English 1102: Television and Feminism

Dr. Casey Alane Wilson • Georgia Institute of Technology

Category: Intro Post (Page 2 of 5)

Supergirl 2.0

Hello! My name is Elizabeth Glass, and I am a second year business administration major, and I expect to graduate in May of 2021… if all goes as planned.

This is me!

My last English course was AP English literature my senior year of high school, so I haven’t been in an actual English class in well over a year. This will be my first and last English course at Tech, but I am excited to get to experience one of my favorite subjects in a whole new way through the WOVEN teaching method. I loved analyzing literature and digging into the meaning behind the words that we read, but I feel that it’s time I expose myself to new and different challenges that I can’t get from a traditional English class.

When it comes to the forms of communication, I really enjoy the written form. My favorite type of this though would have to be the less traditional forms of written communication. Most people picture a five-paragraph essay when they think of writing, but I picture journaling, sonnet writing, and poetry because it is easier to convey emotion through the words while also having some structure to it. The mode that I struggle with the most would have to be oral communication because I like to have perfect versions of things, and there is only one chance with oral speaking. This semester, I hope to become more comfortable with oral speaking and communicating my thoughts clearly and confidently.

In all honesty, I did not have much experience with watching television series until my first year of college. I was too busy in high school with extracurriculars and schoolwork to be able to have a lot of time to watch TV, and I’m the kind of person that likes to watch an entire series in order so that I know what is going on. I’ve watched Friends and The Office in their entirety, along with most of Grey’s Anatomy, and I look forward to being exposed to many new shows as a result of this class.

This semester, I have chosen to review the show Supergirl. I love the DC universe and am a huge fan of The Flash and The Arrow, so I want to experience a new character in this universe. It is about Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El, one of the last surviving Kryptonians, who arrived on Earth twenty-four years after her cousin. I also feel that Supergirl is a really interesting one to review since most superhero tv shows and movies are geared towards a more male audience, and it will be interesting to see how the writers and producers find that balance between a mostly male audience while also representing women in an accurate way. This is also a character that has been around for decades, and I want to compare how Supergirl has evolved over the years and how it continues to adapt to the changing cultural landscape of mainstream television.

The New Supergirl

I am Not From Here

Hi all! My name is Caio Pumputis, it is my second year at Tech and I am pursuing business as my major. I am from Brazil and I want to graduate as soon as possible so I can go back home get a job and spend more time with my family.

Since I am not from the US, I had to take three English classes before ENGL-1102. I really liked all of them. They were really helpful for my growing as a student at Tech. After these classes I can say that I learned a lot with them and, I am excited to learn even more with ENGL-1102. Considering all five modes of communication, I can say that I am not bad at reading or writing. The real problem is when I have to present something or talk formally. It happens because I am not from here, and my vocabulary still needs to be improved. However, taking this course, I want to improve my oral skill and also my desire to read.

I am not a TV fanatic and I have not spent a long time watching Netflix. When I start watching some TV shows, I always get bored and I stop watching them. The last Netflix show that I watched was “The Shooter.” Right after I started, I found the film about the show and I stopped watching the show because the film is shorter and straighter. Everything that I wanted.

Me telling people how classes are vs how they actually are

As I am not a big fan of TV shows, I ended up choosing “No Tomorrow”, following my sister’s advice. It is a comedy show in which a guy and a girl believe that the world is going to end soon. Believing this, they created a list of things to do before it happens. They wanted to enjoy life to the fullest. I am excited to get on it, and I am sure that I will like it, since my sister recommended it to me.

 

 

 

Not Too Broad, Not Too Specific

Hey, everyone! My name is Faisal Chaudry, and I am a Civil Engineering student from Marietta, Georgia. I anticipate graduating with the class of 2022, but you never know what might come up along the way.

I have taken advanced English courses in high school, like AP Language and AP Literature. ENGL 1102 is the only English course that I will be taking at university, and frankly, I am quite relieved. Although I do relatively well in English classes, I always find them to be my least favorite course. I can read and write well, but having required books to read is so demotivating for me. Also, writing essays has always been a constant annoyance of mine, especially timed writings.

looking at you, AP Lit teacher

Despite my general frustration with English, I am excited for ENGL 1102. Rather than writing long, worthless essays and reading extensive novels, I get to watch TV shows for homework!

when your hw is to binge s1 of The Good Place

I enjoy using visual and electronic communication because I express myself more through showing others how I feel or what I believe rather than just telling or writing about it. I struggle the most with oral communication because I am not a sociable person, so speaking confidently is not my strong suit. However, I hope to build my oral skills so that I can interact with my peers throughout this semester.

