the grand finale

Hi, everyone. For your final assignment, I’d like you to write a smart, insightful 3-4 page paper on one of the following topics (yes, I've tried to make sure that you've got a lot to choose from). You should email this paper to me at erg22@cornell.edu no later than Wednesday, May 16, at 2pm (yes, I’ve given you a few more days to work on it than originally planned). As I stated in the course syllabus, I’d also like you to include a one-page assessment of your performance in our class along with the letter grade you think that you deserve. Be honest, be candid, and don’t be afraid to point out the areas--in your thinking, in your writing--in which you tried to challenge yourself this semester.

1. On October 15, 2004, Jon Stewart appeared on CNN's "Crossfire" with Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson. Although the show had aired for over a dozen years, within three months of Stewart's visit, the show was cancelled (video of Stewart's interview is here, a transcript is here). In Stewart's estimation, "Crossfire" had come to epitomize the most divisive and intellectually paralyzing aspects of post-9/11 political discourse in America, and he criticized Begala and Carlson accordingly. As of this weekend, video of Stewart's CNN appearance has been viewed almost four million times on iFilm alone. Explain why you think Stewart's criticisms have resonated so widely. What role did political satire have to play in his comments? What does this say to you about cable television, the mainstream media, and/or political debate in post-9/11 American culture?

2. On April 29, 2006, Stephen Colbert gave a controversial performance at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner (video is here, a transcript is here). Colbert's satirical humor didn't go over very well with President George Bush or the Washington press corps. What's your opinion of his performance?

3. Write a movie review of Michael Moore's 2004 film Fahrenheit 9/11, a work that Moore once described as a "satirical documentary." (Unfortunately, Cornell's library system doesn't have any copies of the DVD, so you'll have to get one on your own.)

4. Using Bill Maher as your inspiration, come up with at least eight original "New Rules" for improving post-9/11 political discourse in America.

5. Write about the most original, insightful, or provocative thought you had during our course. Make sure that your paper includes an analysis of at least one of the satirical films, memoirs, characters, graphic novels, comic strips, documentaries, television shows, or newspapers that we covered during the semester. This is your chance to make a "big statement" about our course, so don't be timid.

6. Argue why a post-9/11 satirical work that we didn't cover in class would make an excellent addition to the syllabus. Who is its target audience? What are its themes or subjects? How does it relate to other works we treated together in class?

7. Write a satire that takes either Finals Week or the English 289 writing seminar "American Political Satire Before and After 9/11" as its subject. Your paper can take the form of a television or film script, a day-in-the-life narrative, or a mock-serious sociological study, to name just a few possibilities. Don't worry about being offensive, just worry about being dull and unfunny.

8. Compare the style, techniques, and strategies of at least two different satirists or satirical works that we covered together in class. In your opinion, which one is ultimately more succesful? Why? Focus on details, not generalities.

Contact me if you have any questions. Otherwise, have fun, and good luck!