For next Wednesday...

This is to give you an idea of what to do with your proposal. It should identify a specific media text, describe it briefly, and offer two or three questions you might ask about it in your paper. (Note: titles of films, television programs, video games, music albums, and publications such as books and magazines go in italics.)

Sample Topic Proposals (JMC Spring 2007)

+Sample topic proposal: Pirates of the Caribbean

For my assignment I would like to write about the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Dead Man’s Chest was an incredibly successful release in the summer of 2006. How does Hollywood create blockbuster films like this one to appeal to viewers of all ages, but especially to children? How was the film made to generate income through “tie-ins” such as toys and games, soundtrack recordings, and other forms of merchandising? By considering questions like these, I want to understand how Hollywood makes successful blockbuster films.

+Sample topic proposal: ESPN The Magazine

For my assignment I would like to write about the bi-weekly sports magazine ESPN. ESPN is a large-format glossy magazine about American sports that tries to project a cool, young attitude. How does ESPN try to appeal to men and especially young men? How does it try to extend the “brand” created by the cable television channel ESPN? Answering these questions will help me understand what makes this magazine appeal to readers.

+Sample topic proposal: Laguna Beach

For my assignment I would like to write about MTV’s “docu-soap” program Laguna Beach, which recently finished its third season. Laguna Beach is a reality program that follows the lives of a group of beautiful high school students in a very rich community on the ocean in California. I am interested in how Laguna uses contemporary popular music to help tell its stories and also in looking at how MTV uses programming rather than music videos to promote songs and bands. I am also interested in how MTV combines TV and the internet. By looking at these issues, I hope to understand more about how cable television shows try to make programming that young viewers will want to watch.