Celebrity News 02.26.13

• Did Seth MacFarlane bomb at the Oscars? (Time)
• Just two days later, Oscar-inspired gowns are ready to wear (StyleCaster)
• Will drones become the new paparazzi? (DigitalJournal)
• Kim Kardashian: "I'm ready to be a little less open about some things, like my relationships. I'm realizing everyone doesn't need to know everything. I'm shifting my priorities." (Los Angeles Times)
• Study: Reality TV fans more likely to use tanning beds (NBC News)
• Facebook photos of man's kids riding a manatee lead to his arrest (Huffington Post)

Reflection 04: Like Wildfire—Understanding Viral Videos

Viral videos—videos that quickly become popular throughout the Internet through social media and email—are seemingly made for an era in which information is transmitted rapidly and social networks are the new water coolers. Sometimes entertaining, sometimes even annoying, these videos often take on a life of their own, even if their shelf life is short. Recently, PSY's Gangnam Style quickly went from a being an obscure South Korean dance hit to the most viewed video on YouTube (1,341,421,713 views as of this writing). But for every Gangnam Style there are thousands of videos that no one ever pays any attention to. Why? What is it magic formula for a video going viral? And what of the stars of these videos? While many people were inadvertently (and regrettably) associated with viral videos, many others hope they will catapult them to stardom, as with Justin Bieber. Have viral videos become a shortcut to fame? And are viral videos a legitimate way to break into show business? Finally, what are some of your favorite viral videos and why?

And then we have this.

Include at least three of the following in your discussion:

• "Why Do Viral Videos Go Viral?" (Wired) 
• "How To Make A Viral Video: A Guide" (Huffington Post)
• "Harlem Shake: Baauer Cashes in on Viral Video's Massive YouTube Success (Guardian)
• "The 'Star Wars Kid' Sued The People Who Made Him Famous" (Business Insider)
  
• "Viral Video’s Greatest ‘Stars’: Where Are They Now?: (Yahoo! Music)
• "10 Viral Video Stars Whose Lives Weren’t Ruined by the Internet" (Gawker)

Requirements:

• MLA Style
• Two full pages in length
• Works cited page

Due: Mon 03.04

Week 06

WEEK 06
Read: eR—“Ron Galella, King of the Paparazzi” (Time), “Talking Pictures with Annie Leibovitz” (Independent); COLD—p. 101-200

Mo 02.25
Watch—$ellebrity (2012)

We 02.27
CLOSE READ ESSAY

Upcoming:

WEEK 07
Read: COLD—p. 201-343

Mo 03.04
Reading discussion; Presentations, Lecture—“How to Build a Solid Argument”
Due: REFLECTION 04

We 03.06
Reading discussion; Writers workshop
Due: EDITORIAL ESSAY (DRAFT 1; BRING 2 COPIES)  

Celebrity News 02.23.13

• Bio-slimming active wraps, reformer pilates, juice cleaning: How Hollywood stars prep for the Oscars (Glamour)
• Inside the most exclusive room at the Oscars; The VIP green room (USA Today)
• Mindy McCready is latest Celebrity Rehab participant to die (Huffington Post)
• Oscar Pistorius: More questions than answers (ABC News)
• Now viral: A breast cancer survivor’s chest tattoo photo that Facebook removed (Yahoo! News)
• Sixteen-year-old Prince Michael Jackson joining Entertainment Tonight (Entertainment Weekly)

Close Read Essay: Paparazzi and Celebrity Photography

Below are the photos you may choose from for next week's in-class close read essay. You will be responsible for just one photo, either from Ron Galella or Annie Leibovitz.

