We Are The 1%

This week our group has chosen to analyze a video from collegehumor.com. The clip deals with the "1% minority", which in this case are the very wealthy people of society. The video was published on October 24, 2011. Do you think this relates to the content of the video? Pay attention to the signs the protesters are carrying, and they're comments. What kind of emotions does this video try to evoke in viewers as they watch it? Is the video successful at instilling these emotions? What kind of comment do you think the creators of this video are trying to make about our country's wealth?

Here's the clip:

http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6633406/we-are-the-1

Smug Alert

Here is a clip our group has chosen to present to you. It’s from an episode of South Park titled "Smug Alert." To give you some background on the episode, Kyle's dad and many others in South Park have begun to purchase hybrid cars. Kyle's dad eventually feels that South Park isn't “open minded” enough and decides to move his family to San Francisco. There then becomes an issue when a different kind of “environmental danger” called smug begins to pollute the air. The clip picks up as the effect of the smug is becoming noticed. The clip also shows how Kyle and his family have begun adjusting to life in San Francisco. Take the time to fully examine the dialogue between the characters and the suggested meanings behind it. Ask yourself what kind of message the creators were trying to send in making this episode. Go back and view the clip a couple times to see if there’s anything you might not have picked up on the first time. Assuming you find the clip humorous, you may want to think about how that effected the way you felt about it. As expected, the clip has some content that may be perceived as very immature, enjoy.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/104282/smuggy-san-francisco-town

Moms Against Climate Change

Please watch the following video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwrrikNeFZg&feature=player_embedded

The issue of climate change comes to surface in the commercial from a whole new perspective: the future generations that have to deal with our mishaps. The group, Moms Against Climate Change, created an astonishing image of kids rioting in the street with signs rejecting climate change while brutal police officers watch. A mad chase ensues, showing the children falling and fleeing from the merciless men. A few ways to view this video include gender and age. Some things to think about: To what extent does the use of children in this commercial impact our opinion on climate change? How does the group that created this video present themselves through it? How effective is this commercial? Which emotions did this bring out in you as an individual and how did the commercial elicit them?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anya-kamenetz/generation-debt-at-the-ba_b_1004110.html

This article connects the current Occupy Wall Street movement with the issue of student debt--an issue that concerns everyone in the class. The author claims that the bleak economic outlook has finally caused the youth of America to stand up and fight for their own self-interests. The comments also include an interesting debate on the role of college education in the "American dream" and the question of who's responsible for student debt.

Who is the target audience for this article? How does the article use the idea of the "American dream?" In what ways does it appeal to a sense of history or progress? How do the comments contribute to the discussion?

Be sure to use a prompt from the Blog Project assignment in order to focus your analysis.