Cultural+Criticism+Essay

Cultural Criticism Essay

What do Hollywood movies tell us about our world? Movies pretend to be set in the world around us, but they’re really made up of imagined characters moving around on constructed sets. Movies, television, and ads surround us with images that seem very familiar, but do they really reflect the world we live in?

Choose one of the following prompts:


 * #1 - We have watched //Singin’ in the Rain// and //Some Like it Hot//. These two movies clearly show 1950s attitudes toward gender roles. What societal attitudes do these movies reinforce? Are there any common attitudes that they undermine? Develop a thesis about Hollywood movies and gender roles. Choose two or three major cultural assumptions about gender and use six examples from these films to support your thesis. (Two body paragraphs need three examples each; three body paragraphs need two examples each.)


 * #2 –Do men always run the world? Do men and women always love each other? Is the world made up entirely of white people? Do men have all the power? Is financial opportunity entirely based on marrying wealth? Consider movies, television shows and ads. How do these either support or undermine common ideas about how the world is set up? What do we show ourselves with the entertainment and advertising we produce? Develop a thesis that addresses these issues and give six examples to support it. (Two body paragraphs need three examples each; three body paragraphs need two examples each.)

Look at your class notes, your chart of notes on Popeye and ads, and your notes on Literary and Cultural Criticism (orange sheet). Consider other movies and ads that have been important to you as you were growing up. Be specific about the examples you use in your essay, and be sure to explain how each example supports your point.