I. The Paparazzi Photography of Ron Galella

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, 1971

Al Pacino, 1979

Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, 1983

II: The Celebrity Photography of Annie Leibovitz

Leonardo DiCaprio, 1997

Queen Elizabeth II, 2007

Rihanna, 2011

Week 05

WEEK 05
Read: eR—“Creative nonfiction: Where Journalism and Storytelling Meet” (The Writer),“’In Cold Blood’, Half a Century On” (Guardian), “’In Cold Blood’: A Legacy, in Photos” (Lawrence-Journal-World), “’In Cold Blood’ a Cold Case Police Decide is Worth Digging Up” (Los Angeles Times),"One Night on a Kansas Farm" (New York Times); COLD—p. 1-100

Mo 02.18
Reading discussion; Presentations; Lecture—“How to do a Close Reading” We 02.20 Reading discussion; Lecture—“How to do a Close Reading”
Due: (ANNOTATED) EXPOSITORY ESSAY—INSTRUCTIONS TO BE GIVEN IN CLASS PRIOR TO DUE DATE

Upcoming:

WEEK 06
Read: eR—“Ron Galella, King of the Paparazzi” (Time), “Talking Pictures with Annie Leibovitz” (Independent); COLD—p. 101-200

Mo 02.25
Watch—$ellebrity (2012)

We 02.27
CLOSE READ ESSAY

Expository Essay: Fame Junkies and Our Addiction to Fame

In his introduction to Fame Junkies, Jake Halpern writes:

Anyone who has ever been in the limelight, even for participating in a high school musical or telling a good story at a cocktail party, can attest to the fact that there is a rush that comes with commanding everyone’s attention. Isn’t it possible that this feeling is, in fact, addictive? Isn’t it possible that many behaviors related to fame—including becoming famous, being near the famous, and even reading about the famous—trigger a rush, a high, or even a numbing effect that is potentially addictive?

In a concise essay, illustrate some of the obsessive lengths the famous (and not-so-famous) go to to feed this addiction to celebrity. What drives them to so fervently pursue fame? How does their desire to simply be famous differ from a desire to be recognized for their talents or accomplishments? Finally, can their pursuit of fame really be likened to an addiction? Cite specific evidence from Fame Junkies to support your thesis.

Requirements:

• MLA Style, including parenthetical citation
• 3-page minimum
• Include a works cited page

The best papers will:

• Stay within the parameters of the prompt
• Have a concise thesis that both specifically addresses the subject matter and contains a viable argument
• Clearly support their thesis utilizing solid evidence presented in a logical structure
• Properly cite evidence from Fame Junkies using MLA's parenthetical citation method
• Conclude with a summation of the main points
• Be formatted according to MLA Style 

Due: Wednesday, Feb. 20th

Celebrity News 02.12.13

• Chris Brown as ungracious as ever at the Grammys (Hollywood Reporter)
• New York Fashion Week and the coveted front row seat (New York Times)
• Italian tabloid poised to publish photos of pregnant Kate Middleton in a bikini (Huntington Post)
• Four-year-old Vivienne Jolie-Pitt's first acting gig paying $3,000/week (TMZ)
• All the rage suddenly: Celebrity brand ambassadors (Business Insider)
• The politics of the Oscar's "In Memoriam" montage (Yahoo! News)

Week 04

WEEK 04
Read: FAME—“6. When Reflected Glory Isn't Enough: Confessions of an Upwardly Mobile Celebrity ‘Slave’” – “8. Conclusion: Some Reflections from Hollywood's Premier Retirement Home”

Mo 02.11
Reading discussion; Presentations, Lecture—“Citing Sources in MLA: The Basics”

We 02.13
Reading discussion; Presentations, Lecture—“MLA Style 101”
Due: REFLECTION 03 

Upcoming:

WEEK 05
Read: eR—“Creative nonfiction: Where Journalism and Storytelling Meet” (The Writer),“’In Cold Blood’, Half a Century On” (Guardian), “’In Cold Blood’: A Legacy, in Photos” (Lawrence-Journal-World), “’In Cold Blood’ a Cold Case Police Decide is Worth Digging Up” (Los Angeles Times),"One Night on a Kansas Farm" (New York Times); COLD—p. 1-100

Mo 02.18
Reading discussion; Presentations; Lecture—“How to do a Close Reading”