I am aware of the role television has in perpetuating feminism in the mainstream. I have three sisters who are TV fanatics, so I tend to know a great deal about female-driven TV shows and storylines because they will unsolicitedly tell me everything about what is happening. Therefore, I am somewhat familiar with shows like Jane the Virgin, The Bold Type, and New Girl (not saying I ever watched them).

As for me, I consider myself an aficionado of television. I do not frequently start new shows all the time, but when I do, I will binge it. No question about it. Shameless is one of my top shows right now, and I binged all eight seasons within a month. I also enjoy BBC miniseries, like Sherlock, Luther, and Peaky Blinders, because they have captivating characters and suspenseful story arcs that keep me hooked.

me when Season 9 of Shameless premieres on Sunday

I am choosing to review Broad City for these blog posts because it is a show that I would never typically watch. It seems like the quintessential millennial comedy- a dynamic duo of female twenty-somethings in New York City who get into wacky yet hilarious situations, usually to meet new people or get more money. I have heard countless rave reviews about this show, and I know that it has a uniquely quirky sense of humor that I believe is a refreshing step away from the conventional sitcom. I cannot wait to see what this series has in store for my late-night TV bingeing. 

Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, creators of Broad City

New Girl: the show that proves death by second-hand embarrassment is real

My name is Anika, I am currently a biochem major, and I am hoping to graduate by 2022.

English 1102 is my first English class at Gatech, and I really enjoy writing creative short stories or answering hypothetical prompts. I really hope to improve my non-verbal communication skills, especially how I convey my facial expressions.

I am TV binger, and once I start a new show I race to finish it. That’s why, for the sake of my mental sanity, I try not to start new shows.

I took Ap euro and APUSH so I have some experience with the topic of feminism.

 

Our main character is Jess: the living definition of quirky. Although her heart is in the right place, she makes the very act of breathing awkward.

This promo poster features all the main characters of New Girl for season one

To exemplify, my favorite quote from the first episode is when Jess says “…but wouldn’t it be better to find a girl who you really care about to motorboat? Then maybe, if you’re super lucky, you might find a girl who’ll motorboat you right back”. To which Nick replied, “I don’t think she knows what motorboating is”.
To further prove Jess is the dictionary definition of awkward, we start the series with Jess being broken up with while she was naked. The new girl is at times far too much to handle for someone who suffers from second-hand embarrassment, like I do. Jess does things that at times makes you wonder how she has not yet died of embarrassment.

We first start the show with our Jess’s new roommates Nick, Schmidt, and Bill interviewing her. In the first episode, we find out that both Nick and Jess just recently broke up. The first episode acts as a comparison with how Jess and Nick both deal with breakups they didn’t want to happen. How well they handled it, or didn’t handle it, also displays how mentally unstable these two characters are. Jess is super depressed that Spencer broke up with her, and the movie Dirty Dancing basically became her replacement boyfriend. Winston, my favorite character and final roommate, is only introduced in the second episode.

I chose to review new girl because what really makes this show hilarious and loveable is the friendship dynamic between the roommates. The roommates always help each other out, meddle where they shouldn’t, and make each other insane, which not only drives the plot of the show, but also the emotions of the audience. Even at the end of the first episode, Coach, Schmidt, and Nick rescue Jess when her date ditched her. One of the biggest things to note about this show is the all the main characters are drastically different, yet you can’t help but like and root for all of them. Even when Jess is a weird pushover and Schmidt acts like the douchebag of the house; actually, the corporate douchebag.

 

Meeting JC- But Not Jackie Chan…

Hey everybody! My name is Justin Chow. I am a first-year aerospace engineering major who intends to graduate in 2022. Having lived in England for 8 years, I have had plenty encounters of English courses at High school. However, my first English course in Tech, the 1102 “Television and Feminism” provides a unique opportunity to analyse the use of language in modern society beyond the superficial level of literary devices used in prose and poetry.

