SWA 3-Outline

Outline of Rhetorical Analysis

I.                   Introduction

a.       Thesis:  In Robin Hemley’s Relaxing the Rules of Reason, one notices the strategies that were used by the author to support his argument and the techniques utilized in order to persuade the reader.

II.                What is the purpose of the argument? What does it hope to achieve?

a.       Breaks down the ways of writing in a more comical manner

b.      Tells the reader to take more risks

c.       With the authors examples and experience the reader realizes the risks the author instructs one to take, but notices that the author makes writing comedy seem easier

III.             How does it try to make the writer or creator seem trustworthy?

a.       The author establishes credibility through his real life examples

b.      His ability to use examples from others in order to keep a flexible view

                                                              i.      Showing that he has done his research

c.       Instructional-the author gives guidance

IV.             How does the language or style of the argument work to persuade an audience?

a.       The author uses more of a personal tone

b.      Able to bring the reader into his stories

                                                              i.      Causes the reader to think and relate to what he is describing

V.                Conclusion:

a.       Restate thesis

b.      Brief Summary

c.       Leave the reader with a thought 

SWA 2

Billy Bull
English 102
January 27, 2009
SWA 2

I really enjoyed the discussion in class about “shock value.” I feel that shock value should have been incorporated into the acronym: THREES, under the category surprise. Comedians such as Katt Williams, Steve Hostetter, Chris Rock, etc. tend to be very offensive; however, they are good at what they do and they cause the audience to laugh. Comedians have always tried to create a stir over what jokes they tell or who they have offended. What may have been crossing the line when my parents were my age is most likely not as shocking for those my age. For example, Animal House may have been shocking for my parents, while Zack and Miri is pushing the envelope for my generation. Even when my grandparents were my age, they could have thought that Some Like It Hot was shocking.

The author that explains it fairly well is Henri Bergson. His piece, The Comic in General-The Comic Element in Forms and Movement Expansive Force of the Comic, describes that people tend to find shock humor fairly funny. The term shock humor is very broad and can be applied to many different jokes. For example, a man tripping could be cause a shock, but is not necessarily shocking, where as the sexual jokes in Animal House or in Zack and Miri tend to be more shocking. The difference between causing a shock and for something to be shocking is that a shock is more instantaneous. While something that is shocking is fairly instant, it may stand out in one’s mind when he or she reflects on the joke more so than something that creates a shock.

Any film created by Kevin Smith is a great example of the use of shock value humor. For example, in his film Clerks he even shows through the customers that he knows he is being offensive. Pretty much everything that comes out of Randal’s mouth is offensive, and Kevin depicts this with the reaction of the customers in both the video store and the market. The majority of the dialogue as well as the scenes have something shocking and some scenes may have gone too far.

January 20

January 20, 2009
SWA 1

In Henri Bergson’s article The Comic in General-The Comic Element in Forms and Movement Expansive Force of the Comic, the author describes some of the common elements to humor are clumsy jokes, pranks, and witnessing pain.  Bergson continues to use the example of a man falling as a form of his on misfortune and in the sense of a prank.

            According to the author, in order to understand laughter, humans must “put it back into its natural environment, which is society.”  The author continually uses an example where a boy trips, and explains it through different ways that could cause this to occur.  Whether the incident was accidental or a prank, the author states this to be funny because it puts the boy in an awkward situation.    

Bergson is completely correct with his views of humor.  Shows such as Punk’d, Jackass, or MXC tend to have a pretty high following.   Although it appears that Punk’d has lost its popularity, shows that focus on pranks are still one of the more popular themes.  Society likes to laugh at when people make fools of themselves.  This continues to be true for shows such as Jackass of MXC.  Jackass is a program that shows a group of men trying to physically hurt each other.  A popular scene from the second movie is the four way see-saw bull fight, where four of the members sit on a see-saw as a bull tries to knock them off.  Another show that depicts pain as a form of comedy is the Japanese Game show most extreme elimination, where two teams try to complete various obstacles that have a high possibility of the contestant getting hurt.  Not only do the contestants make complete fools of themselves, but the T.V. station translates the Japanese into something that would make fun of the contestants or into a sexual joke.   One of the more common events is called Floaters and Sinkers, where contestants have to run across a pond, jumping from rock to rock, but some rocks float and some rocks sink.    

             Why do people find the pain of others to be so funny?  It may be because everybody is a critic; but I don’t think the viewers are judging the boy who accidently tripped; however, I am sure people judge the characters of the show Jackass.  In most of the recent comical movies there is a scene where one or more of the characters get hurt.  Therefore, society will continually feel that pain leads to laughter.