As the last few days of class approaches, I reflect on my experience in this class to find I have retained many topics taught over this semester. If I had the opportunity I would love to learn further in-depth about film. More specifically, the different types genres and their subgenres. I felt as though the readings provided only really provided clarity and full depth to a select few. When analyzing my teen movie, a romantic comedy, I found it hard to use my sources provided to fully analyze the genre of the movie. I would like to learn about the different consistencies for different genres and subgenres that audiences most often use to identify film’s genres.
The Greg Smith reading provided a broad but encompassing overview on a few genres, and that is why it was my favorite reading. I felt like the reading was very encompassing. In his writing I found it easy to follow, and filled with interesting references. Smith’s chapter on genres was like pulling back the curtain to how genre functions to portray certain themes and how the audience often interprets genres. Realizing the natural responses to certain genres like laughing and comedy movie is a natural understanding, but why such as the music and type of shots used in the movie never once brushed my mind before.
On the other hand, I very much disliked the Vance Packard reading on consumerism. I found this reading to be nothing other than an attempt to find a substantial application of freudian concepts to modern-day society. Freud’s
Was Vance Packard onto something with facial hair and the symbolic importance it holds to men?
controversial and outdated concept that every desire experienced by humans is a result of sex is hard to readily accept already. This reading’s explanation that many people buy things or consume things to subconsciously participate in sex or -even more farfetched to re-experience prenatal life. Perhaps the idea that men subconsciously see shaving as a form of castration since it gets rid of their beard which is a symbol of manliness. I find this argument to be the least farfetched in the reading, from my experience men are often proud of the fact they can grow a good amount of facial hair. Meanwhile those who cannot are often ashamed of their inability to grow facial hair. Another connection to where this concept could be applied to is the “No Shave November” trend. Perhaps the trend dodging the razor for a month could be men trying to flourish their manliness.
As this November comes to an end final exams and assignments approach with December, I think my next semester will be very different. Or at least I hope so. I am hoping to successfully transfer to the University of Texas at Austin for next semester (for financial reasons). Hopefully I will still be able to take STEM courses so that I will be able to build towards my major (Neuroscience). Going back to if I had to retake this class, which I would love to, I would say the topic of Dreams would be the most interesting. Courses with in-depth focuses on dreams are not common and a student of any major I feel dreams would offer a relief from other courses and genuinely interest each student. Themes such as social media like texting and twitter may be of interests for students as well.
Media Interpretation and Criticism 