Rhetoric and Cultural Studies
In addition to my independent research, I have studied rhetorical and cultural theories in my coursework. I have included two pieces from my course in Rhetoric of Humor and a piece from my course in Cultural Studies.
The two rhetorical analyses are from Rhetoric of Humor. In both pieces, I perform close reading analyses of the uses of humor as rhetorical strategies to make serious arguments. These works demonstrate my command of rhetoric, my ability to perform close reading analyses, and my interest in humor theory, which I also used in one of my courses in Ireland. Additionally, I have included my work in Cultural Studies because this essay also demonstrates my interest in connections between people.
Rhetorical Analysis of a Visual Text
In "No One Protects You from Teenage Girls like Allstate," I analyze one of the Allstate "Mayhem" commercials for its use of humor to persuade the audience. I chose this commercial for my visual analysis because when I began to study humor I was intrigued by how a my favorite funny commercial actually dealt with a serious issue, like car accidents that are actually scary and disconcerting.
The two rhetorical analyses are from Rhetoric of Humor. In both pieces, I perform close reading analyses of the uses of humor as rhetorical strategies to make serious arguments. These works demonstrate my command of rhetoric, my ability to perform close reading analyses, and my interest in humor theory, which I also used in one of my courses in Ireland. Additionally, I have included my work in Cultural Studies because this essay also demonstrates my interest in connections between people.
Rhetorical Analysis of a Visual Text
In "No One Protects You from Teenage Girls like Allstate," I analyze one of the Allstate "Mayhem" commercials for its use of humor to persuade the audience. I chose this commercial for my visual analysis because when I began to study humor I was intrigued by how a my favorite funny commercial actually dealt with a serious issue, like car accidents that are actually scary and disconcerting.
Rhetorical Analysis of a Written Text
For my written humorous text I chose David Sedaris' essay "Jesus Shaves" from his book Me Talk Pretty One Day. I related to this piece because at the time, I was taking French as well, and his explanation of learning French was both entertaining and accurate. But, as I explored this piece more thoroughly, I realized he is actually making a serious argument through humor. In this piece, "Seriously Silly: Jesus Shaves Like Everyone Else," I examine the kinds of humor Sedaris uses to make a subtle, serious argument.
Cultural Studies Analysis
I am also interested in theories in cultural studies and how people connect through cultural practices. In "The Hot Topic: Redefining Lines," I related a store in the Mall of Louisiana to Deleuze and Parnet's theory of molar lines, molecular lines, and lines of flight. I enjoyed writing this piece because of how well this theory connects everyday life and people through seemingly random interest to create something entirely new.