In most weeks of this course, parallel to case studies of particular films, we will examine larger debates about violence in popular media. Like many controversies that become popular topics of conversation, these debates are often reduced to “clickbait”-style talking points that lose much of the nuance of the originating arguments. The goal of this assignment is to conduct a brief yet deep dive into a particular debate, and provide an objective, good faith account of the argument (including key points and evidence, if applicable) presented by each side of the debate. The key challenge here is to practice writing in a way that does not favour either side: While you quite likely will find yourself personally agreeing with one side of the debate over the other, in a successful paper, it will not be apparent to the reader which side that is. In essence, consider yourself temporarily taking on the role of a news reporter, seeking to present an unbiased account of the facts of the debate, and allow your reader to learn all of the relevant information so that they can come to their own informed conclusion about the issue. This is a short paper that should consist of approximately 300-350 words, and should cite a minimum of two sources, maximum three. These sources can include relevant course readings, other scholarly sources, and reputable non-scholarly sources, such as articles from online newspapers, magazines, and entertainment websites, or even an episode of a podcast. An ideal paper is likely to cite 2 sources, each one written from the perspective of someone on an opposing side of the debate. These sources need to be formally cited at the end of the paper, although you may use whatever academic citation style you prefer (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.). Regardless of what citation style you use, all in-text citations or footnote citations need to include page numbers (if working with a source that does not have page numbers, like an online news article, still indicate this by writing “n.p.”, short for “no pages”).
The debate you choose to focus on in this paper does not need to have any connection to the topic you ultimately choose for your final paper, but this assignment will nonetheless allow you to practice some valuable skills that will aid the development of your final project. Often in undergraduate writing assignments, you simply do not have time to fully consider all sides of an argument, and will read your potential sources quickly, specifically seeking out the passages that will support the argument you want to make. Here, you finally have the opportunity to slow down and really consider exactly what each side in an argument is saying, without any need to pinpoint the strengths of one at the expense of the other. Along these lines, here are some questions you might ask yourself while working on this assignment, in order to begin preparing for the final paper: What are the most convincing arguments made by parties on each side of this debate? Even if you strongly disagree with one of these parties, is it possible for you to understand why the presentation of their argument was convincing to others? How might this understanding of structuring a convincing argument help you to formulate a strong argument for your final paper in this course? If you think about presenting your future final paper to someone who strongly disagrees with the argument you are making, how might you show your understanding of their point of view, before transitioning into your evidence in favour of your own argument? (Note: these are not questions that should be answered within this assignment, this is just a way to provide yourself with a clear understanding of how your work on this assignment will translate to developing a stronger final paper).
The choice of what debate to focus on in this assignment is up to you: If there is a debate about violence and popular media that particularly interests you, such as one about a recently released piece of media, or one that has occurred outside of the North American context, you are welcome to pursue your own topic. If you would like some ideas, you are also welcome to write about a topic selected from this list (many of these debates also tie in to future weeks of the course, and you may cite relevant course readings from those weeks if you would like):
- Do mainstream “torture porn” films, such as the Saw or Hostel film franchises, go ‘too far’ in their graphic depictions of violence?
- Should social media websites employ more advanced forms of censorship, such as mandatory age-verification, in order to ensure that children are not being exposed to age-inappropriate violent content?
- There has been a recent social media trend referring to “Good For Her” films, in which female protagonists either enact, or are culpable in, vengeful violence against other characters–usually men–who have done harm to them (for example, Promising Young Woman, The Witch, and Midsommar). Are these films legitimately cathartic and empowering, or might they carry forward some of the same problems as earlier films that examined violence against women?
- Do the sometimes-violent lyrics and imagery of popular music and music videos–in particular, in genres such as heavy metal, rap, or rock music–have a negative impact on listeners, particularly children and adolescents?
- Do violent videogames, such as first-person shooters or open-world crime games like the GTA series, motivate aggressive or even violent impulses in people who play them?
- Is censorship of a violent piece of audiovisual media acceptable if there is evidence that it is motivating people to commit real, imitation acts of violence? (For example, A Clockwork Orange or Natural Born Killers)
- Should violence ever be depicted in audiovisual media aimed at children? How do we determine what level of violence is appropriate for children to see?
- Is it exploitative to create audiovisual entertainment based on real violent crimes? (For example, you might look at debates around true crime media, or Ryan Murphy’s controversial miniseries about famous serial killers)
- Does the formal stylization of violence (as in, for example, Quentin Tarantino’s films) glorify or glamourize violence in ways that are harmful to viewers?
- Is it possible to make an anti-war movie that visually depicts warfare?
Grading criteria:
The paper opens with a brief, clear identification of a relevant debate regarding violence and audiovisual media (3 points)
The paper effectively summarizes the key points presented on both sides of the debate (3 points)
The paper uses unbiased language to articulate each side of the debate–essentially, the grader should not be able to tell which arguments the paper’s writer agrees or disagrees with (3 points)
The paper accurately and effectively cites 2-3 well-chosen sources (3 points)