QRG: The Genre

In the following blog post I analyze the genre of writing known as the quick reference guide.


1. Conventions of this genre-

The Quick Reference Guide is exactly what it sounds like. A quick, reference, and a guide. The conventions of this genre are as follows.

- Subheadings
This genre is flooded with subheadings. Used as a fast guide to get you to the information you need and care about, subheadings are incredibly useful, almost like a table of contents, the subheadings are always in bold, a larger font, sometimes a different color, and often posed as a question. This is a technique employed by the writer to mimic what the reader is thinking. The reader looks up an article or a QRG, and is thinking "well I wonder how this started?". The use of questions and bold subheadings allow the reader to quickly skim through and immediately see the subheading "How this started" and then they are right there at the information they want to be at.

- Informative writing
People will read articles and QRG in order to find something out about something, however they are not as dedicated to it as to spend hours reading a scholarly journal that uses words that take up half a line to describe something. So the writers of QRG, knowing this, get straight to the point, within the first few sentences you can find the answer you are looking of and if you read on, then the writer will start to employ his/her opinions and thoughts on the issue.

- Pictures, Graphs, Information Condensers

Like I previously mentioned, people reading QRG want to know what they want to know about the topic, but don't want to spend 3 hours reading a PhD's thesis on the pros and cons of E-cigs, so they go to QRG's. Even then though, people still don't want to read lists of numbers and estimations, so the authors include graphs and charts and images as a way to condense information into a comprehensible concise list, as humans we respond to images better than descriptions of things, so images and charts help us do that.

Example of a pole quote. Screenshot taken by Dylan Cotter 9/9/2015 Public Domain Usage

2. How are those conventions defined by the formatting and design conventions?

The authors of QRG have to know that people who are reading their work moist likely heard about something on twitter and want to learn more about it. So they have to grab people attention and give them the information quickly. Some use images and graph other uses pole quotes (see image), It is totally up to the writer and what he or she likes or thinks will be effective in grabbing their attention and this is an area that the writers' personality can shine through.

3. What is the purpose of the QRG?

QRG are incredibly useful if you know how to use them. QRG are kind of like trickle down reading. If you want to know about some topic, you can read a scholarly journal about it and know as much as possible. If you don't have the time or don't want to read something for 4 hours, then you can read newspaper articles. If you don't want to read through the whole article hoping to find the answer to the question you have in your head, then you can go to QRG who will show you what questions it answers using the subheadings. So again, it is in the name, quick, reference (sends you to exterior links for more info), guide.

4. Who is the intended audience?

Outside of the demographic of people who the QRG is written for (i.e.: gamers are interested in this while not so interested in this) then the main audience for QRG are just simply people who don't want to be experts in things, but people who heard about something interesting, want to find out more information about it, and get their questions answered quickly. So they are all similar in their intentions, but obviously different in what topics they want to investigate.

5. Why do QRGs use imagery?

As human we respond to images better than words. As Mr. Bottai said in class, people did cave paintings before they could speak. Picture books come before chapter books. Images are just easier for us. And as I mentioned in the conventions of a Quick Reference Guide, images, graphs and charts are image condensers. They help the writer get understandable information across quickly.

Annotated Bibliography in MLA format

In the following blog post I post my annotated bibliography for my controversy.

Please click on the following link to see the properly formatted bibliography

Annotated bibliography

The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences Oscar trophy. Screenshot taken by Dylan Cotter 9/5/2015. Public Domain usage. 

Example of MLA format annoyed Bibliography 

Reflection:

After reading Savannah and Isabel's blogs, I realized that they both did different styles than i did, however the differences are minuscule. Our annotations were similar in the information that they provided, especially Isabel's and mine. we seemed to methodically go through the checks and include all of the information necessary and then some. These blogs were very similar and all of them were very good. 

Ideology in my controversy

In the following blog post I evaluate my controversy as a whole.

Who is involved in the controversy?

The controversy has to do mainly with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. They didn't nominate anyone who isn't white for any award. People were outraged in a time when the first black-female director was expected to be nominated for Selma, a time when 12 years a slave won best picture one year ago. People were very upset when the nomination came out. So there is the group who believes that this isn't an accident since the academy is only 2% black members, then there are those who believe that this was simply a decision based on the merits of the art.

Who are some of the major speakers/ writers in your field?