Poets all along…

In fact, the holistic “WOVEN” approach would allow me to locate my communication weaknesses and I could hone in the skills necessary. I tend to rely on oral communication to express my thoughts not only because you can more easily portray a comprehensive idea through facial and hand expressions, but also it avoids any miscommunication that texts may have. One aspect I hope to improve in this class is working on the concision of my writing. Having learnt the importance of effective communication by reading biographies of my engineer idols, I aspire to improve my writing through practice.

I do not remember a time when I am not waiting for a new episode of a TV show to air! From the fantasy world themed of Game of Thrones and Agents of Shield to the more pragmatic themed of the Good Doctor and Suits, I just love watching shows that have a developed plotline and characters. Even though its true that I also like reading books, I find that I only enjoy reading biographies or philosophical works when I am in a contemplating mood. Thus, in most cases, I prefer to watch TV shows.

Having studied in a widely diverse high school community, I have taken big interest in feminism and other social movements occurring around the globe. Therefore, I am fascinated by the prospect of watching Fresh off the Boat.

 

Clear example of Cultural Assimilation in Fresh Off the Boat

I would both be able to recognise the contemporary anxieties that Asian-American experience in a country that prefers cultural assimilation, and I would also be able to the feminism movement as this show has a huge female presence in both cast and scriptwriting.

Fresh Off a Netflix Binge

Hey, y’all! My name is Bailey Moore and I’m from Norcross, GA. I’m a first- year BME student here at GT with a Spanish minor and an anticipated graduation date of 2022 (probably, hopefully, maybe in December #relatable ).

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me, still shook that we get to call enjoying TV homework

I was in the IB Diploma Programme in high school which meant a LOT of writing and speeches and more writing. This is my first English course at Tech, so I’m enjoying a little bit of a twist to the old monotonous English classes I dreaded in high school. Can you tell I’m a STEM major? I do, however, enjoy making infographics and doing oral presentations, especially creative ones rather than the long literary analysis speeches I’m used to because I feel interested and engaged myself when I use those methods of communication and I feel that the comfort and confidence of the communicator has a large effect on how the message is communicated. I struggle with nonverbal communication mainly because I haven’t practiced it or really looked into its significance. I am hoping to improve my nonverbal and electronic communication this semester, especially with infographics, body language, and voice tone, because I feel that they could contribute to making me appear more put- together and knowledgeable than I may be.

In reference to the course theme, I have a ton of experience with both TV and Feminism. I watch Netflix more than I’d like to admit and I even have a tattoo on my wrist of the equal sign which I got after the Women’s March here in ATL, but I haven’t previously combined these two passions, so I’m excited to see what the course has to offer. I also tend to watch the same types of shows when I watch. For leisure, I watch laid- back adult comedies like Modern Family, Bob’s Burgers, and The Big Bang Theory, and for Netflix binges, I go for thrilling dramas like Bloodline, Sherlock, and  Stranger Things. I hope that this course will show me new types of shows and let me expand my thinking about TV and how it can reflect our culture as an art form.

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I guess you could say I’m kinda an expert. heh. (10 points if you understand why I chose Emma Watson for this)

 

For this semester, I have chosen to review Fresh Off the Boat because I like that it shines a light on immigrants in America and I want to widen my scope of TV viewing to include a wider range of characters. It is about a first- generation Asian- American teenager who is uprooted from Chinatown DC to suburban Orlando with his family as his father chases the American Dream. Although the show is humorous, I also think that immigration is a huge topic in our political climate right now and I’m interested to see what opinion this show will argue. With that said, let’s get binging!!

 

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me, in the car, constantly irritating my friends by singing loudly and not well

 

UNBREAKABLE ENGLISH

Hello! My name is Lukas Hessler, and I am a first year here at Tech studying Industrial Engineering.  I hope to complete my undergraduate degree within 4 and a half years so I can head back to work in Southern California (where I am from) sooner rather than later and start work.

