Assignment: Television Icons and Innovators
Write an essay paper about Sherwood Charles Schwartz.
For the first research essay assignment in POPC 2900, students are asked to write a biographical research and analysis essay on an individual who has made a significant contribution to the television medium. You will be provided with a list of pre-approved topics. However, you are not limited to that list. If you choose to examine another figure, you must seek the Instructor's approval. Students will be examining an individual whose influence has permeated our culture. Such individuals make us reflect upon who we are, what we aspire to be, and what we value. Your essay should explore how the person/icon reflects the American experience out of which he/she sprang and how they achieved relevance by adapting to, and perhaps influencing, the evolving nature of American television culture.
Your icon should be someone who has had a great impact upon the broader American culture. One aspect of iconicity that facilitates this impact is that the icon is symbolic; it represents something more than itself. For example, Ozzie & Harriet Nelson's 1950s sitcom repeatedly reaffirmed a certain idealized depiction of the "All-American" family. Some TV icons may be seen as having an impact by challenging the status quo and forcing us to examine the values of our culture. TV producer Norman Lear is often cited as revolutionizing the sitcom genre in the 1970s by breaking taboos and boundaries in terms of language, situations, and characters that had been considered too controversial for TV. Essays should be more than mere biographies, but should provide an in-depth exploration of the icon as someone who made a significant impact upon TV and the American culture. Your icon may have enjoyed his/her heyday well before our current era, or it may continue to radiate tremors across the cultural landscape.
Each essay should be divided into several sections:
• The icon's biographical history, accomplishments, key moments in TV history
• The icon's impact on television; his/her influence on the wider TV industry; other TV creators, programming, etc.
• The icon's impact on American culture; his/her contributions in other media forms outside of television
Students will post their topic choice online at the POPC 2900 class canvas site for the Instructor's approval.
The requirements for the essay are as follows:
• Essays should be approximately 7-8 full pages (typed double spaced)
• A works cited page must be included
• Students should conform to the MLA or APA style formats
• A minimum of 3 sources must be used for your research
• Wikipedia, Google News, etc. are not valid references for college-level essays
• Late papers will not be accepted.