Thesis Proposal

Primary Texts:
Super Mario Bro. (1985) by Nintendo Entertainment System.
Call of Duty 1 (2003) by Activision.

Secondary Source: (from EBSCO Host database)
Video Games World by Michael Jindra
Violence and Video Games by Royal Van Horn
Editorial: Life is a Game by Gary Hoppenstand
When Spectators Become Performers: Contemporary Performance-Entertainments Meet the Needs of an "Unsettled" Audience by Kurt Lancaster

Thesis Statement:
Today video games have gone significantly far beyond the point of entertainment and become more complex and intellectual since after the 1990s. The video games Super Mario Bros (1985) and Call of Duty (2003) are the two examples clearly showing how video games have become more sophisticated in many ways that the society can either benefits or hurts from it.

Thesis Proposal

Primary Text:

Toy Story by. John Lasseter

Incredibles by. Brad Bird

Scholarly Sources:

Pop Culture in America

White, David Manning

Chichago: Quadrangle Books c1970

 Thesis:

Animated movies such as Toy Story to the Incredibles have bacame more complex over time. Now its not just a simple story line over a day but it shows the life of the characters and compares to life today.

 

Thesis Proposal

Television shows have become an intellectually, stimulating and challenging force for children since the past 20 years. Recently, the use of television as an educational tool for healthy entertainment has developed kids’ cognitive abilities in remarkable new ways.

Primary Sources:

Sesame Street TV show by Jim Henson (1969-today)

Felix the Cat (1922)

Secondary Sources:

-Mass media in a mass society: myth and reality/Author: Richard Hoggart

-Television as an instrument of Terror/Author: Arthur Asa Berges

-Sesame Street and the reform of children's television / Robert W. Morrow. Publisher Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, c2006.

-Taking sides: clashing views on controversial issues in mass media and society /Author: Allison Alexander

Thesis Proposal

Primary Sources:

-Boiler Room

-Wall Street

Secondary Sources:

Fraser, Steve. Every Man a Speculator A History of Wall Street in American Life (P.S.). New York: Harper Perennial, 2006.

Pedersen, Jason A. Wall Street primer the players, deals, and mechanics of the U.S. securities market. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2008.

Stevenson, Robert Joseph. Boiler room and other telephone sales scams. Urbana: University of Illinois P, 1998.

Thesis Statement:

In comparing these two films, there is a more profound narrative complexity in Boiler Room requiring a more active, cognitive attention span to follow the narrative threads of each character. Wall Street contains less of these threads throughout it's story line, thus agreeing with The Sleeper Curve argument in Johnson's Everything Bad is Good for You in that today's blockbusters are causing audiences to be more cognitively active while watching a film.

"thesis proposal"

My first primary text is Scarface (1983) as the pre-1990 text; directed by Brian De Palma and written by Oliver Stone. My second primary text is Departed (2006) as the post-1990 text; directed by Martine Scorsese and written by William Monahan. Both are crime drama genres.

My first outside scholarly source is The Popular Culture Economy by Don Cusic, Journal of Popular Culture; Winter2001, Vol. 35 Issue 3, p1, 10p, 7 charts. My second outside scholarly source is Popular culture, cultural resistance, and anticonsumption activism: An exploration of culture jamming as critical adult education by Jennifer A. Sandlin, New Directions for Adult & Continuing Education; Fall2007 Issue 115, p73-82, 10p.

My thesis is that movies becoming smarter and more visually appealing from pre-1990 to post-1990 proves that popular culture has progressed technologically over the past 20 years.

Thesis Proposal

Primary Texts

H.G. Wells' 1938 broadcast of "War of the Worlds" 

Steven Spielberg's 2005 "War of the Worlds" with Tom Cruise 

Secondary Texts (as of now)

The Hyped Panic Over 'War of the Worlds by Michael Socolow     Chronicle of Higher Education; 10/24/2008, Vol. 55 Issue 9, p35-35, 1

Future's End: Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (2005). by Jason Vest     Film & History (03603695); May2006, Vol. 36 Issue 1, p67-71, 5p

Thesis

Since the 1938 broadcast of H.G. Wells' "war of the worlds" the face of entertainment has evolved to the point that we need more than a spellbinding story to meet our sensory needs, thus in 2005 Steven Spielberg turned the 1938 radio broadcast has turned into a special effects wielding, action packed thriller designed to keep people on the edge of their seat.

-John DeGirolamo 

Thesis Proposal

The idea of the hero in the late 20th and early 21st century has shifted from a noble and idealistic, to rational and realistic.