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Me on a beach

1102 is my first and last English course I will take at Georgia Tech, and I am really looking forward to it.  In high school, the thing that irritated me the most about my English courses was that they were always the same course work: reading, analyzing and writing essays.  English has always been my least favorite subject because I always hated the tedious cycle I went through year after year. However, I am super excited to learn about the relationship between the entertainment medium of Television and the social wave of Feminism. Not to mention, learning about these topics while completing fun, interactive projects such as the ongoing Twitter posts and Blog posts is something I really look forward to.

In regards to the WOVEN methods of communication that we will also be studying this semester, I believe I communicate most strongly through the Oral method as I feel more confident in sharing my opinion while also being able to express emotions and sentiments toward others. On the contrary, I think I will most struggle with the written method of communication as I have never solid prose in English writing assignments but I hope to improve in my communication via the written mode of communication.

As of recently I have not been watching very much TV at all but I do re-watch episodes of Friends, The Office, Parks and Rec, and Workaholics on streaming services occasionally.  However I am looking forward to watching more TV series and hopefully rekindle the love for the television industry that I used to have when I would watch Spongebob everyday before elementary school.

With that being said, this semester I will be watching and studying the TV Series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”.  The sole reason I chose to study the intricacies of this series is because my older sibling loves watching the show and talked me into watching it.  I have been told that the show is about a group of girls, one being the main character Kimmy Schmidt, who were kept underground in a nuclear bunker by a priest who convinced them the world had ended and that they couldn’t go outside.  The series begins when all the girls get saved from the bunker by the government after nearly a decade.  The series tracks the main character, Kimmy Schmidt,  getting accustomed to the world that she hasn’t seen since she went into the bunker. It’s seems like a very interesting premise and I’m looking forward to watching and analyzing the series!!

Image result for Unbreakable kimmy schmidt show

My face when I can watch TV for homework

 

 

 

On a Personal Note…

All GT freshmen at this point. Especially me.

Greetings!  My name is Charlotte Harris.  I grew up in Fayetteville, Georgia: a quiet little town nestled thirty miles south of Atlanta.  I hope to graduate with a business administration degree in May of 2022, although this is Georgia Tech, and both majors and graduation dates are quite subject to change!

Like most American eighteen-year-olds, I began learning about reading, writing, and grammar before I even started kindergarten, and ever since, that has comprised the bulk of my English education.  All of my language arts classes over the last thirteen years focused heavily on writing, and as a result, I subconsciously associate writing with English class.  I grew accustomed to the AP style of writing while in high school, and in my junior year, I was the best argumentative writer in the state of Georgia.  Of course, that’s only according to the judges at the GISA Class AAA state literary meet… but that’s beside the point.  After twelve years of writing, that was the experience that finally made me comfortable with putting words on paper.  That being said, writing is the element of a typical English class which comes most naturally to me.  And, since I believe writing is the best way to learn how to compose one’s thoughts and learn how to effectively convey them, speaking is the next easiest.  I will be the first to admit, however, that anything requiring creativity challenges me.  Although I am a visual learner, I am not visionary by any means.  So, this semester, I truly hope to improve my skills when it comes to creative presentation.

To be completely honest, “Television and Feminism” is a class theme that scares me a little bit.  I would not consider myself a feminist, and I don’t watch a lot of TV.  On the rare occasion that I do binge TV, I am typically bored out of my mind, procrastinating a major assignment, or racing a coworker to see who can finish a series faster.  That’s it!  I’m not opposed to TV by any means; I simply don’t have as much spare time as I would like, and when I do have it, I would rather spend it asleep or with my family than in front of a screen.  So, I am excited to broaden my horizons a bit in this class!

I have chosen Fresh Off the Boat as my show to independently watch and review in this class.  To me, it seems to be a completely different pace than any show I’ve watched before, and I’m excited about this new theme.  The show is about immigrants and their lives as Americans, and I can’t wait to delve into that this week.  So with that, here goes a new style of English class, differences and challenges and all. But honestly, if I get to watch TV, how could I possibly complain at all?

