The Daily Show "Summer of the Shark" http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-july-15-2002/i-know-what-you-did-last-summer-of-the-shark

This is a clip from the Daily Show about the media’s portrayal of the so called “Summer of the Shark” in 2002. Steven Colbert investigates and finds that it is actually the “Summer of Anything”.

Why do you think the media tends to turn small stories into large headlines and major news?

Do you think it is ethical for the media to use scare tactics in order to increase ratings?

Can you think of any more recent examples of the media taking a small or non story and turning it into major news?

Family Guy-Undecided Voters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YOh-rpvjYg

This clip from family guy is bringing up issues of the political world. In it, two people are running for mayor- Mayor West and Mrs. Griffin. The people are asking the two in the race about what they will do if they receive the office. The candidates responses are quite absurd.

What is this clip implying about voters?

What is being criticized?

Why do you think the undecided voters are portrayed as unintelligent?

It's a Jersey Thing

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/360401/the-jersey-problem

South park is known to hold no punches throughout its tenure on television and it continued that tradition by making New Jersey and the cast of "Jersey Shore" its next victims.

1.) Given the seemingly meteoric rise of the "Jersey Shore" how does their lives portrayed in the television reflect upon the viewers of varying ages?

2.) What does the clip suggest about people residing or who are from New Jersey and what impact does that have on them living else where?

3.) In the end of the clip Shelia says "You wouldn't understand, it's a Jersey thing." What do you think can be implied by that?

South Park: The Attack of Global Warming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nShKMP7KXk

In this clip the writers are making a mockery of how society and the government handles the global warming issues of today's world. The reactions of the townspeople is a representation of what may occur if this was to happen.

1.) What's the writers of this piece suggesting about Global Warming and the towns peoples reaction?

2.) What is the noticeable environmental contradiction to global warming?

3.) What do you think the mans performance at the end represents in respects to peoples current view on global warming?

Mapple

The clip attached is from The Simpsons. As we all know from personal experience in class, The Simpsons uses satire to raise awareness of issues that society is facing at the time. In the case of the clip, The Simpsons focuses on Apple and its customers. Overall, the clip shows a public announcement from the Mapple CEO, Steve Mobs. With a little help from Bart, the announcement doesn't go exactly as planned...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZGIn9bpALo

What do the reactions of the audience reveal about their view of Apple and them as individuals?

How does the announcement (before and after Bart's "help") criticize Apple as a company?

Is the announcement criticizing anything besides just Apple? If so, what/who?

Futurama eyePhone Clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaHUpWuqNHY

This clip is from the television show Futurama, which is a cartoon that is set in the future. Satire is used in this example to poke fun at the iPhone craze and Apple as a company. I think we all know one or two victims of the iPhone craze so it shouldn't be hard to get a laugh out of this clip.

What do the features of the "Eye phone" suggest about what an iPhone provides its customers?

In what ways does Futurama's portrayal of Apple criticize the company?

What do Fry's actions suggest about iPhone customers?

Family Guy Clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlIm-riMN6Q

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 2:39 AM

Family Guy is a show well known for it's rhetorical jokes and bizarre humor. At times they poke fun at the government and political situations. Through Brian and Stewie's enrollment with military we see in this short clip how satire is used to address controversial topics.

How is Family Guy trying to portray homosexuality in the military?

What point were the writers trying to get across when the guy says "Democracy just kicked in"?

Are there any repeating themes that use satire to address certain topics?

Do you the writers alienate the audience with the satire used?

I Had A Dream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5FR1LGsT7E

This clip depicts a scene in the satirical show, The Boondocks. It unveils a message to the Black/African-American society, that they are not living up to the dream of Martin Luther King Jr.. From the clip, we see that satire is used in the language of Dr. King's speech, and also through his diction choice. More noticeably, through his use of the N-word and stereotypical views he saw in our current society.

How did the creators of The Boondocks want to portray Martin Luther King Jr in this clip? What are some examples of this?

Looking at the clip, how is the setting depicted before Dr. King makes his speech? And what is meant by the scene as a whole?

What could be a common theme for this speech going into Martin Luther King Day? Is or is not his dream still alive today? Does the clips, Martin Luther King Jr. agree or disagree with you?

Office Space Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBV9WkfZdvw&feature=relate

This trailer advertises a movie called, "Office Space." In it, a regular white-collar employee of a large corporation mounts his own revolt against his infuriating 9 to 5 lifestyle. From the trailer, we can see that the makers of the movie produce humor by satirizing corporate america. The minor irritations of the office environment are highlighted comically as evidence of what can make the workforce a frustrating and demoralizing experience.

In what ways is narrative progression created in this trailer? Does the trailer tell a story, provide us with an idea of the plot, etc.? Provide some examples of how the trailer's content tells us about what this movie is about.

How might the makers of the movie want us to feel about the main character? How have the makers endeavored to make us identify with Peter's experience of the workforce?

Based on what we see in this trailer, how have the movie's creators employed setting and space to represent the frustrations and/or restrictions of the workforce? Provide some examples.