Term Essay Assignment

For this assignment, you will write an argumentative, analytical essay of eight to ten pages. Essays shorter than seven full pages and essays longer than twelve pages might be returned unread or with a failing grade.

Except for approaches #4 and #5 below, the essay must treat one or more television episodes from our course list in some detail, though it does not necessarily need to treat any one episode in its entirety. It must also include a response to one or more of the readings from our course reading list.

To qualify as a response, your essay must not just quote from one (or more) of the readings; your essay must either disagree with all or part of the essay, or show how what is said needs to be qualified, altered, or changed for the sake of studying animated satire. Assignment essays that do not respond to a satire reading with some degree of depth will necessarily be graded lower than those that do. Note that your essay does not need to be an extended response to a satire reading: one or two paragraphs in response should be sufficient.

There are five approaches that are common for this assignment. Feel free to choose one of the following, or, if you think you can write a better essay using a different approach, feel free to do so.

1. Study how two or more episodes treat a topic (such as Christianity), a theme (such as greed), or a motif (such as turtles). How does the use of satire contribute to its treatment? or, how does it contribute to the satire?
2. Study an episode in detail against one or more theories of satire. How is the theory exemplified or contradicted by the episode?
3. Study a collection of episodes against one or two theories of satire. How does the theory enhance our understanding of the episodes and what they are trying to accomplish through their satire?
4. Study one or more theories of satire as presented in our readings. What is the value of one theory over another or of one part of a theory over another part? How applicable are the theories to the late-twentieth century popular culture phenomenon of satiric animated television shows?
5. Devise your own theory of satire, modeled and based in part on our readings. Your explication of your theory of satire will want to use the television shows as supporting examples.

You may choose in addition to at least one episode from our list one or more episodes that are not on the course list. Any episode from the following will be acceptable:

• The Simpsons: any episode from the first twenty seasons
• South Park: any episode from the first twelve seasons
• Futurama: any episode from the original series (first four seasons)
• King of the Hill: any episode from the first five seasons

Essays should conform to MLA guidelines. Essays should have double-spaced lineation. Printed essays should use a 12-point, serif font and should not have a justified right margin. Please use one-inch margins on all sides. Please do not submit the essay in a binder or folder. I am not fond of title pages.