Intro to Alexandra Jungreis

Hi, I’m Alexandra Sarah Jungreis, an 18 year old Chemical Engineering major from Anchorage Alaska (I know. It was 10 hours by plane). I expect to graduate in spring 2022, and I’m expecting to take summer classes in order to accomplish that. So far, my only English experience has been with standard high school classes, which I must say I loved. I greatly enjoy reading and talking about books with complex themes and characters. In terms of communication, I love talking and having oral conversations with others, and writing, though not as much of a favorite as talking, has also been an easy form of communication for me. Where I struggle is non verbal communication. It’s not that I’m unexpressive, rather that I express the wrong emotions. I hope to be able to improve on that skill this semester and diversify my communication skills. In terms of television, I can’t say that I’m an utter fanatic, but I have watched quite a bit. The main reason behind that is that my family often uses television and movies as a way to spend time together. Though it’s not very active, we experience the show together, and then have much to talk about after watching. Other than with my family, I really don’t watch much television. I did used to watch a few shows on my own, but that’s tapered off and reading has become my main form of media consumption. For my show, I have chosen Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, a story about a mentally ill woman who drops everything in her life to follow a man she had a crush on 10 years ago to California. Despite the seemingly retrogressive premise, I chose this show because of its reputation of accurate portrayal of mental illness, as well as the fact that the main character is very unapologetically Jewish. I often find that most Jewish television characters are Jewish in a way that is palatable to Gentile audiences: Most references to their Judaism are framed as jokes, or in the form of common stereotypes that push at but don’t quite cross the line (references to bagels, bar/bat mitzvah parties, curly hair, Jewish mothers, etc.). I’m tired of watching Jewish characters that are meant for Gentiles to laugh at; I’m excited and ready to see a Jewish character that was meant for me to identify with.

happy oh my god GIF


Me about to watch a Jewish BAMF rule the screen

Introducing Me

My name is Aaqila Faizer. I am currently a neuroscience major who will hopefully graduate by 2022. Over the summer semester, I took ENGL 1101 at Georgia Tech as well as LMC 2400, Intro to Media Studies, two courses which I hope will be helpful in this ENGL 1102 course on Television and Feminism. In terms of WOVEN modes, I have found that I enjoy utilizing my visual and electronic communication skills. These modes help me be a better communicator when my written and oral communication skills fail to do the job. I hope to farther strengthen my written and oral skills in ENGL 1102 through practice. While I have had experience with feminism and literature in high school, I would love to enhance my knowledge about the relationship between television and feminism. I would not consider myself a “TV fanatic” since I rarely binge watch anything or finish a series. Rather I tend to gravitate towards movies, and I have recently become interested in the field of cinematography. However, I have been obsessed with certain shows, such as BBC’s Sherlock and I am trying to catch up on watching classic series such as Grey’s Anatomy. For my blog, I have chosen to review The Bold Type, a show that revolves around the lives of three young women that work for a fashion magazine company in New York City. At first, the premise of the show sounded highly cliché and was quite different from content I usually watch, however after one episode I realized the show is less about the typical romance in New York City, and more about ambitious women navigating their careers and their personal lives. The show promises to showcase strong, yet complex, female relationships as well as empowering messages. Plus, I love emotional montages, which I heard will show up quite a lot in The Bold Type.  

 

The cast of The Bold Type

 

 

Something (Not) Worth Reading

Hey, everyone. I’m Jessica Barber, and I’m a Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering student in the class of 2022.

This is my first English class here at Tech, but I took AP English Language during my junior year of high school. Looking back on it, that class was one that truly sparked my interest in rhetoric, and I saw beauty in not only the contents of literature but in the mechanics of it. That being said, I have a great appreciation for the effects of nonverbal communication, especially as seen in day-to-day conversation. On paper, I enjoy seeing an author’s voice and opinions present themselves through diction and formulaic structures ― I guess I’m a sucker for written communication as well.

For this semester, I hope to improve in verbal communication. To be frank, I’m one of those people who would much rather sit in the back of the room and internally comment on people’s remarks like Statler and Waldorf in The Muppets than be the one up on stage. But enough of the boring stuff.

When I have the time, I enjoy watching TV for sure. I’ve gone through a few binging stages over the years, but most recently, I enjoy Rick and Morty and, unfortunately, The Bachelorette. For this assignment, I’ll be watching and reviewing The Bold Type, a Freeform show about three young females who all work at a magazine company. I think. I’ve only watched the first episode and a half, so if anyone out there is already a big fan, please don’t be offended by my lack of knowledge. We’ll get there soon enough.