The Academy president has released many statements on this (she is an African-American women) saying that it was in no way intended to be a racially motivated decision, but simply based on the merits of the art of acting itself. Most of the general public have said this is a sham and just a statement to cover up their mishap.

What kind of social/ political/ cultural/ economic power does this have?

Movies are a central part of todays cultural fabric and the academy awards are such a huge award show that it has massive cultural impact. Its showing all the world that there wasn't a black actor or director that was worthy of a nomination. So it has massive implications on society, and the fact that it got such attention in social media and it brought so much recognition to this mistake, intentional or not, that the academy made.

What resources are available to different positions?

The academy has released official statement which are available on their website and all over social media, for those who believe this was something more than an accident, there is an entire tweet thread of #oscarssowhite and also, in the irony of all ironies, the video of Common and John Legend performing their song Glory from the movie Selma after all the nominee controversy, shows a powerful image of Chris Pine crying at the performance, which has become the face of this controversy.

The academy of motion picture arts and sciences. Screenshot by Dylan Cotter 9/4/2015 Public domain usage

What does each group value?

In this case it is pretty straight forward what each group wants. The academy wants to save face and make sure people don't view them as a racist organization with that much power in the world. Social media just wants equality and things like this to be erased from society.

What counts as evidence for each position?

For the academy, evidence is that they have a black president, other than that, it is just word of mouth that they are not racist. For the opposition, the evidence is the controversy, there was no Black actors nominated for the academy awards.

Who holds the power?

They both hold the power, the Academy has the power in the fact that it is one of the most powerful organizations in the entertainment industry. But social media holds the power because it is a mass group of people that represent the popular opinion of the people.

Is there and acknowledged/ unacknowledged ground between the two sides?

The acknowledged ground is that there wasn't any black actors nominated this year, the unacknowledged ground is why it happened. some say it was a reflection of the only 2% black members of the academy. Some say it has to do with the recent rise in unpunished white on black crime. It obviously won't become clear ever but its just speculation.

Do the various groups listen to each other?

I would say yes they do, however it won't do anything to resolve the issue. The academy is promising that they are not racist and the popular opinion is that they are. Along with police and the government and everyone else according to twitter. But this isn't an issue that goes away in a day, its buried much deeper than that, in the social fabric of the society.

Evaluation of Social Media Sources

In the following blog post I evaluate some social media sources talking about the lack of black recognition at the 2015 Academy Awards.

After going on storify and searching up on the controversy of the 2015 Academy Awards, I found there was a hashtag thread of #oscarssowhite on twitter, so I looked into it and found a user @thetrudz (trudy) who tweeted the following

@thetrudz tweet. Screenshot taken by Dylan Cotter Public Domain Usage

By BW she means black women. Trudy is a writer at gradientliar.com, this is a self titled womanist blog about black women in modern day society. She is also a film critic, she boasts 39,000 followers on twitter and has been active for over two years. She seems to be more than a credible source.

I also found a tweet by @EdgeofSports

@edgeofsports tweet. Screenshot taken by Dylan Cotter Public Domain Usage

Dave Zirn is a sports editor of @thenation and a radio host for Sirius XM. He is known for having a controversial timeline but also boasts 50,000 twitter followers and has been active both on twitter and on the radio for over 5 years, making his comments about the oscars relevant cause it went out to a wide audience. His tweet is dripping with sarcasm and mockery, Exodus was a movie directed by Riddley Scott with Joel Egerton and Christian Bale that was criticized because it was the story of the leaders of Egypt but had an all white cast. He isn't a movie critic or a journalist but his celebrity status and the fact that he knows that he is in the public eye and felt the need to say this anyway gives it validity. 

Evaluation of Scholarly Sources

In the following blog post I evaluate two different academic journals dealign with the repression of black culture and recognition.

I found two articles dealing with or somewhat related to my controversy of the lack of black recognition in a modern world. The first one was from JSTOR.

Envisioning Freedom: Cinema and the Building of Modern Black Life

What is the purpose?

The purpose of this article is to chronicle how cinema helped bring the idea of a modern african american culture and person. Starting from the very first release of cinema with a black actor in it. This article is very good at taking an objective look at the rise of African Americans within the entertainment industry.

How and where was it published?

This article was published in Film Quarterly Journal, owned by the University of California Press, in the spring of 2014.

What kinds of sources does it cite?

Longo, Regina, ScreenShot taken by Dylan Cotter 9/3/2015, Public Domain Usage.