We 02.20
Reading discussion; Lecture—“How to do a Close Reading”
Due: (ANNOTATED) EXPOSITORY ESSAY—INSTRUCTIONS TO BE GIVEN IN CLASS PRIOR TO DUE DATE 

Celebrity News 02.07.13

• Just weeks after pledging to help stop gun violence, Kim Kardashian posts photo of her jewel-encrusted gun (The Sun)
• Chris Brown: "I honestly think I deserve respect" (Spin)
• Beyoncé's publicist asks for unflattering photos to be pulled (Slate)
• Too soon?: Filmmaker seeks funding for Sandy Hook film, angering Newton community (Salon)
• Out figure skater Johnny Weir's advice to other gay Olympians: "Don't wear a big rainbow flag fur coat. If you don't call attention to yourself, attention won't come to you." (USA Today)
• Adidas "brand ambassador" Selena Gomez ambushed by anti-sweatshop activist during New York Fashion Week (US Weekly) 

Reflection 03: Somebody Think of the Children—Celebrity Kids and the Paparazzi

It's generally understood that when it comes to modern-day fame, the paparazzi are part of the package. Yet, today's celebrities are only marginally protected against these intrusive and aggressive photographers (whose actions are largely constitutionally protected). So bad is it that now even the children of celebrities must also routinely endure throngs of overly zealous photographers. In fact, competition for photos of celebrity kids is so fierce that it has become a burgeoning industry unto itself. Meanwhile, many of the kids themselves, including Suri Cruise and Violet Affleck, seem increasingly stressed, even exasperated, with the situation. What do you believe is the long term effect of all this attention on the kids? As famous offspring, should they be fair game? Do celebrity kids have a right to a day at the park or to go out for ice cream like any other kid? And what should be the role of the law? Finally, if you were a celebrity, what would you do to protect your children from intrusive photographers?

Include at least three of the following in your discussion:

• "Leave Sage and Suri Alone" (Salon)
• "Paparazzi Turn Lenses on Stars' Kids: Fair Game or Cheap Shot?" (ABC News)
• "Are Celebs' Kids Fair Game for Paparazzi?" (USA Today)
• "Christina Applegate Slams Paparazzi: 'Taking Pics of Kids is Sick!'"(Huffington Post)
• "Angelina Jolie’s Children Paparazzi Law: An Idea Worth Celeb Lobbying" (The Wrap)
• "Halle Berry Talks Paparazzi: 'Our Children Should Be Off Limits'" (Access Hollywood)

Requirements:

• MLA Style
• Two full pages in length
• Works cited page

Find a sample reflection HERE.

Due: We 02.13

Week 03

WEEK 03
Read: FAME—“3. A Home for the Famous and Almost Famous” – “5. The Desire to Belong: Why Everyone Wants to Have Dinner with Paris Hilton and 50 Cent”

Mo 02.04
Reading discussion; Lecture—“Writing as a Process, Pt. 2”

We 02.06
DIAGNOSTIC ESSAY

UPCOMING:

WEEK 04
Read: FAME—“6. When Reflected Glory Isn't Enough: Confessions of an Upwardly Mobile Celebrity ‘Slave’” – “8. Conclusion: Some Reflections from Hollywood's Premier Retirement Home”

Mo 02.11
Reading discussion; Presentations, Lecture—“Citing Sources in MLA: The Basics”

We 02.13
Reading discussion; Presentations, Lecture—“MLA Style 101”
Due: REFLECTION 03

Celebrity News 02.02.13

• Anne Hathaway spoof to Academy voters: "I played a prostitute who died." (Daily Beast)
• 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver: "No, we don't got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do." (Yahoo! Sports)
• Frank Ocean won't press charges on Chris Brown (Huffington Post)
• Unearthed: Previously unseen photos of Nicholas Cage as Tim Burton's Superman (Pink is the New Blog)
• Lady Gaga vs former personal assistant (New York Post)
• David Beckham to play for Paris Saint Germain, donates salary to children's charity (Forbes)