I chose to watch The Bold Type because I remember that a friend back home became an immediate fan when it first aired on TV. She was always impressed that the show mentioned the social issues that it did, so I was interested in watching something that would surprise me. Currently, I’m watching the show with one of my best friends, a lovely Sri Lankan girl who I had the pleasure of befriending on the first day of high school. I don’t know about her, but I’m really looking forward to having an excuse for watching Netflix all the time now that it’s technically for school. We’ll see how it goes.

Statler and Waldorf

Being BOLD can be really awkward… and I totally get that.

So I read this meme that said, “when you’re smart enough to know you’re awkward but not smart enough to know how to not be awkward”…. and honestly, it was wayyy too relatable.

Image result for we cannot dim your light that's what makes us special the bold type

The Bold Type encourages viewers to embrace their individuality.

My name’s Eve; I’m an International Affairs and Modern Languages major studying German, but if I’m being real with you, I kinda suck at it. I’m supposed to graduate in 2022, but again, if I’m being real with you, we’ll see how that goes. I like to think of myself as a walking contradiction because I am a public/motivational speaker, in which I can stand on a stage in front of thousands of people and speak, but in small group settings I am reallyyy awkward and I cannot “small talk” to save my life. Hopefully, throughout this semester that will change ( i.e. I’ll become less socially awkward… somehow).
Over the summer, I was here at Ga Tech (roughhh, ik:/) I spent 5 weeks taking 3 classes, each of which are usually taken during a 16 week period. But hey, I figured why not melt my brain with compound stress and get 7 credit hours out of the way, right? Anyways, so one of the classes I took was English 1101. The topic in my class was basically, whether college represented in popular culture is comparable to college in real-life. In this class, we watched tv shows, read scholarly articles, and wrote annotated bibliographies, similar to the projects we are doing in this English 1102 class.
I am choosing to review The Bold Type because not only did I watch this TV show while trying to gain the motivation to continue living while taking classes here over the summer (jk, I promise), but also it is an extremely relatable show that brings to light many controversial topics that impact women across the world, teaching us that even though it’s awkward sometimes, it’s ok for us to take chances, be ourselves, and just live life to the fullest.

 

 

Zimmeroni the Blogger

*I actually hate talking about myself so lets get this horrible act of narcism out of the way.*

It is I, Zhane’ Zimmerman or better known as Zimmeroni. I am a first year Industrial Engineering student expecting to graduate in 2022. This is my first english class at Tech and I am so excited to see how classes without a stem focus function. The first three weeks in this class have shown me that english classes here are way more relaxed than any english class I’ve taken before and obviously way more relaxed than the other classes that I take at Tech. This makes me want to switch my major to LMC.

In high school, I took english classes that were heavily focused in literature. Every other month we read a book, analyzed it, and repeated the process. All to learn??? Well, I am not exactly sure what was the end goal of these horrid classes but that is exactly what I expected to experience in college. Since it is different, and I can actually focus on myself for once and not Shakespeare, I want to reevaluate what it is to be a writer and communicator. Based on WOVEN, I struggle the most with nonverbal communication but the best with visual. I want to take those skills I have of making posters and graphics aesthetically pleasing and applying that to my face! I am so excited to learn that we actually will be learning about something we can all have an appreciation for- TELEVISION.

Now, I have a love hate relationship with watching series. One reason because whenever I start, I always seem to get busy and forget about the show completely. It seems like I need some sort of motivational pill to finish  a series (which is why this class is perfect for finishing showssssssss). Second reason is because whenever I sit down and watch television I only watch the home improvement channel (I know, lame right?).

Because of this relationship that I’ve developed with television, I’ve decided to finish a series that I started and loved but haven’t seemed to finish, Orange is the New Black. A show centered around various women doing time for various crimes that have over the seasons grown into incredible friends which makes the show confusing on who and what it is really about :).

“We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter, but work is third.” – Leslie Knope

Hello!  My name is Landon Eisenhut and I am an Aerospace Engineering major from Evansville, Indiana.  Fun fact: Parks and Recreation is based on my hometown!  I’d love to be able to graduate by 2022, but I can’t ignore the possibility of that extending into 2023.