Primary Sources:
Batman: The Movie (1966)
The Dark Knight (2008)

Secondary Sources:

Batman Unmasked

By Will Brooker

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=GNRreYO91ogC&oi=fnd&pg=PP9&dq=batman+hero&ots=a0P_ctrnvQ&sig=_ZKIuhNtaFbKjRbhEWMGLkSXrGY#PPP1,M1

Beowulf to Batman: The Epic Hero and Pop Culture

Roger B. Rollin

http://www.jstor.org/stable/374059?cookieSet=1

Thesis Proposal

Primary Texts:

- The A Team
- 24

Secondary Texts:

- EUREKA! Real science breaks into TV shows. Christian Science Monitor, 08827729, 1/29/2009, Vol. 101, Issue 44
- So much media, so little attention span USA Today, MAR 31, 2005
- Best Drama Series. By: Carter, Alan, Television Week, 15440516, 1/10/2005, Vol. 24, Issue 2
- Ticks and Chicks USA Today, 07347456, FEB 13, 2007

Thesis Statement:

The increasingly complex environment of popular culture demands the complicated narrative content of modern television shows. Despite the passive nature of watching television, the material of television dramas requires a higher level of cognitive awareness than in previous decades.

Thesis Proposal

Primary Texts
- "South Park" Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (1997-present)

-"The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show" Created by Charles Shulz (1983-1985)

Scholarly Sources
-"Goin' Down to South Park" by Barry Fagin

-"Still Going Potty in College" by Michael Brody

Thesis
-Although today's entertainment features crude and violent humor, it can still educate and help develop the minds of its adolescent viewers, in a good way. Animated shows have become more complex and dynamic. These shows help educate and will continue to show their importance in our culture in the future.

Thesis Proposal

My thesis is that I agree with Johnson's points about our culture has become more intellectual over time. Video games have helped our society move foward positively and help our society grow intellectually. The two examples I compare are the Grand Theft Auto series of this decade and the Pac-Man game from the 1980's. 

PRIMARY TEXTS

The Grand Theft Auto Series (2000's)

Pac-Man (1980's)

Secondary Sources

"The Effects of Video Games on Adolescents and Adults" by Gordon M. Heart

"Video Games Make People Violent-Well, Maybe Not That Game : Effects of Content and Person Abstraction On Perceptions of Violent Video Games Effects and Support Censorship" By James D. Ivory and Sriram Kalyanaraman

Thesis Proposal

Primary text:
Video games
-Super Mario Bros. 1 (Developed by: Nintendo Entertainment System-1985)
-Grand Theft Auto 4 (Developed by: Rockstar North-2008)

Outside Sources (Obtained from Academic Search Premier)
-"The Games We Play" by Kevin A. Hassett (States that games are disconnecting the older generations and younger generations due to lack of shared experience)
-"Video Games: the Latest Scapegoat for Violence" by Christopher J. Ferguson (Basically states that human beings are naturally imitative and therefore mimic what they see one television and in video games)

Thesis:
Contemporary popular culture is far from educational in the classical sense and with the advancement of technology such as gaming, individuals will increasingly become more disconnected from each other in society.

Thesis Proposal

Primary text : TV shows
-Two and a Half Men
-Full House

Scholarly sources :
"Technology and Informal Education: What Is Taught, What Is Learned" by Greenfield, Patricia M.
"American Popular Culture: Should We Integrate it into American Education?"
by Fain Jr., Thomas A.

Thesis statement :
While society claimed that television shows are intellectually declining, television shows are clearly becoming more sophisticated in many ways that viewers can benefits. Instead of a decrease in popular culture, there is progression.

Thesis Proposal

Primary Text: -The Amityville Horror movie (1979)
-The Amityville Horror movie remake(2005)

Outside sources: "Movie remakes are tiresome and insult the intelligence." by Carter, Richard

"The positives and negatives of horror movie remakes" by John Gugie


Thesis: Movie production has taken a significant step forward since the pre 90's period, but the same can not be said for content and quality, and no other movies show more signs of this than the horror genre, especially horror movie remakes. The mass consumer culture are more into special effects and cheap thrills in which these watered- down movies offer them.

