The American Family

i did a simple google search, "family simpsons" i think. one of the top results directed me to the "parents television council," whatever the heck that is. i think it is a conservative group that would only give positive ratings to shows like the tv show in the movie Pleasantville. anyway, check out this link and read what they have to say about the Simpsons. particularly intriguing is the last line about the "mixed message about parenthood" that the Simpsons sends, as if the wife isn't supposed to be the stable role model. weird.

anyway, this is an interesting secondary source about what detractors say about the Simpsons. there could easily be a quote or two pulled from this webpage, and of course you could use the "how to" guide for analyzing web sources to figure out the political agenda behind the creators of the site.

good luck, blob

Hi folks: Just wanted to let you know i posted a link to a very useful MLA style sheet on the left-hand column of the blog. Of course if you purchased the handbook, you will get much more information and better explanations, and it will be more handy...but if you have not purchased this, the electronic style sheet is enough to get you through the minimal requirements of the assignment..........Bob

hi folks.....i just wanted to say that i think the first two groups did a great job on their presentations. they also did a great job choosing songs, designing the cover art, etc. i hope they did not put too much pressure on the other groups. ha!

hope you are having a nice weekend, bob

check out this story: Ford Pulls Lustful Super Bowl Car Ad

i hope you are paying attention to little news tidbits like this. in the current ideological climate we live in, there is an amazing phenomenon occurring: people are beginning to censor themselves, instead of forcing external censors to regulate their behavior. ugh. this is a sure sign of the apocalypse in terms of the demise of free speech and freedom.......blob

hi folks......this is just a reminder that the outline i showed you on powerpoint #3 that used the following categories for comparison--audience, topic, context--was for example purposes only....i do not expect you to use only those categories, okay? you can choose the following criteria for your analysis:

repetitions
binaries
strands
anomalies
writer/speaker
audience
purpose
topic
context
ethos
logos
pathos
assumptions

also, do not limit yourself only to using 3 of these, or else you will be in danger of reproducing the dreaded five-paragraph theme. ha!

see you in class, blob

here is a link to the updated class schedule. i think it will be a good one for us the rest of the quarter...note that i added something about teaching you MLA format, and asking you to bring the grammar/punctuation/style handbook during week 8 or 9 i think it was.........blob

ps. i am really looking forward to the group presentations. please let me know if your group has any questions, etc. also, if you need it, we can obviously get a projector and a laptop for a powerpoint presentation when you are explaining the lyrics [you can always find them at lyrics.com and many other places i'm sure]...or if you want to use handouts with lyrics that would also be helpful.

hi class.......i guess if we had more time on wednesday, maybe we could have talked about the definition of a family ["a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head," according to merriam-webster's website]. if you choose to analyze and advertisement about a family, therefore, do not limit yourself to a photo with a husband/wife/child(ren). especially now in the 21st century, families are increasingly varied: single-parent households, same-sex households, "child-free" households, all exist and function as families.

hope you are having a good weekend, blob