As with most Yellow Jackets, I’ve largely been a STEM student throughout my academic career.  The two AP English courses offered at my high school were pretty much the only AP classes I didn’t register for.  I did take an English course at a local college over the summer, but this is my first GT English exposure.  In my experience, I feel more satisfied after effecting my verbal communication.  However, it has not always been my strong point.  Occasionally I become difficult to understand when my low voice combines with my often-lazy annunciation.  I hope to improve in this area this semester.  I’ve already made attempts to be more social and enhance my vocal abilities.  In addition to verbal, I enjoy written communication because I love to create things.  I like to look at a piece of my writing with my name on it and see my voice.  My devotion to creating things goes beyond my writing…as seen from the attached video, I love to make videos capturing my life!

I’ve always been passionate about a few TV shows.  I don’t have a large collection of shows I watch, but I’m well versed in the ones I do watch.  References to various TV episodes make the way into my every day conversations.  While I’m not a TV fanatic, I can watch episodes of certain shows and never want them to end (Stranger Things, Silicon Valley, sometimes Parks and Rec or The Office).  Netflix is never a bad way to spend a weekend, even if it’s in solidarity.  It’s fortunate that my roommate was out of town during my binge watch of The Good Place at 1:00am!

I have chosen to review The Middle for this class.  The Middle encompasses an Indiana middle class family and the experiences that arise with home life, work, and raising children.  Being from Indiana, I’m excited to be able to relate to the situations depicted in the show.  I’ve always loved the Midwest, and perhaps this show will almost make me feel at home.

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Me when I come home to watch The Middle as homework.

The only sample I have of The Middle is the episode portraying Sue’s Indiana college search.  I fondly connected with the moments in this episode, and I anticipate more of this throughout the series.

Scandalous Intro

My motto is pretty similar to Mel’s: sit back, snack, and talk some smack.

Hello, fellow gladiators! My name is Callie Anderson, and I am a business administration major with an anticipated graduation date of 2022…ish. My overall experience with English classes has been quite enjoyable. I always learn new aspects of literature and communication, and I look forward to furthering my skills this semester. This is my second English class here at Georgia Tech. Over the summer, I took English 1101 with Dr. Rose and absolutely loved it. Her class had an urban sustainability focus which I got to implement into my life here at Tech. In both English 1101 and 1102, WOVEN serves as the platform for communication development. Written and visual forms of communication are where I thrive. I love depicting stories through artful language or by providing fun and helpful visual aids. Although I believe WOVEN is a great foundation for growth in composition and communication skills, I struggle with certain parts. Oral communication is my real-life version of Eli Pope (for all you Scandal fans). Every once in a while I can outsmart that sucker, but he always comes back to get me in the end. I rehearse, prepare, recite, and sometimes I am actually successful. But most times, even when I think I excelled, I stumble and stutter through a presentation, receiving a disappointing grade. I know my oral communication skills will not transform magically overnight, but I am hoping Professor Wilson’s class will “handle it” over time.

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Whip that communication into shape, Dr. Wilson!

My experience with the theme of this class is both limited and extensive. Many of my nights have been spent watching countless hours of Netflix shows. If the Ghost of Christmas Pasts came to see me, he would probably focus on the boat-load of hours I have wasted watching mindless Netflix shows, eating the best junk food on the planet.

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Mhmm I ain’t lying.

However, and here comes the scandalous part, I have almost no experience with feminism…

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Say whaaaaat???

Yes, you read that right. I do not consider myself a feminist. I do wholeheartedly support equal rights for women across the globe, but I hate taking on the victim mindset which I believe “feminism” embraces, especially in American culture.

This is why I chose Scandal as my TV show to analyze throughout the semester. I believe Olivia Pope, Melly, and other female characters fight to be treated equally without ever feeling sorry for themselves. Instead of stopping their jobs to protest unfair treatment while hoping for some government intervention, these women power through and fight for what they want. Not only do they fight for themselves, they usually succeed, which is quite refreshing and satisfying to watch. Therefore, I plan to demonstrate the real “feminist” work being done by these women in my blog posts over the semester. I hope that my blog posts will inspire the women that read it to put down the victim-focused protest signs and pick up their intelligent mental weapons to go get want they want and deserve.

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