There are numerous possibilities for this paper. Once again, write an 810
page research paper (with a cover page,
footnotes or endnotes, and bibliography). You will need to use at least 8 different readings and make at least 810
citations
(including journal articles, books, etc.). DO NOT USE Wikipedia! The idea behind this topic is to open up your writing and
analytical powers to a wider range of interests, and in order to make your visual literacy skills more useful and relevant to
the decoding of contemporary culture.
The Assignment:
Explore the notion of mediation (among other things) employed by advertisers in an effort to sell their products. Choose
several thematic print advertisements and deconstruct them in order to evaluate and analyze the subtextual message(s)
employed by the advertiser in order to elicit a response from the viewer. Do these ads appropriate their ideas from High Art
and culture? If so, be sure to discuss intertextuality. Discuss the signs involved and what they mean. What are the
connotations and denotations? Why would corporate interests want to use these particular images and the references that
they engender? You may want to choose a topic derived from one of the assigned chapters in Jean Kilbourneâs Canât Buy
My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel, but you will need to expand your research beyond this
book alone.
On writing the paper:
1. The selection of a good thesis and supporting examples is an important part of producing a good paper. Be selective.
The paper is about how to look closely at works of art and how your evaluation of objects and images is expanded by the
specific context in which they are presented.
2. Write primarily with nouns and verbs. Avoid unnecessary (especially vague and imprecise) adjectives and adverbs.
3. Revise and rewrite. Proofread your work. Do not rely solely on “spell check.”
4. Use the dictionary to refer to words you do not fully understand.
5. Do not overstate, or excessively use qualifiers (such as very, rather, little, etc.).
6. Use orthodox diction and accurate spelling. (“Its” is possessive; “It’s” is a contraction for “it is,” “Its’ ” doesn’t exist. “Their”
is possessive, “They’re” is a contraction of “they are,” There is declarative).
7. Be clear. Make references clearly. (Do not use the word “this” as the subject of a sentence).
8. Do not let your opinions get in the way of your writing.
9. Get to the point quickly. Concentrate on quality of writing not quantity of words.
For help writing the paper contact me.
