Outrage Is About Race, Not Canon."
8th Source
The Guardian posted an article titled, "Lack of diversity in film industry costs Hollywood big money, report finds," by Edward Helmore.
9th Source
"Depressing New Study Confirms Hollywood Is So, So,So, So White (and Male, and Straight)" is an article from Vulture, by Nate Jones.
10th Source
BBC News posted an article called, "Hollywood films 'do not reflect diversity' in US" and no author was indicated.
Rhetorical Analysis of Project 3
For Project 3, I will be focusing on the controversy surrounding the casting of a Black Hermione in the stage production of the sequel of the Harry Potter series.
Author:
For this project, I will be drawing from my own knowledge of both the books and movies. I have read all of the books, and seen all of the movies. I basically grew up with this characters and this story. I will be drawing upon my experiences when I first read the books and my views on the whole situation. I will also be researching the history of race in entertainment as a social issue to see how long this has been a problem.
Audience
I will be making this for the other fans of this series, as well as anyone interested in the controversy surrounding the lack of diversity in the entertainment business. On one hand, this could mean that the fans of the series are upset with the casting, and prefer the traditional looking Hermione (like Emma Watson). On the other hand, people who are frustrated with Hollywood and the entertainment busines with the lack of diversity will be very supportive of this new casting.
Purpose/Message:
For Project 3, I want to use my own perspective of growing up with these movies and the impact the type of casting had on me, and how it would have been different if they had cast more racially diverse characters for the movies. Would this casting still be a big deal? Would the movies have impacted me differently? I am hoping that doing this will shed some light on why this the lack of diversity is such a problem, and how it is affecting viewers.
Context:
I will be writing a standard college essay for this project. This genre is generally understood by people with a high school degree and higher education. I have a lot of experience with this genre, because many of my other classes have required writing multiple essays. I am very comfortable with this genre, and I think that will benefit me in the process of creating it. The two most effective conventions are organization and
I am painfully uninformed about the history regarding the lack of diversity in Hollywood, so I will be doing research on that, including statistics on movies directed and produced by culturally diverse people, as well as those being cast. Many people are talking about this, including The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Independent, and People.
I think the counter arguments I will have to respond to include evidence from the books that J.K. Rowling never intended for a black Hermione, and that she was always meant to be an pale white 12 year old.
Author:
For this project, I will be drawing from my own knowledge of both the books and movies. I have read all of the books, and seen all of the movies. I basically grew up with this characters and this story. I will be drawing upon my experiences when I first read the books and my views on the whole situation. I will also be researching the history of race in entertainment as a social issue to see how long this has been a problem.
Audience
I will be making this for the other fans of this series, as well as anyone interested in the controversy surrounding the lack of diversity in the entertainment business. On one hand, this could mean that the fans of the series are upset with the casting, and prefer the traditional looking Hermione (like Emma Watson). On the other hand, people who are frustrated with Hollywood and the entertainment busines with the lack of diversity will be very supportive of this new casting.
Purpose/Message:
For Project 3, I want to use my own perspective of growing up with these movies and the impact the type of casting had on me, and how it would have been different if they had cast more racially diverse characters for the movies. Would this casting still be a big deal? Would the movies have impacted me differently? I am hoping that doing this will shed some light on why this the lack of diversity is such a problem, and how it is affecting viewers.
Context:
I will be writing a standard college essay for this project. This genre is generally understood by people with a high school degree and higher education. I have a lot of experience with this genre, because many of my other classes have required writing multiple essays. I am very comfortable with this genre, and I think that will benefit me in the process of creating it. The two most effective conventions are organization and
I am painfully uninformed about the history regarding the lack of diversity in Hollywood, so I will be doing research on that, including statistics on movies directed and produced by culturally diverse people, as well as those being cast. Many people are talking about this, including The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Independent, and People.
I think the counter arguments I will have to respond to include evidence from the books that J.K. Rowling never intended for a black Hermione, and that she was always meant to be an pale white 12 year old.
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