This article sources other academic journals such as The negro in American Film but also exhibits like “The Two Public Spaces of a Moviegoing Capital: Race and the History of Film Exhibition in Washington, D.C.,”.

Who is the author?

The author is Regina Longo, a PhD professor at the University of California Santa Barbara. She specializes in history of film and even works at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Who is it's intended audience?

Since the date of publication is very recent, the intended audience would most likely be people who are looking into the history of black oppression in areas other than slavery. Also those who are interested in film history as the inclusion of black actors in film was a hugely debated topic, even to go as far as to be banned since the lighting changes to accommodate darker skin would cost to much.

How did I find it?

I found this article by searching JSTOR with the keywords "black" "oppression" and "cinema"

Article 2:

The Idea of Black Culture

What is the purpose?
The purpose of this article is to examine the idea of there being a "black culture" in america and around the world. The article examines peoples idea of black culture and also if there actually is such a thing as a black culture or if it is just made up by the media and black peoples portrayal in the media.

How and where was it published?

This article was published by Michigan State university press in the winter of 2006.

What Kind of sources does it cite?

This source cites other sources such as The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois, and Black Skin White Masks, by Fanon F.

Who is the author?

Hortense J. Spillers is a professor in the english department at Vanderbilt University. She has taught in the US for over three decades now. She lists that her current research interests are the idea of black culture and also women in early Republican formations/

Who is the intended audience?

This paper discusses the idea of a "black culture" and examines its roots through history and the modern era. So the intended audience would be one that is interested in the history of a black culture and how the idea of a stereotype of a black culture has come up.

How did I find it?

I found this by searching JSTOR with the keywords "black" "culture"

Evaluation of General Sources

La Times 
Steven Zeitchick and Lorraine Ali
Last Updated January 15th 2015
Purpose: to Highlight the lack of racial diversity at this years Oscars
Pictures of all the nominated actors (all white faces) and a graph showing the number of black nominations and wins through the years
Their position is much more general and informative than the other article, however there is still a disapproving tone to it.

Lorraine Ali
Steven Zeitchick

Telegraph.co.uk

Written by Nick Allen
Last Updated September 2nd 2015
Purpose: to inform the public about the lack of Black actors nominated
Pictures of Ava DuVernay (director of "Selma") and Spike Lee
His position seems to be more alarmed at the contrast from last year when a black actress (Lupita Nyong'o) won best supporting actress and 12 years a slave won best picture.

Nick Allen

These two sources are talking about the outrage over the lack of black acting nominations at the 2015 academy awards.

My Profession

I am currently a double major, so instead of doing this twice I am going to talk about the more interesting one to me. I am majoring in theatre arts.

What drew you to this profession?
Ever since I was a child I have adored being on stage and playing charades and pretending. Now that has grown into a way of coping with fear and making sure that I experience the most amount of life that I possibly can, with all the good and the bad tied in and creating an entire person who lives and breathes and has a past, present and future. Its a magical feeling that is difficult to describe. Its amazing because it really makes you interested in what is it like to be other people.

What do people in your class learn? In the classes for theatre majors, you will learn tricks to memorize blocking for stage and lines from a script. Also you will practice learning about human nature and how to connect to people through different moments in their lives and yours. It isn't like math where you just learn the quadratic formula and now you know it. This is based on feedback and connecting between people. There is no one set way to do it and maybe that is what I like about it so much.

Where do people in your field normally find work?People doing this usually become actors or acting teachers. Ideally on broadway or the westend if you can dance and sing as well or film and television, however that is a different skill set.

Who are some leaders/ exciting people in your field right now? Some leaders in this field are most of the people you see in the tabloids everyday. I would say that a Benedict Cumberbatch, Jennifer Lawrence and Miles Teller are some exciting new faces within the industry. Some leaders are the classics Robert DeNiro, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio etc.

What are the leading academic journals in your field right now? As far as journals go, there aren't many as acting is nothing close to a science or a direct step by step thing, but after a google search the David Mamet review came up and he looks to be fairly credible. Also Theatre Journal looks like it could be a good one.

Reflection:

I read Alyssa  and Isabel's blog posts. Curiously, both had dreams of being in the medical field. As I said to both the medical field is a deep and fascinating one that I have always had great respect and admiration for. Their professions are noble and deal with helping people survive and live to see another day, it is people like them that go into when I am creating character, because just as they are healing people and helping them to live another day, I am trying to help this person, whom a writer has dreamt up, live and tell their story.