Monday, October 31, 2016

Reflection 6: Technorama—Exploring the Technology of the '80s




Calculator watches, video cameras, handheld video game devices: all of these were once among the Eighties’ most cutting edge tech. Though much of it now seems quaint, maybe even primitive, that technology laid the foundation for that which we interact with today. From smart phones to laptops, most of today’s technologies would not have been possible had it not been for the ‘80s. For this reflection, examine the ways in which that decade’s technology helped usher the technological advancements of this century. What do we owe to the gadgets of that era? And does any of the technology from the ‘80s intrigue you?

Cite at least two of the following articles in your discussion:

Requirements:
  • MLA Style
  • One page in length
  • Works cited page

Due: Th 11.2

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Week 11:Thriller

The Bangles, "Manic Monday" (US #2, Apr. 1986)

Week 11:Thriller
Tu 11.1/Th 11.4
Read: BRAT—8- I Love Ferris in the Springtime: Ferris Bueller Crafts the Perfect Day Off Before Graduating from High School—and John Hughes Graduates from Directing Teen Films, 14- Don’t You Forget About Me: How the Brat Pack and Their Films Changed a Generation
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 6

Upcoming:

Week 12: The Tiananmen Square Massacre
Tu 11.8/Th 11.10
Read: eR—“The 100 Best Infographics” (Creative Bloq), “10 Tips for Designing Better Infographics” (DotDash), “12 Warning Signs that Your Infographic Sucks” (Visme)
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations; Lecture—“Infographics 101”
Due: EDITORIAL ESSAY 


Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Reflection 5: Just Say No—What Can We Learn from the '80s Drug War?


Ask any American who came of age in the '80s what the anti-drug mantra of the decade was and they'll tell it was: Just Say No. Just Say No, a campaign designed to encourage kids to refuse illegal drugs, the brainchild of First Lady Nancy Reagan. Her program and others, such as D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, were the cornerstone of the demand-side drug control strategy of America's so-called "War on Drugs." In fact, their reach was extensive, ranging from PSAs to cartoons. Today, the these programs, as well as the War on Drugs, are generally regarded as failures. Still, they left a lasting impression on the generation that experienced them as young Americans of the time became well-versed in the ills of illegal drugs. What can we learn from these programs today? How did the anti-drug programs you experienced compare? Finally, what happens to today's ant-drug programs in an era where Marijuana use is increasingly legal?

Cite at least two of the following articles in your discussion:

Requirements:
  • MLA Style
  • Two pages in length
  • Works cited page

Due: Th 10.27

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Week 10: First Lady Nancy Reagan

Whitney Houston, "Saving All My Love for You" (US #1, Oct. 1985)

Week 10: First Lady Nancy Reagan
Tu 10.25/Th 10.27
Read: BRAT—7- We Got the Beat: Behind the Music of the Brat Pack Films
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 5

Upcoming:

Week 11:Thriller
Tu 11.1/Th 11.4
Read: BRAT—8- I Love Ferris in the Springtime: Ferris Bueller Crafts the Perfect Day Off Before Graduating from High School—and John Hughes Graduates from Directing Teen Films, 14- Don’t You Forget About Me: How the Brat Pack and Their Films Changed a Generation
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 6


Sunday, October 16, 2016

Week 10: Cabbage Patch Dolls

a-ha, "Take On Me" (US #1, Oct. 1985)

Week 9: Cabbage Patch Kids
Tu 10.18/Th 10.20
Read: BRAT—3- Breakfast of Champions: The Breakfast Club “Breaks the Rules, Bares Their Souls,” and Revolutionizes the Teen Film Genre 
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations

Upcoming:

Week 10: First Lady Nancy Reagan
Tu 10.25/Th 10.27
Read: BRAT—7- We Got the Beat: Behind the Music of the Brat Pack Films
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 5

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Week 8: The Cosby Show

Wham!, "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" (US #1, Nov. 1985)

Week 8: The Cosby Show 
Tu 10.11/Th 10.13
Read: BRAT—2- Eternal Flame: Sixteen Candles Lights Up the Screen 
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 4

Upcoming:

Week 9: Cabbage Patch Kids
Tu 10.18/Th 10.20
Read: BRAT—3- Breakfast of Champions: The Breakfast Club “Breaks the Rules, Bares Their Souls,” and Revolutionizes the Teen Film Genre 
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations


Monday, October 3, 2016

Reflection 4: That's Totally Gay, Dude—Politically Incorrect '80s Cinema




The Eighties can count some of the most respected films ever produced among its own. From Raging Bull to Ghandi to Driving Miss Daisy, dozens of ‘80s films reached new cinematic heights. However, another legacy of the decade was its penchant for highly racist, sexist, and homophobic film depictions. Eighties films routinely (and unapologetically) portrayed broadly stereotypical characters. Thus, ‘80s films regularly presented Asians as “others” (Sixteen Candles), a woman’s body as not her own (Weird Science), and homosexuals as laughable caricatures (Mannequin). Eighties films were not concerned with accurate portrayals of, say, Latinos or immigrants or the disabled, but with “shorthand” representations that audiences could quickly refer to for a laugh or a cry. Today, the country’s changed demographics, and even “political correctness,” help keep many of these negative portrayals at bay. While we certainly have our own social challenges in 2016, much of what we saw in the ‘80s would be unacceptable today. If we view films as a reflection of the times that produced them, then what do the movies of the '80s say about that decade? Likewise, what do today’s somewhat more sanitized representations say about our own time?

Choose at least two of the following in your discussion:

Requirements:
  • MLA Style
  • Two pages in length
  • Works cited page

Due: Th 10.13

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Week 7: Ryan White

Eurythmics, "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (US #1, Sep. 1983)

Week 7: Ryan White
Tu 10.4/Th 10.6
Read: BRAT—1- Nothing Compares to Hughes: Teen Cinema and the Man Who Would Change it Forever
Class: Reading discussion; Presentations, Lecture—“John Hughes and the ‘80s Teen Comedy: A Brief Overview”
Due: EXPOSITORY ESSAY 

Upcoming:

Week 8: The Cosby Show 
Tu 10.11/Th 10.13

Read: BRAT—2- Eternal Flame: Sixteen Candles Lights Up the Screen

Class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 4
  

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Expository Essay: Back to Our Future




In Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live in Now—Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Everything, David Sirota explores the ways in which the Eighties can inform our understanding of events today. Specifically, he examines the Eighties’ repudiation of the Sixties and longing for the Fifties (“Liking Ike, Hating Woodstock”), struggle rectifying our loss in Vietnam (“Why We [Continue to] Fight”), and embrace of The Cosby Show as proof that we'd moved "beyond" race (“The Huxtable Effect”). For this essay, explore one of the above sections. In your analysis: 1. Draw a line between an event in the ‘80s and one today 2. Illustrate what that '80s event can teach us about today. Cite only from Back to Our Future support your thesis.

Requirements:

  • 2.5 pages minimum
  • MLA Style, including parenthetical citation
  • Works cited page

Due:  No later than Th 10.13


Eighties News 10.1.16