Primary Texts: 

-Saving Private Ryan 

-Full Metal Jacket 

Outside Sources:

-Criss-Crossings of Robert Siodmak: The Time and Space of Cinematic Exile by Laura Heins 

-Apacalypse hen and Now by Jennie Yabroff 

Thesis:

-The film and media aspects of todays culture can be said to be "dumbed-down" compared to the films of past decades. The Film Saving Private Ryan, compared to film Full Metal Jacket shows how film has actually improved in sophistication rather than decreased. 

 

THESIS PROPOSAL

Popular culture is presently more complex and intellectually demanding of its audiences to supply the demand for more intuitive and technologically advanced forms of entertainment. Compared to past popular culture, the popular culture today requires a more intellectually sophisticated understanding.

Scholarly Sources

1. Author: Fisher, Roy

Title: Education in Popular Culture: Telling Tales on Teachers and Learners

2. Title: Continuities in Popular Culture: The Present in the Past & the Past in the Present and Future

Edited By: Ray B. Browne and Ronald J. Ambrosetti

Primary Text
-James Bond: Goldfinger (1964)

Directed By: Guy Hamilton

U.S. December 22, 1964

-James Bond: Quantum of Solace (2008)

Directed By: Marc Forster

U.S. November 14, 2008

Thesis Proposal

Primary Texts:

-The Price is Right
-MTV's The Duel

Outside Sources:

-"Critical Thinking: The Key to Emotional Intelligence" -Linda Elder
-"Why People watch Reality TV" -Steven Reiss & James Wiltz

Thesis:

Although Reality TV is often seen as the dregs of programming today, it has become a staple in our culture. Contrary to popular belief, reality TV- particularly game shows, have increased in cognitive complexity, as well as the benefits seen by the viewer when watching these programs in the past two decades.

Thesis Proposal

My essay will center around the media form of video games, arguing that they have become increasingly more complex.  My argument will juxtapose the games Pole Position (Namco: 1982) and Duck Hunt (Nintendo: 1984) against the games Forza 2 Motorsport (Microsoft Game Studios: 2007) and Call of Duty: World at War (Activision: 2008).  One secondary source is The Effects of Video Games on Adolescents and Adults by Gordon M. Hart, Ph.D. Another is Technology and Informal Education: What is Taught, What is Learned by Patricia Greenfield.

Thesis:  Video games have become increasingly more complex and, in turn, challenge gamers more than ever.

STEVEN JOHNSON ON YOUTUBE

Man On Wire

6 August 1974
showed Philippe on a unicycle dressed in black -- clownish--unique--against the grain.
Alan--nervous guy--not trusted by Philippe--American
Philippe's girlfriend said he had to "follow his destiny"--he wanted to be a tight rope walker
the film seems like a heist film ... something bad is going to happen to the twin towers
--don't have sky scrapers in France
Everyone was frightened except for Philippe.
--Guards almost catch them
--Almost drop the rope/arrow
--after some of these things happen he finally gets to walk and the cops show up
--crosses the line back and forth 8 times --as if to mock the officers-- then finally is arrested
--loses all friendships and relationship with his girlfriend afterward
Everyone is still touched by it though

Man on Wire

Man on Wire tells the story of Phillipe Petite and his dream to tightrope walk between the two World Trade Center twin towers. Petite was very passionate about his career as a tightrope walker. Throughout the story we see how the plans to tightrope walk the towers played out. Petite needed his friends to help him pull off his dangerous stunt. Petite also had his girlfriend to support and encourage him along the way. In order to gain access to the roof of the towers to bring up the equipment Petite and his friends created fake ID's and fake invoices. Also, before the plan was set into action Petite also surveyed the building, its surroundings, and the people who would walk in the building and work in the building so he could find out exactly what went on in the building to see how he would get the equipment he needed inside to pull off his stunt. Petite also made diagrams, maps, sketches, and models of the twin tower buildings to see how he could pull off his act and get inside the building when the time came to bring the equipment inside. Looking at this brings 9-11 to my mind since what Petite was doing could have been considered terrorism since legally he would not have been allowed to do what he was doing. After Petite pulled off his tightrope walking act on the twin towers he was of course arrested, but was set free rather quickly on certain conditions. Afterward Petite slept with another woman, not his girlfriend though, it was a spur of the moment type of thing. If I remember correctly he split up with his girlfriend after pulling off his tightrope act on the twin towers. Petite would not have been able to accomplish this act if not for the help of his friends, although when the plans were taking effect one of his friends did bail out, but the rest stayed by to see his plan through. In my mind I believe Petite is a hero because he accomplished his dream, and he was very passionate about his career and dreams. So in the end Petite did what he wanted and was very happy and proud of his accomplishment.